Tuesday's Writer's Tip - Opening Scene - Description #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Writer's Tip #Opening Scene #Description

 The Opening Scene should show your character or characters in action. Long descriptive passages make for a slow start. One thing readers ofted agree or disagree with is the descriptions of the character or characters. Some writers go on for paragraphs and leave little to the reader's imagination. Other writers may give no physical description of their characters. I've been called on this several times for not giving enough description by some readers and others like the fact I don't. Romance readers usually like more physical description than other readers. As I was thinking about this I realized that I've read a number of books where there have been just a line or two about what a character's appearance is. I've learned these characters in other ways such as their actions, reactions and perhaps a bit that shows their description. Only when the physical matters do many writers give these descriptions. In my romances, I usually give the characters hair and eye color but only if there's a reason for this. More than often, I hone on shoulders or hands, also mouths. I also may let another character give the description of the hero or heroine and hopefully select the things that are important. The way they smile like, he gave that crooked smile that always made her heart race. So there are ways of showing what the characters look like using a bit of description and the reader's imagination

The same goes for other descriptions when you're writing.

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Wednesday's Writer's Tip - A Bit more about Description #MFRWauthor #amwriting

There are some other thoughts about using descriptive passages. One is how a character uses his or her senses. Take the sense of smell. A doctor might describe odors in one way, a mother in another. Using sight think of how a cop would see things as opposed to a scientist. You can do this with all the senses and bring a character to life. When writing one of my stories I spent time with touch, how a musician thought about touch and what things came from his memory and from using his hands. Bringing characters to life and making them unique certainly helps.

Remember one word will often do more than a long string of world. Sometimes I become annoyed when a writer strings long lines of adjectives in a row in an attempt to show something. Searching for the right word is part of the revision process. There are times when I write things like there is a fight. They make love. I go on since I don't want to take the time to build that scene. I want to reach the end of the plot before I do more than say a scene should go in a specific place.

Use time to develop your own senses. People watching is a great way to do this. Also taking walks and just observing what's around you. Sit down and try to write a description of a scent, a sight, a touch, a taste or a sound. Your imagination helps develop your characters. Trust your reader to have their own ideas about the senses and often a single word will trigger something within themselves.

Remember when using description the strength of the parts of speech. Strong verbs elicit strong feelings. Exact nouns do the same thing. Then comes adjectives and adverbs. Choose them with care.

Wednesday's Writer's Tip - More ways to use Description #MFRWauthor #amwriting

Description is necessary to make the story pop.

 Look at each scene and try to find a way to incorporate description. I once used the aroma of baking chocolate cookies to bring the heroine's memories to a happier time and to lead her to a new time in her life. During the scene, the character or characters can come to a realization about her life and how things have changed and need to change. Scents are particularly evocation of memories.

Having one of the characters have to use a sense during a scene can make the scene come alive. Imagine the character trapped in a dark cave or a dungeon with no lights. Try the sense of touch to bring the scene to vivid like. What is the slimy thing she or he feels on the wall. What does the feel of water mean? Can she or he find the exit jsut by touch?

One thing to remember when using descriptive passages, less is more. Finding just the right word to evoke an image of what the reader should experience is great. One word can create a picture that's clear where long strings of words may muddy the scene or lose the reader on the way to the meaning of the passage. Precision counts when choosing the right word. Think of someone's face when they're angry. Beet red, may do the trick. Face flamed. Things like this make the picture clear.

Wednesday's Writer's Tip - Looking at Description #MFRWauthor #amwriting

Description is the best way to involve your reader and make them feel they are part of the story. This is done by using the senses. Sight, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting. For some of us who write fantasy this involves other senses like those included in ESP.

Why would a writer want to involve the senses? Using them in not pedestrian ways brings the word pictures into vivid images. Let's see what could happen using each of the senses to give depth to a character, a setting, a world or an object the character sees or uses.

You could say. She heard his voice. That is rather ordinary. You could say the tone of his voice made her afraid. A bit better. Or His rasping voice rolled along her nerves sending chills along her spine. Now this gives you a really vivid picture. You haven't seen the threatening character but you have a picture of him in your mind.

She saw the car he drove. Ordinary. She studied the blue convertible. A bit better. One look at the sleek blue convertible and she thought money. Tells you something about her and him.

The white house sat on a hill. Or atop the steep road up the hill stood a white house. A curving driveway lined with hedges of roses climbed the hill to the white house.

So when you're describing one of your characters, or the setting, think of making these word pictures descriptive and the reader will see these places and people as real.

Writing Tip - Description

Description is used for a nymber of reasons. Using the senses makes the descriptions vivid and engages the reader's interest. Being sight oriented many writers forget there are other senses such as smell, touch, sound and taste. Using a full range of senses can make a character, a setting or an object come to light.

She ran her hand over the cool metal of the gun. The wind wove an eerie melody through the broken shutters. His meaty hands , roughened by weather raised gooseflesh.

Description can be used to show action and to move a character through a scene. The thud on the stairs matched the beat of her heart. She fled into the darkness. Branches like fingers tried to hold her back. How far to the road.

The key to using the senses in descriptions is to be precise, brief and imaginative. Long strings of adjectives can muddy the prose. Choosing three or four when one can do the job makes the reader stop and ponder which one they like.

Remember good description comes in the revision phase of the story. Getting the basics down and then you can decide how and where to use description. Verbs and nouns have the most powerful effects in description, adjectives come next and adverbs last.