Writing Description Part 1
Hey guys!
I really want to say "welcome to my show", but then I remember I'm writing, not YouTubing :(
Anyways, today I will be talking about writing description. A little while back, I know I did a post called 'DESCRIPTION MUCH'. That was a popular post, and maybe it was the title...I don't really know. Anyways, today I will be talking about how to actually write description in a way that is going to make readers feel as if they are in your world, but they also aren't bored and end up skimming your book.
Sometimes, one word can make all the difference.
First of all, sorry for not posting here lately. I have been really active on iRead, iRandom, Goodreads, and FanFiction.net, but iWrite is something I want to continue. I'm setting a goal. I am going to try to post on iWrite at least once a week. I know some of you think I post too much, and there are those of you who think I post too little, so this will try to even it up. Once a week here, once a week on iRandom, and I really can't schedule iRead posts. It depends how fast I read. Also, there will be an iRead works cited tomorrow and please read below that because I have listed IMPORTANT NEWS about my life and for you!
Anyways, back to this post. Actually.
Ok, first off, you don't want a big wall of text. What I've noticed about classic novels is that there are three or four pages of just description non-stop. Sometimes one or two pages is just one paragraph! I have to admit, that much description scares me. Why do I have to read all that? And maybe I'm the only one who does this, but subconsciously, not purposely, mind you, I kind of skip over some words and maybe even miss important details. This is why walls of text are not good.
Example:
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Do you honestly want to read all of that? (IF THERE WERE REAL WORDS, PEOPLE).
No. I don't think so.
Ok, so how you avoid walls of text is by splitting your description up by using DIALOGUE. People talking is fun to read and won't get your readers bored. Then again, you don't want this...
xxxx
xxxxxx
xxxxxxxx
xxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx!
xxx?
xxxxx.
xxxxxxxx
Terrible. Looks choppy and like you didn't work on it at all.
Ok, moving on. What you can do to avoid too much dialogue or too much description at once is by literally writing three sentences of dialogue. They don't have to be the longest, best, most complex sentences, but they should sum up what you want to show. Then add three lines of dialogue. They don't have to be by three different people, but there should be three lines of dialogue.
Then continue this process all over again. You can add a line of description, but you should also add a line of dialogue as well. It doesn't have to be this way the whole time, but it should be consistent. You should use it when you have a ton to describe.
Who likes writing description? *people raise hands*. I do too. Actually, writing description is my favorite part of writing, besides the originality and beauty of it. Honestly, descriptions are fun to write. IF YOU HATE WRITING IT, PLEASE CONTACT ME. Maybe. Actually, that is such a good idea! I would be rolling in dough, and it would be FUN!
Anyways, please remember to forget walls of text OR dialogue. Never heard that before, but you should really get rid of it.
I know, this post looks like a wall of text.
Do you see how my paragraphs are starting to split up quicker?
I actually listen to myself.
Besides, I'm actually fun to read.
Hopefully.
Anyways, another thing about writing description, is that it plays into dialogue as well. Although dialogue may seem simple, please be warned that dialogue is one of the hardest parts of writing. POST ON THAT COMING SOON. Anyways, writing dialogue has to be realistic and funny. It has to be as if you are actually talking to the person and you can just imagine what they would say. One way to make your dialogue more realistic is by using description.
Writing is literally all the same.
EVERYTHING IS TIED TOGETHER
OK, so let's just say you are writing a sentence on a teacher showing the class what the homework is. IDK, don't judge me. Now you can just say...
"So class, you have to do pages 15 and 16 tonight for homework. Make sure to show your work." the teacher said.
You have no idea from that sentence whether the teacher is female, male, tall, short, mean, nice, or how she is saying this. Is she exhausted, happy, excited, or hungry? Don't forget, you can add a sentence of description. AND THERE ARE ALREADY TWO SENTENCES OF DIALOGUE YAY
So here is the same sentence of dialogue with DESCRIPTION.
"So class, you have to do pages 15 and 16 tonight for homework. Make sure to show your work." the teacher announced tiredly. She looked as if she wanted to sleep, but knew that she would be teased to death by the children if she did; she was already marked as the easy teacher.
One sentence added. It makes all the difference. You now know that this teacher is female, easy, and tired. She might even be a little frustrated, if you can infer.
INFERENCE POST COMING SOON
You know what? I have a ton more to say, so I'm going to make a part two of this next, then a dialogue post, and then an inference post. Yay, that leaves me set for three more weeks, unless I can't wait and publish them early!
Sorry for long post. I think this is my best post so far! Of all time! Please follow me on Goodreads, FanFiction, iRead, iRandom, and HERE!
*sorry for any mistakes*
I really want to say "welcome to my show", but then I remember I'm writing, not YouTubing :(
Anyways, today I will be talking about writing description. A little while back, I know I did a post called 'DESCRIPTION MUCH'. That was a popular post, and maybe it was the title...I don't really know. Anyways, today I will be talking about how to actually write description in a way that is going to make readers feel as if they are in your world, but they also aren't bored and end up skimming your book.
Sometimes, one word can make all the difference.
First of all, sorry for not posting here lately. I have been really active on iRead, iRandom, Goodreads, and FanFiction.net, but iWrite is something I want to continue. I'm setting a goal. I am going to try to post on iWrite at least once a week. I know some of you think I post too much, and there are those of you who think I post too little, so this will try to even it up. Once a week here, once a week on iRandom, and I really can't schedule iRead posts. It depends how fast I read. Also, there will be an iRead works cited tomorrow and please read below that because I have listed IMPORTANT NEWS about my life and for you!
Anyways, back to this post. Actually.
Ok, first off, you don't want a big wall of text. What I've noticed about classic novels is that there are three or four pages of just description non-stop. Sometimes one or two pages is just one paragraph! I have to admit, that much description scares me. Why do I have to read all that? And maybe I'm the only one who does this, but subconsciously, not purposely, mind you, I kind of skip over some words and maybe even miss important details. This is why walls of text are not good.
Example:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Do you honestly want to read all of that? (IF THERE WERE REAL WORDS, PEOPLE).
No. I don't think so.
Ok, so how you avoid walls of text is by splitting your description up by using DIALOGUE. People talking is fun to read and won't get your readers bored. Then again, you don't want this...
xxxx
xxxxxx
xxxxxxxx
xxx
xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx!
xxx?
xxxxx.
xxxxxxxx
Terrible. Looks choppy and like you didn't work on it at all.
Ok, moving on. What you can do to avoid too much dialogue or too much description at once is by literally writing three sentences of dialogue. They don't have to be the longest, best, most complex sentences, but they should sum up what you want to show. Then add three lines of dialogue. They don't have to be by three different people, but there should be three lines of dialogue.
Then continue this process all over again. You can add a line of description, but you should also add a line of dialogue as well. It doesn't have to be this way the whole time, but it should be consistent. You should use it when you have a ton to describe.
Who likes writing description? *people raise hands*. I do too. Actually, writing description is my favorite part of writing, besides the originality and beauty of it. Honestly, descriptions are fun to write. IF YOU HATE WRITING IT, PLEASE CONTACT ME. Maybe. Actually, that is such a good idea! I would be rolling in dough, and it would be FUN!
Anyways, please remember to forget walls of text OR dialogue. Never heard that before, but you should really get rid of it.
I know, this post looks like a wall of text.
Do you see how my paragraphs are starting to split up quicker?
I actually listen to myself.
Besides, I'm actually fun to read.
Hopefully.
Anyways, another thing about writing description, is that it plays into dialogue as well. Although dialogue may seem simple, please be warned that dialogue is one of the hardest parts of writing. POST ON THAT COMING SOON. Anyways, writing dialogue has to be realistic and funny. It has to be as if you are actually talking to the person and you can just imagine what they would say. One way to make your dialogue more realistic is by using description.
Writing is literally all the same.
EVERYTHING IS TIED TOGETHER
OK, so let's just say you are writing a sentence on a teacher showing the class what the homework is. IDK, don't judge me. Now you can just say...
"So class, you have to do pages 15 and 16 tonight for homework. Make sure to show your work." the teacher said.
You have no idea from that sentence whether the teacher is female, male, tall, short, mean, nice, or how she is saying this. Is she exhausted, happy, excited, or hungry? Don't forget, you can add a sentence of description. AND THERE ARE ALREADY TWO SENTENCES OF DIALOGUE YAY
So here is the same sentence of dialogue with DESCRIPTION.
"So class, you have to do pages 15 and 16 tonight for homework. Make sure to show your work." the teacher announced tiredly. She looked as if she wanted to sleep, but knew that she would be teased to death by the children if she did; she was already marked as the easy teacher.
One sentence added. It makes all the difference. You now know that this teacher is female, easy, and tired. She might even be a little frustrated, if you can infer.
INFERENCE POST COMING SOON
You know what? I have a ton more to say, so I'm going to make a part two of this next, then a dialogue post, and then an inference post. Yay, that leaves me set for three more weeks, unless I can't wait and publish them early!
Sorry for long post. I think this is my best post so far! Of all time! Please follow me on Goodreads, FanFiction, iRead, iRandom, and HERE!
*sorry for any mistakes*
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