Characters and Setting - Improve Descriptions in Writing

The description of characters and setting is very important in writing and speaking. When you talk about a place or person, you must describe that person or place so that an individual can visualize it. A description in ordinary words like "beautiful" does not suffice, as it is too general a word. You can use the Thesaurus to find appropriate words. In fiction writing or speech, the descriptions are especially important. The descriptions used are the senses of smell, taste, touch, see, and hear. Describing the appearance of an object or a place brings it to life as well as a character.

Sight or Vision. When writing about vision, you would describe a character. What is the character wearing? What color is the hair? What is the build slender, hefty? Any special characteristics, like a mischievous smile, or a twinkle in eyes? Is he running, walking? What is the setting? Is the character in front of his house? What does the house look like? Does the house have a lawn, a fence, old house, cottage? Is it raining or snowing? Sunny day? If you are talking about a non-fiction story, such as candle warmer, what does it look like? What color is it, shape, how does it light? Or a garden- What is in the garden, what are the colors, where is the garden, how do you get to it, describe the beauty using alternate words such as a red rose with petals which shine in the sun like a satin sheet.

Hear. Describe the sound like the roar of thunder, flashes of lightning, people laughing, screaming yelling, soft-spoken, boisterous; ocean with the high waves blown by the sound of a windstorm, or with people jumping over the crashing waves.

Smell. Smell of fresh raindrops, smell of dew on the ground, smell of luscious apple pies cooking in oven, smell of fragrant roses, smell like the remains of a campfire, smell of hot sweaty people working out, smell of barbecuing, smell of freshly cut grass, smell of perfume, smell of lavender lotion and candles which induce sleep.

Touch. Gentle touch from partner, the touch of silk or velvet fabric, grass that feels like silk, touch the cool ocean water; feel the hailstone from the storm, hair that feels like silk, the feel of rain on your face

Taste. Her lipstick tasted like a fresh cherry as I kissed her. I could almost taste the fresh cherry pie cooling on the window sill. When I received his letter, I could almost taste the cologne that he wears. The barbecue next door made me imagine the taste of the steak on the grill. His caress made me taste his sultry salty sweat.

The following are examples of a simple sentence and a descriptive sentence.

A beautiful woman entered the room.

A slight glamorous young woman with golden brown hair and vivid red suit quietly entered the smoke filled room. (see hear smell)

A young boy played in the street.

A hefty young boy with light blond wavy hair noisily played touch basketball with friends in the street. (see hear touch)

The house stood at the top of the hill

An elegant mansion of gray stone and decorative windows stood at the top of a snowy rolling hill; a loud voice pierced the silence. (see hear)

The parade went down the main street.

A parade with vibrant colored floats and laughing clowns rode past the boisterous crowd. (see hear)

A motorcycle drove down the street.

A motorcycle shattered the area as the cyclist drove by, probably wondering why it was so quiet. (see hear)

It is damp outside.

The odor of dampness permeates the air, making it difficult to breathe. (smell see)

Conclusion

I learned about descriptive characters and settings from a famous romance author and from sixteen years in a speech club. The subject fascinates me, and I hope new writers learn something from this guide.