In this video, we look at my approach to ensuring descriptions are fresh and interesting.
By stepping back and considering not just what you want to describe, but why it’s important to do so, you can both reduce boring or generic descriptions and create more evocative prose that draws readers into your story.
Hello, Jane Cleland here with a question about generic descriptions, specifically about large hands.Here’s the question: Even popular writers say “large hands” repeatedly to describe a man’s hand.
How can I freshen it?Well, first of all, I applaud your wanting to freshen it, and I can’t comment on why a best-selling author or any author would do any one thing.
Here are my thoughts on the subject: I’m only going to mention the size of his hands if it’s relevant. Is it relevant to the story or to his character in some way?
So, staying with the idea of man’s hands – are they particularly large for his body? Is that what the issue is? How much larger than normal? What about that is extraordinary? If that isn’t the issue, what do his hands look like?
Are they calloused because he works with them?
Are they manicured because he’s that kind of guy that gets manicures?
Why are you telling me about his hands?
And honing in on that question, I think it’ll help you come up with how to talk about it – what it is about his hands that makes them worth mentioning.
I know you can do it.
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