It is all based on fact, though it may be sad to an outsider I look upon it as a page in my personal history. It was, what made me who I am today. Don't be afraid to offer critque, that is why I posted it. The gonna's and gotta's? Is that really a faux pas when reflecting on a personal issue? That is how I talk, do you think that a reader would find this irritating? Thank you I will. M
Read books that make you feel you are there, and pay attention to the author's technique. Notice not only how they describe, but also when they leave it to your imagination to fill in the details.
Thanks I am doing that, but what I am looking for is an alternative source. I have a pile of alternatives to saidisms which are great. Funny thing is, it's a lot easier to improve the descriptive writing on someone elses work. I just reviewed a friends piece and went nuts with good descrption, but I think with my own work I tend to draw a blank or be too critical.
avoid 'alternatives to saidisms' like the plague! and cog is right, you only have to read, to learn how to write... when you get to the writing, put yourself right into the scene and just write what you see, whatever contributes to the action and the storyline/plot and the characters' character... when you see it in your mind's eye, you should be able to write it...
Often good setting is related to good character voice and opinions. Having a good idea of how the character feels about the world around them might help you describe that world more easily. It also helps to have an idea of the tone you are going for (light and fun? Dark and strange?), which can then help you figure out how to describe things.
I agree with avoiding saidisms. I think we all fell into this trap at some point, I know I did. In highschool there was a creative writing class I took and one of the things we discussed was saidisms. We were given a packet of stuff and it gave an example of over using saidisms and how bad they were. How it made the writing sound almost goofy. Keeping it simple and basic is key. Said blends in with the rest of the words and your reader wont think much of it if they notice it at all.
I just try not to be repetitive, sometimes leaving out the tags all-together. To the OP, I'd agree with the rest here. Just read. A good work. Take breaks and close your eyes; can you see what the author is describing? If you can, great. That's one of YOUR many goals as a fellow writer. Unless you're not a writer. Which would be odd, considering this is WritingForums....
