Thread by @LoreleiSavaryn

Today I've been thinking a lot about descriptions.

It might feel straightforward to describe something briefly- like "The house looked creepy." Or "Her face was sad." #ammteasers

But, while we may think that will get our reader where we want them, those are actually rather vague choices in terms of putting a clear picture inside a reader's mind. #ammteasers

A brief example. In my debut, my MC bikes into a forest she's been in countless times before. I could have said "The forest felt strange and mysterious." BUT-- #ammteasers

Do you as a reader see that? Can you feel it? No. It's more of an observation, but isn't really tied to making a person outside of the narrative feel any certain thing. #ammteasers

Here's what I did write:

"The leaves left on the trees took on a silvery shine, washed in the moon's light. The woods wore the scent of velvety secrets and sadness blanketed by something sweet, like a box of her mother's dark chocolate." #ammteasers

Hopefully those details help a paint a super clear picture in the reader's mind, setting us up for the fact that something about this night is very different. #ammteasers

"The house looked creepy" could become:

"Two blackened windows stared out at me above a sagging porch, it's boards rotted, leaving gaping holes like missing teeth." (This is also a metaphor, but anyway...) #ammteasers

"Her face was sad" could become: "She looked down, and the circles under her eyes became dark shadows in the harsh flourescent light." #ammteasers

It might be worth it to comb your MS and see where you may have used generic terms to describe something, and see if you can find a way to be both more interesting and more specific! #ammteasers