Creative Writing Descriptions

Words with hard consonant sounds (“k” and “d” and the “th” sound of “the”) sound sharp and forceful, particularly if they’re short, while words with softer consonants (“m” and “n” and “l”) evoke a more soothing, comforting mood.

Words with hard consonant sounds (“k” and “d” and the “th” sound of “the”) sound sharp and forceful, particularly if they’re short, while words with softer consonants (“m” and “n” and “l”) evoke a more soothing, comforting mood.

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• By proximity—details that are grouped together: the appearance of a character, the items on top of a dresser, flowers in a garden • By quality—separating the sweet from the sour, the melodious from the discordant • Chronologically—listing actions as they occur • Spatially—moving in a pattern through the space being described.

Some patterns lend themselves to certain kinds of description: Spatial descriptions are obvious choices for establishing setting; chronological descriptions can be woven through action as it unfolds. Try employing unexpected methods of description to different types of material.

But strong writing requires more than simply switching from passive to active word choices.

It requires concrete details, specific nouns and verbs (which in turn means reducing the number of adjectives and adverbs) and precise, uncluttered prose.

Say your sentences aloud, and consider the overall tone of your writing.

Practice choosing the perfect words for your descriptions—the words that will leave a lasting impression with your readers.

Throughout a quiet, overcast autumn day, when gray clouds lay soft and low in the sky, I had been enjoying a solitary ride through an unremarkable expanse of countryside, and after a time found myself, as twilight faded to velvet dusk, within view of the unhappy House of Usher.

The first passage, from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher,” demonstrates that writer’s ability to set the stage for a classic Gothic story of decay and madness.

As a general rule, words with long vowel sounds (“o” and “oo”) tend to feel softer and rounder.

They can have a calming effect on the reader, and can even have the power to slow the pace of your writing.