As writers, we know that description is the heart of storytelling. It brings scenes to life, sets the mood, and immerses readers in our worlds. But often, we fall into the trap of describing things in ways that feel too obvious or overused—“the sky was blue,” “the room was small,” “he was nervous.” While there’s nothing wrong with these descriptions, they can lack the punch needed to grab a reader's attention and make them feel something unique.
What if we could take the ordinary and make it extraordinary? What if, instead of telling the reader what to see, we showed them how to feel? This blog post is all about how to turn mundane moments into memorable, striking imagery by describing the ordinary in extraordinary ways.
Why Descriptions Matter: Beyond Setting the Scene
Descriptions in a story do more than just paint a picture—they set the tone, reveal character, and can even foreshadow events. The right description can make a scene come alive in a reader’s mind, while a bland one can leave it flat. Here’s why crafting unique descriptions is essential:
1. Characterization: Descriptions as a Window into a Character’s Mind
How a character perceives the world around them tells us a lot about who they are—without needing to explicitly state it. Descriptions filtered through a character’s unique perspective can reveal their personality, values, emotional state, and even their backstory.
Example: Imagine two characters walking down the same busy city street. One character might see “a thrumming heartbeat of possibility where dreams intermingle with neon lights.” This tells us that this character is optimistic, perhaps a dreamer who sees potential and excitement in chaos. Meanwhile, another character might describe the same street as “a suffocating mess of bodies and noise, a ceaseless roar that drowns out any thought of escape.” This character might be more cynical, overwhelmed, or feeling trapped by their circumstances.
Why This Matters: Instead of telling the reader, “Character A is hopeful” or “Character B is anxious,” the descriptions do the work. It’s a “show, don’t tell” technique that deepens character development without direct exposition.
How to Use This in Your Writing: When crafting descriptions, think about who is perceiving the scene and why they might see it the way they do. What does their choice of words or metaphors tell us about them? How does their emotional state color the ordinary details?
2. Mood and Atmosphere: Creating the Emotional Landscape of a Scene
Descriptions are powerful tools for setting the mood and atmosphere of a scene. They can evoke specific emotions in the reader, whether it’s tension, dread, joy, or sorrow. The way you describe a setting can transform the reader’s experience, turning a mundane moment into something memorable and emotionally charged.
Example: Consider a rainy day. If you describe it as “a soft, steady patter that wrapped the city in a comforting embrace,” the scene feels cozy, perhaps even romantic. But if you describe the same rainy day as “a relentless downpour that pounded the earth and filled the gutters with dirty, rushing water,” the scene takes on a more oppressive, bleak tone.
Why This Matters: The mood set by the description can influence how readers feel about what’s happening in the story. It’s not just about the weather or the setting itself; it’s about the emotional undercurrent that carries the scene and affects the reader’s perception.
How to Use This in Your Writing: Think about the emotional effect you want the scene to have on the reader. Choose your descriptive details and language to evoke that emotion. Use weather, lighting, sounds, and other sensory details to build the atmosphere.
3. Engagement: Capturing the Reader’s Attention and Imagination
Vivid, unexpected descriptions make your writing stand out and keep readers engaged. When you describe something in a way that readers haven’t seen before, it invites them to see the world through a new lens. This fresh perspective can be delightful, unsettling, or thought-provoking, but it will always be memorable.
Example: Instead of writing, “The forest was dark and creepy,” you could write, “The forest was a cathedral of shadows, where even the sunlight dared not intrude, and the wind whispered secrets it hoped no one would hear.” This description creates a specific, vivid image that captures the imagination and sets a unique tone.
Why This Matters: Readers have seen a lot of forests, rainy days, and busy streets in books. What makes your description different? Unique descriptions make your story distinctive and your voice as a writer more memorable. They add layers of meaning and invite readers to pause and savor the words.
How to Use This in Your Writing: Aim for descriptions that aren’t just functional but are also evocative. Play with language—use metaphors, similes, and sensory details that surprise. Ask yourself: How can I describe this ordinary thing in a way that makes it feel new or emotionally resonant?
Descriptions in your writing should do more than just inform—they should perform multiple functions, from revealing character and setting mood to keeping readers hooked. By thinking beyond the basics and considering how a description can serve more than one purpose, you create a richer and more dynamic narrative.
Next time you’re crafting a scene, don’t just ask yourself, “What does it look like?” Instead, think, “What does it feel like to the character experiencing it? What mood do I want to create? How can I make this moment unforgettable for the reader?” With these questions guiding you, your descriptions can go from ordinary to extraordinary, and your story will come alive on the page.
Over the next few posts, we'll be exploring five techniques to describe the ordinary in extraordinary ways.
Let's start with the first technique: defamiliarization.
Description Technique 1: Defamiliarization: Make the Familiar Strange
Defamiliarization is a literary technique that challenges readers to see the ordinary in new, unexpected ways. Coined by Russian formalist Viktor Shklovsky in 1917, the concept revolves around presenting familiar objects, experiences, or settings in a way that makes them feel fresh and unfamiliar. This technique can transform the mundane into something extraordinary, heightening emotional impact, and drawing readers deeper into the narrative.
By using defamiliarization, writers break readers out of their habitual ways of perceiving the world. When readers encounter an unexpected or striking description, it forces them to slow down and engage more deeply with the text, inviting them to experience the scene as if for the first time.
Why Use Defamiliarization in your descriptions?
Defamiliarization serves several important functions in storytelling:
Reawakening the Reader's Perception: When things are described in ways we’ve never seen before, we are forced to reconsider them. This can make the familiar feel fresh and alive, sparking a deeper emotional response or intellectual engagement.
Creating Memorable Imagery: When you describe a scene, object, or emotion in an unexpected way, it sticks in the reader's mind. Defamiliarization helps create vivid, lasting images that make your writing stand out.
Building Thematic Depth: By defamiliarizing common elements, you can layer in metaphor and symbolism that speaks to deeper themes in your work. Describing ordinary things in extraordinary ways can hint at broader ideas and motifs, adding richness and complexity to your story.
Enhancing Emotional Impact: When ordinary things are described in an extraordinary manner, it often elicits a stronger emotional reaction. The fresh perspective can heighten the reader’s sense of wonder, tension, beauty, or unease.
How to Use Defamiliarization in Your Writing to level up your descriptions
Here are some strategies to effectively use defamiliarization to elevate your descriptions:
1. Reframe Common Objects with Unusual Metaphors
One of the simplest ways to employ defamiliarization is by using metaphors that go beyond the obvious. Instead of defaulting to familiar comparisons, think outside the box and explore surprising connections between seemingly unrelated things.
Example: Instead of writing, “The stars were like diamonds in the sky,” you might describe them as, “The stars were needle pricks in the fabric of the universe, spilling out light like the blood of long-forgotten suns.” This unexpected comparison makes the stars feel both otherworldly and strangely tangible.
2. Focus on Unseen or Overlooked Details
Defamiliarization can also be achieved by zeroing in on details that are often overlooked and describing them in ways that feel fresh. Think about aspects of an object, place, or moment that are rarely highlighted.
Example: Instead of saying, “The coffee cup was chipped,” you could write, “The coffee cup’s lip bore the scars of a thousand mornings, a jagged break where comfort met chaos.” This description makes the ordinary chipped cup feel like a witness to a lifetime of stories.
3. Use Personification and Anthropomorphism
Giving human qualities to non-human objects can defamiliarize the way we perceive them. This technique can add depth and emotion to an otherwise simple description.
Example: Instead of “The wind was strong,” try, “The wind clawed at the windows, desperate to break in, a wild spirit howling for a taste of warmth.” This personification makes the wind feel almost sentient, turning a simple weather condition into a menacing presence.
4. Reinterpret Everyday Experiences
Think about common experiences—waiting for a bus, drinking a glass of water, walking in the rain—and describe them in ways that capture the essence of those moments while presenting them anew.
Example: Instead of writing, “He drank a glass of water,” consider, “He tipped the glass to his lips, the cool liquid slipping over his tongue like a whisper of rain on parched earth, a momentary mercy.” This reframing turns a simple action into something poetic and evocative.
5. Play with Unexpected Word Choices
Defamiliarization often comes down to the words you choose. Use verbs, adjectives, and nouns that might seem unusual or out of place at first glance but provide a striking or insightful angle.
Example: Instead of “The house was silent,” try, “The house held its breath, as if waiting for a long-lost whisper to return.” This description not only conveys silence but also imbues the house with a sense of anticipation and history.
When to Use Defamiliarization
While defamiliarization can be a powerful tool, it’s important to use it purposefully and sparingly. Too much can overwhelm the reader or make the text feel overwritten. Here’s when it’s most effective:
Key Moments: Use it to highlight important moments in the story, adding weight and significance.
Character Perspective: When writing from a character’s point of view, defamiliarization can help reveal their unique way of seeing the world.
Theme Reinforcement: When you want to underscore a theme or motif, using defamiliarization can make the connection more subtle and layered.
Emotional Impact: To create a stronger emotional connection or reaction from the reader, making the ordinary extraordinary can enhance the mood.
Defamiliarization is all about making readers stop and take notice. It transforms the ordinary into something extraordinary, making readers think, feel, and see the world in new ways. By employing this technique, you add layers of meaning to your narrative and deepen the reader's engagement with your story. So next time you find yourself writing a description, challenge yourself to defamiliarize it. Find the hidden angles, the overlooked details, and the unexpected metaphors that will make your story not just seen, but felt.
Happy writing!
Next week, we'll look at how to incorporate unexpected metaphors and similes.