how to describe a hallway creative writing

How to Write Hospital Scenes (21 Best Tips + Examples)

Hospitals are places where life’s most poignant moments unfold, from the joy of birth to the sorrow of passing away.

As such, hospital scenes show up in a lot of stories.

Here is how to write hospital scenes:

Write hospital scenes by understanding the medical hierarchy, capturing authentic ambiance, using medical jargon sparingly, and emphasizing emotional dynamics. Consider the patient’s journey, relationships, and triumphs. Every element should enhance the realism and emotional depth of the scene.

In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about how to write hospital scenes.

1. Understand the Hospital Hierarchy

Table of Contents

Understanding the hospital hierarchy is crucial.

Hospitals aren’t just about doctors and nurses. They’re made up of an intricate web of professionals working cohesively.

Knowing the roles of various healthcare professionals adds depth to your scene.

Whether it’s an interaction between a resident and an attending physician, or between a nurse and a technician, understanding these dynamics can create tension or camaraderie in your writing.

As Dr. Smith entered the room, she nodded at the nurse. “How’s our patient today, Jane?” Jane, an experienced ICU nurse, responded, “Stable, but his oxygen levels dipped overnight. The respiratory therapist worked on it, and they’re improving now.”

2. Capture the Hospital Ambiance

The atmosphere in a hospital is unique.

The constant beep of monitors, the murmurs of visitors, and the distant announcements over the intercom form a backdrop to your scene.

A vivid atmosphere sets the mood.

Is it a quiet night or a bustling day? The ambiance can reflect the emotional tone of the scene.

The dimly lit hallway echoed with soft footsteps, punctuated by the occasional beep from a room further down. Somewhere, a baby cried, and a nurse’s voice softly tried to soothe.

3. Use Medical Jargon Judiciously

While it’s tempting to throw in medical terms to sound authentic, overusing them or using them incorrectly can confuse readers.

Medical jargon, when used correctly, lends authenticity.

But it’s crucial to ensure the reader can understand the context.

“We’ve started him on a course of IV antibiotics. His white blood cell count was high, indicating an infection.”

4. Show the Emotional Toll

Hospitals are places of healing, but they’re also where people face mortality, pain, and fear.

Capturing the emotional landscape provides depth to your characters and connects readers to the story.

Remember, not everyone in a hospital is a patient; families, visitors, and even healthcare professionals have their emotional journeys.

Nurse Daniels looked out the window for a moment, taking a deep breath to compose herself after the last patient’s passing. The weight of the day heavy on her shoulders.

5. Research Common Procedures

Researching common medical procedures can help you craft realistic scenarios.

Readers, especially those with some medical background, appreciate accuracy.

Getting the details right can boost your story’s credibility.

Sarah watched as the nurse prepared the IV line, ensuring all air bubbles were out before inserting it into her arm.

6. Distinguish between Different Wards

Not all hospital areas are the same.

An ICU differs from a maternity ward or a general patient room.

Distinguishing between different wards can help set the scene, tone, and pace. For instance, an emergency room scene will have a different urgency than a scene in a recovery ward.

The ER was a flurry of activity, with paramedics rushing in and doctors shouting orders. Two floors up, in the recovery ward, it was a different world. Here, the pace was slower, with patients resting and nurses moving quietly between rooms.

7. Remember the Role of Technology

Modern hospitals are technologically advanced.

From MRI machines to portable ECGs, technology is everywhere.

Incorporating technology not only adds realism but also can create tension or relief, depending on the situation.

The room was tense as everyone stared at the ultrasound monitor. A moment later, the unmistakable sound of a heartbeat filled the small space, bringing tears of relief to Maria’s eyes.

8. Understand the Patient Experience

Every individual’s journey through a hospital varies based on the reason for their visit, their past experiences, and their personal anxieties.

The emotional and physical state of a patient is central to their perspective.

They may be overwhelmed, scared, hopeful, or even indifferent.

A writer should consider these emotions when crafting their characters’ responses to treatments, their interactions with medical staff, and even their internal monologue.

Lying in the sterile room, Mark felt exposed. The cold sheets beneath him, the foreign sounds — everything made him uneasy.

9. Highlight Interpersonal Dynamics

Relationships and interactions are the lifeblood of any setting, and hospitals are no exception.

The professional and personal dynamics between staff members can add layers of complexity to a scene.

Perhaps two doctors have conflicting treatment philosophies, or a nurse and a patient share a poignant moment.

These relationships can be sources of both conflict and collaboration, driving the narrative forward and allowing for multifaceted character exploration.

Dr. Patel and Nurse Ramirez had a renowned partnership. Where one was, the other wasn’t far behind, their synchronized movements a testament to years of collaboration.

10. Address Ethical Dilemmas

The hospital setting is fertile ground for moral quandaries, given the life and death decisions made daily.

Ethical dilemmas force characters to confront their values and priorities.

This can range from debates about end-of-life care to the potential ramifications of experimental treatments.

Exploring these tough decisions can provide depth to your narrative and give characters opportunities to evolve and grow.

Faced with the choice of continuing treatment or opting for palliative care, Jenna’s family was divided, each member grappling with their convictions.

11. Don’t Forget the Waiting Rooms

While patient rooms are pivotal, waiting areas serve as intersections of myriad emotions and interactions.

Waiting rooms often encapsulate the anticipation, anxiety, and hope of families and friends.

They can serve as places of bonding between strangers, reflections on the past, or moments of unexpected news.

By delving into the microcosm of the waiting room, writers can unveil diverse human experiences and emotions.

As Sarah waited, she struck up a conversation with an older man, their shared worries forging an unexpected bond.

12. Include Flashbacks or Memories

Hospital environments, laden with emotions, can act as catalysts for characters to relive past experiences.

These flashbacks can be directly related to the current medical situation or completely tangential, offering insights into a character’s past traumas, joys, or significant life events.

Leveraging these memories can create juxtapositions with the present and highlight character growth or unresolved issues.

As the anesthesiologist spoke, Clara’s mind drifted back to her childhood accident — the reason for her phobia of hospitals.

13. Use Senses Beyond Sight

A multisensory approach makes a scene more immersive and vivid for the reader.

Hospitals are a cacophony of sounds, smells, and textures.

From the sterile scent of disinfectant to the soft hum of machines or the rough texture of a bandage, engaging multiple senses offers a comprehensive and engrossing portrayal of the environment, drawing readers into the scene.

The antiseptic smell was overpowering, the occasional distant cough and soft hum of machinery serving as a constant reminder of where she was.

14. Introduce Unexpected Humor

In the face of adversity, humor can act as a relief valve, revealing character resilience.

Moments of levity in tense or somber situations can humanize characters.

It can show their coping mechanisms or their attempts to uplift others.

This contrast can make the gravity of a situation even more poignant while offering readers moments of reprieve.

“You’d think after all these years, they’d find a gown that actually closes in the back,” mused John, earning a chuckle from the nurse.

15. Respect Cultural and Religious Sensitivities

Acknowledging the diverse tapestry of patient backgrounds enhances realism and inclusivity.

Medical decisions, comfort levels with treatments, and interactions with hospital staff can all be influenced by cultural or religious beliefs.

It’s important for writers to enrich their narrative with representation and respect for diverse perspectives.

Mrs. Khan hesitated, her cultural beliefs about modesty making her wary of the male doctor. Recognizing this, Nurse Garcia gently stepped in to mediate.

16. Show Fatigue and Stress among Healthcare Workers

Behind the clinical professionalism, healthcare workers grapple with the emotional and physical demands of their roles.

These professionals often bear witness to intense human experiences, from birth to death and everything in between.

Chronicling their exhaustion, moments of doubt, or instances of resilience can offer a balanced view of the hospital ecosystem.

Not only that but it can also emphasize the human element behind the medical expertise.

After a 16-hour shift, Dr. Lee’s steps were heavy. She paused for a moment, rubbing her temples, before moving on to the next patient.

17. Address the Financial Aspects

The economics of healthcare can be a significant concern for patients and families.

Financial worries can compound the stress of a medical situation.

Addressing these concerns — be it through the lens of insurance battles, out-of-pocket costs, or the broader healthcare debate — can root your story in real-world challenges, making it more relatable and timely.

The relief that her mother was recovering was overshadowed by the mounting medical bills that Amy now faced, a dilemma she hadn’t anticipated.

18. Highlight Moments of Triumph

Despite the challenges, hospitals are also spaces of recovery, healing, and miracles.

Emphasizing moments of success or relief, whether they’re medical breakthroughs or personal victories like a patient taking their first step post-surgery, can infuse your narrative with hope and inspiration.

These moments underscore the resilience of the human spirit and the dedication of medical professionals.

Against all odds, Mr. Rodriguez took his first steps after the accident, the entire ward cheering him on.

19. Include External Influences

The world outside doesn’t stop when one enters a hospital. External events can influence the internal dynamics of the setting.

By weaving in external influences, you can showcase the adaptability of the hospital environment and its staff.

Whether it’s a natural disaster leading to an influx of patients or a city-wide event affecting hospital operations, these external elements can add layers of complexity to your narrative.

As the city marathon was underway, the ER braced for a busy day, anticipating the influx of dehydration cases and potential injuries.

20. Detail Personal Keepsakes

Personal items offer glimpses into a patient’s world outside the hospital, grounding them in reality.

These keepsakes can act as symbols of hope, reminders of loved ones, or touchstones of normalcy in an otherwise clinical environment.

Detail these items and their significance to build deeper emotional connections between characters and readers.

Next to Mrs. Everett’s bed stood a framed photo of a young couple on their wedding day, a testament to a love that had weathered many storms.

21. Remember the Power of Touch

In an environment often dominated by machines and medical instruments, human touch stands out.

Touch, whether comforting or clinical, can convey a multitude of emotions.

A reassuring hand on a shoulder, a clinical examination, or a desperate grasp during a moment of fear can be powerful narrative tools, emphasizing human connection and vulnerability.

As the news settled in, James reached out, gently squeezing his sister’s hand. In that simple gesture, he conveyed the strength and support she desperately needed.

Check out this video about how NOT to write hospital scenes (Unless you’re going for pure comedy):

30 Words to Describe Hospital Scenes

The words you choose for your hospital scenes will alter the mood, tone, and entire reader experience.

Here are 30 words you can use to write hospital scenes:

• Fluorescent
• Reverberating
• Crisp (as in uniforms)
• Intermittent
• Cold (as in touch)
• Harsh (as in lights)
• Labored (as in breathing)

30 Phrases to Write Hospital Scenes

Try these phrases when writing your hospital scenes.

Not all of the phrases will work for your story (or any story) but, hopefully, they will help you craft your own sentences.

• “A symphony of monitors beeped in rhythm.”
• “Whispers filled the corridor, punctuated by distant footsteps.”
• “The scent of disinfectant was almost overpowering.”
• “Nurses moved with practiced efficiency.”
• “The weight of anticipation hung in the air.”
• “A curtain rustled softly in the next bed.”
• “Lights overhead cast stark shadows on the floor.”
• “Intercom announcements broke the tense silence.”
• “Machines whirred and clicked in the background.”
• “Soft murmurs of comfort echoed.”
• “Trolleys clattered past at regular intervals.”
• “Gauzy curtains diffused the morning light.”
• “A stifled sob broke the sterile calm.”
• “The rhythmic pulse of the heart monitor filled the void.”
• “The chill of the tiles was evident even through socks.”
• “Hushed conversations ceased at the doctor’s arrival.”
• “Labored breathing was the room’s only soundtrack.”
• “A clipboard clattered to the ground, shattering the quiet.”
• “The distant hum of an MRI machine grew louder.”
• “The atmosphere was thick with a mix of hope and despair.”
• “Patients lay in rows, separated by thin partitions.”
• “The waiting area was a mosaic of emotions.”
• “Doctors consulted charts with furrowed brows.”
• “IV drips punctuated the silence with their steady rhythm.”
• “A sudden rush of activity signaled an emergency.”
• “Whirring fans attempted to combat the stifling heat.”
• “Shadows played on the wall as the day waned.”
• “The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, unceasing.”
• “A lone wheelchair sat abandoned in the hall.”
• “Gentle reassurances were whispered bedside.”

3 Full Examples of Writing Hospital Scenes

Here are three complete examples of how to write hospital scenes in different genres.

The hallway of St. Mercy’s was dimly lit, echoing with the soft murmurs of the night shift nurses.

Elizabeth walked slowly, her heels clicking on the tiles, each step feeling like an eternity as she approached room 309. The scent of antiseptics was faint but ever-present, reminding her of the weight of the place. As she pushed open the door, the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor greeted her, and in the dim light, she saw her father, pale but stable.

Tears welled up, not out of sorrow, but of gratitude.

2. Mystery/Thriller

Detective Rowe entered the ICU, the atmosphere thick with tension.

The overhead lights cast a harsh glow on the room where the city’s mayor lay unconscious. A nurse, her uniform crisp and white, glanced up, her eyes betraying a mix of curiosity and wariness. Rowe noted the machines surrounding the bed — their mechanical hums and beeps creating a symphony of medical surveillance.

He needed answers, and everything about this sterile room was a potential clue.

3. Sci-fi/Fantasy

In the celestial infirmary of Aeloria, walls shimmered with iridescent lights, and the air pulsed with ancient magic.

Elara, the moon sorceress, lay on a floating bed, her aura flickering like a candle nearing its end.

Surrounding her were crystal devices, pulsating and humming in an ethereal dance. Lyric, her apprentice, whispered an incantation, her voice intertwining with the mystical ambiance, hoping to revive her mentor with a blend of ancient spells and cosmic medicine.

Final Thoughts: How to Write Hospital Scenes

Crafting a compelling hospital scene is an intricate dance of authenticity, emotion, and meticulous detail.

For more insights on writing stories, please check out the other articles on my website.

Related Posts:

• How to Write Flashback Scenes (21 Best Tips + Examples)
• How to Foreshadow Death in Writing (21 Clever Ways)
• How to Write Fast-Paced Scenes: 21 Tips to Keep Readers Glued
• How to Describe Crying in Writing (21 Best Tips + Examples)

Search for creative inspiration

19,890 quotes, descriptions and writing prompts, 4,964 themes

school hallway - quotes and descriptions to inspire creative writing

• Mean Teacher
• notice board
• school uniform

At our school the hallway is the jungle gym. It's a pole down, a ladder up, monkey bars from the ceilings, balancing beam on the floor, slides and cargo nets. Why walk from A to B when you can have healthy adrenaline highs and a bit of muscle work? When we leave one room we have a million fun ways to get to the next door... now that's the kind of puzzle everyone loves! We are all born to play and it's when we add play to learning that we get better results. Our school is ace.

The school hallway had the greatest of echos, and within it we were all cheeseball tap-dancers.

The school hallway was light and bright, even upon the stormy days its grand windows let in a bouquet of rays.

The hallways are dark marble floors and white walls, not a hand print or scuff mark anywhere. The doors are a glossy black, numbered with silver digits that match the globe shaped handles. It isn't just the materials though, it's the dimensions, the width being at least twice that of Brampton High.

The school hallway was all bright paints and neat trimmed pinboards. Our school was great that way, they really embraced colour.

Once a bustle of chatter and a flowing of friends, the hallways had become a steady stream of order, each of us a careful two meters apart.

Sign in or sign up for Descriptionar i

Sign up for descriptionar i, recover your descriptionar i password.

Keep track of your favorite writers on Descriptionari

We won't spam your account. Set your permissions during sign up or at any time afterward.

Describing Words

This tool helps you find adjectives for things that you're trying to describe. Also check out ReverseDictionary.org and RelatedWords.org . Here are some adjectives for hallway : . You can get the definitions of these hallway adjectives by clicking on them. You might also like some words related to hallway (and find more here ).

Sort By Usage Frequency

Click words for definitions.

Loading you some adjectives... Won't be much longer! :)

Words to Describe hallway

Below is a list of describing words for hallway . You can sort the descriptive words by uniqueness or commonness using the button above. Sorry if there's a few unusual suggestions! The algorithm isn't perfect, but it does a pretty good job for most common nouns. Here's the list of words that can be used to describe hallway :

• narrow disused
• ordinary, utilitarian
• wide, sumptuous
• late-colonial
• graceful late-colonial
• narrow connective
• beige, plain
• familiar grand
• dark unmarked
• long, utilitarian
• stubby, blind
• short arched
• narrow, wood-paneled
• short, white-walled
• cramped windowless
• endless, cloudy
• birch-paneled
• busy, white-walled
• long, antiseptic
• narrow and vacant
• arched, ancient
• crimson tiled
• long, wood-paneled
• gloomy, empty
• sadistic secret
• stupid narrow
• empty third-floor
• short, paneled
• maddeningly gray
• blessedly dim
• utilitarian upper
• regular interior
• familiarly dim
• narrow second-floor
• attractive colonial
• neon-lit, gray
• continuous spacious
• lighter and larger
• next nearby
• nicely paneled
• long paneled
• long, paneled
• gray, institutional
• long and very wide
• particularly cramped and crooked
• straight, tiled
• bare synthetic
• narrow third-floor
• empty tiled
• wide second-floor
• gothic, arched
• newly quiet
• vaulting formal
• respectable, open
• main second-floor
• dark second-floor
• wide, run-down
• hideously colored
• similarly tiled
• pillared, tiled
• elusive main
• ugly windowless
• stark, semicircular
• cold, cinder-block
• busy and chaotic
• wide, towering
• acoustically muffled
• little wood-paneled
• special l-shaped
• fairly opulent
• shadowy central
• stuffy lower
• paneled and hushed
• high, paneled
• bare, nondescript
• enormous, barrel-vaulted
• back second-floor
• short, drab
• new windowless
• eerily vacant
• wider, wood-paneled
• blocky, uninspired
• short, barren
• gray, clean
• big agonizing
• awfully empty
• long, unremarkable
• vast, stuffy
• ostentatiously ornate
• dim ground-floor
• wide windowless
• narrow, forbidding-looking
• dingy, dusty
• long, underground
• darker, colder

Popular Searches

As you've probably noticed, adjectives for " hallway " are listed above. Hopefully the above generated list of words to describe hallway suits your needs.

If you're getting strange results, it may be that your query isn't quite in the right format. The search box should be a simple word or phrase, like "tiger" or "blue eyes". A search for words to describe "people who have blue eyes" will likely return zero results. So if you're not getting ideal results, check that your search term, " hallway " isn't confusing the engine in this manner.

Note also that if there aren't many hallway adjectives, or if there are none at all, it could be that your search term has an abiguous part-of-speech. For example, the word "blue" can be an noun and an adjective. This confuses the engine and so you might not get many adjectives describing it. I may look into fixing this in the future. You might also be wondering: What type of word is hallway ?

The idea for the Describing Words engine came when I was building the engine for Related Words (it's like a thesaurus, but gives you a much broader set of related words, rather than just synonyms). While playing around with word vectors and the " HasProperty " API of conceptnet, I had a bit of fun trying to get the adjectives which commonly describe a word. Eventually I realised that there's a much better way of doing this: parse books!

Project Gutenberg was the initial corpus, but the parser got greedier and greedier and I ended up feeding it somewhere around 100 gigabytes of text files - mostly fiction, including many contemporary works. The parser simply looks through each book and pulls out the various descriptions of nouns.

Hopefully it's more than just a novelty and some people will actually find it useful for their writing and brainstorming, but one neat little thing to try is to compare two nouns which are similar, but different in some significant way - for example, gender is interesting: " woman " versus " man " and " boy " versus " girl ". On an inital quick analysis it seems that authors of fiction are at least 4x more likely to describe women (as opposed to men) with beauty-related terms (regarding their weight, features and general attractiveness). In fact, "beautiful" is possibly the most widely used adjective for women in all of the world's literature, which is quite in line with the general unidimensional representation of women in many other media forms . If anyone wants to do further research into this, let me know and I can give you a lot more data (for example, there are about 25000 different entries for "woman" - too many to show here).

The blueness of the results represents their relative frequency. You can hover over an item for a second and the frequency score should pop up. The "uniqueness" sorting is default, and thanks to my Complicated Algorithm™, it orders them by the adjectives' uniqueness to that particular noun relative to other nouns (it's actually pretty simple). As you'd expect, you can click the "Sort By Usage Frequency" button to adjectives by their usage frequency for that noun.

Special thanks to the contributors of the open-source mongodb which was used in this project.

Please note that Describing Words uses third party scripts (such as Google Analytics and advertisements) which use cookies. To learn more, see the privacy policy .

Recent Queries

How to describe to immerse readers (complete guide)

Descriptive writing brings stories and characters to life. Read tips on how to describe places and characters, descriptive writing examples from a selection of genres, and more.

• Post author By Jordan
• 23 Comments on How to describe to immerse readers (complete guide)

Knowing how to describe well is sure to immerse readers in your world. Read a complete guide on describing places and characters, different types of description, descriptive writing examples from popular genres, and more. Use the links above to jump to what you want to learn more about now.

What is description? Definitions and terms

Description is writing that tells your reader what a person, object or place is (or isn’t) like. As Oxford Learner Dictionaries define it: ‘a piece of writing or speech that says what somebody/something is like; the act of writing or saying in words what somebody/something is like’.

Description:

• Creates tone and mood (for example, whether a scene is bright, dark, cheerful, ominous)
• Shows, infers or implies personality and emotion (for example, a character speaking very fast may imply fear or excitement)
• Colors in the story so that scenes that could feel grey or beige become imbued with specificity and the potential for drama, events
• Draws your reader’s attention to significant or important objects and events: For example, a treasure being lost overboard in a sailing expedition may set up a storyline in another timeline where explorers dive for sunken treasure

These are just some of the important uses for description in storytelling.

Descriptive writing: useful terms

Useful terms in descriptive writing include:

• Mood: Describes that which is evocative of a specific state of mind or feeling
• Tone: The general attitude or character of a piece of writing (e.g. ‘The tone of the opening description is cheerful, matching the sense of excitement of guests about to arrive at a party’)
• Tableau (plural tableaux): A picture, as of a scene. For example: ‘In the first scene, we see the tableau of a family dinner at Thanksgiving, where the main characters are all seated together’
• Mise en scène: A French term meaning ‘the action of putting onto the stage’. It’s the arrangement of actors and scenery in a scene. Cambridge gives the example , ‘The general mise en scène – solitary figure, moving down gloomy Victorian streets at twilight – brings to mind Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde .’
• Figurative language: Figurative language such as metaphor and simile (more on this under descriptive writing devices ) is often used to compare, contrast, and breathe fresh life into familiar ideas and images (e.g. ‘He blushed as red as a bottlebrush tree in spring’)

To the top ↑

One of the things that I tell beginning writers is this: If you describe a landscape, or a cityscape, or a seascape, always be sure to put a human figure somewhere in the scene. Why? Because readers are human beings, mostly interested in human beings. Kurt Vonnegut

Why is description in writing important?

In all kinds of writing, but in fiction especially, description draws readers in and creates immersive character, specificity. The opposite of bland, beige writing.

Description is important in writing because it:

• Establishes setting to create context. If you describe an old cobbled street, your reader knows they’re not in Dubai’s modern CBD.
• Helps to create tone and mood. The emotional state of a narrator or the emotion of a scene is deepened by evocative description.
• Draws attention to important symbols or themes. For example, in the opening description in Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, the main character dwells on heavy-drinking workers which calls to mind the post-war setting and echoes the story’s core themes of society, class and trauma.
• Makes writing more engaging. Instead of reading being like watching paint dry, description pigments your world.
• Implies and infers. A shrug, a sigh – small gestures and signs may create exact or ambiguous implications, so that description adds narrative suspense to a scenario and creates intrigue.
• Supports plot and story development. For example, a gun concealed in a glove compartment at the start of a story warns us it may fire.
• Distinguishes and differentiates . One character may wear their hair down mostly, another up. The small details that differentiate people and things create realism.
• Evokes emotions or elicits empathy. For example, a kid sitting alone at the back of a school bus may suggest loneliness or exclusion. A tableau has great power to elicit empathy or other emotions, as visual artists understand.

GET YOUR FREE GUIDE TO SCENE STRUCTURE

Read a guide to writing scenes with purpose that move your story forward.

Types of description: Ways to bring worlds to life

There are many types of description you could use to make your story a tapestry of vivid detail:

Physical description

Clear, precise physical description gives your reader a more detailed sense of your world. Succinct description doesn’t necessarily sacrifice pace, either. It may include elements of physicality such as:

For describing characters, you might describe a person’s:

• Facial features
• Body language

See description examples for descriptions that represent several of the above qualities.

Emotional description

Emotional description suggests a character’s emotional state or mood. Voice and action contribute emotion too (and types of physical description such as posture or body language).

Ways you could show a character’s emotions include:

• Adverbs: These should be used sparingly, though. For example, ‘”Of course,” he said happily.’
• Actions: A useful substitute for adverbs. Compare the above to: ‘”Of course.” His smile reached all the way to his eyes.’
• Deep POV: The way a character describes their surrounds may be indicative of how they’re feeling. For example, ‘I sat down on my stupid bed and opened my homework book.’ This character is clearly not enthused by homework.

Filtering passing description through your character’s viewpoint and state of mind is a great way to indirectly describe their emotion.

As an exercise, take the same scenario and setting, write down four or five different emotions, and have your character describe the same scene so that it is colored by each of those emotions in turn.

Historical description

Historical description is narrative that shows what time and place are like. For example, the way Dickens’ description of Coketown in Hard Times (1854) conveys what a rapidly industrializing town is like, with its miasma of smog:

Seen from a distance in such weather, Coketown lay shrouded in a haze of its own, which appeared impervious to the sun’s rays. You only knew the town was there, because you knew there could have been no such sulky blotch upon the prospect without a town. A blur of soot and smoke, now confusedly tending this way, now that way, now aspiring to the vault of Heaven, now murkily creeping along the earth, as the wind rose and fell, or changed its quarter: a dense formless jumble, with sheets of cross light in it, that showed nothing but masses of darkness. Charles Dickens, Hard Times (1854), full text public domain on Project Gutenberg .

This type of description is especially common in historical fiction which seeks to create an authentic sense of a period or era and its notable features, changes and developments.

Impressionistic description

This type of description is not as concerned with accurate (or rather literal) representation as it is with capturing the essence of the described thing.

Think of this as the way Cubism may represent a person in a portrait as having both eyes on one side of their face.

If you wrote, for example, ‘she was all hard edges and acute angles’ to describe a severe, unforgiving character, you might not literally mean that they’re like a line-drawing. Yet the metaphor in this geometrical description creates the impression of sharpness, hardness, stern qualities of character.

Another example: In this quote from The Great Gatsby (1925) where the character Nick Carraway gives a romanticized view of New York City, he says that to see the city from a specific vantage point is always to see it for the first time:

The city seen from the Queensboro Bridge is always the city seen for the first time, in its first wild promise of all the mystery and beauty in the world. F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, 1925. p. 67.

The narrator does not mean this literally, of course. It is an impressionistic description of what this specific vista feels like, emotionally.

Impressionistic description relies on devices such as metaphor, metonymy, simile, personification and hyperbole (more on these under descriptive writing devices ).

Recommended reading

Read more about types of description:

• Descriptive verbs: 7 tips for avoiding weak adverbs
• Direct vs indirect characterization: How to show and tell
• How to describe clothing in a story (with examples)

For myself, the only way I know how to make a book is to construct it like a collage: a bit of dialogue here, a scrap of narrative, an isolated description of a common object, an elaborate running metaphor which threads between the sequences and holds different narrative lines together. Hilary Mantel

Describing characters: Not shoe size (but where he’s off to)

In her poem ‘Writing a Résumé’, the Nobel Laureate Wisława Szymborska pokes fun at the characterless language one has to use sometimes in, for example, writing a CV or bio or other document for bureaucratic purposes. She gives dry instructions about what to do (implying the wealth of humanity that we have to skip over in doing this exercise).

It’s a great example of what not to do in writing more rounded, complex – i.e. fully human – characters:

Write as if you’d never talked to yourself and always kept yourself at arm’s length. Pass over in silence your dogs, cats, birds, dusty keepsakes, friends, and dreams. Price, not worth, and title, not what’s inside. His shoe size, not where he’s off to, that one you pass yourself off as. Wisława Szymborska, ‘Writing a Résumé’, Poems, New and Collected (1957-1997)

Describing characters well brings them to life. It’s the opposite of a dry, everywoman CV.

What are some ways you can describe characters better?

• Make first introductions count. A vivid first line, gesture, outfit, attitude – what will cement your character in your reader’s mind?
• Favor concrete over haziness or abstraction. Not, ‘She was kinda tall’ or ‘sometimes, she was mean’. How tall? Under what circumstances was the character typically mean?
• Show more than just appearances. For example, ‘his eyes were blue’. Many people have blue eyes (though the gene is recessive). How blue? and what do the man’s blue eyes suggest about his character (are they kind, alert, critical?).
• Use viewpoint and voice to imply mood and emotion. Part of why Salinger’s teen narrator’s voice is so memorable in Catcher in the Rye is his narration is filtered through how jaded and deeply frustrated he feels.
• Build character description over your story’s course. Does a character’s limp get worse or better, a country woman who moves to the big city lose (or keep) the rural sound of her accent? How might description change subtly (or dramatically) to echo the life your character’s lived?

See the recommended reading below (and the description examples further on) for more on how to describe characters with vivid acuity.

• Character writing: Complete guide to creating your cast
• How to describe a person vividly: 8 ways
• How to describe hands: 6 ways to make characters real
• Describing characters’ first appearances: 6 tips

For me, writing for kids is harder because they’re a more discriminating audience. While adults might stay with you, if you lose your pacing or if you have pages of extraneous description, a kid’s not going to do that. They will drop the book. Rick Riordan

Get the latest writing guides first

Join the Now Novel newsletter for writing tips and videos, community Q&As, fun writing polls and more.

Describing settings: Making place a character

Illustrating your story’s settings is vital to make your world feel real and lived in (rather than like so much empty green screen). Setting description is a crucial part of worldbuilding.

Types of description that tell places’ stories

There are so many details, like with characters, that define what a place is like. You can describe a place via its:

• Physical qualities. See for example that description dense with smog by Dickens in the example above.
• Environment and Geography. Terrain, biomes – in historical, fantasy and science fiction in particular, geography is often important because it may determine how long travel takes, where character’s can or cannot go, the rules of engagement in war or trade, or other plot factors.
• Architecture. Architectural description may create a sense of scale, wealth, age of a city or society, what raw materials are available, and more. See Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities for inventive descriptions of imaginary cities, as recounted by a fictionalized Marco Polo.
• Historical events. If you narrate a paragraph describing the history of a city, for example, that place immediately gains further historical character.
• Social makeup. What proportion of inhabitants are wealth, and what proportion are underprivileged? Class, culture, religion and other elements of society help us understand a place’s diversity (and often also the lines of difference that explain historical or present tensions).
• Political elements. The political system in a place may have far-reaching effects from public life (e.g. whether there is a curfew or not) and infrastructure to the happiness of its people. Under a corrupt dictator, roads and public services may deteriorate faster, for example, as autocrats redirect public funds to a private purse.

How can you describe place in your story so that it has vivid character?

Ways to describe place in fiction

To create a more immersive sense of place:

• Brainstorm key place details. What you describe will be determined to an extent by the plot and character arcs of your story. For example, if your story is about a sheltered country dweller who travels to the big city, you might brainstorm what would be awe-inspiring (or terrifying) about a big city upon arrival.
• Create vision boards of similar settings. Use Pinterest ( follow Now Novel while you’re there) or another image sharing platform to curate a library of images connected to your story locations. This is a great way to gather visual inspiration for scenes and ideas for objects or moods and atmospheres.
• Use precise adjectives. This applies to character description, too. Find the concrete word that compresses the most meaning (instead of ‘very small’, you might say ‘tiny’ or ‘minute’, for example).
• Think about who, what, why, where and when. Who (or what) would you be likely to find in this place? What is great or awful about it? What is its atmosphere, tone and mood? Why does this place exist? What does it tell us about your world, its where and when (period, era)?

Read more about how to create vivid story locations, places, worlds:

• Story setting and worldbuilding: Complete guide
• How to describe setting: 6 ways to bring setting to life
• Novel settings: 7 tips to get setting description right
• Setting the scene: 6 ways to introduce place in stories
• Vivid story setting description: Examples and insights

The fantasy that appeals most to people is the kind that’s rooted thoroughly in somebody looking around a corner and thinking, ‘What if I wandered into this writer’s people here?’ If you’ve done your job and made your people and your settings well enough, that adds an extra dimension that you can’t buy. Tamora Pierce

Descriptive writing devices

Descriptive writing devices such as figurative language bring in the freshness of unexpected comparisons and get playful with language. Learn more about descriptive writing devices that add depth, humor, surprise and other good things to descriptions:

Metaphor and simile: Comparing unlike things to describe

Metaphor and simile compare unlike things to create striking imagery.

The key difference between the two is that metaphor removes the comparison words, simile keeps them in.

Metaphor examples:

• ‘His stork legs poked out of baggy yellow swim shorts.’
• ‘The moon was a silver platter, more beautiful for its antique, tarnished patches.’

Compare to simile which makes the act of comparison more obvious:

Simile examples:

• ‘The spacecraft was as dark as a moonless desert, save for the blinking lights of the control console.’
• ‘She got up from the table without a word, as difficult to read as a seasoned croupier.’

Metonymy: Making part stand for the whole

Metonymy is a figurative device where the part of something stands for the whole (the way we say ‘The Crown’ to refer to a queen, for example).

Examples of metonymy:

• “Mouth over here won’t shut up,” my sister said, casting a dark look my way.’
• “I will call this House to order, and you will be orderly,” the Speaker said, glaring at the back benches.’

Hyperbole: Exaggerating for effect

Another figurative language device, hyperbole is often used for either dramatic or comical (for example, mock-heroic or arch) effect.

Hyperbole example:

• “This sandwich is a masterpiece and belongs in the Louvre,” my brother said, mock-retching at the days-old sub I found under the car seat.’

Personification: Bringing the non-human to life

Personification is another common descriptive device in figurative language. Here, human-like characteristics are attributed to objects or non-humans.

Personification example:

• ‘The old oak stood sentinel over the entrance to the town, cautioning horseback arrivals in its gnarled, ancient presence that this was an old place where people took their time and took even longer to warm to strangers.’

There are many other rhetorical and figurative devices you can use to play with description.

For example, ‘zeugma’, which combines unrelated images in one sentence (e.g. ‘That day changed it all, the day she opened her door and her heart to an imploring kid who rocked up shoeless and afraid and wouldn’t say a word.’) The verb ‘opened’ applies to two different nouns, one use of the verb literal, one figurative.

Read more about writing descriptive sentences and using figurative language devices:

• Writing descriptive sentences: 6 simple rules
• Adjectives for description: 60 precise words
• Artificial intelligence for writing: 10 helpful AI uses

I’m a failed poet. Reading poetry helps me to see the world differently, and I try to infuse my prose with figurative language, which goes against the trend in fiction. Jesmyn Ward

Description pitfalls: What to avoid in descriptive writing

Description has its pitfalls. As Rick Riordan says in the quote above, lots of spurious description may lose a reader. Read ideas of what to avoid in description:

Overused, on the nose or dead language

‘Tall, dark and handsome’ – that’s an example of the kind of phrase you might find in a Barbara Cartland or old Mills & Boon title that might make modern readers groan. Sites such as TV Tropes can help you keep track of what is overdone and troped to death.

Tautology (redundant words or phrases)

Tautology is saying the same thing twice in different words. A ‘pleonasm’ is using more words than necessary to convey one meaning. For example, ‘The shower’s wet water was a relief after the day’s grueling work.’ The reader knows water is wet, so the adjective isn’t needed in that sentence.

Lack of sensory details

Effective descriptive writing involves the senses: Sight, touch, sound, smell, even taste. This isn’t to say that every sentence has to draw on all of the senses, but if the reader never hears or feels the touch of anything, the story’s world could read more drab and nondescript.

Telling far more than showing

Although ‘Show, don’t tell’ is a common adage, stories need both.

‘Telling’ is useful for what Ursula K. Le Guin calls ‘leaping’ in narrative. For example, skipping over an uneventful sequence of time. ‘They rode hard for three days and eventually reached the city.’

It’s showing though, ‘crowding’ a scene with the detail of the senses, of what viewpoint characters experience, that really puts your reader in the film-like quality of a scene in 4K definition.

Stereotyping or generalizing

Saying ‘all the women in the bar had dolled up for the night’ might draw readers’ ire, an example of a generalization that is also stereotyping. The idea that all women, men, non-binary people, or other categories behave a similar way (or hold similar interests or behaviors). Think about how descriptions can speak to the variety that is inherent to a space.

There are cases, of course, where certain places are very homogenous in culture, inhabitant or type. A fancy club on a beachfront might attract a very specific type of patron. Yet if context does not help to explain a generalization, it’s best to avoid it.

Watch a concise video with further tips to write stronger description:

How to describe: Writing clear places and characters

What are some of your descriptive writing pet peeves? Let us know in the comments.

Read more about descriptive issues and how to avoid them:

• What is cliché? Cliché examples (and how to avoid)
• Choosing description words: 10 questions to ask
• ‘Show, don’t tell’: Examples from books balancing both

Description examples: Descriptive writing across genres

Here we gather effective description examples across a range of genres: Fantasy, romance, historical, science fiction, mystery, thriller and more. Share one of your favorite descriptions and the author and book title it’s from in the comments and help us grow this resource for description examples.

Introductory descriptions for scene-setting

Description at the beginning of a story can set the scene in a wide variety of ways. See below how it can establish tone and mood (the levity of Pratchett’s style, for example), or the inside/outside of a detective’s world where peace or violence are always just over the hedge.

See in the example from Julia Quinn how description of an activity typical of an era (Regency women doing needlework) can create a sense of time and place. Or reference to interplanetary spectacle or a woman tailing a man create intrigue in a sci-fi and thriller novel respectively.

Fantasy/humor description example

Local people called it the Bear Mountain. This was because it was a bare mountain, not because it had a lot of bears on it. This caused a certain amount of profitable confusion, though; people often strode into the nearest village with heavy duty crossbows, traps and nets and called haughtily for native guides to lead them to the bears. Since everyone locally was making quite a good living out of this, what with the sale of guide books, maps of bear caves, ornamental cuckoo-clocks with bears on them, bear walking-sticks and cakes baked in the shape of a bear, somehow no one had time to go and correct the spelling. Terry Pratchett, Witches Abroad (1991), pp. 16-17.

Mystery description example

“Hell is empty, Armand,” said Stephen Horowitz. “You’ve mentioned that. And all the devils are here?” asked Armand Gamache. “Well, maybe not here, here” – Stephen spread his expressive hands-“exactly.” “Here, here” was the garden of the Musée Rodin, in Paris, where Armand and his godfather were enjoying a quiet few minutes. Outside the walls they could hear the traffic, the hustle and the tussle of the great city. But here, here there was peace. The deep peace that comes not just with quiet, but with familiarity. Louise Penny, All the Devils are Here , 2021 (p. 3)

(Regency) romance description example

“Look at this!” Portia Featherington squealed. “Colin Bridgerton is back!” Penelope looked up from her needlework. Her mother was clutching the latest edition of Lady Whistledown’s Society Papers the way Penelope might clutch, say, a rope while hanging off a building. “I know,” she murmured. Julia Quinn, Romancing Mr Bridgerton (2002), p. 3.

Science fiction description example

At 09:46 GMT on the morning of 11 September, in the exceptionally beautiful summer of the year 2077, most of the inhabitants of Europe saw a dazzling fireball appear in the eastern sky. Within seconds it was brighter than the sun, and as it moved across the heavens – at first in utter silence – it left behind a churning column of dust and smoke. Arthur C. Clarke, Rendezvous with Rama (1973), p. 4.

Spy thriller description example

The quality of the light was the first thing that struck her when she went to Madrid in the spring of 1960. The afternoon shadows were the deepest and darkest she had ever seen. Like all old men, the doctor was a creature of habit. He always shopped for groceries on Saturday afternoons. She tailed him to a place near Atocha station that sold international food. He bought black bread, beer and slices of cured sausage that resembled Westphalian salami. Patrick Worrall, The Partisan (2022), p. 7.

Character description examples

Read examples of character description across a range of genres. See how voice can describe a character’s age and outlook in Rick Riordan’s example, or how an ensemble description can evoke the character of an era in Doctorow’s Ragtime .

Read how Colleen Hoover creates the portrait of a person through their name and the hyper-specific conditions of their being fired from a restaurant. Or Alice Munro’s portrait of a music teacher who throws recitals she doesn’t call recitals (and an invitee’s attempts to get out of attending them).

YA/fantasy character description example

My name is Percy Jackson. I’m twelve years old. Until a few months ago, I was a boarding student at Yancy Academy, a private school for troubled kids in upstate New York. Am I a troubled kid? Yeah. You could say that. I could start at any point in my short miserable life to prove it, but things really started going bad last may, when our sixth-grade class took a field trip to Manhattan – twenty-eight mental-case kids and two teachers on a yellow school bus, heading to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at ancient Greek and Roman stuff. Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief (2005), p. 8.

Literary/historical fiction character description example

There seemed to be no entertainment that did not involve great swarms of people. Trains and steamers and trolleys moved them from one place to another. That was the style, that was the way people lived. Women were stouter then. They visited the fleet carrying white parasols. Everyone wore white in summer. Tennis racquets were hefty and the racquet faces elliptical. There was a lot of sexual fainting. E.L. Doctorow, Ragtime (1974), p. 3.

New adult character description example

“There was that guy who did the dishes before you hired Brad. What was his name? He was named after some kind of mineral or something – it was super weird.” “Quartz,” I say. “It was a nickname.” I haven’t thought about that guy in so long. I doubt he’s holding a grudge against me after all this time. I fired him right after we opened because I found out he wasn’t washing the dishes unless he could actually see food on them. Glasses, plates, silverware – anything that came back to the kitchen from a table looking fairly clean, he’d just put it straight on the drying rack. Colleen Hoover, It Starts with Us (2022), p. 3.

Literary character description example

Miss Marsalles is having another party. (Out of musical integrity, or her heart’s bold yearning for festivity, she never calls it a recital.) My mother is not an inventive or convincing liar, and the excuses which occur to her are obviously second-rate. The painters are coming. Friends from Ottawa. Poor Carrie is having her tonsils out. In the end all she can say is: Oh, but won’t all that be too much trouble, now ? Alice Munro, ‘Dance of the Happy Shades’ in Selected Stories (1996), p. 16

Science fiction character description example

Lenar Hoyt was a young man by the Consul’s reckoning – no more than his early thirties – but it appeared that something had ages the man terribly in the not too distant past. The Consul looked at the thin face, cheekbones pressing against sallow flesh, eyes large but hooded in deep hollows, thin lips set in a permanent twice of muscle too downturned to be called even a cynical smile, the hairline not so much receding as ravaged by radiation, and he felt he was looking at a man who had been ill for years. Still, the Consul was surprised that behind that mask of concealed pain there remained the physical echo of the boy in the man […] Dan Simmons, Hyperion (1989), p. 11.

Read more character description examples:

• Character description examples: Creating people not caricatures

Get feedback on your descriptive writing in Now Novel groups from a constructive community. Start now to brainstorm characters and settings in the Now Novel dashboard, a step-by-step tool to outline your story.

Related Posts:

• Story setting ideas: 7 tips to immerse readers
• Story planning and outlining: Complete guide
• Story plotting and structure: Complete guide
• Tags describing characters , how to describe , setting

Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town.

23 replies on “How to describe to immerse readers (complete guide)”

Great article! I particularly liked point #5 and your examples were very helpful!

Thanks, Savannah. I’m glad you found it helpful.

I love this. Thank you so much.

Thank you! I’m glad you found use in it.

My advice is, don’t over do the fancy big words. People don’t want to read a book where they have to refer to a dictionary every time.

Great examples! This really made me think about how I can improve my descriptions.

Thank you, Shay! I’m glad to hear that.

That was so helpful,thank you.

It’s a pleasure, Dalida. Thank you for reading.

Super nice! Love it very much

Thanks helped me a lot. I see now why my writing seems so bland. I use too many weak adjectives bad nice good.

I have a question about how long a description should be. I’m writing a scene of about 1000 to 1500 words, which largely consists of describing the location. Would that be considered too long, even though the character is almost constantly interacting with the location? For context: My characters are inside a secret hallway where they need to solve a puzzle in order to unlock the mechanism on the door leading to another room. My main character then needs to inspect this second location to make sure everything is ready for the upcoming Council Meeting.

Hi Jae Vie,

Thank you for the interesting question. It really depends since some authors spin out description for pages, others keep it clipped to a line or two. It would depend on the style of the surrounding scene (wordy and lyrical; descriptive in a detailed, evocative way, or taut and spare).

If the scene is around 1000 words long, I would suggest keeping it shorter.

Feel free to share an extract in our critique groups for feedback! It’s difficult to advise in the abstract without having fuller context.

[…] Source: https://www.nownovel.com/blog/how-to-describe-place-character/ […]

It is very helpful for me thanks

It’s a pleasure, Iqra. Thank you for reading.

“Lieutenant Koudelka returned to curtailed light duties the following month, apparently quite cheerful and unaffected by his ordeal. But in his own way he was as uninformative as Bothari. Questioning Bothari had been like questioning a wall. Questioning Koudelka was like talking to a stream; one got back babble, or little eddies of jokes, or anecdotes that pulled the current of the discussion inexorably away from the original subject.”

— Barrayar (Vorkosigan Saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold

A few extra descriptive tidbits here making me think. Always good to have a reminder of the senses. Thanks!

Love the extension of the usual ‘like talking to a wall’ simile in this Bujold quote, Margriet, thank you for sharing it. It’s a pleasure, thanks for reading and for sharing your reading 🙂

thanks for posting. I will bookmark this site!

Hi Paul, it’s a pleasure, thanks for reading.

I’m ready to get started please help me I feel my story will inspire individual their lives

Hi Karen, that is great that you want to inspire others. Have you created an outline or do you prefer to draft freely and do organizing/structuring as you go? Either way, feel free to create a member account so that you can access our critique community and get feedback in chat and our critique forum. If you are writing memoir, you may find this article on life-writing helpful. Good luck!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Pin It on Pinterest

Never struggle with Show-and-Tell again. Activate your free trial or subscribe to view the Setting Thesaurus in its entirety, or visit the Table of Contents to explore unlocked entries.

HELPFUL TIP:

Textures and sensations:, possible sources of conflict:, people commonly found in this setting:, setting notes and tips:, related settings that may tie in with this one:, setting description example:, techniques and devices used:, descriptive effects:.

The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus , a companion to The Emotion Thesaurus , releases May 13th.

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Helping writers become bestselling authors

Setting Description Entry: Haunted House (inside)

May 23, 2009 by BECCA PUGLISI

Sight Dust, cobwebs, sheets on furniture, broken tables, chairs, windows, lamps, peeling wallpaper, gaps in the floorboards, holes in the walls, flickering lights (if there’s electricity) chandelier with broken strings of crystals, broken glass on the floor, spiders, cockroaches, rust, mildew, ripped curtains, shadows, gloomy staircases, old portraits & paintings, cracked…

footsteps on the stair, creaking doors, window shutters rattling on the outside, wind scattering/rustling paper through a broken window gap, words whispered in ear, screams, crying, wailing, laughter, glass smashing, the scrap of a chair moving, the scritch of tree branches scraping at the windows, rats squeaking, movement in the walls, a…

Phantom perfume or cologne, burning smells, pipe or cigarette smoke, mildew, rot, dank, rusty or metallic smells, wet wood and stone, rancid breath, yeasty beer smell, food, dust, dry rot, rat/mice feces, urine

Sour & dry mouth from fear, dust floating in the air and coating the tongue, salty tears

A phantom hand on the shoulder, the puff of breath on the earlobe or the back of the neck, the sensation of being grabbed on the arm, pushed, pulled, pinched, poked, slapped, burned, a feeling of light-headedness and nausea, hair rising on arms or the back of the neck, the body’s reaction to a drop in temperature (chills, shivering, breath puffing out…

Helpful hints:

–The words you choose can convey atmosphere and mood.

Example 1:  I cringed at each creak on the old warped stairs, but it didn’t sway my determination to make it to the bedroom on the second floor. Halfway up, a shadow flickered at the corner of my vision. I froze, and as I stood there, caught a woody scent lingering in the air. Tobacco smoke? A shiver curled through the hairs on the back of my neck then cascaded down my backbone. It was all I could do to not hurl myself back down the stairs toward the front door…

–Similes and metaphors create strong imagery when used sparingly.

Example 1: (Metaphor ) The dining room chair suddenly jolted back and tilted toward me, a gracious invitation by an invisible host…

Think beyond what a character sees, and provide a sensory feast for readers

Setting is much more than just a backdrop, which is why choosing the right one and describing it well is so important. To help with this, we have expanded and integrated this thesaurus into our online library at One Stop For Writers.

Each entry has been enhanced to include possible sources of conflict, people commonly found in these locales, and setting-specific notes and tips, and the collection itself has been augmented to include a whopping 230 entries—all of which have been cross-referenced with our other thesauruses for easy searchability. So if you’re interested in seeing this powerful Setting Thesaurus , head on over and register at One Stop.

On the other hand, if you prefer your references in book form, we’ve got you covered, too, because both books are now available for purchase in digital and print copies. In addition to the entries, each book contains instructional front matter to help you maximize your settings. With advice on topics like making your setting do double duty and using figurative language to bring them to life, these books offer ample information to help you maximize your settings and write them effectively.

Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers —a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)

Reader Interactions

May 14, 2021 at 1:51 pm

creepy…

May 8, 2021 at 6:48 pm

Oh wow. It hadn’t occurred to me to make a list of all the things to do with my settings. Thank you for this. Brilliant!

May 10, 2021 at 5:53 am

It’s so much easier to get the setting exactly where we want it when we know beforehand what to aim for :).

March 12, 2021 at 5:58 pm

I really love this Thank you so much for doing this

March 2, 2021 at 2:17 pm

February 18, 2021 at 8:34 am

Thankyou soo much…it really helped me

February 13, 2021 at 5:04 am

omg!! Thankyou so much, this helped with my assignment!!!

February 10, 2021 at 6:25 am

thank you so much, helped me alot during lockdown!!

February 11, 2021 at 8:29 am

Well thank goodness for that!

December 22, 2020 at 12:24 am

Thank You really helpful

December 12, 2020 at 5:30 am

December 4, 2020 at 11:38 pm

Thank you so much, there are totally enough ideas for me for my essay

November 22, 2020 at 10:04 am

Very helpful

November 10, 2020 at 5:41 pm

thank you so much i needed ideas and this gave me so much.

October 21, 2020 at 4:50 pm

I am doing a descriptive writing project and this helped me so much! Thank You!

October 21, 2020 at 7:01 pm

Glad it helped!

March 20, 2021 at 6:59 am

October 8, 2020 at 11:51 am

I love the website I had to write a paper about Halloween and I used this website to find my d Description Word I need . Who ever made this website I don’t know what I would tell him or her but it’s one of my favorite it gives me great description of what words I don’t understand and I then I can use it later if I could rate it 5 stars

October 8, 2020 at 1:07 pm

Zachary, I am so glad you like this website and it’s a help to you!

September 26, 2020 at 5:48 pm

thank u a lot s helps me in my writing

September 19, 2020 at 1:49 am

Thanks! It was quite helpful for my paragraph. 😊

March 25, 2020 at 1:17 am

This was SOOO helpful. Thanks a lot. It was very helpful.

This was SOOO helpful. Thanks a lot.

January 2, 2020 at 5:56 am

this helped me with my essay A LOT!!!!!!!!!!! 😊

December 3, 2019 at 2:51 pm

This is awesome！👌

March 31, 2021 at 11:41 pm

This awesome

November 18, 2019 at 1:32 pm

This is so helpful for everyone . People can use them in essays while describing a haunted house .

November 10, 2020 at 5:43 pm

That is exactly what i used it for

November 11, 2019 at 7:02 am

This is so helpful! Definately the best website for writing! Thanksssss❤️❤️

November 11, 2019 at 10:42 am

Happy this helps!

November 3, 2019 at 7:28 am

October 25, 2019 at 4:58 am

I really like it. It’s really good.for.young children and writers. I love it do much

July 1, 2019 at 6:21 pm

wow I really needed this thank you sooo much

May 25, 2019 at 11:22 am

Amazing. Im a 14-year-old writer and all these descriptions inspired me on how to write my mystery book. Thanks so much Becca

February 9, 2019 at 6:29 pm

I really liked it because it helped me a lot to inspire me with my writing for greater depth.It was all very creative and amazing 😃👍🏻

January 28, 2019 at 11:34 am

very good descriptions

January 3, 2019 at 11:03 pm

This is too helpful

November 11, 2018 at 4:21 am

Helpful!!!!!

June 6, 2019 at 2:08 am

Good descriptive terms and phrases!!

October 24, 2018 at 1:23 pm

Thank you so much you have helped me so much.

October 23, 2018 at 10:49 am

This story describes the house and starts to leave an image of what the inside of the house looks like. I get shivers reading it.

October 22, 2018 at 11:10 am

I love this website it helps me

July 22, 2018 at 8:38 am

Thank you so much.. It helped me a lot… I am very happy about this web page😊

November 19, 2018 at 11:04 pm

yeah me too it helped alot

December 13, 2017 at 7:04 am

Thank you so much it really helped write my writing assessment and get full marks, don’t worry i didn’t cheat that much!

October 25, 2019 at 12:17 pm

lmao “that much”

November 9, 2017 at 5:32 pm

It Game Some Ideas What To Write

April 4, 2017 at 1:37 pm

Its just awesome because I get a idea to write it in my suspense story??

March 19, 2017 at 11:49 am

thanks alot it really helped me in my suspense story writing and it did really gave me some ideas to write it thanks 😉

December 3, 2016 at 8:15 am

Thank you very much. This is helpful to do my English HW. Zabit Khwaja

September 12, 2018 at 2:01 pm

October 25, 2016 at 2:12 pm

Thank you !! This has really helped me to do my homework and to inspire me for different t ideas.

October 6, 2016 at 9:45 am

this helped me do my English course thank u sooo much

September 1, 2011 at 9:32 am

this is awesome! 😀 helped me do my coursework for English! thanks a lot 😀

October 14, 2010 at 8:47 pm

this story is awsome i want to read another one.

September 16, 2010 at 12:48 pm

Thanks Aloot It Helped Me In My English Homework:) But I Think It Would Be Better If There Were More Examples Of Haunted Houses:D x

April 3, 2010 at 4:53 pm

this has helped me a great deal with my story for my English class 🙂

May 27, 2009 at 11:34 am

I love the image of the child riding a phantom rocking horse — very effective.

May 25, 2009 at 11:48 pm

This one was so fun to do. There are so many unusual settings to explore–stay tuned!

May 24, 2009 at 6:08 pm

You gals cover some of the greatest topics!!! Hope you can get these out in book form soon or eventually! Keep up the good work!

May 24, 2009 at 7:21 am

I can hear the wind moaning around corners…whhoooooooooowhoooooo.

May 24, 2009 at 7:14 am

Fantastic! Thanks!

May 23, 2009 at 4:09 pm

Gives me the shivers too. =)

May 23, 2009 at 1:35 pm

Gives me shivers just reading it. 😉

Painted Panoramas: How to Describe Leaves in Creative Writing

My name is Debbie, and I am passionate about developing a love for the written word and planting a seed that will grow into a powerful voice that can inspire many.

Understanding the Aesthetic Beauty of Painted Panoramas

Depicting leaves: exploring the intricacies of nature in creative writing, crafting vivid descriptions: techniques to bring leaves to life, colorful canvases: describing the palette of leaves in your writing, captivating the reader’s senses: describing the texture and sound of leaves, using metaphors and symbolism: evoking emotion through leaf descriptions, immersing readers in leafy landscapes: creating engaging and authentic settings, frequently asked questions, concluding remarks.

Painted panoramas have long captivated art enthusiasts around the world with their extraordinary ability to transport us into stunning landscapes or bustling scenes from history. These breathtaking works of art allow us to experience a different time and place, immersing ourselves in the artist’s vision. Through their intricate brushstrokes and meticulous attention to detail, painted panoramas encapsulate the essence of an entire panorama within a single frame. Their immense size and panoramic format enable us to feel as though we are standing right in the midst of the depicted scene, triggering a sense of wonder and enchantment.

The aesthetic allure of painted panoramas lies not only in their lifelike representation of the world, but also in their ability to evoke emotions and connect us to the past. These grand, sweeping landscapes transport us to distant locations, from majestic mountain ranges to serene seascapes, providing a sense of escape and tranquility. Moreover, painted panoramas often depict historical events or significant moments in time, offering a unique glimpse into the past. The meticulous brushstrokes and vibrant colors used by artists create a sense of realism and depth, making it feel as though we are witnessing these moments firsthand. Being able to step into a painted panorama is like embarking on a visual journey, feeding our curiosity and inspiring a deep appreciation for the artistry behind these masterpieces.

Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of creative writing as we delve into the intricate beauty of leaves. In this captivating journey, we will unlock the secrets to creating vivid descriptions that breathe life into your nature-inspired prose. From the smallest details to the grand tapestry of colors, our exploration will inspire you to observe with renewed wonder and translate your observations into compelling words on the page.

Discover the hidden poetry within each leaf as we unravel the captivating shapes, textures, and patterns that adorn them. Through interactive exercises and insightful prompts, we will guide you in developing your descriptive skills, helping you paint a symphony of words that skillfully mimic the delicate play of sunlight dancing through foliage. Learn to harness the power of vivid imagery to transport readers to lush, verdant landscapes, where they can almost smell the earthy scent and feel the gentle rustle of leaves beneath their feet.

Join us on this enchanting journey of exploration and self-expression, where you will uncover the art of depicting leaves with unparalleled imagination and precision. Whether you’re a seasoned writer seeking to deepen your connection to nature or a budding wordsmith eager to hone your craft, this adventure promises to awaken your senses and ignite new realms of creativity. Embrace the wonders of the natural world through the written word and unlock the limitless potential within your own imagination.

When it comes to writing vivid descriptions, there are several techniques that can help you bring leaves to life on the page. By utilizing these methods, you can transport your readers to a world filled with the mesmerizing beauty of nature.

1. Utilize sensory language: Engage your readers’ senses by describing the appearance, sound, smell, taste, and touch of leaves. Use adjectives to paint a picture, such as “emerald-green” or “fiery-red,” to make the imagery more vibrant and captivating.

2. Show, don’t tell: Instead of simply stating that leaves are “beautiful,” show their beauty through specific details. Describe how rays of sunlight dance on the surface of each leaf, or how they gently sway in the breeze, creating a mesmerizing symphony of rustling sounds.

3. Appeal to emotions: Encourage an emotional connection between your readers and the leaves by tapping into their nostalgia or fond memories. For example, describe how the scent of fallen leaves evokes a sense of autumnal nostalgia, reminding them of cherished moments spent crunching through a colorful carpet of foliage.

4. Contrast: Highlight the uniqueness of leaves by juxtaposing them against their surroundings. Describe how the vibrant red maple leaf stands out against a backdrop of fading greens, accentuating the beauty and individuality of each leaf.

When it comes to capturing the essence of autumn in your writing, nothing quite compares to the vibrant hues of fallen leaves. These natural canvases provide writers with a kaleidoscope of colors to weave into their prose, adding depth and visual imagery to their descriptions. By embracing the rich palette of leaves, you can bring your writing to life and transport your readers to a world ablaze with the beauty of nature.

Imagine the crunch of red and orange leaves beneath your feet, the gentle rustling sound that accompanies each step. Picture the sunlight filtering through the canopy, casting a warm golden glow upon the forest floor. By skillfully incorporating these sensory experiences into your writing, you can create vivid scenes that evoke a true sense of autumn. Consider the following techniques to effectively embrace the palette of leaves in your writing:

• Paint with words: Use descriptive language to convey the colors of the leaves. Instead of simply stating “the leaves were red,” try phrases like “fiery crimson leaves” or “vibrant scarlet foliage.” This allows readers to visualize the shades and enhances their connection to the scene.
• Explore the spectrum: Don’t limit yourself to the typical hues of autumn leaves. Consider the subtle variations, such as burnt sienna, amber, or even the occasional purple or pink leaf. The richness of the leaf palette goes beyond the obvious, so be adventurous with your color choices.
• Embrace metaphor: Use the changing colors of leaves as a metaphor to convey emotions or ideas. For example, you could describe a character’s mood as “falling into a sea of golden tranquility” or their heart as “burning with the passion of a scarlet leaf.” Metaphors add depth and symbolism to your writing, making it more memorable.

When it comes to the beauty of nature, the texture and sound of leaves can transport us to a world of tranquility and wonder. Each leaf, with its unique patterns and textures, has a story to tell. As you run your fingers along the surface, you might encounter velvety smoothness, like a piece of satin gently brushing against your skin. Or perhaps you’ll stumble upon a leaf with jagged edges, reminiscent of crumpled paper. The diversity of these natural textures never ceases to amaze, captivating both your sense of touch and imagination.

But leaves have more to offer than just their texture. As they rustle in the wind, a symphony of sounds unfolds before your ears. The delicate flutter of a leaf falling to the ground, like a soft whisper, creates a sense of serenity. When a gentle breeze rustles through a foliage-rich tree, you can hear the leaves dancing in harmony, their collective murmur creating a soothing melody. It’s as if the trees themselves are speaking, sharing their secrets and tales with those willing to listen.

When it comes to describing leaves, utilizing metaphors and symbolism can enhance the emotional impact of our writing. By evoking powerful imagery and tapping into universal symbols, we can create a deeper connection with our readers. These literary devices offer an opportunity to paint vivid pictures in their minds as they navigate through the text.

1. **Dancing foliage**: Imagine leaves swaying and twirling like graceful ballerinas, caressed by a gentle breeze. This metaphor not only adds movement to your descriptions but also evokes a sense of elegance and beauty. Such imagery can be great for conveying a serene, tranquil atmosphere.

2. **Golden confetti**: Use this symbolism to describe autumn leaves strewn on the ground, creating a vibrant carpet of color. The image of golden confetti conjures a festive and joyful mood, making it ideal for narrating scenes of celebration or offering a contrast to melancholic emotions. It invites readers to revel in the kaleidoscope of nature’s colors.

When it comes to writing, one of the most important aspects is creating settings that transport readers to the heart of the story. And what better way to captivate their imagination than by immersing them in lush, leafy landscapes? Whether it’s a dense, mystical forest or a serene, picturesque garden, the key lies in evoking sensory details and creating a multi-dimensional experience for your readers. Here are some tips to help you craft engaging and authentic settings that will leave your readers craving more:

• Research and Observation: To portray leafy landscapes authentically, start by immersing yourself in real-life settings. Take nature walks, visit botanical gardens, or simply spend time in lush green spaces. Observe the flora and fauna, listen to the sounds of rustling leaves, and inhale the earthy scent of the forest. By truly experiencing these environments, you’ll be able to capture their essence in your writing.
• Vivid Descriptions: As you transport your readers to these leafy landscapes, it’s crucial to engage their senses through vivid descriptions. Paint a picture with your words, allowing them to see the sunlight filtering through the canopy, feel the soft moss underfoot, and hear the melodious chorus of birdsong. By appealing to their senses, you’ll create a tangible and immersive setting that feels real to your readers.
• Character Interactions: Leafy landscapes can serve as more than just a backdrop for your story; they can also provide opportunities for meaningful character interactions. Consider how your characters would interact with the environment. Are they at peace and connected to nature, or do they find it unsettling and overwhelming? These interactions can add depth to your characters and create a sense of tension or harmony within the leafy landscape.

Creating engaging and authentic settings is a powerful tool in any writer’s arsenal. By immersing readers in leafy landscapes, you’ll transport them to a world where they can share in the beauty, mystery, and wonder that nature has to offer. So go ahead, let your imagination wander, and take your readers on a breathtaking journey they won’t soon forget!

Q: What are painted panoramas? A: Painted panoramas refer to a technique in creative writing where authors vividly describe the natural beauty of leaves.

Q: Why is it important to describe leaves in creative writing? A: Describing leaves can add depth and richness to your writing, helping readers visualize the scenery and immerse themselves in the natural world being depicted.

Q: How can I capture the essence of leaves in my writing? A: To effectively describe leaves, try to incorporate sensory details such as colors, shapes, textures, sounds, and scents. Use dynamic and evocative language to bring the reader closer to the experience of observing leaves.

Q: What are some words and phrases I can use to describe leaves? A: You can use words like verdant, vibrant, lush, vibrant, emerald, golden, fiery, delicate, fluttering, rustling, crisp, or aromatic to paint a vivid picture of leaves in your writing.

Q: How can I depict the colors of leaves creatively? A: Instead of simply saying “green” or “brown,” experiment with a variety of descriptive phrases such as “emerald green,” “honeyed amber,” or “coppery hues” to evoke a sense of visual beauty to your readers.

Q: How can I describe the shapes and textures of leaves? A: Pay attention to the shapes of leaves, whether they are heart-shaped, jagged, or elongated. Furthermore, describe their textures, such as velvety, leathery, or papery, to give a more detailed portrayal.

Q: Can you provide some examples of creative leaf descriptions? A: Certainly! Here’s an example: “The leaves, a kaleidoscope of fiery oranges and reds, cascaded from the trees, gently swirling as they found their place on the forest floor, forming a vibrant tapestry of autumn’s last dance.”

Q: Are there any particular literary devices I can use to describe leaves effectively? A: Yes, you can employ poetic devices like similes, metaphors, personification, or even onomatopoeia to accentuate the imagery of leaves. For instance, you could say, “The leaves whispered secrets to the wind,” personifying the leaves and creating a more immersive experience.

Q: How can I ensure my leaf descriptions flow seamlessly within the narrative? A: Integrate leaf descriptions into your story or prose naturally, allowing them to enhance the setting or characterization rather than feeling forced. Aim for a balanced mix of descriptive passages and other narrative elements to maintain a good flow.

Q: Any final tips to inspire creative leaf descriptions in writing? A: Engage all your senses, observe nature keenly, and let your imagination run free. Look beyond the obvious and explore the unique qualities of leaves, and always practice using descriptive language to bring your writing to life.

In conclusion, describing leaves in creative writing adds depth and vibrancy to your writing, transporting readers into a colorful and immersive world.

Survival Writing Prompts: Imagine Tales of Survival

Mastering the Art: Navigating the Creative Writing Rubric

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Reach out to us for sponsorship opportunities.

Welcome to Creative Writing Prompts

At Creative Writing Prompts, we believe in the power of words to shape worlds. Our platform is a sanctuary for aspiring writers, seasoned wordsmiths, and everyone. Here, storytelling finds its home, and your creative journey begins its captivating voyage.

© 2024 Creativewriting-prompts.com

SLAP HAPPY LARRY

Writing activity: describe medical rooms and hospitals.

Medical rooms and hospitals are safe, infantalising, dangerous, creepy, life-saving, traumatising places, and I offer them here as examples of what Foucault called ‘ heterotopia ‘.

The hospital’s ambiguous relationship to everyday social space has long been a central theme of hospital ethnography. Often, hospitals are presented either as isolated “islands’ defined by biomedical regulation of space (and time) or as continuations and reflections of everyday social space that are very much a part of the “mainland.’ This polarization of the debate overlooks hospitals’ paradoxical capacity to be simultaneously bounded and permeable , both sites of social control and spaces where alternative and transgressive social orders emerge and are contested. We suggest that Foucault’s concept of heterotopia usefully captures the complex relationships between order and disorder, stability and instability that define the hospital as a modernist institution of knowledge, governance, and improvement . Heterotopia Studies

Hospitals (like airports) elicit the full range of human emotion and are symbolically useful arenas for storytellers. Who better than writers to describe what it feels like to be inside a hospital?

I followed [the psychiatrist] down a depressing hallway into a tiny windowless office that might have housed an accountant. In fact it reminded me a bit of Myron Axel’s closet, filled with piles of paper waiting to be filed, week-old cups of coffee turned into science experiments, and a litter of broken umbrellas nesting beneath the desk. I must have looked as surprised as I felt when I entered her office, for Rowena Adler looked at the utilitarian clutter about her and said, “I’m sorry about this mess. I’m so used to it. I forget how it looks.” Someday This Pain Will Be Useful To You by Peter Cameron

The author may have enjoyed writing that description because at James Sveck’s next appointment they are in a different room.

Dr Adler’s downtown office was a pleasanter place than her space at the Medical Center, but it wasn’t the sun-filled haven I had imagined. It was a rather small dark office in a suite of what I assumed were several small dark offices on the ground floor of an old apartment building on Tenth Street. In addition to her desk and chair there was a divan, another chair, a ficus tree, and some folkloric-looking weavings on the wall. And a bookcase of dreary books. I could tell they were all nonfiction because they all had titles divided by colons: Blah Blah Blah: The Blah Blah Blah of Blah Blah Blah . There was one window that probably faced an airshaft because the rattan shade was lowered in a way that suggested it was never raised. The walls were painted a pale yellow, in an obvious (but unsuccessful) attempt to “brighten up” the room.

The description of James’ psychiatrist’s rooms is broken up, judiciously, and fits around the action. James’ reaction to the rooms reflects how he feels about life at this juncture: He expected better. He expected different; instead he gets this underwhelming life.

I looked around her office. I know it sounds terrible, but I was discouraged by the ordinariness, the expectedness, of it. It was as if there was a catalog for therapists to order a complete office from: furniture, carpet, wall hangings, even the ficus tree seemed depressingly generic. Like one of those little paper pellets you put in water that puffs up and turns into a lotus blossom. This was like a puffed-up shrink’s office.

In a book of essays, Tim Kreider’s description of hospitals is one of the best I’ve encountered:

Hospitals are like the landscapes in recurring dreams: forgotten as though they’d never existed in the interims between visits, but instantly familiar once you return. As if they’ve been there all along, waiting for you while you’ve been away. The endlessly branching corridors sand circular nurses’ stations all look identical, like some infinite labyrinth in a Borges story. It takes a day or two to memorize the route from the lobby to your room. The innocuous landscape paintings that seem to have been specifically commissioned to leave no impression on the human brain are perversely seared into your long-term memory. You pass doorways through which you can occasionally see a bunch of Mylar balloons or a pair of pale, withered legs. Hospital beds are now just as science fiction predicted, with the patient’s vital signs digitally displayed overhead. Nurses no longer wear the white hose and red-cross caps of cartoons and pornography, but scrubs printed with patterns so relentlessly cheerful—hearts, teddy bears, suns and flowers and peace signs—they seem symptomatic of some Pollyannaish denial. The smell of hospitals is like small talk at a funeral—you know its function is to cover up something else. There’s a grim camaraderie in the hall and elevators. You don’t have to ask anybody how they’re doing. The fact that they’re there at all means the answer is: Could be better. I notice that no one who works in a hospital, whose responsibilities are matters of life and death, ever seems hurried or frantic, in contrast to all the freelance cartoonists and podcasters I know. Time moves differently in  hospitals—both slower and faster. The minutes stand still, but the hours evaporate. The day is long and structureless, measured only by the taking of vital signs, the changing of IV bags, medication schedules, occasional tests, mealtimes, trips to the bathroom, walks in the corridor. Once a day an actual doctor appears for about four minutes, and what she says during this time can either leave you and your family in terrified confusion or so reassured and grateful that you want to write her a thank-you note she’ll have framed. You cadge six-ounce cans of ginger ale from the nurses’ station. You no longer need to look at the menu in the diner across the street. You substitute meat loaf for bacon with your eggs. Why not? Breakfast and lunch are diurnal conventions that no longer apply to you. Sometimes you run errands back home for a cell phone or extra clothes. Eventually you look at your watch and realize visiting hours are almost over, and feel relieved, and then guilty. Tim Kreider, “An Insult To The Brain”, We Learn Nothing

It’s a fact known throughout the universes that no matter how carefully the colours are chosen, institutional décor ends up either vomit green, unmentionable brown, nicotene yellow or surgical appliance pink. Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites

They are now the only two people in the upstairs waiting room of the dental clinic. The seats are a pale mint-green colour. Marianne leafs through an issue of  NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC  and explores her mouth with the tip of her tongue. Connell looks at the magazine cover, a photograph of a monkey with huge eyes.  from “At The Clinic” by Sally Rooney

Every time I see a hospital in a horror movie or whatever, sometimes even an actual prison, I compare it to the one I went to and it always comes out looking worse. They are not relaxing places. They can leave you worse than you came in. Especially because the world outside, doesn’t actually stop while you are there? You’re usually there due to a crisis. Something unexpected. Did you take vacation pay before you started? Probably not, hey? Provided that you get that sort of thing at all. If you’re on welfare, you’re still have to fight for an exemption. Good luck if you can’t do that because you’re literally insane. You’ll still need to pay the rent and all your bills somehow in the background too. Oh, you got kicked out? That’s a shame. Here’s a pamphlet to a homeless shelter. Have a lovely trip. My stay did turn out a lot better than that, but it’s literally only because I had someone constantly advocating for me on the outside. Most people in psych wards don’t get that. And that’s not even touching on how nobody will listen to you in there, but everybody will assume all sorts of things about you. You’ll be open to both sexual and physical assault. Both happened to me on a number of occasions. I was blamed for everything, of course. You don’t even get uninterrupted sleep, do you know that? Nurses come and shine a torch in your face every fucking hour for a wellness check, or whatever. Which feels pretty shitty if you’re going through a paranoid psychosis. Anyway. I’d really like to see more empathy and awareness of the reality of all these sorts of places. They are horrible. They haven’t changed a lot since they were called asylums. They still use solitary confinement too, did you know that? Awful things. Mx Maddison Stoff @TheDescenters Sep 8, 2022

FURTHER READING

What’s It Like To Work In A Psych Hospital? is a podcast from Psych Central with someone who explains how psychiatric hospitals are traumatising for everyone in and around them, not just for the patients.

The Architecture of Madness

Elaborately conceived, grandly constructed insane asylums—ranging in appearance from classical temples to Gothic castles—were once a common sight looming on the outskirts of American towns and cities. Many of these buildings were razed long ago, and those that remain stand as grim reminders of an often cruel system. For much of the nineteenth century, however, these asylums epitomized the widely held belief among doctors and social reformers that insanity was a curable disease and that environment—architecture in particular—was the most effective means of treatment. In  The Architecture of Madness: Insane Asylums in the United States   (U Minnesota Press, 2007), Carla Yanni tells a compelling story of therapeutic design, from America’s earliest purpose—built institutions for the insane to the asylum construction frenzy in the second half of the century. At the center of Yanni’s inquiry is Dr. Thomas Kirkbride, a Pennsylvania-born Quaker, who in the 1840s devised a novel way to house the mentally diseased that emphasized segregation by severity of illness, ease of treatment and surveillance, and ventilation. After the Civil War, American architects designed Kirkbride-plan hospitals across the country. Before the end of the century, interest in the Kirkbride plan had begun to decline. Many of the asylums had deteriorated into human warehouses, strengthening arguments against the monolithic structures advocated by Kirkbride. At the same time, the medical profession began embracing a more neurological approach to mental disease that considered architecture as largely irrelevant to its treatment. Generously illustrated,  The Architecture of Madness  is a fresh and original look at the American medical establishment’s century-long preoccupation with therapeutic architecture as a way to cure social ills. interview at New Books Network

The Architecture of Good Behavior: Psychology and Modern Institutional Design in Postwar America

Inspired by the rise of environmental psychology and increasing support for behavioral research after the Second World War, new initiatives at the federal, state, and local levels looked to influence the human psyche through form, or elicit desired behaviors with environmental incentives, implementing what Joy Knoblauch calls “psychological functionalism.” Recruited by federal construction and research programs for institutional reform and expansion—which included hospitals, mental health centers, prisons, and public housing—architects theorized new ways to control behavior and make it more functional by exercising soft power, or power through persuasion, with their designs. In the 1960s –1970s era of anti-institutional sentiment, they hoped to offer an enlightened, palatable, more humane solution to larger social problems related to health, mental health, justice, and security of the population by applying psychological expertise to institutional design. In turn, Knoblauch argues, architects gained new roles as researchers, organizers, and writers while theories of confinement, territory, and surveillance proliferated.  The Architecture of Good Behavior: Psychology and Modern Institutional Design in Postwar America  (University of Pittsburgh Press) explores psychological functionalism as a political tool and the architectural projects funded by a postwar nation in its efforts to govern, exert control over, and ultimately pacify its patients, prisoners, and residents. interview at New Books Network

Header painting: William Simpson – One of the wards of the hospital at Scutari 1856

CONTEMPORARY FICTION SET IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND (2023)

On paper, things look fine. Sam Dennon recently inherited significant wealth from his uncle. As a respected architect, Sam spends his days thinking about the family needs and rich lives of his clients. But privately? Even his enduring love of amateur astronomy is on the wane. Sam has built a sustainable-architecture display home for himself but hasn’t yet moved into it, preferring to sleep in his cocoon of a campervan. Although they never announced it publicly, Sam’s wife and business partner ended their marriage years ago due to lack of intimacy, leaving Sam with the sense he is irreparably broken.

Now his beloved uncle has died. An intensifying fear manifests as health anxiety, with night terrors from a half-remembered early childhood event. To assuage the loneliness, Sam embarks on a Personal Happiness Project:

1. Get a pet dog

2. Find a friend. Just one. Not too intense.

KINDLE EBOOK

Log in or Sign up

You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser .

Vanna Heller Banned

How do you describe a castle.

Discussion in ' Setting Development ' started by Vanna Heller , Nov 20, 2020 .

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); So the main setting in my novel takes place in a castle, and I am having trouble describing what each room in the castle would look while showing and not telling... Thoughts?  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); One of the characters in my novel secretly explore each room in the castle, so that's why I am asking.  

IasminDragon Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); What kind of castle is it?  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); IasminDragon said: ↑ What kind of castle is it? Click to expand...

Naomasa298 HP: 10/190 Status: Confused Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); Real medieval castles were stone, cold, and pretty dank, if it was a military castle. That's why royal families tended to relocate to palaces. However, try Googling "Windsor Castle interior" for what a "fairy tale castle"'s interior might look like.  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); Naomasa298 said: ↑ Real medieval castles were stone, cold, and pretty dank, if it was a military castle. That's why royal families tended to relocate to palaces. However, try Googling "Windsor Castle interior" for what a "fairy tale castle"'s interior might look like. Click to expand...

Wreybies Thrice Retired Supporter Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); Also, who is doing the describing in the story? Just a 3rd omniscient narrator who is free to describe everything and anything, or is it a 3rd limited narrator, or a 1st person narrator? If it's one of the latter two, then we must know who this is and what this castle means in this person's life. The prince who lives within, bored to tears at the tedium and restrictions of courtly life, will give a significantly different description (be it through dialogue or narrative) than the pauper who only just secured a job inside these majestic realms.  

MartinM Banned

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); Just an idea... So, take any castle from anywhere. The outside setting and that impression it leaves with the explorer. Dark blue-grey stone walls, high towers with small slit like windows. Now the internal structure will reflect this outside image. It must for continuity. Every room wall facing will have that stone and small window. There will be absolute commonalty throughout its internal structure. Thus, the differences in each room can be extenuated more. From dungeon to King’s bedroom they all have the same stone walls... The reader must feel the common of each room to then reveal its uniqueness. One room with a white tiled floor, sandstone walls and brightly lit through floor to ceiling windows would look and feel out of place. If that makes sense? Look at The Crown S4 when Thatcher goes to Balmoral. The stags head on the wall in the dinning room gives a cold dark feel even with an open fire... MartinM  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); Wreybies said: ↑ Also, who is doing the describing in the story? Just a 3rd omniscient narrator who is free to describe everything and anything, or is it a 3rd limited narrator, or a 1st person narrator? If it's one of the latter two, then we must know who this is and what this castle means in this person's life. The prince who lives within, bored to tears at the tedium and restrictions of courtly life, will give a significantly different description (be it through dialogue or narrative) than the pauper who only just secured a job inside these majestic realms. Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); MartinM said: ↑ Just an idea... So, take any castle from anywhere. The outside setting and that impression it leaves with the explorer. Dark blue-grey stone walls, high towers with small slit like windows. Now the internal structure will reflect this outside image. It must for continuity. Every room wall facing will have that stone and small window. There will be absolute commonalty throughout its internal structure. Thus, the differences in each room can be extenuated more. From dungeon to King’s bedroom they all have the same stone walls... The reader must feel the common of each room to then reveal its uniqueness. One room with a white tiled floor, sandstone walls and brightly lit through floor to ceiling windows would look and feel out of place. If that makes sense? Look at The Crown S4 when Thatcher goes to Balmoral. The stags head on the wall in the dinning room gives a cold dark feel even with an open fire... MartinM Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); Oh, and I forgot to mention that the novel itself is taking place in Romania.  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); Vanna Heller said: ↑ Your castle description would fit, since the royal family is of vampires, but that sounds a lot like a cliche so I'm thinking more of a palace. Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); IasminDragon said: ↑ for a fairytale castle, check out Dunrobin castle: Not a true castle but as others have said, a stately home which is built for comfort and luxury. Still strikes an imposing presence though. And the family that lived there were evil, to boot! Oh, since you said that, this is the castle you want : It had nothing to do with Dracula in reality. It guarded a pass in the Carpathian Mountains and English mercenaries were stationed there during the medieval era. It was renovated in a neo-romanticist style (I think) so it's not gothic dracula, it's more like Romania's answer to the Disneyland castle and is very beautiful. The Royal Family took their summer retreats there - kind of like the Balmoral Castle for Carol I (I THINK!) All your fairytale castles kind of owe their existence to Neuschwanstein Castle, which gets an honourable mention from me. Definitely key to distinguish between a real true medieval castle and a romanticist interpretation of a castle. Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); Vanna Heller said: ↑ Awesome! Thank you so much, This is perfect! Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); Wow, yeah I think I will use this one. Thanks again  

Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); I would try to find a movie partially set inside a castle like the one you want to use, or maybe you can find a video tour on YT or something, so you can get a feel for what it's like to move through the rooms and corridors. Also think about similar experiences you've had in large, imposing buildings, maybe a museum or something. But I would be careful with trying to describe each room one by one. They're all going to be the same in many regards, maybe different shape or size and furnishings. But I wouldn't go into a detailed visual description of individual rooms. Personally I like to limit descriptions as far as possible, ultimately to a word or 2 added to several sentences. Example: He set off across the vast expanse of polished marble, keeping to the ornate rugs when possible to muffle the echoing footfalls .This doesn't stop the forward momentum of the story, but gets in a little of the feel of the room-space. I mean, that's a horrible sentence, I used 'the' far too many times. Think of it as a really bad first draft sentence. But my point is to pepper little snippets of description into your writing, rather than stop to do a description.  

Kalisto Senior Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); Vanna Heller said: ↑ So the main setting in my novel takes place in a castle, and I am having trouble describing what each room in the castle would look while showing and not telling... Thoughts? Click to expand...

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); Kallisto said: ↑ Castles were actually painted on the interior and quite colorful. Click to expand...

DriedPen Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); Late to the party as always, but when I think of a real medieval castle, I think of Bunratty Castle in Ireland.  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); Xoic said: ↑ Interesting. Like Greek statues, which we're used to seeing colorless and broken. Click to expand...

Oscar Leigh Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); If it's the setting for most or all of the book and the character is exploring rooms you can do it very much one by one. I would advocate not to be too minimalist, minimalism in descriptions is safe but it's not very interesting. Taking the scenes one by one, or certainly not all at once, you can get in quite a bit of description as long as it seems spaced-out and appropriate. Therein a key part is using description for a reason, to convey atmosphere, themes, aspects of who the designers and inhabitants of a place are and what it means to them. And you can incorporate description into plot; if the character is exploring they can notice things, react to them, touch, feel, smell. They might be given some form of tour or explanation of some features at some point, or learn something about where a certain object came from. There's a lot of things you can use description for and ways description can be added.  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); I am like Oscar in that I think descriptions have their place. There are a couple of ways you can do this. Lets say I am writing my initial story and a character walks into a barn. Instead of stopping right then and trying to figure out what I am going to describe or how. I might type in "Description of Barn" make it a title 2, and then keep going. That way in my navigation pane in Microsoft Word, I can see, in say chapter 3, I have to go back and describe that barn better. In that way I do not stop my writing mo-jo at the time to get the details right. Another thing I might do is give the barn a light, generic explanation, and then later in editing, flesh it out. This works good because not all settings have to be deeply described. Just using the right senses, in the right places, creates the illusion of a reader being right there. But not all settings need that level of involvement for a reader, other wise it bogs down the story.  

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); Beginners have a tendency to want to over-describe everything, and they do it by stopping the story dead in its tracks. I do agree with you @Oscar Leigh and @DriedPen that description has its place, but it's important to first learn not to bring the story to a screeching halt, and that there are ways to get across the look or feel of a place or a thing without parking the story on the side of the road and doing a top-to-bottom description.  

Aldarion Active Member

newjerseyrunner Contributor Contributor Contest Winner 2022

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_7a70cdfcb17b70ef7b851a0bf8c68024'); }); I would use a lot of brutal terminology. Brutal as in the concrete architecture style, not brutish behavior. Grey, oppressive, rough angles, unfriendly...  

Share This Page

• Log in with Facebook
• Log in with Twitter
• Log in with Google
• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

• Search titles only

Separate names with a comma.

• Search this thread only
• Display results as threads

Useful Searches

• Recent Posts
• This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Accept Learn More... Dismiss Notice

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Writing Tips Oasis - A website dedicated to helping writers to write and publish books.

10 Words that Describe an Abandoned House

By Ali Dixon

A house that is no longer inhabited can make a mysterious setting in a novel across so many genres. If you need  some words  that describe an abandoned house, use the following 10 as a source of inspiration.

1. Deserted

An area devoid of life ; a wild or forbidding place.

“The quiet house appeared completely  deserted , though they still approached it with significant caution.”

“The  deserted  house stood in the middle of the empty plain. The only signs of life were the sounds of mice scuttling and scavenging for what the previous owners had left behind.”

How It Adds Description

The word deserted often implies an intention when it’s used in this context. The people who used to live in the house you’re describing may have left it on purpose, and you can use that to make your readers feel unnerved as they read about it.

2. Desolate

Empty of inhabitants or life ; joyless or sorrowful, usually because of some kind of separation; lacking comfort or hope.

“The floorboard of the  desolate  house creaked under his feet as he explored the rooms.”

“While the other houses on the street teemed with life, this one was cold and  desolate. ”

When you use the word desolate to describe an abandoned house, this can help to make the house seem even more threatening. It can also give off a real sense of bleakness to your readers.

Reflecting or displaying discouragement or listlessness ; lacking in comfort or cheer; somber or gloomy.

“The inclement bad weather on the horizon made the house appear even more  dreary .”

“The moth-eaten curtains fell still as the breeze stopped, the atmosphere in the room suddenly becoming  dreary  again.”

Describing something as dreary will instantly set a cold and gloomy mood. If you want to make sure that your readers understand that this house is something completely devoid of any life, this is a good word to use. The dreariness of the house could also represent a lack of motivation or hope in your characters.

4. Derelict

Abandoned by an occupant ; voluntarily abandoned.

“The house used to be owned by a wealthy woman who had abandoned it some years ago. Now it stood empty and  derelict .”

“The  derelict  house had not been maintained, and she worried that it would fall apart with her inside.”

The word derelict implies that something has been abandoned purposefully, which can help add an ominous tone to your description. Perhaps something inside it was dangerous that forced the previous occupant to leave it behind which your character must now discover.

Not having anything in it; uninhabited or unoccupied.

“He could imagine the house in its heyday with beautiful decorations and plenty of visitors instead of the  empty  shell he saw before him now.”

“The owner had taken all of her things with her, leaving the house now completely  empty .”

The house you’re describing may literally have nothing inside it, which makes this word a great one to use to describe it. You can also use it to make it seem like it’s empty, and then have something surprise your characters and readers later.

6. Untended

Not managed or watched over .

“The plants in the house’s  untended  garden had been left to grow wild, and now vines completely covered the south side of the house.”

“The house was large enough to warrant cleaning staff, but since it had been abandoned it had been left completely  untended , and she doubted it would ever look the way it once had again.”

Describing the abandoned house you have in your story as untended can help readers feel as though there is almost something wild about it now that no one is caring for it.

Not well-kept ; lacking in quality; faded from wear.

“The house looked  shabby —it was clear that no one had lived in it in a long time.”

“The once comfortable and beautiful furniture had faded and become  shabby  with age and time.”

Shabby is a good word to use to describe the way that the abandoned house in your story looks. By describing it using this word, you’ll give readers the sense that it’s not a good-looking house or that it’s been neglected for some time.

8. Forgotten

Disregarded ; something that people have lost remembrance for; overlooked, sometimes intentionally.

“Whoever had been left in charge of caring for the house hadn’t done so in some time, and now the house appeared to be completely  forgotten .”

“To find the old journal, they would have to sift through the abandoned,  forgotten  house at the end of the street.”

Using the word forgotten tells readers that not only is this house abandoned, but the person or people meant to care for it have disregarded its existence entirely. You can imply a much more somber mood by using this word.

9. Forsaken

To forsake something is to turn away from it entirely ; forgotten.

“They were quick to help the man in need, but they left the house itself  forsaken .”

“The house had been  forsaken  long ago, and she wasn’t eager to investigate it now to see why.”

If you describe the abandoned house in your story as forsaken, your readers will immediately get the sense that this isn’t a house that’s simply been left behind. It’s something that was intentionally abandoned or turned away from for whatever reason.

10. Neglected

Not cared for or provided with the necessary attention .

“The house had obviously been  neglected  for some time, and it was now overrun with small animals and dust.”

“Even while they were living there, the previous owners had left the house  neglected , and now that it was abandoned it looked worse than ever.”

The word neglect implies an intentional act to leave something or to not care for it. If you use this word to describe the house in your story, you can also use it as a way to symbolize that the character looking at it may also feel neglected in some way.

• American History (3,981)
• Biographies (2,674)
• Book Reports (5,067)
• Business (8,525)
• English (7,265)
• History Other (4,905)
• Miscellaneous (6,640)
• Music and Movies (2,693)
• Philosophy (2,801)
• Psychology (3,461)
• Religion (2,383)
• Science (4,476)
• Social Issues (5,999)
• Technology (3,885)
• Browse Essays
• / Describe a Setting: School Hall

Describe a Setting: School Hall

Essay by guillaumebill   •  January 17, 2017  •  Creative Writing  •  390 Words (2 Pages)  •  4,398 Views

Essay Preview: Describe a Setting: School Hall

The huge room had a high ceiling, chairs were spread out, and the shadows of

human bodies appeared from time to time. On the left side, only five doors

separated the hall from the corridor. Behind the wall that was in front of me were

rooms, filled with people chatting and laughing. The shadow of their faces became

more visible as they got closer to the opaque windows of the doors. Separating my

chair from the rooms across the hall was an empty space. A light, coming from the

ceiling where an invisible translucent material let the sun pass through, shone

through the emptiness. The sun invaded the spirits with a feeling of joyfulness,

fulfillment and grandeur. The gloomy ceiling was mingled with the sun, the rain:

with life. The hall became the microcosm of infinity: The light brightened the

darkness, and the light was darkened by the shadows it cast. The echoes of the

laughter, the echo of the voices, brought life and joy to the vast emptiness of the

place. The scene was flawless. Maybe too flawless.

Suddenly the mawkish and pleasant atmosphere turned chaotic. The screams

coming from the front side of the hall rise to become the only echo of the vast room.

Smoke filled the air and the infinity of this vast room became invisible. The opaque

smoke blurred any tangible vision of what was happening. The place was filled with

suffocating air.

“Help! I can’t breath!” someone said in a voice that sounded slowly dying. All

one could see was chaos.