How to Write Effective Description & Imagery | Writing Tips

Summary

In this video, Shaelin explores the art of descriptive writing, emphasizing clarity and specificity as its core tenets. She dispels misconceptions about 'purple prose' and advocates for a style that is both clear and engaging. Shaelin provides insights on integrating description with narrative movement and character psychology, highlighting the importance of well-edited and enjoyable prose that contributes to the story's depth and the reader's sensory experience.

Takeaways

• 📝 Description is a skill-set, not just a list of tips or rules, and is integral to engaging readers through sensory experiences.
• 🖌️ The distinction between purple prose and fanciful language is important; purple prose lacks clarity, while fanciful language can be clear and engaging.
• 🎨 Good description should be clear above all else, avoiding overly complex language that obscures the imagery and message.
• 🔍 Specificity is crucial in description; choosing detailed, precise language makes the writing more interesting and effective.
• 🔑 Surprise and insight are key in description, providing a deeper layer of meaning and engagement beyond simple visual representation.
• 🧩 Integrating description into the story flow is achieved by making it active and character-driven, revealing aspects of the character and situation.
• 🎭 Characters' perceptions and emotional biases can be used to integrate description, adding depth and movement to the narrative.
• ✂️ Good description is well-edited and economical, focusing on strong language and cutting out weak constructions to let the writer's style shine through.
• 🎉 Description should be enjoyable to read, offering beauty and interest in its own right, rather than being seen as purely utilitarian.
• 📚 Learning to line edit effectively helps to refine descriptions, making them more impactful and a joy to read.
• 💡 Description can reveal character psychology and emotional states, contributing to the narrative depth and engagement.

Q & A

What is the main topic of Shaelin's video?

The main topic of Shaelin's video is descriptive writing, focusing on the tenets and qualities of good description in prose.

Why did Shaelin find it challenging to create this video?

Shaelin found it challenging because description is more of a skill-set that can be applied in various situations, making it difficult to condense into a simple list of tips or rules.

What is the difference between purple prose and fanciful language according to Shaelin?

Purple prose is overly embellished language that lacks clarity, while fanciful language can be complex and imaginative but remains clear, fresh, and interesting.

What writing style does Shaelin believe is often mistakenly labeled as purple prose?

Shaelin believes that more figurative or fancy writing styles are often mistakenly labeled as purple prose when they are actually clear and effective.

What is Shaelin's view on minimalist realism in writing?

Shaelin appreciates minimalist realism, likening it to the Hemingway style, and acknowledges its beauty and effectiveness, but emphasizes it's not the only valid writing style.

What is the first tenet of good description that Shaelin discusses?

The first tenet of good description Shaelin discusses is clarity, emphasizing that clear prose is essential for effective descriptive writing.

Why did Shaelin refer to her own writing as 'a biting board' instead of 'snow shoes'?

Shaelin used the term 'a biting board' as an example of how writers sometimes overly convolute terms to avoid straightforward language, impacting the clarity of their writing.

What is the second core quality of good description that Shaelin mentions?

The second core quality of good description mentioned by Shaelin is specificity, which makes the description more interesting and easier to picture.

How does Shaelin suggest integrating description into the story?

Shaelin suggests integrating description into the story by making it active and in character, revealing something about the character through their perceptions and emotional reactions.

What is the common misconception about character perception in description that Shaelin addresses?

The common misconception Shaelin addresses is that characters won't notice things that aren't important to them. She argues that characters do notice such things but describe them with a different tone and language.

How does Shaelin define 'good description' in terms of narrative movement?

Shaelin defines 'good description' as being part of the narrative movement, where the description does more than just describe what things look like; it contributes to the story's depth and progression.

What is the role of line editing in enhancing description according to Shaelin?

According to Shaelin, line editing helps make description well-edited and economical, allowing the writer's unique style to shine through by removing weak aspects and focusing on the strong points.

Why does Shaelin believe that description should be enjoyable to read?

Shaelin believes that description should be enjoyable to read because it can be an integral part of the story, revealing character psychology and emotional states, and offering linguistic beauty and interest.

What advice does Shaelin give about the integration of description and action in writing?

Shaelin advises using a character's actions as a natural segue for description, suggesting that knowing how the description fits into the movement of the scene can make it more effective.

How does Shaelin suggest writers avoid purple prose while still being descriptive?

Shaelin suggests avoiding purple prose by focusing on clarity and specificity, ensuring that the language is not overly convoluted and that it serves to effectively convey the imagery and emotions intended.