Overview

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By the end of this course, you’ll be able to use description intentionally to create vivid, immersive scenes; incorporate sensory detail and unexpected elements to spark creativity; and identify descriptions that feel automatic, overused, or unnecessary. Acclaimed writer Kathy Fish demystifies the art of description with concrete examples, practical advice, and tools you can return to again and again. Across three parts, you’ll explore how description can do more than provide window dressing: it can create a “felt experience” that pulls readers into your work. You’ll learn how to make thoughtful choices about what to describe, use the senses and the unexpected to create fresh imagery, and study notable examples from published writing to understand why certain descriptions work. This course is for writers of all levels who want to sharpen their descriptive powers and bring greater energy and depth to their work. No formal creative writing background is required; to be successful, you should have an interest in creative writing and a willingness to experiment with language. You’ll leave with practical tools for creating richly described, immersive scenes in stories of any form or length.

Syllabus

Build the Foundations of Effective Description
- Strong description does more than tell readers what something looks like—it helps readers experience a scene. In this module, you'll explore the foundations of effective descriptive writing, examine common mistakes, and discover what makes description vivid, specific, and engaging. You'll also become familiar with the project you'll develop throughout the course.
Use Sensory Detail to Create Vivid Scenes
- Vivid writing gives readers something specific to see, hear, feel, smell, or otherwise experience. In this module, you'll practice using sensory details and explore the difference between description that feels flat and description that draws readers into a scene. You'll also experiment with unexpected details that can give your writing greater personality and impact.
Refine Your Descriptive Word Choices
- Effective description depends on making deliberate choices about language. In this final module, you'll take a closer look at your descriptive word choices and learn how to refine them for greater impact. You'll then apply the techniques from the course by revising a scene or very short story before reviewing the key principles of vivid, immersive description.

Taught by

Skillshare

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Taught by

Never Stop Learning.