The Role of Descriptions in a Literary Text

by Lucy Adams

Descriptions require full dedication, masterful treatment of the language (stylistics, dynamics, means of expression, etc.), and deep understanding of the text structure. Roughly speaking, they are a litmus paper for any writer.

Any part of the text, including descriptions, always performs a specific function, and sometimes more than one. So let’s shed some light on the moments that any novice author should pay attention to when working on descriptions.

#1 Bright and Relatable Picture

The first challenge that you’ll face is arranging the text in such a way that the reader can navigate it and imagine the events, places, and people. If you are able to create a colorful movie in the reader’s imagination while saving the proper sequence of actions and using emotionally meaningful words, your book will likely be in demand.

#2 Atmosphere

As most readers are looking for new experiences rather than knowledge, the emotional component of your writing is crucial.

You may think that descriptions have little to do with this, but they are extremely important for creating needed atmosphere. Moreover, that’s the atmosphere that attracts readers so much is some literary genres such as horror.


#3 Anchors of Perception

I often read books in which authors use a large number of characters. Let’s take, for example, in "A Song of Ice and Fire," George R. R. Martin uses up to a thousand characters that allow him to achieve a colorful and believable picture of events.

However, if it’s done clumsily, the reader will be constantly confused. Note that unlike you (who know the plot perfectly), the reader meets the characters for the first time. Here the biggest challenge is to create unique descriptions for characters by attaching at least one bright detail to each one. This detail is the anchor of perception that catches the reader's attention and ideally, should be deposited in the subconscious, creating the needed connection "the detail – the character."

#4 A Few More Pages

Vivid descriptions will help you to increase the number of pages of your book, which is always necessary to fit the requirements of the publishing house. Once you have invented an idea, you can develop it up to a needed volume, getting the desired fee.

Many pen wizards just fill the gaps with descriptions of towns, people, weather, nature, etc. Take and adopt this technique, as that will fill the number of pages for your book that your publishing house requires.

Long empty descriptions may decrease the quality of the narrative. Note that different scenes have different dynamics (for example, scenes of chases and fights are fast; scenes of conversations are slow). There are some exceptions, as always, but by extending the description, you can control the dynamics of the scene.
   
Descriptions without Clearly Defined Functions

There are many examples of descriptions that are not clearly defined. Although this is typical for beginners, below there are two issues with this that we can observe in the texts of already established authors.

Let me begin with the descriptions of nature. They appeared in oral folklore and literature. It’s nothing against cool breeze and squirrels bouncing on the branches – sometimes that’s quite to the point. But when I read about a group of brave heroes moving away from the pursuit and stumble upon the description of cool breeze and warm summer sun, I’m out at sea.

Such inconsistencies occur if the author doesn’t really feel the mood of the scene. For sure, evil can happen in good weather, but the laws of drama demand a different approach. Also, monotonous descriptions of the fields, meadows, and undergrowth are so clichéd that they are hardly perceived. Then I say to myself: "Well, here the author didn't know how to start the scene and so he put in this wonderful description of nature. Well done!"

The second unpleasant thing is the description of the appearance. Of course, if I were sitting on the porch of my estate two hundred years ago, I wouldn’t wonder about a three-page description of a noble lord. But the pace of life in those days was much slower than it is today! Alas, today’s novices often imitate the manner of good old writers. Let me remind you of the fact that actions, reactions, and emotions – not the detailed description of the nose – contribute to the authenticity of the character.

I wish you all the best in your writing endeavors and hope that bright and unique descriptions will help you to stand out.

---

Bio: Lucy Adams is a blogger and essay writer. She’s always looking for new acquaintances and cooperation. Lucy is a generalist, and that’s why she never has problems with covering a wide range of topics, from psychology to hi-tech. Share your ideas with the blogger, and soon you’ll get a high-quality article or a few for free.

What Should You Take into Account When Coming Up with a Protagonist?

by Lucy Adams

Have you ever dreamed of becoming a pen wizard? If you’re on that way, you might know that one of the most effective tricks to get the attention of the audience is a well-thought, well-described protagonist. But is that easy to satisfy the sophisticated reader?

Indeed, the more information about the main character you have before writing the story, the easier it is to disclose his traits and make him like a real living person with goals and dreams, habits and eccentricities, clothing style and taste.

Today, I want to share with you a list of items that in my opinion provide a complete disclose of the character, both physically and spiritually. Of course, if you’re writing a short story, you may remove some items; but if you’re working on a novel, this list will be uniquely useful to you! Moreover, you can use it not only for the protagonist but also for some (or even all) supporting roles.

So what should you take into account?

1. Intelligence. Show how the hero makes decisions. He can be quick-tempered or indecisive, cunning or frankly stupid – it all depends on the story. However, no matter what line you choose, try to disclose the hero’s way of thinking. By this, you’ll give the reader the opportunity to anticipate the subsequent actions of the character, which will make him love the story even more!
2. Physiology. Health, age, abnormalities, diseases – all these are important factors that may affect the storyline. You may use the physical features of the protagonist to make him special; for example, blind people always have keen hearing, etc.
3. Social status. Very often, the origin serves as the base on which the whole story builds. Make your hero wealthy or poor, a world start or unrecognized genius – and then play on contrast, changing his position in society.
4. Talent. That what distinguishes the protagonist from others: an artist, a crook, a sportsman, etc. The talent may or may not coincide with his work. Until you come up with the name of the main character, stick to the identification of his talent: a student, a baker, businessman, etc. It’s very convenient for you as a writer. Include hobbies and passions as well. Everyone has some hobby – even lying on a couch all day long is quite a noticeable feature that characterizes the protagonist.
5. Family and sexual life. If you build your story around human relationships, be sure to describe the character’s family (wife, parents, children) and relationship on the side if they are.
6. Education. Very often it happens that the hero is self-taught and hasn’t finished any educational programs or universities. Again, here his natural talent comes.
7. Fears. You can use fears as small strokes or build on them a psychological thriller. After all, the hero in the conflict must be confronted with the most severe fears, right?
8. Credo. This can be a very bright hallmark, if the main character, for example, does everything in defiance.

Also, do not forget that you need to clearly state the goals of each the main character, namely what he wants in general (a cross-cutting task for the whole text) and specific (consecutive series of desires from scene to scene). If you and the reader understand the aims and motives of the characters, there is an emotional evaluation, and ideally empathy.

Very often we read stories in which it is unclear what motives guide the hero, which creates a silly impression that all that happens is a cheap show in which the author stands behind the screen and pulls the strings. That’s why try to show the reader the main goal of the hero as soon as possible. It can be a struggle with an antagonist, saving his life, revenge, desire to find his beloved, etc. I advise you to think about this moment.

I hope my notes will help you in the creation of believable images in your works.

=============================================

Bio: Lucy Adams is a blogger from one of the best essay writing services from UK. This responsive woman never refuses to cover intriguing topics so that you can always share your craziest ideas. Feel free to message Lucy with a list of themes, and let her choose the best one or a few ones. By the way, the research from Lucy is free!

Hackneyed and Innovative Ideas for Writing Fiction

by Lucy Adams

Have you ever dreamt about releasing a book based on a proven idea? If you did, this article is just for you!

I collected the top 10 ideas I encounters in fiction. Some of them may seem too banal, but I’m sure they will move you towards creating intriguing fiction.

#1 Cloning

This is one of my favorite plot lines. Although the prevalence is not too high, the potential, in my opinion, is very strong.

The use of various kinds of reasonable copies of objects allows you to construct the devilishly twisted plot and completely confuse the reader. This is one of the most simple plot techniques to retain the clues of the story until the very end. However, this extremely effective method should not be abused. Otherwise, the audience will quickly lose interest in such unidirectional creativity.

Examples: Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold, Dune by Frank Herbert

#2 Prophecy

This is a quite spread motive that often performs supporting roles and rarely lies at the core of the plot. I think stories based on the prophecy are rather one-sided (basically, in a sense that the author gives us the direction of development of the story while we are able just to guess whether the prophecy will come true or not). In my opinion, this restricts the freedom of writing and virtually eliminates any element of surprise. However, this does not mean that you shouldn’t even try. There are a lot of examples of successful novels based on different kinds of prophecy.

Examples: The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

#3 Relics

These works are built around the people or other beings trapped in our time from the distant past. These are not the most spread plots, but that’s the freshness that makes them so perspective. The main challenge of this direction is that the writer must know the way of life in the correspondent epoch to the smallest detail.

Examples: The Ugly Little Boy by Isaac Asimov

#4 Robots

Here we are talking about any mechanical devices (both intelligent and managed directly by the person), which are the participants of the story. Of course, the greatest expert on robots is Isaac Asimov, an American science fiction writer. Learn from his works and then, after reconsidering, bring to the genre something new.

Examples: The Bicentennial Man by Isaac Asimov, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

#5 Superheroes

This is the most progressive and fast-developing subject that has recently gained enormous popularity in fiction. Alas, the consequence of the enormous popularity is a great number of clichés. From year to year, superheroes are becoming more and more similar, and their superpowers have long been no surprise.

Some authors turn off the main road of the fight against universal evil and saving the world. For example, George Martin in his Wild Cards touches the psychological issues of people with super-powers, which looks fresh and interesting against the background of ordinary actions.

Examples: Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny, The Dead Zone by Stephen King

#6 The Salvation of the World

That’s the classics! This direction became popular in adventure literature, and of course, now it is very difficult to come up with something new.

If you want to compete with the famous writers, you have to mobilize all the reserves and abilities; otherwise, the mediocre novel will drown in the ocean of similar opuses.

Examples: The Lord Of The Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, The Dark Tower by Stephen King

#7 The Process of Maturation of the Protagonist

This is a very common way of constructing a plot, which can now be found almost under every third cover. Of course, often it is in conjunction with some other motives, but still, the question of maturing remains one of the most popular in the literature.

I attribute this to the many recommendations that insist on the fact that the main character must evolve in the course of the story. He or she needs to become smarter and more experienced, endure the hardships and make correspondent conclusions.

Examples: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

#8 Natural Disasters

That’s one of the rarest ideas, which is based on some catastrophe or natural disaster, and of course, the main character needs them to be prevented or to survive in the most severe conditions. Again, the theme of the struggle of existence plays its role as one of the most dramatically powerful tools in literature.

Examples: The Terror by Dan Simmons, Les Robinsons du Cosmos by Francis Carsac

#9 The Dark Lord

Are you afraid of a powerful villain, personifying the destructive beginning in all its manifestations? 

When we hear "Dark Lord," we first think of "Lord of The Rings." And for a good reason!

I have to note that there’s always a certain amount of predictability in such plots as the reader initially knows that the heroes will fight against a mighty antagonist, and all the events will rotate exactly on the orbit of the great conflict. Although in some cases, it may be beneficial (no need to dig deep into the core of the conflict), it sometimes hampers the author’s freedom (it will be extremely difficult to move away from the basic line somewhere to the side).

Examples: The Stand by Stephen King

#10 Psychology of the Alien Races

The problem of the psychology of alien races gives a lot of opportunities for writers. There are almost no boundaries – you can bring to light new forms of life, describing their lifestyle and inner world.

However, that’s not as easy as it may seem. So to work in this direction, you have to turn on your imagination and thoroughness in the elaboration of details and little things. Otherwise, you'll get another writer's zilch.

Examples: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

Bio: Lucy Adams is a blogger from a home of essay writers. Although Lucy is a generalist able to cover a huge variety of topics, she’s primarily focused on literature and education. Feel free your best ideas with the author and soon you’ll get a grounded response. By the way, blog posts are free.