Craft Chat How to write descriptively -TED Ed talk

[Sea-shore]

How to write descriptively - TED-Ed talk. They do lots of good talks about writing novels/ writing.

 

[James Marinero]

I thought that was very useful as it was explained from a theoretical standpoint backed up by real examples. Personally I find overly flowery writing hard work to read, but I'm sure I can improve my own writing with this input!

 

[KG Christopher]

I can spend hours watching the TED talks, they really are interesting.

 

[Monique GOLAY]

It is difficult to use the word "ghost" without it sounding flat, because the word has been used and over-used. Ghost-quiet is not bad.

 

[Sea-shore]

It is difficult to use the word "ghost" without it sounding flat, because the word has been used and over-used. Ghost-quiet is not bad.

Ghost-quiet makes me think of white misty stillness of another world. But I would not have used the word quiet- maybe silent? But Ghost-silent does not sounds right. Also 'ghost-silent' sounds eerily. Not what the writer was going for I think. Also as you say, the word 'ghost' is over-used.

There are almost an infinite number of word combinations to choose from in writing, but it does depend on the writer's style too I guess. But when words are put together well, they can really invoke the feeling the writer wants to convey. It takes a lot of skill, but learning the skill is fun and also frustrating when it doesn't sound right to your ears.

 

[Monique GOLAY]

Ghost-quiet makes me think of white misty stillness of another world. But I would not have used the word quiet- maybe silent? But Ghost-silent does not sounds right. Also 'ghost-silent' sounds eerily. Not what the writer was going for I think. Also as you say, the word 'ghost' is over-used.

There are almost an infinite number of word combinations to choose from in writing, but it does depend on the writer's style too I guess. But when words are put together well, they can really invoke the feeling the writer wants to convey. It takes a lot of skill, but learning the skill is fun and also frustrating when it doesn't sound right to your ears.

Word combinations are indeed tricky. It may be judicious to combine or associate ideas before speaking of a spider-elephant as an example for a monster. Tolkien has the excellent "witch-king" word combination for one of Sauron's near servants. It also seems to me that he uses the word "ghost" very powerfully in saying the sun looked "like a pale ghost", but I can no longer find that passage.

 

[Sea-shore]

I was listening to the audio book of LoTR and it reads beautifully too.

 

[AgentPete]

Hello @Sea-shore,

We are changing the status of this ticket to closed as we have not heard back from you in 7 days.