I respect you so much you're so cool 💖 any tips for authors who are having trouble adding descriptions to their writing? It always seems bland but looking over it too much makes you not like it as much ykyk
Your first mistake is thinking I'm cool when I'm actually a huge loser.
Anyway, yeah I have a few tips for adding descriptions in stories:
1) Nabokov's Couch
This is a piece of advice I first heard in high school that has really stuck with me. The story goes that Vladimir Nabokov, a writer known for his unique poetic use of language, was asked how he could use so little words to paint such vivid images. Allegedly, he said that when a character enters a new room, you only need to describe the couch.
According to Nabokov, you only need one really memorable description to paint a scene. If you say that the couch looks like melting chocolate, you not only have a vivid idea of the couch (include how it sags, its color, how often it is used, how comfortable it looks), but also what the rest of the room may look like and even the weather that day.
Personally, I found that this piece of advice works wonders for describing people. When you first introduce a character, you don’t need to describe their entire look a la My Immortal. Just tell your reader the most memorable thing about them and let the smaller details get added gradually.
2) Motifs Are Your Friend
This is mostly a follow-up to the previous piece of advice. When you write a scene that feels devoid of description despite there already being descriptions, add a motif or symbol to come back to.
This can be as simple as the weather to something more complex like a key item in the room. For example, in the most recent chapter CTB where Orlanda was, uh…. enjoying the Christmas spirit, I kept coming back to the image of her eye glowing.
Adding a reoccurring motif can help set the atmosphere of the scene or draw attention to a key detail in the story. You shouldn’t overuse this technique though as hearing the same bit of description over and over again can be grating. But when used properly and with intention, it can not only add imagery to a scene but also point your readers to something you want to add emphasis to.
3) Verbs Are the Best Adjectives
When it comes to writing descriptions, a lot of people get hung up on finding new adjectives to use. Word choice is important, but what can often be neglected is strong, unique verbs.
A memorable verb can make any scene more vivid. A character could walk somewhere, or they can amble, or strut, or saunter. Each of those verbs paint a completely different picture for the reader; they can also contribute to characterization, as a character who struts into battle is different from one who creeps.
Don’t limit your unique verbs to just the characters. Using memorable verbs in your descriptions can make even the most simple of images pop. Take for example the wind. You can say the wind blew through the leaves, or you can say that the wind battered the leaves. It’s the same core idea, but a change of verbs paints a different idea of what the wind was like.
One of the best ways to add stronger verbs is to stop using adverbs. I know that this piece of advice has gotten flack for being a part of the “write like Hemmingway” agenda, but it is one of the most helpful pieces of advice I have ever gotten. Adverbs are clunky and are often used with weaker verbs that you can replace with a stronger one. Why use two words when you can just use one? Experiment with avoiding adverbs for a few months and see how it goes. For years I would put everything I write through the Hemmingway App to comb for adverbs. Only recently have I stopped doing that, and it’s only because I now avoid using adverbs by instinct.
(And I’m not saying that all adverbs are bad; your adverbs can be more impactful when you restrain yourself and use them with purpose).
4) Hit All Five of the Senses
If you’re someone who visualizes a scene before writing it, you may focus too much on what something looks like. A person has five senses, so make sure you hit as many of those five senses as you can.
A winter day looks white and dreary, but it also feels cold and smells brisk.
The woods offer shade, but the bark of the trees might be rough or covered with sap.
Making your character experience all five of the senses can help make a scene come to life. Take my example of a tree covered in sap. You can have two people talking while one of them tries to wipe the sap off their fingers. You can intersect a conversation on a hot day with complaints about sweat and thirstiness. Small moments like those helps to make a scene come to life and feel lived in.
You can also mix the senses together. A song might sound so nice that it feels like a mother’s touch. The idea of a soft bed to rest in might taste sweet on the tongue. Again, you have to be careful with this one as mixing the senses can sound like nonsense if you’re not careful.
5) Read Books With Good Imagery
I know that it’s pretty annoying to be told to read a book, but… you should read some books. Fanfiction is great, but published novels are often written to a different standard and can teach you a lot about writing techniques. The trick is to read a book like a writer. If you notice that you like how a novel writes dialogue, pay attention to how the author writes it. What words do they use? What is the sentence structure? What do the characters talk about? You can do this with any novel and with any area of writing you’re looking to improve.
For descriptions, I recommend hitting books written by poets. No doubt that they are often filled with images that novel writers wouldn’t often think about. If you’re a teen/young adult looking for books with good descriptions to study, check out The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Welcome to Nightvale by Jeffrey Cranor and Joseph Fink, and the Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab.
If you’re an adult and are looking for mature books with good descriptions to study, check out Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, and the Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich (note: please look up summaries and warnings for these books as they contain triggering/disturbing content; they are for adults for a reason).
