Communities

Writing
Writing
Codidact Meta
Codidact Meta
The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors
Photography & Video
Photography & Video
Scientific Speculation
Scientific Speculation
Cooking
Cooking
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Judaism
Judaism
Languages & Linguistics
Languages & Linguistics
Software Development
Software Development
Mathematics
Mathematics
Christianity
Christianity
Code Golf
Code Golf
Music
Music
Physics
Physics
Linux Systems
Linux Systems
Power Users
Power Users
Tabletop RPGs
Tabletop RPGs
Community Proposals
Community Proposals
tag:snake search within a tag
answers:0 unanswered questions
user:xxxx search by author id
score:0.5 posts with 0.5+ score
"snake oil" exact phrase
votes:4 posts with 4+ votes
created:<1w created < 1 week ago
post_type:xxxx type of post
Search help
Notifications
Mark all as read See all your notifications »
Q&A

Posts tagged description

This tag doesn't have any usage information yet.

This tag doesn't have a detailed wiki yet.

50%
+0 −0
Q&A 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 i...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Marshall‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A When writing down a huge amounts of detail is inevitable

In hard-SF the writer has to adapt to the world and its limitation. Under normal circumstances, this shouldn't a problem, as you can always make something great, even with the limitations. Howeve...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Mephistopheles‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Where to put a description of characters that have a uniform?

In my novel, the protagonist starts out as a runaway slave, and I want to point out to the reader that she is avoiding those who are in charge of slaves who all wear a uniform involving a blue shir...

1 answer  ·  posted 7y ago by Gladiator Kittens‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Does this text flow smoothly (description of suicidal thoughts)?

So how did this animal suicide thing start? Ironically, it began with my own death wish. But why? I had perfect health, friends and family who cared about me, plus I had just been admitted i...

1 answer  ·  posted 9y ago by Alexandro Chen‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A How to eliminate standoff between "Lengthy" vs "Concision"?

Often while writing a software requirement/change-request documentation, I need to include the quoted requirements descriptively, the impacted modules, the changes provided both in UI and in logic....

3 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Karan Desai‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A Chopped sentences with too many conjunction, and repeating the subject again and again

I have tendency to write chopped sentences with too many conjunctions, repeating the subject again and again. I don't want that but I'm not skilled in English. For example how do write the follow...

1 answer  ·  posted 11y ago by user5126‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A A pulse, a throb, and a beat

I wrote a passage where one of my characters heard beats, (i.e., the sound) then he found the beating object and, when he held it in his hand, it started throbbing like a heart, (i.e., the feeling)...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by vanity‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Describing weighing an object in hand [closed]

A person holds a stone object in one hand. They throw it up and down in the air, in that hand, a few times, to judge the weight/feel/impact of the object. Does this particular physical action ha...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Marty_Oden‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question description script
50%
+0 −0
Q&A geographic description of coastal rock formation [closed]

Hello masters of geographic eloquence, A rock arch bridges across to a rock formation seen in the screen right of the image/photograph. It's not an independent 'island'. What word(s) best descr...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by Marty_Oden‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question description script
50%
+0 −0
Q&A Building a scene and readability

When building a scene at the beginning of a chapter for instance, before character interactions take place, what are the important elements to consider, and how long should the description be, befo...

2 answers  ·  posted 4y ago by Lanet Rino‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A 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 ...

1 answer  ·  posted 4y ago by A. Kvåle‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A Should we avoid "nonsensical" or "unclear" metaphors?

Should we avoid "nonsensical" or "unclear" metaphors? I am not sure if this is a case of "nonsensical" or "unclear" metaphor, but sometimes you have certain phrases that doesn't seem to be suited f...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by blackbird‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A What's wrong with impersonal and lifeless descriptions in a novel? [closed]

It feels like there is something wrong with using impersonal descriptions in fiction. But what is it? As an example, I'm unhappy with the following passage I wrote, because the descriptions are...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by blackbird‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Writing "hahaha" versus describing the laugh

When posting an excerpt of my book on a critiquing site, someone commented on my use of "hahaha" inside the dialogue instead of just having a laughing verb after or before it. They said it took the...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by A. Kvåle‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A How do we properly manage transitions within a descriptive section? [closed]

I wrote the following: She invited him to look out the window, which he did. He looked out of the gray window and saw a field of green vegetables under a lush blue sky. Children were playin...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by blackbird‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A A poker game description that does not feel gimmicky

I'm writing a scene in which four characters play a high-stakes poker game. So far my narrator has been an omniscient third person, who just does not wish to enter into the characters' heads. I st...

4 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by _X_‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A 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 re...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Kelvinator‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A 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 ...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Kelvinator‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Describing a person. What needs to be mentioned?

When describing the physical features of my more important characters, I often don't add much. I of course describe important features, especially if they will be relevant in the story. For example...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by AGirlHasNoName‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A Should a narrator ever describe things based on a character's view instead of facts?

There is something I find myself doing often while writing, and I don't even know what to call it, but I would like to know if its good practice. It happens when I'm writing from a third-person per...

0 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Reinstate Monica NOW‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A How to describe a row of two different types of trees?

This may seem like a silly question (it definitely feels like it has one of those answers that I already know, but just can't dig up). And maybe this isn't the right place for it, but I am asking f...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by P. M. B.‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A Writing a long description of a sequence of actions while still being impersonal [closed]

When I try to do this, the description feels very dry, and I am not sure if it's possible to make it feel less dry while still being impersonal and super objective (because I am using a omniscient ...

0 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by repomonster‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A 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.

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Reaper432‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A 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 chara...

5 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Nadeshka‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Describing paralyzing fear in the first person

I would appreciate some suggestions that would help me describe intense terrifying fear that my main character feels when the airplane he is on suddenly goes into a seemingly out of control dive th...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Tris‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A How much description is necessary?

I have trouble imagining things. With me everything is blurred, as if I were almost blind. That's why I find it hard to describe things. For example, the protagonists enter a castle. I have a very ...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Andech‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A Is this imagery?

Would this small paragraph in my short story be considered as imagery? (Rose is looking for a painting) Rose and Mr. Howard stepped inside. There were cobwebs everywhere. Lots and lots of old...

0 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by CatbusTotoroDustbunnies07‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Describing the face and physiological responses in different languages and peoples

The English language evolves from the English people, and the English people live way up there, away from the equator. So, it is no wonder that the English language will reflect this. He was a t...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Double U‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A How can I make distinctions between a hive-mind and a super consciousness?

Not sure if this is a worldbuilding or writing question, but here it goes. In this setting, gods of humanity are beings of absolute order that exist in another plane of existence. They are consta...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Incognito‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Transitioning between an Interrupted sleep and falling back into it again WITHOUT repeating material?

I'm currently working on a fanfiction/ comic, and a more recent scene I've been working on is a specific character re-awaking in the middle of the night to an Owl's call, and, unrelatedly, describi...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by user34300‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A How to describe a horse from the POV of someone who has never seen one? [closed]

In my story, my narrator has only recently met other humans and the biggest creature she has ever interacted with are dogs. In the survivors' camp, she encounters their horses and is pretty freaked...

3 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by weakdna says reinstate monica‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Phrasing to balance immense speed with boredom

Through much of my novel the protagonist spends considerable time cruising over various landscapes at speeds exceeding 500 km/h. To you or me this is significant but to the character, it's "just a ...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Brian Lacy‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A How can I make a character who isn't a jerk seem like one?

I have an MC who, because of certain circumstances, everyone sees him as harsh and cruel at first. As they get to know him through the first few chapters, they eventually see he's nicer than they t...

2 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Kale Slade‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Difference between a descriptive essay and a narrative essay?

Okay, so here's my problem: I am trying to write an essay from a prompt that uses the word "describe", but what I'm being asked to describe is not a single person or object, rather it's more broadl...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by pandalarry‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A Providing context without getting lost in Description

I think one of the challenges I have faced the most often in writing books has been where to start. I tend to do a lot of flash forwards to jump into the action and follow it up with a chapter or t...

0 answers  ·  posted 5y ago by Rhettmartens‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A When is a lack of long, sophisticated words to describe an otherwise simple concept bad?

Reading books of Dan Brown and that sort (pardon my inability to produce any other relevant examples off the top of my head) gives off the impression to budding writers that novels need to have a m...

1 answer  ·  posted 5y ago by Soha Farhin Pine‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question description script
60%
+1 −0
Q&A How to describe something, that would normally be shown by facial expressions?

When I think of a scene, I often think of little hints or gestures, to express certain things or thought processes. For example a character breaking eye contact, but quickly looking back to not sho...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Minix‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Question description script
60%
+1 −0
Q&A How often should I remind my readers of the setting?

My story takes place in a city during a hard winter: streets are covered with snow, the wind is blowing, the river is frozen. I describe all the setting in the very first scene. My character leaves...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by vojta‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A How do I describe an accidental kiss between the two main characters that is romantic as well as regretful?

How do I describe an accidental kiss between the two main characters? I want to make it so they got caught up in the situation and that both of them apologise to each other after that, like a ki...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Yass Meen‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A Is it ok to reference something modern to give the reader a better idea of what something looks like if the book is set in the Middle Ages?

This is a random example but would it be bad if I said something like this when the book is set in a historical setting: “Edwards sword was black and shiny like a brand new car” is it not ok? Shoul...

5 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Angel‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A How to express Nihilism without explicitly stating it? [closed]

In my novel, the character is sitting in a café sipping coffee, and she is watching a busy street of people rushing towards London underground after the office hours. I want to express the thoughts...

0 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by System‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A What are the limits to description in story writing? How do I know if I have crossed them?

Time and time again, I have been told that my unfounded focus on description distracts from the main story line. I mostly write stories in English, which doesn't happen to be my first language bu...

5 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Soha Farhin Pine‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A Leaving out names/pronouns to speed up the flow of a script?

Example: Jane digs in the flowerbed for her ring. Moves to the yard. I’ve seen this a bunch of times, but it still feels sort of wrong when I do it. I just want to know if this is “normal”. Th...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Marcus Meier‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A In a script - Is it ok to have a general description of a character “YOUNG MAN”, then the actual description?

For example: A YOUNG MAN drifts into a bar. Something absent in his yes. His varsity jaket, dirty and torn. Blood still drips down his face from the accident. This is -- JAMES SMITH, 17, the boy n...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Marcus Meier‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A Am I changing POVs if I'm describing what two or more characters are sensing (touch, smell, sound, etc.)?

Am I changing POVs if I'm describing what two or more characters are sensing (touch, smell, sound, etc.)? I know it's not okay to jump from one POV to another. Example: Anna was afraid he'd not...

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Klara Raškaj‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A How to describe 4 main characters at once without overloading the reader with information?

My main characters first appear in the book all at once. How do write their descriptions so that the reader isn't overloaded with so much information all at once?

1 answer  ·  posted 6y ago by Klara Raškaj‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A How to describe a female character's figure without comedy?

Do you know a good way to describe a female character's figure? I'm writing a fairly serious story, but the only way I know how to describe this is from comedy stories, where they work out some jo...

4 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by user29283‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A 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...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by Aiden Anderson‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

60%
+1 −0
Q&A How do you use adverbs properly in fiction writing?

How do you use adverbs properly in fiction writing? In a related question, a reply states: When to use [adverbs]? When your alternative would be pretentious. There are strong nouns and verbs, ...

2 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by elika kohen‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

50%
+0 −0
Q&A How to create tension during a conversation

In my novel my protagonist speaks to a man while being held at gun point. She (protagonist) tried to kill him. He was her boss, was involved in her best friend's death and wants the protagonist dea...

3 answers  ·  posted 6y ago by E.Milla‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭