Describing a scene

I have a trouble describing things objects, scenery and people but it mostly because I don't know what words to use. How do I overcome this?

The best advice I ever got about writing descriptions was from John D. Mac Donald. He recommended adding a "telling detail." His example was a hotel room (in Florida of course) with an air conditioning unit. The detail was a stain on the wall where the condensation had run off the conditioner and seeped into the plaster.

Just that one detail helps bring the entire room to life. If you can come up with one thing that makes a place or person memorable, the words aren't so important. Another piece of advice about writing: practice, practice, practice.

I like this, I'll take that and that is helpful.

I have this problem too, and I think I'll give that advice a shot. Maybe I'll tell how it worked out for me later on.

I'm hardly fit to give advice to someone who has the same problem as I do, but maybe you could take a book you really like and dissect it, the descriptive passages especially, to no end? Just to see what goes into it, and what sort of description you personally like best? (Nick Polotta recommends something like this in his guide on how to write fiction. http://www.scifidimensions.com/Mar02/howtowrite.htm]]

edited 7th Jan '11 6:24:23 PM by ChutneyProphet