Eight Tips to Increase Your Writing's Impact with Imagery

C. Patrick Schulze reports:

"Many new authors write descriptions but often miss the concept of imagery altogether. Think of a description as a photograph, if you will. The average writer looks over the photo and writes the various things he sees. This is not necessarily the best way to convey what you wish your readers to envision...[Y]ou might try to write in a way that incorporates the images you see into the action...[Y]ou should avoid writing descriptions of setting in long narratives. A rule, and we all know rules are created for us to break, says to put no more than two sentences together when describing your scene. Try not to fall into the trap where long descriptions will draw your reader’s attention from the main story. Use your characters’ senses. The following example will demonstrate this concept. Once inside, he noticed a soft clanging that drifted through the building. It sounded somewhat like someone hammered on bronze. He tiptoed farther in and noticed an odor waft up from beneath the floorboards. Old food, perhaps?...[Y]ou might consider allowing your characters to impart images of things happening when they speak...Use verbs that convey action...Use adverbs that convey action. An example might be a character’s shredded credit card. 'Shredded' shows an action but is used to describe the noun. Another example is a groaning piece of equipment. Use ordinary things in other than ordinary ways. For example, what about using an automobile to pull a tow truck or having a car chase a dog? Think small. Have your characters take note of some of the smallest of details in your setting. Could you make use of the tiny nubs on the treads of a new tire? When might you point out the indentation at the bottom of a wine bottle? Can you imagine ever employing the scratches on a cell phone screen in your novel?"