TDX

Hello, My name is TDX and...well...I have problems writing descriptive paragraphs. there i said it. man that feels better.


serously though, I feel more comfortable writing dialogue than I do what the characters look like or the their surroundings for that matter. It’s a shortcoming that’s keeping me from my full potential. Any help will be appreciated. -TDX

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nightshade

you might want to try some simple writing exercise. take a very small scene, something like a lake at the park, a bowl of fruit, or a painting. but use an event with no spoke element. try and describe every detail possible of that one simple event. just a paragraph or three. that will get you in the habit of describing things.

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Spudley

I fully agree with nightshade. Writing short descriptive paragraphs can really help improve your writing. I prefer to come up with a scene or event rather than the still-life sort of thing that nightshade suggested, but either would probably work quite well.

Short chunks of writing like that are often called "flash fiction", though my old english teacher used to refer to them as "nuggets".

You might also want to try your hand at a bit of poetry, as that's good at forcing you to come up with original ways of describing things.

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Csira

I agree with Nightshade also. As for your characters, may I suggest drawing them? Sometimes it is easier to see and describe it from paper than within one's mind. It will come easier with practice. Like you, I have a much easier time with writing dialogue too. I always save the description to the last, but you'll get the hang of it. And, description paragraphs don't have to be too fancy. Just a paragraph or less; don't over embellish. Good luck.

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Kitten Courna

If those descriptive paragraphs make you uncomfortable, try mental dialogue. If you are good at dialogue, I assume that you feel you know your characters well? If you do, then it is easy enough to tap into their understanding of the scene and let them describe it for you. It may be copping out of a full description, but that might help you some, especially in The Wraith

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Bartleby

Excellent suggestion K.C. I may have to try that one myself. Just as an exercise, descriptive paragraphs having never really being that difficult for me. What would you suggest for dialogue. That's my cross to bear?

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DragonReborn

I agree with nightshade. When you learn how to write in detail, however, don't make it all choppy. Don't say:

The strawberry was red, plump, and round. Seeds filled the small holes, and a green spout sat on top. It was juicy. The red fruit was very ripe. The seeds were small, tiny white nuggets seeming to grow from the fruit. It had many lumps.

Instead, describe the seen as...

The juicy strawberry was red, plump, and round, and seeds filled holes that sat in the lumpy red fruit. A green spout sat on top to reach out and touch others like it in the hand-crafted bowl...

See? You can combine sentences to make it flow better. But, also, avoid using "and" and "but" and when, where, etc. Example:

The room was damp, and a haze of dread strung itself about the air. Two burly men entered the room, and they carried a large animal. The big beast fought, but the men quelled its resistance. They dropped it on the floor, and the poor furry figure howled, and then tried to bite one man, but it went flying to the other side of the room. The two men left their prisoner behind.

Maybe:

The room was damp, and a haze of dread strung itself about the air. Two burly men, carrying a large animal, entered to drop the furry beast to the dusty floor, ignoring its desperate squeaks. The huge rodent tried to bite one of its guards; all it ended up doing was seeing silver specks on the other side of the room. Then, spitting, the two turned and left their prisoner behind.

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