Page 7 - How to Write Descriptive Text in a Very Good Way

The descriptions of your world should never be dumped onto the page but should

always be woven in purposefully and immersively. This is done largely through what

we talked about in tip #2, filtering the descriptions through your narrator. Instead of
telling us how the money in your world works, show us by having the character buy

something. Instead of simply describing the geography, have your character pass
through it. Basically, every time you want to describe something from your

worldbuilding, figure out how you can show your characters interacting with these

elements so you can organically trigger the descriptions to make them feel more
purposeful.

5. Use the five senses to bring scenes to life

We can’t just rely on what the characters see. The characters themselves are
not just seeing the things around them. They’re also smelling them, hearing

them, tasting them, and feeling them. The more sensory details you add for the

reader by describing them through your characters, the easier it will be to bring
your scenes to life through your descriptions.

For instance, what comes to mind when you hear fresh-baked cinnamon rolls? What

about new car? Grandma’s basement? Fresh laundry? Notice all the vivid details your
mind automatically fills in without having to say much more than that. The same can

work for sound, taste, and touch as well. By describing a scent, you inspire the reader

to reach into their own memories to recall what that smells like. The reader will
subconsciously use those memories to fill in even more details than what you wrote,

allowing you to do more descriptive writing with fewer words.

By using one or more of the strategies above, you’ll be able to provide the reader with
enough descriptive writing to describe scenes in a vibrant, impactful way.