Wattpad: Rants, Clichés, and Everything to Avoid

Descriptions

Don't over describe things. Seriously.

Which sounds better?

His dark, roiling, ocean, icy, blue orbs stared into my soul. He looked like a Greek God. His face was chiseled, his hair was blonde, except darker here and there. And a few strands of hair stuck out, making him look rugged and handsome. His smile was bright and yet beautiful and mysterious, like fog in the morning, like rain. He smelled like peppermint, and the ocean, and sugar, and roses and-

Okay, I'm done writing that. Now try this one:

His icy blue eyes studied me intently, his blonde hair windswept. His smile was sincere, yet still hard to read.

About the first paragraph, I have multiple rants about this writing style.

Don't call eyes "orbs." I don't know when or why that became a trend, but don't. Say it to someone, anyone, "My orbs are [insert your lovely eye color here]."

Uncomfortable, right? You want to write a realistic anything? The best thing is experience. The best way to write dyslexia is to have dyslexia, but a close second is to talk to someone with dyslexia to a get a first hand experience. 

Fortunately, you have experience being a person. Don't make people say anything you, or anyone you know, wouldn't. And don't make them think things you wouldn't think either. 

If you've never looked at someone and thought, "Their orbs are a beautiful, dark green," don't make your characters either.

Another thing...it's fine to describe smells. She smells like peppermint. He smells like roses. They smell like the beach, or the ocean. Nobody, and I mean nobody, smells like "Honey, milk, coconuts, strawberries, roses, lilacs, lavenders, the ocean, aloe vera, citrus, forests, and peppermint." 

And if they did- that would be awful! First of all, how much freaking Old Spice did you put on to smell like that? Plus, do you think that a mix of so many smells would smell good? Individually, sure they do! Mixed together, so many fragrances would smell revolting. Trust me. I have experience.

*AHEM* Enough about that intro that's so long it's basically a chapter by itself.

I'm here to help you get the right words for things! Here we go!

How to describe:

Eyes

- Dark

- Warm

- Bright

- Cold

- Icy

- Oceanic

- Intense

- Stormy

- Clouded

- Cool

- Sharp

- Hard/Stony

Voices

- Velvety

- Smooth

- Raspy

- Dark

- Hard

- Cutting

- Sharp

- Warm

-Sweet

- Melodious

- Rhythmic

- Soft

- Welcoming

Motion(s)

- Graceful

- Clumsy

- Smooth

- Flowing

- Fluid

- Swift

- Halting

I don't want to be over-descriptive...but voting would make my day! ;)

Thanks so much for reading!

- Astraeus