Lesson 11: Imagery and Adjectives and Adverbs, O My!

What is imagery? Imagery is description. Every time you describe the setting, characters, objects, clothing, etc., you are using imagery. The amount of imagery that you use directly affects the speed and depth of your story. Think of it as a spice. If you use no spice at all in food, then it is bland. If you use too much, it can render the food inedible. Using the right amount of spice makes food delicious and unforgettable, and using the correct amount of imagery makes your story equally appetizing and delightful.

Imagery Tips:

• Choose to describe things that have a direct impact or importance in your story. The amount of space that you devote to describing something should be directly proportional to its significance. When you spend a paragraph describing an object that doesn’t end up affecting the story at all, it gives your reader the sense that you “forgot” about that important object or made a mistake in your storytelling.
• When describing, be sure to use all five senses. If you find yourself describing everything visually, for example, try telling the reader what something feels like or sounds like.
• Leave something to the reader’s imagination. If you give the reader every little detail about something, it destroys their chance to see it for themselves.
• As much as possible, surround your imagery with action. Imagery is a form of exposition, which slows a story down. It is very helpful to remember the “Show Vs. Tell” lesson. Example: You want the reader to know that Adrian has red hair. Instead of saying, “Adrian was a red-haired man,” say that, “Adrian ran a shaking hand through his auburn hair.” Not only did you reveal that he has red hair, you also showed the reader that Adrian is anxious or stressed about something, all in an action sentence.
• Don’t be redundant. In other words, use only one, maybe two, and never three adjectives to describe one feature. She can have blonde hair, she might have long blonde hair, but she should never have curly long blonde hair! Be concise and keep the story flowing.

What is dialogue attribution? When you have a quote and you end it with “He/She/Earl said/muttered/growled/” and so on. Generally it is best to end every quote with a simple he said/she said. Resist the temptation to qualify your quotes with any other word unless it is absolutely necessary. The content of the dialogue should let the reader know whether the words are whispered, screamed or crooned.

What are adverbs? Adverbs are to verbs (action words) what adjectives are to nouns (subjects). Most adverbs end in -ly, such as quickly, nervously and unquestionably. Adverbs are easy to overuse, because they seem to make clear what action is taking place. Much like dialogue attribution, adverbs can become a crutch to the writer who is unsure if he/she is getting their point across. It is much better to arrange your action and build your scene in such a way that the adverb is unnecessary. When evaluating a scene that you have written, it is a great idea to go through and eliminate all of the adverbs and re-read the scene to see which adverbs were necessary to understanding.

The Bottom Line: Imagery will make your story enticing, as long as you use just enough without over- or under-doing it. Adjectives assist with imagery if used one or two at a time. Adverbs and dialogue attributions are generally a bad idea and should be eliminated first. Control your imagery and you will make exciting and deep scenes.