One of the weakest points in my writing is description. I always wanna get to the good stuff. And I get impatient. Even when I read a book, I tend to think of description as speed bumps.
But good description can really make your work stand out. It pulls the reader into your story. There are two rules I use to help guide me through the process of writing description. The first one I got from Bethany House editor Karen Schurrer and the second from author Sherrie Lord.
1. Describe things from your character's perspective. I once heard of a place being described as so cold your nose hairs froze and felt like a toothbrush was jammed up each nostril. Now that is an interesting perspective, and it tells you about the character as well as the cold.
2. Pick only the three most insteresting features of a character or a setting that will give the reader a good idea on how to fill in the rest. Sherrie used the example of describing a kitchen as having a formica table, Felix the cat clock, and a bottle of dishsoap wearing an apron. Enough said.
Your turn. Pick a character and a setting then describe the setting from the experiences of your character.
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You WERE paying attention!
ReplyDeleteWow! Your praise humbles me, Angela. I'm just thrilled that something I said was able to help you progress in your art. You're passionate about it, which makes you an eager student.
Very nice blog; I've already bookmarked it. See you soon! And hugs on ya!
--Sherrie ;-}