I like to think I’m pretty good at writing description, even though
I use it sparingly in my books. I don’t like reading a lot of it, so I don’t
write a lot of it. I put in just enough to spark an image in the reader's mind. Some people prefer reading a mile-long paragraph describing a
character’s dress. Not me.
But I do want to see the characters –their
mannerisms, expressions, actions, reactions – the overall package. A couple of cleverly
written sentences usually does the trick. And once in a while, one word can do it
too. I’m talking about that one word that shows us body language, facial
expression and emotion.
If you remember from a few controversial blog posts ago, I collect dialogue tags. Sadly, that well has dried up. So I’ve started collecting one-word descriptions. Here’s what I’ve got so far:
He balked
He blanked.
He blustered.
He bristled.
He chilled.
He collapsed.
He cratered.
He crumbled.
He drooped.
He eased.
He exploded.
He festered.
He flared.
He fumed.
He loosened.
He melted.
He raged.
He recovered.
He sagged.
He scoffed.
He scoffed.
He seethed.
He shrank.
He slumped.
He snapped.
He soured.
He strained.
He stirred.
He sulked.
He sulked.
He surrendered.
He thundered.
He twitched.
He weakened.
He withered.
He withdrew.
And I'm confident that these are just the beginning.
Remember, one-word descriptions should only be used occasionally, otherwise your novel will read
like Dick and Jane (and never get into an editor's hands).
Ah...it's so nice to have a hobby. Do you guys have any to add?
