By Karen Gibson
Keywords: descriptive writing, freelance writers
For freelance writers, there's nothing worse than boring writing. Nobody reads it, or if he does, he quickly forgets about what he read. Freelance writers should focus on proper grammar and mechanics, but descriptive writing is the key to bringing writing to life. Good descriptive writing carries the reader from beginning to end and is a result of using the right words presented in just the right way.
Word Choices
People interpret words in many ways, from the actual definitions to the feelings they connote. Consider the word "assertive." Look in a thesaurus to find similar words, such as "confident" and "firm." You also might find "pushy," "forceful" and "aggressive." We often view "assertive" as a positive personality trait, but the same can't be said for "pushy."
Be specific with word choices. A "nice car" is subjective, but a "Ferrari" suggests a sports car for the rich and famous. More adjectives and adverbs are not the key to good descriptive writing; instead, they are the recipe for vague, wordy writing. By using specific nouns, you will have less dependence on adjectives. Use exciting active verbs, as well. "She whispered" is better than "she said softly."
Another way freelance writers can add descriptive writing to their text is to follow the policy of "show, don't tell." Readers like to experience things and events by reading about them as they happen. Instead of telling a reader that a character is angry, show the reader what anger looks like by using descriptive writing.
Use Your Senses
People are largely visually oriented, so it's not surprising that freelance writers describe the world to others in visual terms. However, by only describing things visually, we neglect some very powerful descriptive writing tools: our other senses. Listen to the trickle of water hitting the rocks below. Smell the comforting aroma of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven. Feel your lips pucker as the too-sour lemonade reaches your taste buds. Run your hand over a kitten's soft fur. Most readers have memories of similar experiences, and you have the ability to provoke their imagination when you use other senses to describe things.
Figures of Speech
The right figure of speech-simile, metaphor, personification-makes words jump out in front of your reader.
- Similes use "like" or "as" to compare two things.
- Metaphors imply the comparison of two things.
- Personification gives human characteristics or mannerisms to nonhuman things, both inanimate and animal forms.
There are dozens of figures of speech, and they all bring richness to your writing. However, beware of clichés, which are overused figures of speech. "Sly as a fox" and "cute as a button" have been used too many times. There's nothing fresh about a cliché because we've all heard it so many times before.
Clear the Clutter
Look for the clutter when you begin revising your work. A writer's first draft is often filled with unnecessary words and ideas. According to "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and White, "vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentence, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts."
Clear out everything that doesn't add to descriptive writing. When you become too verbose, you risk losing a reader. Writing about a neighborhood that is quiet, peaceful and serene is cluttered, because "quiet," "peaceful" and "serene" have the same meaning.
Watch modifiers, such as "really," "more," "very" and "just." Ask yourself if they really add anything useful to your prose.
Descriptive writing works in and improves every type of writing whether it's fiction, nonfiction, poetry or screenplays. It's not about using more words; on the contrary, it's often about using fewer words. More importantly, it's about using the right words.
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