All Questions
Tagged with description fiction
77 questions
-1
votes
1
answer
129
views
I need help writing a murder scene in first person [closed]
So the chapter starts like this:
I continued to sip my coffee as he choked on his own blood. It was bitter - both the coffee and the look permanently etched onto his face.
I want to write a seamless ...
- 1
3
votes
2
answers
275
views
I want to describe a young man sitting astride on a chair, leaning his forearms on the top of the back
I want to describe a young man sitting astride on a chair, leaning his forearms on the top of the back. I am aware that I am focusing too much on the mechanics of the posture, and I will deal with the ...
- 33
1
vote
2
answers
409
views
I need help writing a scene or experience about air being knocked out of you
How would you write a scene of someone trying to breath again after getting the wind knocked out of them?
I am trying to describe the experience and how your body reacts physically while your brain ...
2
votes
3
answers
63
views
Describing exclaimations from a group
My character, an old woman, has been knocked down, injured and can't get up. There is a crowd of people, spread across a park, who all witnessed the accident. From her view, at ground level, she is ...
- 23
1
vote
1
answer
343
views
How to describe a sinister expression
I'm a noob at writing and I wanted to find out how to describe someone's face contorting into a sinister expression. I'm having a bit of trouble doing so. The most prominent features I want to focus ...
1
vote
1
answer
266
views
Describing light like water
I am currently working on writing a storyline for a text-based videogame. I am trying to describe how there is very little light coming into the room that the character is entering, as the window is ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
894
views
How to describe when someone hesitates before speaking?
I find myself repeatedly saying "he/she hesitated" when I feel like there's something else I could say. I've been experimenting but with the character in question, all I can think of is, &...
- 33
2
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How to describe someone whose eyes sparkle mischievously?
I've been told that I'm telling instead of showing when I say my characters' eyes sparkle 'mischievously.' How do you describe something like that? I've been looking it up and trying different tricks ...
- 33
1
vote
1
answer
562
views
How do you describe the sound of a body being dragged through the snow? [closed]
How to describe the sound of a body bring dragged through snow
- 11
0
votes
1
answer
89
views
Music in written form
I have a very hard time describing music in my writing. There's a particular scene where two characters are dancing along to piano music. It's a nice, romantic moment where they're the only people ...
- 587
3
votes
1
answer
251
views
How can I write a young adult character as very excited without sounding like a child?
I want to show my young adult main character, as being very enthusiastic and excitable about her interests, mainly I want her to make a big deal about wanting to wear her mother's ceremonial (but ...
- 945
-1
votes
1
answer
133
views
how do I describe magic in a fictional story? [closed]
In my writing I need to describe a character being enchanted by a spell and pulled towards a house.
0
votes
3
answers
233
views
Describing people in a book that is first person
I am writing a novel that is in present tense. I'm worried I'm going back and forth from present to past tense when I describe the physical characteristics of people my main character meets.
Here are ...
2
votes
1
answer
115
views
How to clearly convey the picture of a World War I-era car without mentioning World War I?
So I am working on a story that takes place in a setting with the aesthetics of world war I machinery and society but which does not take place in our world. Because of this, I can't just go about ...
- 123
3
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Help with describing an unconscious character
One of the characters in my book, the narrator, is suddenly knocked unconscious. How would I describe what he sees/feels?
Do I just have a big timeskip, with him confused as to what happened when he ...
- 727
1
vote
5
answers
333
views
I want to explain something in a novel that shouldn’t exist in it
In my novel, the world is made entirely out of islands, but I don’t know how to explain this without using the word islands. In that world, there are only islands so they are just called countries. ...
- 11
1
vote
3
answers
341
views
How would a character with a certain personality react in a certain situation? [closed]
I'm at a point in my story where the main character(M17) was in a huge car crash. He'd been in an overturned vehicle for about 10 minutes and had sustained heavy damage. A few of his friends had come ...
- 441
6
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How should you describe turning pages quickly? [closed]
I want to describe this action. How should I describe this action?
- 255
21
votes
7
answers
3k
views
Detail vs. filler
How can I minimise the "filler" text that I end up writing when fleshing out a scene with detail?
An appropriate level of detail seems to me to be a fundamental requirement for good prose. Whatever I ...
- 3,448
3
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Is it stylistically sound to use onomatopoeic words?
I'm writing a non-comedic fantasy novel, and I find myself using onomatopoeic words, like "SLAM!" and "TWISH" (for the shooting of arrows). To my knowledge, onomatopoeic words are almost only used in ...
- 4,053
4
votes
5
answers
978
views
Should fiction mention song names and iPods?
In my novel, the protagonist is depressed. In the story which is in my mind...
The autumn leaves were falling as I was sitting alone and Gary Jules' "Mad World" was ringing in my iPod.
The ...
- 2,399
12
votes
9
answers
2k
views
How do you show, through your narration, a hard and uncaring world?
As I've already mentioned, I'm working on a sci-fi novel.
One of the main feelings that I wanted to represent when I started is the sense of a vast, empty, artificial world, mostly cold and uncaring ...
- 15.9k
1
vote
2
answers
2k
views
How to describe a fist bump explosion?
I'm having trouble describing a fist bump explosion in my story. I can't just say "they did a fist bump explosion," because everyone may not know exactly what that looks like. Googling doesn't ...
- 61
5
votes
3
answers
190
views
How do I differentiate characters in first person POV when the narrator doesn't know them yet?
Okay, so two women are in a bar and I'm telling the story from one of the women's POV. Two guys come in and the women are watching/listening to them from a distance. They don't know their names or ...
- 61
11
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Everyone is beautiful
I've noticed a quirk with the narrator voice of one of the two novels I'm working on. This narrator only describes the beautiful aspects of every character's features. You might think the women are ...
1
vote
2
answers
257
views
How do I add more details in my story? [closed]
I'm writing a story where two lovers meet then I having one of them die at the end. I am curious to see how much imagery I should add.
- 11
18
votes
8
answers
3k
views
How to make clear what a part-humanoid character looks like when they're quite common in their world?
How can I describe an unconventionally part-humanoid character, so the reader knows clearly what they look like, while in a world where these people are normal and it's not unusual at all for ...
- 413
8
votes
4
answers
660
views
Tips and tricks to describe more
I'm careful with the phrasing of this question as it is dangerously close to be opinion based. Everyone has their preference regarding the amount of description they expect to find in a work of ...
- 183
0
votes
3
answers
248
views
How much realism do I put into a war simulation story for Young Adults?
I am writing an action/thriller light novel for YA audience.
The story involves characters "playing" in a war-simulation game in an extremely realistic and full immersive Virtual Reality. By "full ...
- 2,643
11
votes
9
answers
3k
views
How do I draw attention to a girl's chest without making it overly lewd?
So, I have a group of main characters, and the current viewpoint character is going to introduce a... very well-endowed character. How do I write this so that I get the point across that she's that ...
- 2,643
1
vote
3
answers
426
views
How to describe a character without dialogue?
I have a slave who is not sure if she's allowed to speak at the moment, and I want to introduce her owner. How can I do it without bogging it down with an essay on him?
- 2,643
18
votes
6
answers
4k
views
How to give cartography information in a fantasy setting without being too precise?
I'm writing a fantasy story set in an imaginary world. For the first time, I'm giving geographical information and... I don't really know how to give it, actually. My alpha reader told me it was hard ...
- 283
4
votes
3
answers
492
views
In what order should I name characters?
I was wondering if there is a rule or advice in which order to name my characters.
For example, if I want to tell that Bob, John and Rob entered the room should I just name them in random order or ...
- 405
9
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Sensory Information Overload
I'm reading The Book of Human Emotions by Tiffany Watt Smith (good stuff if you want to inform the use of emotion in your writing), and I've just come across Overwhelmed (feeling). It talks about the ...
- 7,763
0
votes
1
answer
774
views
How to write about pouring water? [closed]
When someone treats a wound, like a burn, there’s this sound of the water pouring down, hitting the sink. Does anyone know what the sound is called? What things should I keep in mind while writing ...
- 329
4
votes
1
answer
2k
views
How to describe sound? [closed]
I have this scene in my novel that I'm trying to write. There is this character who is on the boat, rowing. I don't know how to describe the sound of the oar touching the water as he paddles.
The ...
3
votes
5
answers
719
views
Details: How do you describe a character's clothing in a story?
I'm writing a story and I need to describe the character's appearance. My character is wearing a football jersey and running on the field, so how can I describe this better?
This is what I came up ...
7
votes
6
answers
718
views
How do I write an action scene?
I have recently written an action scene, and I am not satisfied with it. It sounded choppy and inconsistent, and I'd love to know how to write it so it makes sense, doesn't sound like a robotic ...
- 587
14
votes
6
answers
3k
views
Should I use the real name or attempt to describe?
I'm writing a story in a fantasy setting, where there are characters who dress with ancient Egyptian type clothing - such as haram pant and usekh collars.
Since the story is a fantasy and not set in ...
- 141
3
votes
5
answers
2k
views
How to describe a scene from imagination?
I'm writing my very first short story. a romantic fantasy, and sometimes when I try to describe the actions of characters, their body movements and hand gestures, and their eyes and facial expressions,...
- 623
18
votes
6
answers
8k
views
How to express martial arts action in fiction?
In the context of an actual as opposed to training fight scene in a fictional narrative, how would one express martial arts action?
Generally, martial arts has a distinctive disciplined but powerful ...
- 343
2
votes
1
answer
448
views
Trying to regain writing skills I lost after a writing hiatus [closed]
Edit: I'm confused what I need to ask so this question can be taken off hold.
I'm looking for help on writing descriptive language. (it no longer flows freely in my mind like it did in the past.)
...
- 932
5
votes
4
answers
931
views
How to avoid repetitive sentences? (Describing actions, he/she)
I was just wondering if anybody had some tips on how to avoid repetitively describing characters' actions in the same way? Here is an example which I'm struggling to reform, mostly because I keep ...
- 51
24
votes
10
answers
7k
views
Should I defend my character's appearance?
I'm in talks with a publisher about my comic book. In it, the main character is a hunter who hunts monsters, but in a way inspired by how real hunters hunt. My editor suggests that the character wears ...
0
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Am I being too descriptive?
Each and every time I read my stories to people, only one comment is usually made, albeit in different ways... I'm just not sure if they're being honest, or if I am actually doing something right.
"...
- 325
1
vote
1
answer
212
views
How do I describe this particular scene?
My character lives in a war torn country. I'm trying to start this short story with him waking up on his way to school (possibly the bus stop). On his way, he sees graffiti, vandalism (basically ...
- 11
7
votes
4
answers
145k
views
How can I describe nervousness?
Becoming nervous in the heat of a situation. Perhaps you witnessed something not for the faint of heart.
Like, how would I describe shaky legs without being so boring about it.
- 183
2
votes
2
answers
831
views
Active voice in situations where the subject is unknown
In a situation where a POV character isn't lucid enough to see or interpret what's going on around them, I find myself constantly describing things either in passive voice, or by using the word '...
- 85
2
votes
2
answers
458
views
What is a good ratio of description/action to talking?
Background
I probably am wording this badly and that's why when I searched the site I didn't get an answer. So I was wondering, because the recent totally epic chapter of my masterpiece novel ...
- 4,439
0
votes
2
answers
250
views
Is it best to make a description metaphorical, or upfront?
Background
I've had this question for a really long time. A lot of my work seems quite 'floaty' and 'old style' because I describe things in a very metaphorical and surreal way. For example:
Her ...
- 4,439