Stary Writing Camp: How to Create the Description?
What do people read first when they might not know anything about a new fiction? Within the first few seconds of reading, the book’s name might give them some information about the story, along with the cover might catch their eyes. However, in most cases, the description of the story is what keeps the reader turning pages.
The description is crucial to every story. It provides essential information about the story, which might let readers decide if they want to read it or not. In the Internet era, people who browse websites are like visitors walking in a garden. Only when a story description is attractive enough, people might stop to enjoy it. Remember that a story is a completed product on the Internet. The description is the packaging to display the product.
This article will introduce four types of description and share some tips on how to write a good description.
1. Main Characters Description Type
Let’s take a look at the description of Marrying the CEO:
Alice Gardner was a hardworking woman who was scraping the bottom of the barrel. Despite wanting to enjoy life, Alice was stuck working two low paying jobs in order to earn money for her little brother’s surgery, but to no avail. Alice needed money and she needed it fast. Otherwise, she would lose her brother. So when a once in lifetime opportunity presents itself in a form of a newspaper advertisement, Alice jumps at the chance.
Gideon Maslow is the owner of the world biggest business empire, Maslow Enterprises. He is ruthless and had the power to destroy anyone with just a snap of his fingers. In his circle, he is regarded as Dark Royalty. Despite having everything, what he wanted was an heir, who would inherit his empire when the time came. So he holds interviews in order to find the perfect wife who is going to give him an heir.
When Alice leaves Maslow Enterprises, she thinks that she won’t ever see Gideon Maslow ever again, but her beliefs are shattered when she sees Gideon again and realizes that Gideon Maslow has no intention of letting her go.
This description focuses on the main characters’ background and the problems, which are the story’s starting point. By reading it, readers can easily have a basic impression of the heroine, Alice Gardner, and the hero, Gideon Maslow.
The advantage of this type is that it makes the readers know the story type and introduces the characters quickly. By contrast, readers might not have the patience to read along with this description because it lacks emotion and tends to be insipid. When you write a description this way, you can focus on establishing the story background and the reason for the main characters to meet. Make sure these elements are attractive enough. Also, you can put some suspense in the description to arouse the readers’ desire to know what happens in the whole story.
2. Outline Description Type
The description of I Will Be Beautiful belongs to this type:
Jacquelyn, or Jackie, is a werewolf. An overweight werewolf. The only people that really care about her are her brother and her friend. But, on her first day back to school she finds her mate, the future Alpha of the Baneswolf pack. But, he makes it more than obvious that he doesn’t want her. So, Jackie does the only thing she can think of; she runs away.
Four years away from her hometown; Jackie’s back and more beautiful than ever, but has her mate changed as much as she has?
I guess you’ll just have to read the story to find out.
According to this example, readers can already get the main plot points of the story. Compared to the Main Characters Description Type, the Outline Description Type gives the readers a better idea of what will happen in the story, but it lacks emotion too. Because in introducing a story with a few paragraphs, it may miss out on the essence of the story as well as the emotions of the characters. To avoid this situation, you can practice using concise and accurate language to present the story with surprise twists so that the readers will desire to explore your story with the compelling Outline Description you created.
3. Story Fragment Type
Let’s take a look at a part of the description of His Abused Mate:
I shook my head frantically, keeping my head down. He walked towards me and tried to change my mind. “Oh come on, you can’t be that bad looking.”
He reached his hand out toward my hood and I jumped away, falling to the ground while shaking with fear.
“Alexis? Oh my god, Alexis I’m sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.”
I felt like sobbing, screaming even, but I knew nothing was gonna come out. I waited until I calmed down a little before I stood up and dusted myself off.
“I’m sorry Alexis.” Was the last thing I heard before my hood was pulled off my head, revealing my face.
This description is also a fragment of the whole story. Picking some dramatic paragraphs from the story as its description is an effective and time-saving method since all the writer needs to do is select a fragment from the first chapters of the story.
Here are some recommended moments that can be used as a description.
- The first meeting between the two main characters
- A sadomasochistic love Scene
- A confession
- A change of fate, etc.
The shared factor of these moments is that they are usually dramatic, and would give readers a thrill. But readers who are unaware of the story’s background or plot might find the fragment confusing. If you use this kind of description, you can consider some relatively independent paragraphs and have a strong impact.
4. Mixed Description Type
Let’s take a look at the description of Obsession With My Forced Wife:
Ten years ago, an accident caused the Cameron family and the McLean family to break up and become enemies.
Ten years later, Lance, the Cameron family’s young leader, was told he was going to marry Evelyn, a McLean family girl.
“What? Anyone in the world could be my bride, but not a McLean woman. I will NEVER marry that Evelyn.”
However, when Lance learned that the girl he embraced at the party is his bride, his mind began to change. On the wedding night. He pressed on her and started kissing and touching her as he always long for. Oh, damn, the sensuality makes him unable to stop, he just wanted to release his desire in her body. He slowly kissed her lips and neck, and the suck it vigorously.
What Lance doesn’t know is that he lost his heart when he became sexually attracted to Evelyn. He began to care about her feelings and dreams, and he came to see her as a true wife.
Lance can’t control his love and desire for Evelyn, but the family hatred makes Lance feel guilty. How to choose between love and hatred? How will Lance face his forced wife?
The Mixed Type Description combines the characteristics of the above three types. It includes the background and dialogue between characters. Usually, this description is highly readable for readers since it describes a scene or plot while demonstrating the characters’ personalities and highlighting the story’s plot conflict
Notes on Description Writing:
1. Leave a hook in the description
The hook gives the readers the desire to read the first chapter of the story. Generally, at the end of the description, the writers will leave a hook.
Such as:
- The main characters first meeting or contracted marriage
- The beginning of a misunderstanding
- A cliffhanger or some shocking event
- The exposure of the character’s true identity
- The obtaining of superpower
- The change of fate
Skilled writers always know how to use these hooks and understand what the highlights of their stories are. With this knowledge, you can compose a description that best displays your story’s virtues and make it the best ad for the story.
2. Words number
Many writers tend to ignore the readability of the description, and people read fiction for fun, not for academic research. So, the text should be easy to read; the language should be fluent and straightforward.
Here are some tips:
- The number of words should be between 100 to 300 words to ensure sufficient information is provided. On the contrary, a description that is too long will make readers lose their patience.
- Write sentences in commonly accepted patterns and avoid making the sentences too long or complicated.
- Avoid using subordinate clauses continuously, and choose the verbs, adjectives, and adverbs accurately.
Now the Stary Writing Camp is counting down to an end. If you have not shared your compelling story with readers yet, please do not miss the last chance! In addition, you can also communicate with almost 80,000 writers on the Stary Writing Academy Facebook group!
