Unlike a movie, writers can’t simply hit ‘record’ and show the grimy hotel or the overgrown forest: we have to describe the setting to our readers as if they were blind. It sometimes feels like you have to stop the story to explain what things look like. Boring.
But description can be a powerful tool to reveal more about your character.
But description can be a powerful tool to reveal more about your character.
If you’re writing a scene from one person’s point-of-view (POV), you are seeing the world through that character’s eyes. What your character values will affect what they notice, which will affect your description. By describing a scene as your character, we learn more about him or her.
For example, my character Ren visits a city more colorful than what he’s use to at home. When describing the city, he notes all the colors scattered through the crowd.
Or my sci-fi character Skylar. She’s a smuggler and often trades with dangerous people. When she enters a room, she finds the exits, looks for troublemakers, and notes objects she can turn into makeshift weapons.
If Ren and Skylar met the same person, they would describe him differently.
Your point-of-view character will modify your description in two ways:
What you describe
Imagine a main character is a soldier in the middle of a battle. His friend is injured, and he drags him to safety to treat the wound. The majority of the description should be about the injured friend because that’s where our main character’s focus is. Yes, he may hear, feel, or smell the ongoing battle, but he is looking at his friend, not the battle, so we should have most of description about the friend.
How you describe
A young woman attends a party where everyone is wearing white. She, however, sports a deep blue dress. Her brother describes her as ‘an ink blotch on paper’ since he’s embarrassed that she stands out. Like the ink blotch, she shouldn’t be there. Her boyfriend, however, might describe her as ‘a budding flower pushing through the snow’ since he sees her as brave and beautiful. (Bonus: if you use a metaphor, pick something your character is familiar with.)
What would your character notice when describing a city, a landscape, or a new person? Answering that question will enhance your description and reveal more about your point-of-view character.
For example, my character Ren visits a city more colorful than what he’s use to at home. When describing the city, he notes all the colors scattered through the crowd.
Or my sci-fi character Skylar. She’s a smuggler and often trades with dangerous people. When she enters a room, she finds the exits, looks for troublemakers, and notes objects she can turn into makeshift weapons.
If Ren and Skylar met the same person, they would describe him differently.
Your point-of-view character will modify your description in two ways:
What you describe
Imagine a main character is a soldier in the middle of a battle. His friend is injured, and he drags him to safety to treat the wound. The majority of the description should be about the injured friend because that’s where our main character’s focus is. Yes, he may hear, feel, or smell the ongoing battle, but he is looking at his friend, not the battle, so we should have most of description about the friend.
How you describe
A young woman attends a party where everyone is wearing white. She, however, sports a deep blue dress. Her brother describes her as ‘an ink blotch on paper’ since he’s embarrassed that she stands out. Like the ink blotch, she shouldn’t be there. Her boyfriend, however, might describe her as ‘a budding flower pushing through the snow’ since he sees her as brave and beautiful. (Bonus: if you use a metaphor, pick something your character is familiar with.)
What would your character notice when describing a city, a landscape, or a new person? Answering that question will enhance your description and reveal more about your point-of-view character.
