WRITING TIPS

iii. writing a bomb description

All right, so this is something I struggle with quite a bit. I'm not going to write this as if I don't have difficulties or as if all my descriptions are A1 because they're not. However, that doesn't mean I don't have any advice that could be useful to any of you when it comes to crafting a description for your books. 

01. First things first, keep the description short. If any of my English classes have taught me in college, it's to keep descriptions or anything you write short. Approximately 150 to 250 words, and no more than three paragraphs. This is crucial to remember. You don't want to bore your potential reader to the point where they put your book down due to how long your description is. Also, by keeping it short, you're keeping yourself from including unnecessary plot points. 

02. Write in the third person. One of my teachers, years ago, told me to think of a description as an ad. You're trying to sell this book to somebody. You don't see ads on TV in the first person, so don't write your description as such. Keep it neutral and in the third person.  

03. Don't overdo your vocabulary or use of language. You don't want to scare away a reader by using terms that are not used commonly used in everyday conversation or language. Now, I'm not saying you have to dumb down your description, I'm just saying not to use words such as scintillating or acrimony. Most people won't know what these words mean. Especially if it's a younger reader whose vocabulary hasn't been introduced to broader, more descriptive terms yet. Be mindful, and use simple language that gets your point effectively. No verbose writing. 

04. Hint at your c****x, but don't reveal it. As someone who thrives off a good c****x and epic tipping point, this is crazy important to me. You want something to draw the reader in. So give them a little taste of the icing before you give them an entire slice of cake. If you couldn't tell, I suck at making analogies that aren't directly tied to hardships or the killing of my own characters. However, I think you get my point. You want to give your reader a reason to want to read your book. Give them a hint of mystery, but not too much. Nobody is going to read a book if the description already tells them the entire plot and how it's going to end.  

05. You won't get the description just right the first time, and that's okay. Believe me, I struggle hardcore with writing descriptions that aren't bland as a piece of toast. I'm a bit of a perfectionist and always want to get everything right, but as we all know, that's not how life works. Not every description you create will be perfect and that's fine! This is w*****d! Our works and stories aren't meant to be perfect, they're a reflection of who we are, our ideas, creativity, and what we have to offer in our free time. So don't take writing a description too seriously. Have fun with it!