How-to Write Landscapes & Interiors in Story Writing

Landscapes are usually revealed in the form of descriptions. A single sentence often won’t do. If anything, it usually lacks vision. Try the tricks I came up with below to enhance your physical descriptions.

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Write using “visual” words. 

Metaphors and similes help enrich your writing by adding more “visual” words that you can “see;” which also helps your reader watch your story as they read it in their mind’s eye.

Some words give more feeling and visuals than others. Would you rather eat a moist lava cake soaked in hot chocolate sauce, or would you rather eat a lava cake? You see the difference.

Google food words.

This may sound weird, but trust me, it’ll help you sound like there’s texture on your words: google adjectives that food writers use.

Food writers have a knack for making you want the food they’re writing about, but why? Their job is to make you feel like you’re eating with them and to explain the flavor enough for you to taste it too.

Read the descriptive summaries of the food described by some food bloggers. Then compare it to the picture they took of the food (usually there’s always a photo to drool over). Then look for a way to write it better. 

When describing landscapes, “foodie” words can be used well to describe texture, smell, and color. 

Use smell. 

As unspoken about as it may be, smell ads a lot to our landscape. It tells us what’s in front of us, and even if what we’re smelling is a danger to us. 

To enter a bakery without describing the smell is like forgetting about the desserts. It’s one of the best parts about entering a bakery. 

The smell of Subway restaurants, anyone? The smell of libraries? I bet you can almost smell it now. Nearly everyone can relate a smell in some way. It adds to our experience.

Become an interior designer.

Once again, designers know how to pull a picture together. They know that mikado is another word for the color yellow, and they know that a tuffet is that completely cloth cube footrest with no legs that everyone just settles on calling “a giant hard cushion.” 

As a writer, you will have to describe the interior design of many buildings and rooms. Your characters may even experience a scene where they need to walk through a house or store for a while. 

Interior designers are already well-educated in “design” language. They know the names of special materials, curtain styles, lighting fixtures, and what can be made possible. Do your research on what words they use between themselves and their clients, but also the language they use between themselves and their construction crew. Both will be very different, but you can think of your reader as your client. So don’t be using too technical of terms.

What space are you looking to describe? Share in the comments!

Happy Writing!

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