Description: It’s That Good!

Last month, I borrowed from Hoopla the ebook, Description, by Marcy Kennedy. I had only read a few pages, however, when I knew I needed to own a copy for myself. But not just an ebook copy—I needed a paperback in which I could highlight sentences and dog-ear pages and revisit chapters as many times as I wanted. It is that good.

If you write fiction, I strongly recommend having this book in your own library. Implementing its teachings will improve not just the description of things in our stories, but of our scenes and setting the stage, of implementing our five senses into the narrative in a believable way. It will improve how we describe (show) our characters and their quirks and personalities, and how they interact with their surroundings and other characters based on their unique experiences (action). It will improve our understanding of “show, don’t tell,” and when it’s best to show … and when it’s appropriate (maybe even necessary) to simply tell.

Just in having reread the book’s first few pages for the purpose of this review, I’m motivated to dive back into it; to apply what I’ve learned and been reminded of in order to enhance my current WIP (work-in-progress). I have judged several writing contests over the last several years, and if I could gift a copy of this book to every entrant, I would, as many of the concepts presented in Description will benefit every writer—regardless of experience.

It is that good.

Here are some quotes to whet your appetite:

Action is actually a subset of description. It’s description in motion.

[I]n a limited point of view … [a]ll description filters through the viewpoint character and is colored by who they are as a person.

[T]he key when it comes to foreshadowing or symbolism in your description is subtlety. You need to be so subtle, in fact, that not every reader will catch it. But the ones who do will love you for it.

[S]tudies have found clear gender differences in what people notice first. As writers, we can use this to our advantage to make visual descriptions belonging to our male viewpoint characters feel distinctive from visual descriptions belonging to our female viewpoint characters.

No two locations are alike in this world. … [W]hat sets our setting apart from the thousands of other places that on the surface might seem just like it? Those details should make it onto the page.

[R]emember that people are more than just their physical appearance. The smell of them, the sound of them, the way they move and the way they feel can often be more memorable and interesting that the simple external visuals.

Of course, I do realize writing is subjective, much like our tastes in music. So, in case you’re not ready to flip open your laptop, rush to Amazon, and place an order for your own copy, I recommend using a library platform like Hoopla or Libby or Overdrive to borrow a digital copy and see what you think. Or click here to access its Amazon page, and from there you can download a sample to get you started. 😉

If you already have your own copy or have read it, I’d love to know your thoughts. Or perhaps you have another book on description that you would recommend. Let us know in the comments below!