#pterparkcr

EUPHORIA WARDROBE APPRECIATION

abi my loooooove <333 Hopefully this helps! 

Beginning a scene (especially a chapter) is super tough. Sometimes it’ll take me a half hour just writing the first sentence, and rewriting it, and rewriting it. My first piece of advice is perseverance. And maybe lower your standards a little. It’s just the first line - not life or death.

For general description. The next word that comes to mind is specificity. I think the thing that separates decent writing and really sophisticated writing is specificity of detail. 

This doesn’t necessarily mean getting as specific as humanly possible, but it means honing in on details that push the story forward and add atmosphere and character to the scene.

For instance, it’s all good for Anne to be lounging on the couch reading. That’s already a lovely image. But wouldn’t it be more evocative if Gilbert notices her kicking her ankle over the loveseat’s arm or her fingers fanning through the pages she’s yet to read.

This, like dialogue, takes practice. 

I also try to pick a type of imagery to use. Most of the time, I rely heavily on nature imagery because it’s what I love best. But for a war fic, maybe you use a lot of war imagery. This is best utilized when the image is clever, and maybe not readily associated with what it’s being used to describe.

Some examples from my own stories that are somewhat good examples of this: “The sunlight peeking through the trees turned the ground into a kaleidoscope of light and shadows.” and “This woman, with her apricot hair and cheeks of constellations, was one thing that he’d write into the story of his life and hold there.”

Body language beyond gazes and eyebrows can really suggest some good stuff about a character. What are they doing with their hands? How’s their posture? Are they fidgeting? etc.

OH ALSO. Start a scene a few seconds into the action. I’ve noticed I tend to start a few seconds before a character says something. It gives me just a second to set up the atmosphere, setting, etc. without getting carried away. In theory, when a person starts talking, we’re getting to the beginning of the Good Stuff.

Another possible way to begin is describing whatever the dominant feeling is in a character and why. Are they hot because they’re working in a field? Are they nervous because they’re about to confess their love to their favorite redhead? Does the comfortable breeze represent the ease a character feels? Are churning clouds in the distance an ominous warning?The possibilities are endless.

^Reading through my old stuff, one way or another, this is what I seemed to be doing even though I’ve only just now put it to words.

riordanverse moodboards: percy jackson

Lab: Peter

Elevator: MJ