#thatwritergirl

Some constant feedback I've been getting on my work is that I'm really good at writing descriptions of places and characters. So, I thought I'd share how I describe things in my writing:

1. Use the 5 senses

This may seem pretty obvious. It's advice that you'll probably hear a lot.

However, very few writers actually implement it.

Yes, sight is very important in fiction, because it helps your reader visualize the setting and characters. But your descriptions will feel bland if that is all you use.

But I also wouldn't recommend using all 5 senses in one description.

Pick those that would stand out. Unless your character can't see, sight will most likely be one of the senses you choose. Then, think about whether there would be a specific sound that the character would pick up on. Maybe there's a particular smell. Then focus on those.

Maybe your character is seeing the gold of silk bedsheets whilst feeling its smoothness and smelling cologne.

Maybe they're tasting chemicals in the air and smelling smoke etc.

Choose 2/3 senses and hone in on those.

2. Live through your character

This step goes for any form of narration that is close to your character - First person, third person deep, third person subjective, stream of consciousness etc.

Where a description is written through the character's eyes, you need to convey the place/character in the way they would.

Is your character very attracted to eyes? Then they'd spend more time describing another character's eyes. Has your character never smelled cow dung? Then that may be something they notice aptly about their setting. Is your character vain? Do they have any interests that might inform their view of the world?

An artist will notice different things than a builder. A writer might imagine the event/character as a scene - noticing the poetic aspects of something. A professional athlete might notice someone's physical aptness for a particular sport. A chef will describe a taste experience differently than a hungry sailor etc.

Make sure to use your character's senses.

3. Bring in emotion/association

Often, places/people are poignantly described through linking them to another experience/thing or by focusing on the emotion they evoke.

Does the setting evoke wonder, disgust or fear? Does it look like a haunted house or a fairytale castle?

Does a character radiate kindness or intimidation. Do they make your POV character think of lazy days or a roller-coaster?

How can you describe the place/person on a deeper level than with the 5 senses?

Even better if you can incorporate tip 2 and make the emotion/association specific to the POV character's perspective.

4. Use the right words

This tip has a few aspects to it.

Firstly, it's important to orientate your reader through description. Otherwise, you might end up with talking/floating head syndrome. BUT, it's crucial not to overdo the descriptions in your work. Long, purply descriptions lose readers' attention. So, you need to convey what is necessary to immerse they reader in as few words as possible.

This requires using precise adjectives and adverbs. Don't string together long sentences of descriptors if two better words could convey the same thing. As long as you don't end up sounding like a dictionary, a thesaurus is your friend. Look for the word that is specific to your intention and use only that.

Secondly, it's important to consider the connotations of a word/the mood a word created. If you're describing a fairytale castle, the word "gross" is probably less appropriate than "grand" even though they can literally be used for the same thing.

Think of the mood you want to convey. How do you want the reader to experience this place/character. And use words that will reinforce that mood.

"Magic" and "sorcery" have different connotations. As do "secret" and "clandestine".

Good descriptions use the right words.

This is also something you can improve on/fix during editing. So, you don't necessarily have to get caught up on finding the perfect word whilst drafting.

5. Only describe what is necessary

Some things are universal. People have eyebrows. Toiletpapier looks like toiletpapier. A door is a door.

So, unless there's something note-worthy about an everyday object, it really isn't necessary to describe it.

You can just say: she opened the window. You don't have to describe the pane, the reflection of sunlight on the glass etc. Unless it's stained glass or a three-story Victorian bay window or something like that.

Sometimes, it's fitting to describe something others would have experienced, but that is in limited circumstances. If you're writing a love scene, maybe it's worth it to describe the feeling of bedsheets against the character's bare back etc.

A good rule is not to describe anything your character isn't experiencing or wouldn't notice. Don't go into detail explaining the way a wind-chime sounds if there isn't even a breeze. Don't describe a kitchen floor if it isn't something the character wouldn't have commented on.

Unless you have a very good reason.

So, those are my tips on writing great descriptions. I hope that this can be useful. If you would like me to post some examples from my latest novel, please let me know.

I've recently gone through the critique partner/alpha reader/beta reader process. I gave people the book I'd been working on for 4 years and asked them to criticize it and pull it apart. To give me their honest opinions. And even though I asked for it, getting negative feedback still sucks every time.

So, here are a few ways in which I've tried to lessen the blow:

1. Rather than sorting feedback into negative/positive, sort it into useful/not useful

You may think that only the negative comments are important. Because that's what you need to fix, right?

Well, I've come to recognize that not all criticism is helpful and not all positive feedback is useless for editing.

The important question when sifting through feedback is: does this point out a particular aspect that can and should be changed?

Some negative comments that are actually not helpful include subjective preferences, generalization and mean-spirited criticism.

If someone says: "I don't like the swearing in the book." - this is subjective. This reader does not like books with many curse words. However, other readers might like the candid narration or dialogue you've achieved with the swear words. Of course, if many of the readers point out that the swearing is so intense that it distracts from the plot, that could be useful feedback. But if it's just one reader, you shouldn't change your manuscript to suit them. You should also keep in mind that readers of a different genre won't always like your book, but that's completely subjective.

Broad/general negative statements also aren't useful. This would be something like "I don't like the book". This can hurt very much, but you have to realize that it's fine to throw out this type of feedback and forget it ever came your way. Because it doesn't help you make the book better. It doesn't address any specific aspect. It doesn't help you understand the problem. And it sure as hell doesn't indicate what you should edit.

99.9% of the time, a mean-spirited comment won't be useful. Because that person isn't trying to help. They're tearing you down and being a prick. Realize that this is more of a projection of their own insecurities than a reflection of the quality of your work. I had a beta reader who gave me incredibly condescending/mocking feedback and I removed him from my beta list immediately. I can take constructive criticism. I don't have to tolerate a dick.

Then, there could also be positive feedback that can help you edit the manuscript. If some comments: "I love character Y, because she has a very clear goal", that may indicate that you need to strengthen the goals of your other characters.

2. Consolidate the useful feedback

I know that when getting negative feedback you just want to crawl into a hole and never look at any of it again.

But, the whole reason you asked for feedback was to help you make the book better. So, you're gonna have to work through those comments.

Once you know which feedback is useful, I suggest making a separate edit document in which you simply list the things you need to look at during your next round of edits.

This way, the notes are in your own words and they are neutral. You don't have to look at the negative comments themselves ever again.

3. Don't disregard the positive comments

I feel like it's human nature to focus on the negative. Especially when looking toward edits, we tend to blind ourselves to all the good feedback.

Don't

Even though it might not be directly relevant to your next round of edits, positive feedback that doesn't point out anything you should change is still valuable.

For your writing career, it's always good to know what your strengths are.

And if you save the praise, you can always revisit it for a morale boost when self-doubt or imposter syndrome gets you down.

After comprehensively self-editing my book, I decided that it was time for outside feedback! And I cannot say it enough: outside feedback is so important for your editing process.

A. Critique Partner

I put out a call for a critique partner on all my social media platforms and got about 6 replies. I asked some questions about writing and critiquing experience, and found an AMAZING critique partner that was perfect for me!

I started this search about 2 months before I was done self-editing.

My CP and I exchanged complete manuscripts and gave each other 2 months to read the whole book and provide a comprehensive critique letter.

Crucially, we made sure to ask specific questions and raise particular concerns about our novels with each other beforehand. It's great to get feedback on the things you're worried about specifically.

She was great, sending me weekly updates. This won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it worked for me.

Then, at the end of the 2 months we exchanged looong critique letters - each colour-coded in terms of good, bad or neutral feedback.

I read through the feedback carefully, looking for the things I agreed with and that were also raised by my alpha readers (see below).

And then I went through my manuscript from beginning to end, changing what needed to be changed.

Also, it's super important to take in the positive feedback too!

Furthermore, you can use the feedback (positive and negative) for subsequent projects. It's always good to know what your writing strengths and weaknesses are.

You can decide how many CPs you want to have, but one was enough for me.

You can also opt for a professional critique, where you pay instead of exchange critiques. But these can be quite expensive.

B. Alpha Readers

Everyone uses this term for different things. To me, aplha readers are people I know and trust, who are also readers.

I used my mom and my best friend as alpha readers.

I gave them my manuscript at the same time as my critique partner had it.

They provided me with feedback + I asked them a bunch of questions and made notes.

Then, I added their feedback to my CP's and made the necessary changes.

Once again, you don't have to change everything they comment on. Be open to the feedback, take it in and make the decision. If your CP and alpha readers criticize the same thing, it's worth editing that thing.

C. Beta Readers

Whilst working on my CP and alpha reader edits, I put out a call for beta readers on all my social media platforms. I used a Google Form to collect applications. I kept applications open for 1 month.

In the application form, I asked each applicant's age, their reading preferences etc. I then chose 11 readers that fit my target audience best - with a little diversity too.

I also included a summary of the book's plot and its trigger warnings in this form.

My manuscript is around 120 000 words, so I decided to do the beta reading process over 6 weeks, so as not to overwhelm my beta readers with too much to read. I divided my novel into 6 sections based on word count.

For each section, I created a Google Form for the betas to leave feedback. Many questions are repeated throughout all the forms, but there are also questions specific to each section. I also provided space for general feedback. I then also created a Google Form for feedback on the entire manuscript for them to fill in once they've read the whole book. If you guys want me to do a post on which questions to ask, leave a comment.

I sent out an email to all the selected readers a week before the process was to begin to explain the process and confirm their participation. I also enquired about the time zones applicable to their locations.

I send a new section of the manuscript every Monday morning. Then on Friday morning, I send out the link to the feedback form. The betas have to complete this form by Saturday evening. On Sunday, I sit down and work through all the feedback.

I consolidate what I need to revise into one edit document.

It can be tough to read negative feedback, which is why it works to put edit notes into a word doc. That way you don't have to read all the feedback every time. You have a single list of things to look at under each section.

Then, once the betas have read and given feedback on the entire manuscript, I will revise the book based on those edit notes.

I also make sure to thank my beta readers for their participation each week.

Some betas won't continue to participate (with or without notice) and that's just something you'll have to deal with. This is why, even though I wanted 8 beta readers, I went with 11 initially.

Some writers do multiple rounds of beta readers, but I'm only doing one round.

So, yeah, that's my process. It's worked for me thus far, but it is my first time doing all of this. So, it won't be perfect. If you have any tips on how to work with CPs and beta readers, leave them in the comments.

Also, if you have any questions, feel free to ask!