Monday Motivation: Writing Description in Fiction

[Writers Digest]

In this issue, learn two major keys to writing more effective description; plus, much more.

In this issue, learn two keys to writing effective description in fiction; plus, an interview with Sheila Yasmin Marikar, 10 LinkedIn goals for authors, and more!  Writer's Digest Online | Writer's Digest Shop | Online Education Writing Description in Fiction To describe something is not to photograph it. In delivering description your task is not to supply the reader with sufficient detail to recreate some actual object, place, or (more ephemerally) experience. (Setting the Mood for Readers.) That’s my foundation for description. I’m not issuing a set of instructions here, just giving my perspective on the subject. Writers come in all shapes and sizes and pursue very different paths to getting words on the page. Don’t let anyone tell you how to do it. But maybe listen to a range of writers tell you how they do it. A common sign that someone is new to writing description and has not yet found their feet is that they use far too many adjectives. Some will not countenance a noun to go unaccompanied by fewer than two of the things. It’s not an unreasonable starting place. We’re taught in school that an adjective is a describing word. So, more adjectives equals better description, no? Well … no. Read more... MORE MOTIVATION 2026 April Poem-A-Day Challenge: Day 6 Write a poem a day with poets from around the world for the 2026 April PAD Challenge. For today’s prompt, write a water poem. Read more... Sheila Yasmin Marikar: Don't Be Precious About Your Process "Don’t be precious about your process. Write on your phone, on a scrap of paper, on whatever you have on hand, for whatever time you’ve got—five minutes or 50, an hour or 10. It all adds up." Read more... 10 LinkedIn Goals for Authors Most authors think LinkedIn is just for business professionals. Guess what? Being an author is a business. Read more... Achieve Perfect Pacing This issue is dedicated to pacing in any and every interpretation of the word as it relates to both writing and publishing. That means, how to keep the pace going as you draft a novel or work on revising it, and how to build in pauses that force readers to stop and think about what they’ve read. It also means advice for indie authors on how to pace the release of their books, understanding traditional publishing timelines, and much more.   Click here to learn more >> Pitfalls to Avoid When Writing About Trauma Writing about trauma without sensationalizing the violence demands restraint. That is why I chose to focus instead on the resilience of the girls—their friendships, their faith, their determination to survive. I wanted readers to encounter them not as victims alone, but as complex young women with agency, humor, anger, and hope. Read more... From Your Writer's Digest Editor: Robert Lee Brewer Robert Lee Brewer is a senior editor for Writer’s Digest and former editor of the Writer's Market book series. He is also the author of Smash Poetry Journal and Solving the World's Problems. He's really enjoying this year's April Poem-A-Day Challenge. Active Interest Media 2143 Grand Ave Des Moines, IA 50312 USA View online You received this email because you are subscribed to newsletters from Writer's Digest Update your email preferences to choose the types of emails you receive.