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How do you describe a place? 6 setting tips

The setting of your story is key to readers being able to imagine ‘being there’. How do you describe a place so it is characterful and contributes effectively to your story? Try these 6 tips:

• Post author By Jordan
• 6 Comments on How do you describe a place? 6 setting tips

The setting of your story is key to readers being able to imagine ‘being there’. How do you describe a place so it is characterful and contributes effectively to your story? What physical descriptions can you provide to create a vivid image in your reader’s mind? Try these 6 tips:

How to describe a place:

• Describe place through characters’ senses
• Include time period in description
• Include small-scale changes in time
• Show how characters feel about your setting
• Keep setting description relevant to the story
• List adjectives to describe your story locations

1. Describe place through characters’ senses

We feel connected to place in a story when we see it through characters’ senses. Bring senses such as sight, hearing, touch, smell and even taste (there’s edible wallpaper in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ) into your setting. Using every sense might not make sense for your book, yet it’s possible. In Roald Dahl’s children’s classic, set in a sweet factory full of wonder, it somehow makes sense even the wallpaper is delicious.

When describing places in your story, think about tone and mood . Should this setting be intimidating or welcoming? Ancient, dusty and arcane or ultra-modern and spotless? What does an ancient, dusty mood smell like (old books? damp carpets?). What descriptive details should you include?

Use the ‘Core Setting’ section of your story dashboard on Now Novel to create your story outline online , including key setting elements.

Example of effective sensory place description

In Margaret Atwood’s novel Cat’s Eye  (1989), the protagonist Cordelia recalls her childhood in flashbacks. Here, Cordelia describes her childhood home, when her parents would throw bridge (the card game) parties:

Then the doorbell begins to ring and the people come in. The house fills with the alien scent of cigarettes, which will still be there in the morning along with a few uneaten candies and salted nuts, and with bursts of laughter that get louder as time passes. I lie in my bed listening to the bursts of laughter. I feel isolated, left out. Also I don’t understand why this activity, these noises and smells, is called “bridge.” It is not like a bridge. (pp. 168-169)

Atwood uses sound and smell to paint an idea of the strangeness of being a child in an adult’s world. She uses the young Cordelia’s senses to create place and this puts us in the scene, as we experience young Cordelia’s surrounds through her perspective.

2. Include time period in description

‘Time’ is an important aspect of setting . This is particularly so in historical fiction. Details from the types of buildings and shops that line the main road of a city to individual details of people’s clothing and speech contribute to a sense of when the story happens. A story set in a bustling city such as1950s Chicago will naturally have very different buildings, cars, and people, than one set in the late 2000s. Consider whether you will you show a sequence of time: ‘They drove for a week across the state and still couldn’t decide what to do.’

How do you describe a place so the reader can sense the time period?

• Show technology: What are the ordinary tools people have at their disposal? See, for example, the period-specific radio in the image below
• Show culture: How do people live? Are there rigid gender roles between the sexes? What do the majority believe? Convey these social patterns and habits in the way people speak and things they say
• Include current interests, challenges or obstacles: In the time period of your story, what are the hot topics of the day? Are people worried about a war, a new law, a change in government?
• Show atmosphere: What sort of place are you describing? A lively city, or a sleepy town or village? How does this impact on the characters? 

Example of time period in setting description

In Alice Munro’s semi-autobiographical collection of stories, The View from Castle Rock  (2006), the Canadian author traces the history of her Scottish ancestors. Here, she recalls the simple ways of village life in the 1700s, describing the life of her ancestor William Laidlaw:

The first story told of Will is about his prowess as a runner. His earliest job in the Ettrick Valley was as a shepherd to a Mr. Anderson, and this Mr. Anderson had noted how Will ran straight down on a sheep and not roundabout when he wanted to catch it. So he knew that Will was a fast runner, and when a champion English runner came into the valley Mr. Anderson wagered Will against him for a large sum of money. (p. 9)

The details here convey a sense of rural life in 18th Century Scotland. Descriptions of herding sheep and rival runners create a sense of an agrarian, outdoor way of life conjuring earlier, less modern times.

Munro goes further creating period in her setting by describing the clothing Will receives in reward for winning the race against the English runner:

Mr. Anderson collected a fine heap of coins and Will for his part got a gray cloth coat and a pair of hose.

The reference to hose, which men don’t typically wear in modern times, further places the story in earlier times.

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3. Include small-scale changes in time

In addition to creating the broader sense of time or period, you can use small-scale time (such as time of day or the way place changes week to week or month to month).

Think of how time of day and physical changes to a place in time can both contribute tone and mood.

For example, if a city is bombed over a week’s period in a story, what does it look like at the start versus at the end? As an exercise, describe a sleek, modern city in a few sentences. Then describe the same elements of the city after a week of civil warfare. What has changed and what mood do these changes create?

Including time of day can create moods such as:

• Fear: Nighttime may bring vulnerabilities such as reduced visibility and general fear
• Langour and laziness: The golden light of a late afternoon outdoor social gathering, for example
• Excitement: For example, the breaking light of an important and exciting day such as a wedding or holiday

While doing so also explore the physical characteristics of a place: the colors of the buildings, the shape of the trees in the streets, the look and models of the cars in the streets. What type of city are you describing? What public spaces are there? Weaving in details of time of day as well as the way places change over a day, week, month or year will create a sense of your setting being a dynamic , active and real place. Tweet This

Example of effective use of small-scale time in writing setting

In his historical novel Oscar and Lucinda (1988), the Australian author Peter Carey describes a stormy nighttime scene where the lights in Oscar’s family’s home go out:

There was no torch available for my father because I had dropped it down the dunny [toilet] the night before. I had seen it sink, its beam still shining through the murky fascinating sea of urine and faeces… So when the lights went off in the storm the following night, he had no torch to examine the fuse-box. (p. 3)

Carey weaves a succession of nightly events together to show the frustrations of Oscar’s father. This use of time, coupled with the stormy setting, creates tension. When the father asks Oscar’s mother where the fuse-wire is, she says ‘I used it…to make the Advent wreath’ [for the church].

Oscar’s father’s response is to blaspheme. The mother, being devout, makes them all kneel to ask God’s forgiveness.

Carey ends the scene showing a change in the setting and how the mother interprets it:

We stayed there kneeling on the hard lino floor. My brother was crying softly. Then the lights came on. I looked up and saw the hard bright triumph in my mother’s eyes. She would die believing God had fixed the fuse. (p. 5)

Carey masterfully uses a tense nighttime setting and situation (lights going out in a storm) to show different family members’ personalities. The mother’s response is to turn to her faith, the father’s to think of practical matters like finding fuse-wires to fix the lights.

The stormy nighttime setting provides a dramatic backdrop to the action, giving both the cause for the situation and the mood of the scene.

4. Show how characters feel about your setting

Story settings affect and alter characters’ moods and states of mind, just as places affect our own. Learning how to describe a place thus means, in part, learning how to describe places so that they reveal characters’ desires, interests, fears and more .

Bring your character’s personalities, passions and histories to bear on the setting details they notice and describe.

We often return to this example because it’s an effective description of setting and the feelings it evokes:

124 was spiteful. Full of a baby’s venom. The women in the house knew it and so did the children. For years each put up with the spite in his own way, but by 1873 Sethe and her daughter Denver were its only victims. (p. 3)

This is the opening to Toni Morrison’s Beloved (1987), describing the haunted quality of her protagonist Sethe’s family home. Morrison immediately creates a sense of feeling in her setting description. Describing her characters as ‘victims’ of the house makes it clear it is a place of trauma and suffering.

Morrison continues to convey the character of place brilliantly:

The grandmother, Baby Suggs, was dead, and the sons, Howard and Buglar, had run away by the time they were thirteen years old – as soon as merely looking in a mirror shattered it (that was the signal for Buglar); as soon as two tiny hand prints appeared in the cake (that was it for Howard). (p. 3)

Morrison lists interesting, mysterious details about the haunted air of 124, and the different details of place that are the final straws for individual members of Sethe’s family.

Overall, the effect of her place description is to create a sense of hostility and ‘unhomeliness’. We have a clear sense of the emotions place produces or reawakens.

5. Keep setting description relevant to the story

Often writers starting out try to describe every little detail in painstaking detail. Others describe everything in broad generalizations. Each have pros and drawbacks. The advantages of detailed place description are:

• Vivid visuals: We see more of the setting in our mind’s eye
• Authenticity: Details often create a sense of reality. For example, if the rooms of a house have different light, objects, curiosities

The cons of detailed description are that it can slow narrative pace and clutter your prose.

Being too broad and abstract has its own cons, however. If you describe a high street, for example, and say ‘The shops all have lavish window displays’, we don’t see any difference between them.

It’s often best to balance a little relevant detail here and there with broad description elsewhere to give both the specific qualities and the general feeling of a place.

What is relevant setting description?

It’s description that is:

• Relevant to impending events: E.g. Including an object that will be used in a scene, such as a murder weapon
• Revealing about place or character: For example, if a character’s bedroom is messy it tells us something about their personality (that they’re lazy, perhaps, or merely busy or chaotic)
• Worth mentioning: Beginning writers often include unnecessary descriptions such as ‘she walked across the lounge and headed to her bedroom’. It’s more concise to simply say, ‘She went to her bedroom’

Example of relevant setting description

In his novel Love in the Time of Cholera  (1985), Gabriel Garcia Marquez describes Dr. Juvenal Urbino as one of the most respected men in the Carribean town where the story takes place.

Here is description of the doctor’s arrival at a party in the middle of a storm:

In the chaos of the storm Dr. Juvenal Urbino, along with the other late guests whom he had met on the road, had great difficulty reaching the house, and like them he wanted to move from the carriage to the house by jumping from stone to stone across the muddy patio, but at last he had to accept the humiliation of being carried by Don Sancho’s men under a yellow canvas canopy. (p. 34)

This is a simple, effective example of relevant setting description because:

• Marquez uses how a character interacts with his challenge-ridden setting (the mud and the wet) to reveal character. Because the doctor is so respected he is carried, but he is also ‘humiliated’ by this, showing his proud nature
• The setting description focuses on the key transition that sets up the next scenes – people’s arrival for a luncheon to commemorate the silver anniversary of Urbino’s colleague’s graduation

Your setting will be different depending on the genre that you are writing in: in science fiction you will be creating a world that is, presumably, different from the one you know.

Here is an excellent effective description example from Emily St John Mandel’s The Sea of Tranquillity:

But Colony Two was built a little too hastily, and within a century the lighting system on the main dome had failed. The lighting system was meant to mimic the appearance of the sky as viewed from Earth—it was nice to look up and see blue, as opposed to looking up into the void—and when it failed there was no more false atmosphere, no more shifting pixelations to give the impression of clouds, no more carefully calibrated preprogrammed sunrises and sunsets, no more blue. Which is not to suggest that there wasn’t light, but that light was extremely un-Earthlike: on a bright day, the colonists looked up into space. The juxtaposition of utter darkness with bright light made some people dizzy, although whether this was physical or psychological was up for debate. More seriously, the failure of the dome lighting removed the illusion of the twenty-four-hour day. Now the sun rose rapidly and spent two weeks crossing the sky, after which there were two straight weeks of night.

Charles Dickens was a master at describing setting too. Dickens’ description of Coketown in Hard Times (1854) conveys what a rapidly industrializing town is like, with its miasma of smog:

Seen from a distance in such weather, Coketown lay shrouded in a haze of its own, which appeared impervious to the sun’s rays. You only knew the town was there, because you knew there could have been no such sulky blotch upon the prospect without a town. A blur of soot and smoke, now confusedly tending this way, now that way, now aspiring to the vault of Heaven, now murkily creeping along the earth, as the wind rose and fell, or changed its quarter: a dense formless jumble, with sheets of cross light in it, that showed nothing but masses of darkness. 6. List adjectives to describe your story locations

Learning how to describe a place means also broadening your vocabulary with words that capture setting. There are so many adjectives to describe an ‘old’ building, for example. Each of the following terms describe age, yet with different shades of meaning:

• Ancient: for example, ancient ruins. Belonging to the very distant past ( OED )
• Anachronistic: Belonging or appropriate to an earlier period, especially so as to seem conspicuously old-fashioned ( OED )
• Prehistoric: (Informal) Very old or out of date ( OED )
• Archaic: Very old or old-fashioned ( OED )
• Venerable: Accorded a great deal of respect, especially because of age, wisdom, or character ( OED )

Even if you don’t use every word you find, this exercise will help you pinpoint the mood of a place. Think about elements such as a place’s:

• Sensory details (smells and so on).

Find adjectives that convey these qualities in a way that make place more specific. ‘Venerable’, for example, suggests respect that comes with age as described above. ‘Decrepit’, by contrast, suggests falling apart and ugly with age.

Use stronger descriptions whenever possible in describing place. Think of the types of description that you want to use. For example, impressionistic description relies on devices such as metaphor, metonymy, simile, personification and hyperbole. Use precise adjectives, stronger verbs in place of adverbs, and other devices. Take note of using positive adjectives: ‘a clean, bustling city’, ‘serene mountains’ and negative adjectives: ‘a dangerous city’. 

Brainstorm the broad setting of your story using the ‘Core Setting’ prompts in Now Novel’s comprehensive story outlining tool and get novel help as you progress. What are some of your favorite descriptions from books? Let us know in the comments.

Related Posts:

• How to describe setting: 6 ways to bring setting to life
• Plot and setting: Driving stories using time and place
• Setting the scene: 6 ways to introduce place in stories
• Tags how to describe

Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town.

6 replies on “How do you describe a place? 6 setting tips”

This is key. I’ve read stories set in defined places, (NYC, Boston, etc.) and in imaginary places, (Narnia, Dallas, etc.) a good writer can establish the place indelibly and succinctly. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for sharing that, Elias. Though I’m not sure how the residents of Dallas would feel about being imaginary 🙂 Thanks for reading.

I enjoy your list of adjectives idea! Choosing the right words to fit the tone, style, and setting of a novel is important to the overall feel of the story and place. Two words that technically mean the same thing can mean entirely different things when used judiciously. Thanks for sharing!

Hi Jaya, I’m glad you enjoyed this. That’s absolutely true, subtle differences in connotation stack up. Thank you for reading our blog.

Very helpful, thanks

Thanks so much for writing in, Mohd. So pleased you found the information useful.

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How to Describe a Mansion in a Story

By Rebecca Parpworth-Reynolds

In this post, we share 10 words you can use to write a mansion in your book. Are you ready to get into the details of how to describe a mansion in a story? Read on!

1. Excessive

“The excessive mansion had so many rooms that it felt like a maze, and the grand ballroom could easily fit an entire football stadium.”

“The amount of gold and marble that adorned the mansion would be seen by many as rather excessive .”

How it Adds Description

Often, mansions can be seen as status symbols of wealth, and as a result, can often be decorated to the extreme with luxury materials and additions. Although some might enjoy this display, others may disapprove, and see it as “excessive”.

2. Expansive

Covering a large area.

“The expansive mansion was a stunning sight to behold, with its towering columns, sweeping staircase, and numerous balconies overlooking the rolling hills.”

“The mansion was so expansive that guests had to charter golf carts to get from one side to the other.”

A mansion is described as “expansive” to emphasize its vastness and size. The mansion is not just large, but it also defies expectations of its size, helping to create a sense of awe and admiration in the reader’s mind.

Impressive and large in size.

“The grand mansion’s intricate architecture, elegant chandeliers, and ornate furnishings exuded an air of sophistication that left visitors in awe.”

“The mansion’s grand entrance with its sweeping staircase, high ceilings, and intricate details gave a sense of majesty and splendor that was fit for royalty.”

Mansions are usually large, awe-inspiring spaces. As a result, you may wish to refer to a room within the mansion, or indeed the mansion as a whole as being “grand”. The word also brings up ideas of status, helping your reader to get a picture of the people who might live there before they even turn up in your story.

4. Luxurious

Comfortable and expensive.

“The luxurious mansion’s expansive marble floors, high-end appliances, and state-of-the-art home theater system were just a few of the amenities that he could simply not live without.”

“The piece de resistance was the mansion’s luxurious master suite, complete with a private balcony overlooking the ocean, a Jacuzzi tub, and a massive walk-in closet.”

Mansions are usually kitted out so that those that live in them can do so in absolute comfort and with every convenience at their disposal. These “luxurious” residences can also help you to be able to create a contrast between the mansion in your story and your everyday home.

Expensive and luxurious.

“The opulent mansion, with its manicured gardens and imposing entryway was the epitome of an exclusive lifestyle that he would never be able to afford.”

“The opulent mansion’s decadent decor, from the imported marble floors and walls to the ornate hand-carved woodwork and gilded accents, was a testament to the owner’s extravagant tastes.”

Mansions are well and truly “opulent”, usually containing many bespoke items, designs, and items that others would never dream of being able to afford. This level of living often leaves those living in them to seem out of touch with the real world to your reader.

6. Ostentatious

An obvious display of wealth or power designed to attract the attention of others.

“The ostentatious mansion’s garish gold-plated fixtures, neon-lit fountains, and over-the-top interior design screamed of tackiness and excess, rather than sophistication and refinement.”

“Compared to the other, sleek and sophisticated mansions on the street, this one stood out ostentatiously as if it needed to one-up its neighbors at all costs.”

Not all displays of wealth are classy. Sometimes mansions can be made to be “ostentatious” by their owners. This can then leave your reader questioning why the homeowners wish to openly show their wealth in such a way, whether it is insecurity or another reason under the surface.

7. Palatial

• Large and beautiful .
• Like a palace.

“The palatial mansion’s sprawling estate, with its numerous guest houses, horse stables, and tennis courts, was fit for a king.”

“The palatial entrance hall of the mansion made her feel as if she had stepped into some sort of fairy tale.”

Some mansions can be so large or so decadent in the way that they are decorated, that they are almost like royal palaces! Help your reader to understand the grandeur of the surroundings that your characters find themselves in by describing it as “palatial”.

8. Spacious

Having a lot of space .

“The mansion’s spacious living areas, including multiple sitting rooms, a grand formal dining room, and a sprawling chef’s kitchen, provided ample room for hosting large gatherings and entertaining guests in style.”

“The mansion’s spacious bedrooms were almost like standalone apartments, offering everything the guests could need without even needing to leave their quarters.”

Describing a mansion as “spacious” in your story not only helps to illustrate how large it is, but how open and airy it is even though it has everything one could ever need inside. This space could also help those inside to feel lonely or alone, as they may be far away from people who are still in the same building as them due to the sheer expanse.

Formal in style and appearance.

“The stately mansion’s impressive facade, with its towering columns, intricate stone carvings, and regal symmetry, was a testament to its timeless elegance and grandeur.”

“The stately mansion’s expansive grounds, featuring a sweeping driveway, manicured lawns, and mature trees, exuded an aura of refinement and exclusivity, setting the stage for the impressive home that lay beyond.”

If your mansion has a lot of history and reputation behind it, you may wish to describe it as “stately”. This suggests that the mansion is more than just a large and luxurious home: it’s a property that exudes a certain sense of authority, tradition, and respectability, usually mirroring its owners.

10. Statement

Something that has been explicitly designed to be noticeable and stylish.

“The mansion was built not only as a home but as a statement of wealth, power, and status.”

“The grandiose design of the mansion was a clear statement of its owner’s taste for opulence and extravagance.”

Mansions aren’t usually built for no reason, and are usually made in order to say something. As a result, they become not just buildings, but “statements” of power, status, and even the character and personality of their owners. What “statement” the mansion in your story offers to your reader and your characters is up to you!

A Guide to Descriptive Writing

by Melissa Donovan | Jan 7, 2021 | Creative Writing | 8 comments

What is descriptive writing?

Writing description is a necessary skill for most writers. Whether we’re writing an essay, a story, or a poem, we usually reach a point where we need to describe something. In fiction, we describe settings and characters. In poetry, we describe scenes, experiences, and emotions. In creative nonfiction, we describe reality. Descriptive writing is especially important for speculative fiction writers and poets. If you’ve created a fantasy world, then you’ll need to deftly describe it to readers; Lewis Carroll not only described Wonderland  (aff link); he also described the fantastical creatures that inhabited it.

But many writers are challenged by description writing, and many readers find it boring to read — when it’s not crafted skillfully.

However, I think it’s safe to say that technology has spoiled us. Thanks to photos and videos, we’ve become increasingly visual, which means it’s getting harder to use words to describe something, especially if it only exists in our imaginations.

What is Descriptive Writing?

One might say that descriptive writing is the art of painting a picture with words. But descriptive writing goes beyond visuals. Descriptive writing hits all the senses; we describe how things look, sound, smell, taste, and feel (their tactile quality).

The term descriptive writing can mean a few different things:

• The act of writing description ( I’m doing some descriptive writing ).
• A descriptive essay is short-form prose that is meant to describe something in detail; it can describe a person, place, event, object, or anything else.
• Description as part of a larger work: This is the most common kind of descriptive writing. It is usually a sentence or paragraph (sometimes multiple paragraphs) that provide description, usually to help the reader visualize what’s happening, where it’s happening, or how it’s happening. It’s most commonly used to describe a setting or a character. An example would be a section of text within a novel that establishes the setting by describing a room or a passage that introduces a character with a physical description.
• Writing that is descriptive (or vivid) — an author’s style: Some authors weave description throughout their prose and verse, interspersing it through the dialogue and action. It’s a style of writing that imparts description without using large blocks of text that are explicitly focused on description.
• Description is integral in poetry writing. Poetry emphasizes imagery, and imagery is rendered in writing via description, so descriptive writing is a crucial skill for most poets.

Depending on what you write, you’ve probably experimented with one of more of these types of descriptive writing, maybe all of them.

Can you think of any other types of descriptive writing that aren’t listed here?

How Much Description is Too Much?

Classic literature was dense with description whereas modern literature usually keeps description to a minimum.

Compare the elaborate descriptions in J.R.R. Tolkien’s  Lord of the Rings  trilogy  with the descriptions in J.K. Rowling’s  Harry Potter series  (aff links). Both series relied on description to help readers visualize an imagined, fantastical world, but Rowling did not use her precious writing space to describe standard settings whereas Tolkien frequently paused all action and spent pages describing a single landscape.

This isn’t unique to Tolkien and Rowling; if you compare most literature from the beginning of of the 20th century and earlier to today’s written works, you’ll see that we just don’t dedicate much time and space to description anymore.

I think this radical change in how we approach description is directly tied to the wide availability of film, television, and photography. Let’s say you were living in the 19th century, writing a story about a tropical island for an audience of northern, urban readers. You would be fairly certain that most of your readers had never seen such an island and had no idea what it looked like. To give your audience a full sense of your story’s setting, you’d need pages of detail describing the lush jungle, sandy beaches, and warm waters.

Nowadays, we all know what a tropical island looks like, thanks to the wide availability of media. Even if you’ve never been to such an island, surely you’ve seen one on TV. This might explain why few books on the craft of writing address descriptive writing. The focus is usually on other elements, like language, character, plot, theme, and structure.

For contemporary writers, the trick is to make the description as precise and detailed as possible while keeping it to a minimum. Most readers want characters and action with just enough description so that they can imagine the story as it’s unfolding.

If you’ve ever encountered a story that paused to provide head-to-toe descriptions along with detailed backstories of every character upon their introduction into the narrative, you know just how grating description can be when executed poorly.

However, it’s worth noting that a skilled writer can roll out descriptions that are riveting to read. Sometimes they’re riveting because they’re integrated seamlessly with the action and dialogue; other times, the description is deftly crafted and engaging on its own. In fact, an expert descriptive writer can keep readers glued through multiple pages of description.

Descriptive Writing Tips

I’ve encountered descriptive writing so smooth and seamless that I easily visualized what was happening without even noticing that I was reading description. Some authors craft descriptions that are so lovely, I do notice — but in a good way. Some of them are so compelling that I pause to read them again.

On the other hand, poorly crafted descriptions can really impede a reader’s experience. Description doesn’t work if it’s unclear, verbose, or bland. Most readers prefer action and dialogue to lengthy descriptions, so while a paragraph here and there can certainly help readers better visualize what’s happening, pages and pages of description can increase the risk that they’ll set your work aside and never pick it up again. There are exceptions to every rule, so the real trick is to know when lengthy descriptions are warranted and when they’re just boring.

Here are some general tips for descriptive writing:

• Use distinct descriptions that stand out and are memorable. For example, don’t write that a character is five foot two with brown hair and blue eyes. Give the reader something to remember. Say the character is short with mousy hair and sky-blue eyes.
• Make description active: Consider the following description of a room: There was a bookshelf in the corner. A desk sat under the window. The walls were beige, and the floor was tiled. That’s boring. Try something like this: A massive oak desk sat below a large picture window and beside a shelf overflowing with books. Hardcovers, paperbacks, and binders were piled on the dingy tiled floor in messy stacks.  In the second example, words like  overflowing  and  piled are active.
• Weave description through the narrative: Sometimes a character enters a room and looks around, so the narrative needs to pause to describe what the character sees. Other times, description can be threaded through the narrative. For example, instead of pausing to describe a character, engage that character in dialogue with another character. Use the characters’ thoughts and the dialogue tags to reveal description: He stared at her flowing, auburn curls, which reminded him of his mother’s hair. “Where were you?” he asked, shifting his green eyes across the restaurant to where a customer was hassling one of the servers.

Simple descriptions are surprisingly easy to execute. All you have to do is look at something (or imagine it) and write what you see. But well-crafted descriptions require writers to pay diligence to word choice, to describe only those elements that are most important, and to use engaging language to paint a picture in the reader’s mind. Instead of spending several sentences describing a character’s height, weight, age, hair color, eye color, and clothing, a few, choice details will often render a more vivid image for the reader: Red hair framed her round, freckled face like a spray of flames. This only reveals three descriptive details: red hair, a round face, and freckles. Yet it paints more vivid picture than a statistical head-to-toe rundown:  She was five foot three and no more than a hundred and ten pounds with red hair, blue eyes, and a round, freckled face.

10 descriptive writing practices.

How to Practice Writing Description

Here are some descriptive writing activities that will inspire you while providing opportunities to practice writing description. If you don’t have much experience with descriptive writing, you may find that your first few attempts are flat and boring. If you can’t keep readers engaged, they’ll wander off. Work at crafting descriptions that are compelling and mesmerizing.

• Go to one of your favorite spots and write a description of the setting: it could be your bedroom, a favorite coffee shop, or a local park. Leave people, dialogue, and action out of it. Just focus on explaining what the space looks like.
• Who is your favorite character from the movies? Describe the character from head to toe. Show the reader not only what the character looks like, but also how the character acts. Do this without including action or dialogue. Remember: description only!
• Forty years ago we didn’t have cell phones or the internet. Now we have cell phones that can access the internet. Think of a device or gadget that we’ll have forty years from now and describe it.
• Since modern fiction is light on description, many young and new writers often fail to include details, even when the reader needs them. Go through one of your writing projects and make sure elements that readers may not be familiar with are adequately described.
• Sometimes in a narrative, a little description provides respite from all the action and dialogue. Make a list of things from a story you’re working on (gadgets, characters, settings, etc.), and for each one, write a short description of no more than a hundred words.
• As mentioned, Tolkien often spent pages describing a single landscape. Choose one of your favorite pieces of classic literature, find a long passage of description, and rewrite it. Try to cut the descriptive word count in half.
• When you read a book, use a highlighter to mark sentences and paragraphs that contain description. Don’t highlight every adjective and adverb. Look for longer passages that are dedicated to description.
• Write a description for a child. Choose something reasonably difficult, like the solar system. How do you describe it in such a way that a child understands how he or she fits into it?
• Most writers dream of someday writing a book. Describe your book cover.
• Write a one-page description of yourself.

If you have any descriptive writing practices to add to this list, feel free to share them in the comments.

Descriptive Writing

Does descriptive writing come easily to you, or do you struggle with it? Do you put much thought into how you write description? What types of descriptive writing have you tackled — descriptive essays, blocks of description within larger texts, or descriptions woven throughout a narrative? Share your tips for descriptive writing by leaving a comment, and keep writing!

Further Reading: Abolish the Adverbs , Making the Right Word Choices for Better Writing , and Writing Description in Fiction .

I find descriptions easier when first beginning a scene. Other ones I struggle with. Yes, intertwining them with dialogue does help a lot.

I have the opposite experience. I tend to dive right into action and dialogue when I first start a scene.

I came across this article at just the right time. I am just starting to write a short story. This will change the way I describe characters in my story.

Thank you for this. R.G. Ramsey

You’re welcome!

Great tips and how to practise and improve our descriptive writing skills. Thank you for sharing.

You’re welcome, Bella.

Hello Melissa

I have read many of your articles about different aspects of writing and have enjoyed all of them. What you said here, I agree with, with the exception of #7. That is one point that I dispute and don’t understand the reason why anyone would do this, though I’ve seen books that had things like that done to them.

To me, a book is something to be treasured, loved and taken care of. It deserves my respect because I’m sure the author poured their heart and soul into its creation. Marking it up that way is nothing short of defacing it. A book or story is a form of art, so should a person mark over a picture by Rembrandt or any other famous painter? You’re a very talented author, so why would you want someone to mark through the words you had spent considerable time and effort agonizing over, while searching for the best words to convey your thoughts?

If I want to remember some section or point the author is making, then I’ll take a pen and paper and record the page number and perhaps the first few words of that particular section. I’ve found that writing a note this way helps me remember it better. This is then placed inside the cover for future reference. If someone did what you’ve suggested to a book of mine, I’d be madder than a ‘wet hen’, and that person would certainly be told what I thought of them.

In any of the previous articles you’ve written, you’ve brought up some excellent points which I’ve tried to incorporate in my writing. Keep up the good work as I know your efforts have helped me, and I’m sure other authors as well.

Hi Stanley. Thanks so much for sharing your point of view. I appreciate and value it.

Marking up a book is a common practice, especially in academia. Putting notes in margins, underlining, highlighting, and tagging pages with bookmarks is standard. Personally, I mark up nonfiction paperbacks, but I never mark up fiction paperbacks or any hardcovers (not since college).

I completely respect your right to keep your books in pristine condition. And years ago, when I started college, I felt exactly the same way. I was horrified that people (instructors and professors!) would fill their books with ugly yellow highlighting and other markips. But I quickly realized that this was shortsighted.

Consider an old paperback that is worn and dog-eared. With one look, you know this book has been read many times and it’s probably loved. It’s like the Velveteen Rabbit of books. I see markups as the same — that someone was engaging with the book and trying to understand it on a deeper level, which is not disrespectful. It’s something to be celebrated.

Sometimes we place too much value on the book as a physical object rather than what’s inside. I appreciate a beautiful book as much as anyone but what really matters to me is the information or experience that it contains. I often read on a Kindle. Sometimes I listen to audio books. There is no physical book. The experience is not lessened.

I understand where you’re coming from. I used to feel the same way, but my mind was changed. I’m not trying to change yours, but I hope you’ll understand.

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How To Describe Buildings In Writing (20 Important Steps & Adjectives)

In the world of literature, where every word is a brushstroke on the canvas of imagination, the art of describing buildings is a skill that can transform the mundane into the extraordinary.

Buildings, whether they rise defiantly into the sky or nestle quietly in the embrace of a rural landscape, hold the power to become not just settings but integral characters in the stories we tell.

Their architectural features, history, and the emotions they evoke can shape the mood, tone, and atmosphere of our narratives.

In this exploration, we embark on a journey to unravel the secrets of descriptive writing , discovering the nuances of observation, the magic of detail, and the alchemy of words that can bring buildings to life on the page.

So, let us delve into the art of describing buildings in writing , learning how to wield language as a tool to craft vivid, evocative, and unforgettable architectural portraits.

Table of Contents

How To Describe Buildings In Writing

Describing buildings in writing can be a detailed and creative process. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it effectively:

Observe Closely

Begin by closely observing the building you want to describe. Take note of its architectural style, materials, colors, and any unique features that stand out.

Gather Information

Research the building’s history, purpose, and any interesting anecdotes or facts about it. This will help you add depth to your description.

Start with an Introduction

Begin your description with a captivating introductory sentence or paragraph that sets the tone and establishes the building’s significance.

Focus on Exterior

Describe the building’s exterior in detail. Mention its size, shape, and overall design. Discuss the architectural elements such as columns, windows, doors, and any decorative elements.

Detail Materials

Note the materials used in construction, whether it’s brick, stone, glass, or something else. Describe the texture and color of these materials.

Discuss Surroundings

Mention the building’s surroundings, including its location in the city or landscape. Describe how it fits into its environment.

Emphasize Unique Features

Highlight any unique or distinctive features that make the building special. These could include ornate carvings, a modern facade, or historical significance.

Interior Description

If applicable and possible, describe the interior of the building. Discuss the layout, decor, and any remarkable details like chandeliers, artwork, or furniture.

Capture Atmosphere

Try to capture the atmosphere or mood the building conveys. Is it imposing, welcoming, historic, or futuristic?

Use Sensory Language

Engage the reader’s senses by using descriptive language that appeals to sight, sound, touch, smell, and even taste if relevant. For example, describe the sound of footsteps echoing in a grand marble foyer.

Tell a Story

Weave a narrative into your description. Share stories or anecdotes related to the building, its construction, or its historical significance.

Create a Vivid Picture

Use vivid and imaginative language to help the reader visualize the building. Paint a picture with your words.

Maintain a Clear Structure

Organize your description logically, perhaps by starting from the exterior and moving to the interior, or by arranging details from top to bottom or front to back.

Revise and Edit

After writing your description, revise and edit it for clarity, conciseness, and coherence. Remove any unnecessary details and refine your language.

Read your description aloud to ensure it flows well and sounds appealing.

Seek Feedback

If possible, have someone else read your description and provide feedback. They may offer valuable insights or catch errors you missed.

Polish and Finalize

Make any final revisions based on feedback and your own assessments. Ensure that your description is engaging and free from errors.

Include a Conclusion

Wrap up your description with a concluding paragraph that summarizes the building’s significance or impact.

Cite Sources

If you used any sources for information or historical context, make sure to properly cite them.

Before publishing or sharing your description, carefully proofread it one last time to catch any remaining errors.

Remember that effective building descriptions not only convey physical details but also evoke emotions and convey a sense of the building’s place in history and culture.

Creative Adjectives To Describe Building

Sleek Skyscraper Adjectives: Futuristic, glass-clad, towering, modern, shimmering

Historic Castle Adjectives: Majestic, medieval, formidable, timeless, grand

Quaint Cottage Adjectives: Charming, cozy, picturesque, rustic, idyllic

Innovative Office Complex Adjectives: Cutting-edge, sustainable, dynamic, collaborative, hi-tech

Minimalist Residence Adjectives: Contemporary, streamlined, efficient, sophisticated, uncluttered

Gothic Cathedral Adjectives: Ornate, sublime, awe-inspiring, gothic, intricate

Art Deco Apartment Building Adjectives: Glamorous, vintage, luxurious, geometric, iconic

Floating Pavilion Adjectives: Ethereal, innovative, floating, transparent, serene

Organic Architecture Adjectives: Harmonious, nature-inspired, organic, sustainable, flowing

Futuristic Eco-Tower Adjectives: Sustainable, energy-efficient, avant-garde, green, cutting-edge

The Basics of Describing Buildings

Describing buildings is more than just painting a picture with words; it’s an art of unveiling the hidden stories etched into bricks and mortar. It’s about summoning the essence of a structure, conjuring whispers of its past and the promises of its future.

The basics of this craft involve peeling back the layers of stone, concrete, or wood to reveal the soul of a building. It’s not merely about what meets the eye but how it meets the soul.

The play of light on arches, the whispered secrets of creaking floorboards, and the silent history echoing from faded facades—all these facets weave together to create a symphony of words that immerses readers in the very heart of the architectural wonder you wish to describe .

So, grab your literary chisel and let’s embark on an expedition through the maze of bricks and beams, unearthing the beauty and intrigue that lie within.

Building a Descriptive Vocabulary

Building a descriptive vocabulary is like collecting a treasure trove of words, each one a shimmering gem waiting to adorn your writing.

It’s the art of transforming ordinary adjectives into enchanting emblems, adverbs into magic wands, and metaphors into bridges between the known and the unknown.

As a writer, your palette is language, and with each word you add, your literary canvas becomes more vibrant and alive. These words are your architectural tools, allowing you to construct worlds within worlds, crafting prose that lingers in the minds of your readers like an unforgettable melody.

So, embark on this lexical adventure, for in the realm of descriptive vocabulary, you are the alchemist, turning words into pure literary gold.

The art of showing, not telling

The art of showing, not telling, in writing is akin to inviting the reader to be an active participant in the story . Instead of simply spoon-feeding information, it’s about creating a rich tapestry of details, actions, and emotions that allow readers to draw their own conclusions and immerse themselves deeply in the narrative.

It’s the difference between saying, “She was nervous,” and vividly depicting her tapping foot, trembling hands, and the stammer in her voice as she tried to explain herself.

When writers master this technique, they open a door to a more engaging and evocative storytelling experience, where readers can feel, see, and hear the story as if they were right there, peering into the characters’ souls.

In essence, it’s the magic of letting the reader discover the story, one carefully woven thread at a time.

Techniques for Describing Different Types of Buildings

Unlocking the techniques for describing different types of buildings is akin to wielding a set of keys to a captivating world of architectural diversity.

Each building, whether it’s a humble cottage or a towering skyscraper, has its own unique personality waiting to be unveiled through your words.

It’s about the careful selection of your descriptive tools, crafting descriptions that transform simple bricks and mortar into living, breathing characters within your narrative.

Just as you would use a different brushstroke for a tranquil rural landscape compared to a vibrant urban scene, your words must adapt to the architecture at hand.

From the quaint charm of residential structures to the imposing grandeur of historic landmarks, these techniques empower you to capture the essence of buildings, turning them into protagonists in their own right, ready to leave a lasting impression on your readers’ minds.

So, embark on this architectural adventure and let your words become the architectural blueprints of your storytelling dreams.

Residential structures

Residential structures are the silent witnesses to the intimate stories of our lives. Each one has its own character and charm, whether it’s the cozy embrace of a cottage nestled among ancient trees, the modern elegance of a city apartment with a skyline view, or the timeless charm of a suburban home with a white picket fence.

Describing residential structures allows writers to capture the heart of daily life, where the walls hold the echoes of laughter, tears, and countless memories.

From the warm glow of a hearth in a rustic cabin to the sleek lines of a contemporary penthouse, residential buildings offer a canvas upon which authors can paint the dreams and aspirations of their characters, making them feel like homes to both the reader and the inhabitants within the pages of a story.

Commercial and industrial buildings

Commercial and industrial buildings stand as the beating heart of bustling economies and innovation hubs. These architectural giants are not just structures; they are the pulse of productivity and commerce. From the towering skyscrapers that house corporate empires to the sprawling warehouses that harbor the engines of industry, they symbolize the relentless march of progress.

Describing commercial and industrial buildings grants writers the opportunity to evoke the dynamic energy of the business world, where glass and steel frames house the dreams and endeavors of countless individuals.

It’s in these structures that the spirit of ambition, innovation, and hard work is encapsulated, where the hum of activity reverberates through the walls and the promise of success lingers in the air.

Whether in the gleaming storefronts of high-end boutiques or the labyrinthine depths of manufacturing plants, these buildings become canvases on which writers can paint the intricate tapestry of modern life, where commerce and creativity intersect.

Historic or landmark buildings

Historic and landmark buildings are the time capsules of our shared human history, standing proudly as enduring testaments to the past.

These architectural marvels are like guardians of memory, their weathered facades whispering tales of bygone eras. Whether it’s a medieval castle with its imposing battlements or an ornate cathedral with its soaring spires, each of these structures carries within it a unique narrative of culture, heritage, and evolution.

Describing historic and landmark buildings is akin to unlocking the doors of time, allowing writers to transport readers to different epochs, where the echoes of history resonate through the stones and arches.

The intricate carvings, stained glass windows, and intricate masonry work become not just decorative details but windows into the souls of generations past, reminding us of the enduring power of human craftsmanship and imagination.

Describing Buildings in Different Settings

Describing buildings in different settings is like navigating a vast and ever-changing landscape of architectural dreams. It’s an art of adaptation, where the buildings become chameleons, seamlessly blending into their surroundings and reflecting the essence of the environment they inhabit.

Whether it’s the steel and glass monoliths that rise from the concrete canyons of urban jungles, the rustic cottages nestled in the tranquil embrace of countryside meadows, or the fantastical spires that punctuate the skyline of otherworldly realms, each setting demands a unique lexicon of words and emotions to convey its character.

As a writer, you become an architect of words, crafting descriptions that breathe life into structures, making them not just a part of the backdrop, but integral players in the grand symphony of your storytelling.

It’s a journey that leads you through a myriad of landscapes, from the familiar to the fantastical, and in each one, the buildings become not just structures but portals into the very soul of the setting itself.

Painting a picture of idyllic countryside scenes

Painting a picture of idyllic countryside scenes is like dipping one’s brush into the palette of tranquility and serenity.

It’s the art of summoning the essence of pastoral beauty, where rolling hills meet endless horizons, and quaint cottages nestle amidst fields of wildflowers.

Describing the countryside is an invitation to embrace the symphony of nature’s colors and sounds, from the golden hues of sun-kissed wheat fields to the gentle murmur of babbling brooks.

The landscape comes alive with the vibrant characters of grazing cattle, fluttering butterflies, and the whispered secrets of ancient oaks. Each stroke of description is a stroke of connection to a simpler, more harmonious existence, where the rhythms of life are dictated by the rising sun and the setting moon.

In these scenes, writers have the power to transport readers to a realm where time slows, and the heart finds solace in the tranquil embrace of nature’s perfection.

Enhancing world-building in speculative fiction

Enhancing world-building in speculative fiction is akin to wielding a literary wand, conjuring realms that exist beyond the boundaries of the ordinary.

It’s the craft of architecting entire universes from the foundations of imagination, layering intricate details upon the blank canvas of the mind.

In these fantastical worlds, the buildings are not mere structures but living organisms, reflecting the very essence of the setting.

Whether it’s floating cities among the clouds, ancient temples infused with magic, or futuristic metropolises teeming with advanced technology, each architectural element becomes a brushstroke on the canvas of the reader’s mind.

As writers, we have the privilege of sculpting landscapes that defy reality, offering readers the opportunity to explore the infinite possibilities of the human imagination.

In this realm, buildings are not just bricks and mortar; they are keystones to unlocking the secrets of the fantastical realms we create, enriching our stories with depth and wonder.

Incorporating Building Descriptions into Your Writing

Incorporating building descriptions into your writing is akin to weaving an intricate tapestry of time, place, and emotion. It’s the art of making architecture a character in your narrative, breathing life into bricks and mortar.

These descriptions are not mere backdrops; they are the stage upon which your story unfolds. Like a skilled director, you choose the lighting, the angles, and the props to evoke the desired emotions and reactions from your readers.

Whether it’s the haunting elegance of a decrepit mansion, the gleaming promise of a futuristic cityscape, or the rustic charm of a countryside cottage, each building holds the potential to engage your readers on a visceral level.

It’s in these meticulously crafted descriptions that your story’s setting becomes a character in its own right, shaping the plot, influencing the mood, and leaving an indelible imprint on the reader’s imagination.

So, as a writer, remember that in the world you create, buildings are not just structures; they are the silent narrators of your tale, and through your words, they whisper secrets and dreams that captivate your audience.

Case Studies and Examples

Case studies and examples are the breadcrumbs on the path to mastery, the flashlight in the dark cave of understanding.

They’re the vivid stories that breathe life into theory, turning abstract concepts into tangible realities. Like windows into different worlds, they invite us to peer through the glass and see how ideas take shape in the messy, unpredictable terrain of real life.

They’re not just data points or anecdotes; they’re the sparks of insight that ignite our curiosity and illuminate the path forward.

Whether it’s exploring the triumphs and tribulations of historical figures, dissecting the strategies of successful businesses, or delving into the intricate dance of cause and effect in science, case studies and examples are the narrative threads that weave the fabric of knowledge.

So, let them be your compass, your inspiration, and your guide as you embark on your journey of discovery and enlightenment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about How To Describe Buildings In Writing

What is the importance of describing buildings in writing.

Describing buildings in writing can provide readers with a vivid sense of place, history, and atmosphere. It enhances storytelling, creates visual imagery, and sets the scene in various forms of literature and communication.

Can you describe a building’s interior as effectively as its exterior?

Yes, describing a building’s interior can be just as effective. You can discuss its layout, decor, furnishings, and ambiance to create a more immersive and comprehensive description.

Should I focus on historical or architectural details when describing a building?

The choice depends on your purpose. If you want to emphasize the building’s historical significance, focus on its backstory. For architectural appreciation, delve into its design, materials, and unique features.

How do I make my building description more engaging to readers?

Engage readers by using sensory language, evoking emotions, and telling stories related to the building. Engaging descriptions appeal to sight, sound, touch, smell, and even taste.

What’s the best way to organize a building description?

Organize your description logically, often starting with the exterior and moving to the interior. Alternatively, you can structure it by detailing elements from top to bottom, front to back, or in a sequence that makes sense for your narrative.

Can I use metaphors and similes to describe buildings?

Yes, metaphors and similes can be powerful tools to make your descriptions more vivid. For example, you can compare a modern skyscraper to a towering glass monolith.

How do I balance detail with conciseness in building descriptions?

Balance is key. Include enough detail to paint a picture, but avoid overwhelming the reader with excessive information. Focus on the most significant and impactful elements.

Should I include historical anecdotes when describing a building?

Including historical anecdotes can add depth and interest to your description. They can highlight the building’s place in history and make it more engaging for readers.

Can I use a building’s description as a setting in my fiction writing?

Absolutely! Building descriptions can serve as essential settings in fiction, enhancing the story’s atmosphere and providing a backdrop for events and character interactions.

Are there any common mistakes to avoid when describing buildings in writing?

Avoid using overly technical jargon that might confuse readers. Also, be cautious of being too repetitive or providing too much information. Strive for clarity and balance in your descriptions.

Can I describe fictional or imaginary buildings using the same principles?

Yes, you can apply the same principles to describe fictional or imaginary buildings. The key is to create a detailed and immersive description that helps readers visualize and connect with your imaginary world.

How do I ensure my building description stands out and is unique?

To make your description unique, focus on the building’s distinctive features, its emotional impact, and the stories it tells. Avoid clichés and strive for originality in your language and perspective.

What’s the role of research in building description?

Research can provide historical context, interesting facts, and architectural details that can enrich your description. It adds authenticity and depth to your writing.

Can I use building descriptions in non-fiction, such as travel writing or journalism?

Yes, building descriptions are valuable in various forms of non-fiction writing, especially travel articles, architectural reviews, and historical pieces. They help readers connect with the subject matter and provide valuable information.

Remember that effective building descriptions should not just inform but also engage and inspire readers, allowing them to form a deeper connection with the subject.

In the enchanting world of literary creation, where words are our palette and imagination knows no bounds, the art of describing buildings in writing stands as a testament to the richness of human expression.

Through this journey, we have explored the power of keen observation, the intricacies of detail, and the magic of language in bringing buildings to life within our narratives.

As writers, we now possess the tools to craft architectural masterpieces with words, forging connections between readers and the settings we create.

Whether we evoke the hustle and bustle of urban landscapes, the tranquility of pastoral scenes, or the grandeur of historic landmarks, our descriptions have the potential to captivate, resonate, and transport.

So, let us continue to embrace this craft, painting with our literary brushes, weaving buildings into the very fabric of our stories, and leaving indelible imprints of the worlds we create in the hearts and minds of our readers.

Related Posts:

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• How To Describe A House In Writing (11 Best Ways)
• How To Describe A Face In Writing (10 Significant Steps)
• How To Describe A City In Writing (21 Important Steps)
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Fearful Whispers: Crafting Descriptions of Fear in Creative Writing

My name is Debbie, and I am passionate about developing a love for the written word and planting a seed that will grow into a powerful voice that can inspire many.

Have you ever found yourself so immersed in a chilling novel that you couldn’t help but feel a shiver crawl up your spine? Or stumbled upon a short story that left you with a lingering sense of unease long after you closed its pages? It’s the power of fear, intricately woven within the tapestry of the written word, that has the ability to captivate readers and keep them yearning for more. Crafting descriptions of fear is an art that takes both finesse and creativity, allowing writers to summon emotions that stimulate the senses and send our imaginations into overdrive. In this article, we’ll explore the intricacies of fear-inspired writing, diving deep into the realm of fearful whispers, and uncovering the secrets to crafting spine-chilling descriptions that will haunt your readers long after they’ve put down your work. So, grab your pens and prepare to delve into the chilling labyrinth of fear that lies within creative writing.

– Understanding the Power of Fear in Creative Writing

Understanding the power of fear in creative writing, physical sensations:, – crafting vivid imagery: describing fearful environments and atmospheres, – tapping into the senses: painting fear through descriptive language, – portraying fear through characters: facial expressions, body language, and dialogue, – utilizing narrative techniques: building suspense and tension in fearful moments, utilizing narrative techniques: building suspense and tension in fearful moments, – transforming fear into art: balancing descriptions and reader imagination, – mastering the art of fear: tips and tricks for conveying authentic emotions, mastering the art of fear: tips and tricks for conveying authentic emotions, frequently asked questions, insights and conclusions.

When it comes to creative writing, fear is a force that holds incredible power. It has the ability to captivate readers, ignite their imaginations, and keep them on the edge of their seats. Fear is a powerful emotion that can be harnessed to create intense and memorable stories. Here’s a closer look at why fear is such a potent tool in the world of creative writing:

• Evoking empathy: Fear has a unique way of tapping into our deepest emotions and vulnerabilities. By incorporating elements of fear into our writing, we can make readers feel a profound and genuine connection to the characters and situations they encounter. Whether it’s a gripping horror story or a thrilling suspense novel, fear sows the seeds of empathy, allowing readers to experience the narrative on a visceral level.
• Building suspense: Suspense is a crucial ingredient in any compelling story. Fear creates tension, and tension keeps readers hooked. From building anticipation with eerie descriptions to gradually revealing the unknown, fear drives the pace and rhythm of a story, leaving readers eager to uncover what lies ahead. By skillfully weaving fear into our writing, we can create a rollercoaster of emotions that keeps readers eagerly turning pages .
• Exploring the human condition: Fear is a fundamental part of the human experience. By delving into its depths within our writing, we can tackle universal themes such as mortality, vulnerability, and the pursuit of survival. Fear allows us to explore the complexities of human nature and confront the dark aspects of ourselves and society. Through this exploration, we provide readers with a mirror to reflect upon their own fears and, ultimately, find solace or inspiration within the narrative.

Fear is a powerful tool that should not be underestimated in the realm of creative writing. By understanding its allure and impact, we can effectively harness its power to create unforgettable stories that resonate with readers long after they’ve turned the final page.

– Exploring the Anatomy of Fear: Emotions, Physical Sensations, and Actions

Fear, an intrinsic part of the human experience, manifests itself in a myriad of ways. Understanding the anatomy of fear involves delving into the complex interplay between our emotions, physical sensations, and subsequent actions. Let’s explore this intriguing phenomenon further:

• Paranoia: Fear can often induce an overwhelming sense of paranoia, causing individuals to perceive potential threats where none exist.
• Anxiety: One of the most common emotions associated with fear, anxiety can lead to restlessness, unease, and an intense apprehension regarding future events.
• Terror: At the extreme end of the spectrum, terror overwhelms our senses, paralyzing us with an acute and visceral fear that can be debilitating.
• Racing Heart: When fear takes hold, our heart rate tends to spike, flooding our body with adrenaline and preparing us for a “fight or flight” response.
• Sweat-soaked Skin: Fear stimulates our sweat glands, leaving us with clammy skin as our body tries to regulate temperature amid heightened anxiety.
• Dilated Pupils: Our eyes become windows to our fear, dilating to allow more light in, sharpening our vision but making us hyperaware of our surroundings.

The actions we take while experiencing fear are as diverse as the individuals themselves:

• Avoidance: Fear frequently triggers a deep-seated instinct to avoid the source of our fear, be it a situation, place, or person.
• Fight: Some individuals may choose to confront their fears head-on, summoning the courage to face the threat and combat it with determination.
• Freezing: Fear can immobilize us, leaving us frozen in our tracks, momentarily unable to make any decisions or take action.

Crafting vivid imagery is a powerful tool for evoking fear in readers and creating an atmosphere of tension and unease. To describe a fearful environment, it’s important to engage the senses and paint a detailed picture that allows readers to immerse themselves in the scene. Use the following techniques to masterfully describe fearful environments and atmospheres:

• Choose descriptive and evocative words: Opt for words that convey darkness, foreboding, and danger. Words like “ominous,” “chilling,” and “sinister” can set the tone for a fearful environment.
• Engage the senses: Describe the sights, sounds, smells, and even tastes that amplify the feeling of fear. Depict the flickering shadows, the echoing footsteps, the acrid scent of decay, or the metallic tang of blood in the air.
• Create contrast: Contrast can heighten the sense of fear. Describe how a sliver of moonlight barely illuminates the sinister silhouette of a gnarled tree or how the silence is shattered by a sudden, bone-chilling scream.
• Utilize figurative language: Metaphors, similes, and other forms of figurative language can evoke fear by creating powerful associations and comparisons. For example, you can liken the relentless footsteps to the beating heart of a predator, or describe the dark woods as a labyrinth of nightmares.

By employing these techniques, you can skillfully describe fearful environments and atmospheres, transporting readers to the heart of terror and immersing them in a world filled with apprehension and suspense.

Fear, a powerful emotion that can consume us, has the ability to transport us into worlds of frightening uncertainty. And what better way to harness this power than through the art of descriptive language? By skillfully employing vivid and evocative words, an author can tap into our senses, painting fear onto the canvas of our imagination.

One of the most effective ways to evoke fear is through tactile imagery. Describing the sensation of cold sweat trickling down one’s spine or the clammy touch of fear on the skin, these physical sensations make the reader empathize with the characters, experiencing their fear firsthand. Furthermore, expertly incorporating visual imagery allows readers to visualize eerie scenes. For example, the moon casting long, haunting shadows on an abandoned street or the flickering candlelight revealing only glimpses of a mysterious figure lurking in the darkness.

• Tactile Imagery: Describing the sensations of fear through touch, such as cold sweat or trembling hands.
• Visual Imagery: Painting fear by creating vivid and eerie visual scenes, like sinister shadows or dimly lit environments.
• Sound Imagery: Utilizing sounds such as creaking floorboards or distant whispers to heighten the atmosphere of fear.
• Olfactory Imagery: Appealing to the sense of smell by describing the acrid stench of fear or the musty odors of decrepit settings.

Fear is a powerful emotion that often drives the actions of characters in a story. When it comes to portraying fear convincingly, various elements such as facial expressions, body language, and dialogue play crucial roles in creating a gripping narrative.

Facial expressions can effectively convey fear to the audience. A character’s widened eyes, furrowed brows, or trembling lips can instantly communicate their sense of terror. By emphasizing these facial cues through vivid descriptions or illustrations, writers and artists can immerse readers or viewers deeper into the character’s state of fear.

Body language is another vital aspect in portraying fear. When a character is scared, their body tends to react instinctively to the stimulus. Trembling hands, a clenched jaw, or a hunched posture can demonstrate their vulnerability and heightened state of anxiety. By incorporating these subtle physical cues into a character’s description or illustration, storytellers can add depth to their portrayal of fear.

Dialogue can also contribute significantly to the portrayal of fear. Through their words, characters can reveal their inner worries and express their apprehensions. Stuttering, rapid speech, or shaky voices can accentuate their fear and help the audience connect with their emotional turmoil. By using descriptive language and emphasizing tone, writers can effectively convey the intense emotions that accompany fear in a way that resonates with readers or viewers.

Mastering the art of portraying fear through characters requires a combination of nuanced facial expressions, body language, and well-crafted dialogue. By artfully utilizing these elements, storytellers have the power to evoke a sense of fear that lingers with the audience long after the story is told.

When it comes to creating engaging and thrilling stories, mastering the art of building suspense and tension in fearful moments is essential. By utilizing narrative techniques, writers can effectively captivate their audience and keep them on the edge of their seats. Here are a few techniques that can heighten the suspense and tension in your storytelling:

• Effective pacing: Alter the pace of your narrative to control the emotional intensity of the scene. Slow down the tempo during crucial moments, offering detailed descriptions and diving into the character’s thoughts and emotions. Conversely, quicken the pace during action-packed sequences to generate a sense of urgency and unease.
• Well-placed cliffhangers: Ending a chapter or scene with a suspenseful revelation or unresolved conflict can leave readers desperate for answers. By providing them with just enough information to pique their curiosity, you can ensure they keep turning the pages, eagerly awaiting the resolution to the tension-filled moment.
• Building anticipation: Foreshadowing and hinting at future events can generate a sense of anticipation and dread. By dropping subtle clues throughout your narrative, you can plant seeds of unease in the reader’s mind, preparing them for a fearful moment that is yet to come.

Implementing these techniques can significantly enhance the suspense and tension in your storytelling, immersing readers in a world where fear lurks around every corner. Remember to balance these moments with periods of relief to prevent overwhelming your audience. By skillfully weaving suspense into your narrative, you can create an unforgettable reading experience that will leave your readers gripping the edge of their seats.

When it comes to writing, description plays a vital role in engaging readers and bringing the story to life. However, it’s often a challenge to strike the right balance between providing enough detail to captivate the reader’s imagination and allowing them to fill in the gaps with their own creativity. One area where this challenge is particularly evident is when it comes to describing fear.

Transforming fear into art requires finesse and careful consideration. Rather than explicitly telling readers what to fear, skilled writers use evocative language and sensory details to convey the emotions associated with fear. By relying on the power of suggestion, writers allow the reader’s imagination to take over, creating a more personalized and immersive experience. This approach not only enhances the emotional impact of the story but also allows readers to connect with the protagonist on a deeper level. Through skillful balance, writers offer just enough description to guide the reader’s imagination while leaving room for their own interpretation.

• Use vivid language and strong adjectives to create a sense of unease without explicitly describing the fear itself.
• Focus on describing the physical sensations and reactions of the character, such as racing heartbeats, trembling hands, or heightened senses.
• Utilize metaphors and similes to evoke a strong emotional response in the reader.

By employing these techniques, writers can transform fear into art, engaging the reader’s imagination and allowing them to actively participate in the storytelling process. Remember, the goal is not to dictate every aspect of the reader’s experience but to provide a framework that allows them to interpret and engage with the fear in their own unique way.

Fear is a powerful emotion that can captivate an audience and truly immerse them in a story. Whether you’re an aspiring actor, writer, or simply someone looking to better convey fear in your everyday life, mastering the art of expressing authentic fear can be a game-changer. Here are some invaluable tips and tricks to help you tap into this emotion and leave a lasting impact:

• Understand the source: To convey fear convincingly, delve deep into the source of the fear your character or situation is experiencing. By understanding the underlying reasons behind the fear, you can create a more genuine portrayal that truly resonates with your audience.
• Physicality matters: Fear manifests itself physically, so pay attention to both your body language and facial expressions. Use your body to your advantage, allowing it to tremble or become tense, while maintaining eye contact with intensity. Showcase fear through your posture and gestures, creating an authentic portrayal that will evoke a genuine emotional response from your audience.
• Breath control: Fear can result in shallow or erratic breathing. Practice controlling your breath to mimic the effects of fear, such as quickened breaths or even holding your breath momentarily. This deliberate control will enhance the believability of your performance and allow your audience to truly connect with the emotions you’re expressing.

Mastering the art of fear is not about simply pretending to be scared; it’s about evoking genuine emotions within yourself and your audience. Remember, practice makes perfect , so take the time to experiment with different techniques and discover what works best for you. By incorporating these tips and tricks into your repertoire, you’ll be well on your way to truly mastering the art of fear and creating memorable and authentic emotional experiences for everyone involved.

Q: What is the purpose of crafting descriptions of fear in creative writing? A: Crafting descriptions of fear allows writers to evoke emotions in readers, creating a more immersive and engaging reading experience. It helps to build tension and suspense, making the story more realistic and relatable.

Q: How can writers effectively describe fear in their writing? A: By using sensory details, such as sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, writers can paint a vivid picture of fear in the reader’s mind. Additionally, incorporating strong verbs, metaphors, and powerful language can enhance the impact of the description.

Q: Are there any specific techniques that writers can employ to describe fear? A: Yes, writers can make use of similes to compare fearful situations to something familiar, creating a stronger connection for the reader. They can also employ foreshadowing or create a sense of anticipation to build fear gradually throughout the narrative.

Q: What are some common mistakes writers should avoid when describing fear? A: Writers should avoid relying on clichés or overused phrases, as it can detract from the originality and impact of their writing. It is also important not to overlook the emotional and psychological aspects of fear, as these elements can greatly enhance the believability of the description.

Q: Can you provide an example of a well-crafted description of fear? A: Certainly! Here’s an example: “Her heart pounded in her chest like a relentless drum, each beat echoing the terror coursing through her veins. The darkness enveloped her, suffocating any semblance of comfort, as she strained her ears to catch any sound that might reveal the lurking danger nearby.”

Q: What role do pacing and sentence structure play in describing fear? A: Pacing and sentence structure significantly impact the portrayal of fear in writing. Short, fragmented sentences and quick-paced descriptions can convey a sense of urgency and panic, while longer, more complex sentences can build tension and apprehension.

Q: How can writers ensure that their descriptions of fear have an emotional impact on readers? A: To have an emotional impact, writers should tap into the character’s internal thoughts and feelings associated with fear, balancing physical and emotional descriptions. By revealing the character’s vulnerability and vulnerability, readers can better empathize and connect with the experience of fear.

Q: Can readers experience fear through descriptions alone? A: Yes, skilled writers can make readers experience fear through descriptions alone. Through effectively painting a vivid and intense picture in readers’ minds, along with immersing them in the characters’ emotional journey, writers can evoke fear even without any tangible threats or danger.

Q: Is there a limit to how much fear can be described in a story? A: While fear can be a powerful tool in storytelling, overusing it can desensitize readers and dilute its impact. It is crucial to balance fear with other emotions, character development, and plot progression to maintain the desired effect without overwhelming the reader.

Q: Are there any valuable exercises or resources for writers looking to enhance their description of fear? A: Absolutely! Writers can benefit from practicing free writing, allowing their thoughts and emotions to flow freely without judgment. They can also read books or stories known for their captivating descriptions of fear and analyze how the authors construct scenes to evoke emotions in readers.

In conclusion, mastering the art of crafting descriptions of fear in creative writing adds depth and intensity to our stories, leaving readers feeling truly captivated and unsettled.

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Contest #160 winner 🏆

The chandelier.

Submitted into Contest #160 in response to: End your story with someone dancing in the rain. ... view prompt

Coming of Age Contemporary Fiction

This story contains themes or mentions of physical violence, gore, or abuse.

There were gems in the chandelier right past the door of my home. I wasn’t supposed to touch the glimmering stones as they hung, but I would push up a chair and scramble on the rickety wood to brush them with my fingers anyway. It was addictive to paint the lines of my fingerprints along the surface. I would flick on the lights and watch them sway, imagining my mother on the dance floor, conjuring images of date nights when Mama walked out of the house with a black cocktail dress and her best pearls along with the smokey scent of her expensive perfume. 

There was no helping how they reminded me of Mama; the clacking as they collided with one another was the same noise her heels left on the ballroom floor. It was my favorite time to watch the dance lessons she took, hand in hand with a gentleman that smelled of the ocean and spoke with an accent—watching her dance, even practicing, left me with pangs in my heart, and there was nothing I wanted more than to be able to move as she did. 

And, if I could get away with it, I would pick up the little hook that clasped the jewel and tuck it in my palm, marveling at the punctures it left—red lines that showed their beautiful marks on me. Oh, the way the gold shone, like the breath of a setting sun against indigo waves, orange and bright as a flame. I wanted those marks because they made me more like Mama, with the angry indent from her bra that she stripped off with a sigh, the scars across her stomach from where the skin had pulled and made me. My god, I would’ve cut them myself. I never dared to use her lotion, never dared to do more than screw off the smeared cap and smell, but I would dig through the medicine cabinet until I found the tape and wrap my flat torse. I would go into her bathroom. I would take her razor and try my best to shave my limbs as she did, and when she came home to three red lines on my skin, she always knew. 

I kept everything in a little corner of my bedside drawer, in the jewelry box she had gotten me. She never found it; she never looked. But she would sit down on my bed. Unwrap the tape with careful fingers. Bandage my cuts, and after, hug me to her chest, surround me with the softness of her skin, pressing her lips into my hair. 

“You don’t have to shave yet, baby, or wear a bra,” she would say. I’d tell her I wanted to be like her, and I could feel the pull of her frown on my roots. “Like me?” Yes . “Shaving isn’t fun,” she would say, “It’s a chore. It isn’t something to want.” She never looked for the razor, though, nor the tape, and I never stopped trying to get it right. 

She caught me stealing from the chandelier once. The rain pounded on the windows like sheets of wax paper on that particular night. Thunder tapped its way across the sky, and lightning flashed far away, enough to show glimpses of the darkened hall. There was makeup smeared across her face, a stain on her cheek, and lines running down her neck. Her eyes wavered with tears as she stumbled outside of her bedroom, where I could still hear Daddy groaning the way he did when the beer bottles gleamed like copper in the dining room. Her tears brought some to my eyes. 

She froze at the sight of me, and we stared at each other. She looked so small from atop the chair, and the moonlight fell short of the hallway, allowing the shadows to stretch and consume her whole. A single tear fell from her eye. I tugged my hand away too fast—the chandelier shuddered, and a cacophony of clinks erupted in the air, wriggling like the sparkle sliding down her dewy cheek. 

Daddy shouted something from the other room. We both flinched, and I realized that it was no stain on her cheek, but instead a bruise, and the lines on her neck were like the ones the jewels left on me, dotted with blood. My stomach churned. She whispered to me, her voice more coarse than I had ever heard. She asked me what I was doing. I had sat down in the chair, stretched out my legs to brush on the tiles, and stood with my hair covering my eyes. Mama was pretty, even when she was mad. Not like Daddy, whose face bloated and swelled like a blister, whose mouth creased and whose voice struck like a fist. Mama had anger like smoke, leaching in and burning me from the inside out without saying a single word. My hands shook, my knees wobbled, the jutting joint shuddering without my control. 

She slinked forward; the nightgown slid against the carpet with a hiss. I closed my eyes. Her fingers brushed against my jaw, tracing down my neck. Her nails raked white lines down my arm, trailed into the jut of my elbow, and closed like jaws around my wrist. She examined the lines left by the jewels dropped to the floor. 

“Why do you hold them so tight?” she whispered. She did not sound like herself. She sounded young. Young and hurt. 

I had no answer; I could not open my eyes. The tears were falling now, dropping with puds on the ground. The thunder came again. Long hair brushed the top of my head as she looked out the window. She was quiet. I didn’t hear a single breath. She ducked to pick up the chain and opened the door, pulling me outside. 

The sound of the rain tripled, folding the silence and stowing it inside the house as she closed the door. She pulled both of us into the grass and mud as the rain came down. I smelled the pine trees, the leaves, the dirt, the worms, all mixing in a humid trench dug into my chest. 

“Doesn’t it hurt?” she asked me. She had to raise her voice for me to hear her over the rain. “To shave? Wrap your chest? To hold it so tightly?” 

Of course , I thought. 

She kneeled in front of me. Her nightgown smeared with the mud, and the light cotton clung to her as it absorbed the rain. I could see her shivering. “You want to hear a secret, baby?” 

I nodded, lips trembling. I was still crying; I couldn’t stop. 

“The only time I like dancing is when you’re the one watching. It’s the only time it feels real.” 

And then she clasped my hands in hers and stood up. She pressed my face against her stomach and began to sway. She was whispering in my ear. The tart smell of red wine offended my nose as she said things like, “You’re my everything,” and “I wouldn’t be here without you." I didn’t understand; I didn’t understand the steps she tried to teach me: left leg forward, right leg to the right, left leg over, right leg back . She slid the instructions between “I love you”s, and I stumbled, trying to keep up. I kept my eyes open even as they burned to watch our bare feet sink into the grass. Her grip was tight on my hand, and with the little piece of the chandelier hanging between us, I was taller than I ever was before, and I imagined what I would look grown, with her by my side, ageless and gorgeous as she was then. I imagined us dancing together until the music stopped, and I came upon the realization, the words echoing in my head just as she whispered them to me, with the gold digging into our clasped palms;

“Growing up hurts, doesn't it, baby?” 

10 submissions

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172 likes 93 comments

Congratulations on the win! This was gorgeous. Full of longing and subtext. Favourite line - "Mama had anger like smoke, leaching in and burning me from the inside out without saying a single word" Well done🎉

That was my favourite line too!

Thank you! I'm glad you liked that line, it was one of my favorites!

So, I am a young aspiring writer and I've never been brave enough to enter into Reedsy- two reasons. 1: I'm too young to enter in the first place, and 2: I've always been very self-conscious about my talents (including writing). But I still have a Reedsy account because I LOVE getting inspiration from stories like these!! Amazing job- you totally deserved the win. Know that somewhere in the world an 11-year-old is looking up to you!!

11 year old!!! That’s so cute:) may you grow to be an incredible author.

This is so nice! Never be self-conscious about your writing; the more you write, the better you'll become. I have no doubt one day I'll be reading your win in the contest. Let me know when you submit, I'd love to check it out!

oh wow i'm 12 and i had the exact same reaction~

Wow, loved this. This is the type of fiction I like, the topic ceases to matter and the style takes over, you could be writing about a butterfly’s wedding and make it powerful. It’s poetic and poignant, and I haven’t ever read a chandelier described so beautifully! Would love to hear your feedback on mine! Thanks for sharing!

Thank you so much for your comment! You're very sweet.

This was a lovey read. To me, I felt like I was ready an old Hollywood glamour through the eyes of a child. Congrats on the win - well deserved!

Amazing story! Well deserved win! I really liked how you compared the moms anger with the dads.

This is a very depressing story and I like it a lot. In fact, I came across this story after our college took your writing and gave us an assignment to create an infographic based on your story. Do you have any other means of social media so I could share the infographic with you? I hope you're still active now and read my comment. About the infographic, we were just assigned so it would take time for the infographic design.

I'm also doing the same topic. I think you can send your infographic via the author's email. Even, I want to send the author. Author 's email: [email protected]. Don't forget to send to the lecturer before week 9 ;⁠)

Wow! I can respect the hours my mom spent cleaning our silver and crystal stupid hanging bobble light now... chandelier.

Growing up definitely hurts. My favorite line, "Not like Daddy, whose face bloated and swelled like a blister, whose mouth creased and whose voice struck like a fist."

soo good ! loved it

I'm pretty new to this site, was looking through old contest winners and came upon this gem. Wow, just wow. I love your writing style so much, I was totally enthralled. Gorgeous! Well deserved :)

Your pros are crazy good. I'm jealous.

Emotion hangs from each word in the story like the jewels from the chandelier.

The tears were falling now, dropping like puds on the ground. IDK why that was my favorite line and I know had I used the word pud, I would have struggled over using it, in the edit but, in the end, kept it right there. Great word, like one that came out of left field and fit. Loved the story! Congrats!

I thought the same thing when I stumbled across that word. Lee Disco u have invented a word and didn't even have to give a definition for people to know the meaning. Incredible.

Very, well written.Couldnt stop reading it.

Stunning. I love the elegant descriptions of the characters and environment. I felt like I was there with the narrator.

Thank you! I'm glad you felt that way!

Congrats on the win! The storyline for me is a little obscure. To my understanding, it's a story about a girl who wants to become mature and a mother who tells the bitterness of being so. I'm amazed by how you tangled the depiction of the environment and emotions and pushed forward the plot at the same time. The rain appeared very early in the story, only as quiet background music, and grew into a humongous monster devouring and suffusing everything. The mother and the daughter are facing different challenges in their ages, but were connec...

Thank you for the feedback! Let me know when you submit, I'd love to read it :)

'Not like Daddy, whose face bloated and swelled like a blister, whose mouth creased and whose voice struck like a fist.' - god damn stunning and devastatingly beautiful. You took me somewhere else with the entirety of your story; a well deserved win.

Thank you, I'm glad you were immersed!

Excellent! Nostalgic, sad, hopeful...Well done! Congratulations :)

Amazing story. Great job on the win!

Wow. Just wow.

Thank you :)

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A guide to chandeliers

This is a writing sample from Scripted writer Amy Stanbrough

* Chandeliers: A Brief History *

As a crowning statement of elegance, grace and glamor, a chandelier— also known as a "ceiling rose" — sits at the top of the lighting fixture hierarchy, looking down proudly on all entering the room. Throughout history, chandeliers have been hung in important spaces like theaters, libraries, museums, cathedrals and other places where society's upper crust is likely to show up. In many instances, chandeliers were strictly ornamental, offering no artificial light at all, their shine and sparkle coming only from the glass and metal they were made from. The more practical chandeliers of the Middle Ages and colonial times were called candle beams or hanging candelabras. Made from iron or wood, they supported sets of candles made from animal tallow, capturing the wax in shallow bowls. The ornamental chandeliers of Europe carried on the idea of overhanging light by setting candles into metal frames fastened to strings of glittering glass and crystal drops. When gas and electric light arrived, chandeliers adapted and adjusted but never lost their impressive shapes and symbolic purpose of making a room more regal. Read on through this timeline to learn more about how the ceiling rose has played a part in world history and carries on today.

* Medieval & Middle Ages *

When Chaucer and Shakespeare were writing their literary masterpieces, it's possible they sat beneath the chandelier light of medieval times. Since electricity was still a long way off, these first chandeliers were designed with candleholders and drip pans, also known as bobéches , to hold the melted wax. The first chandeliers were practical constructions of two crossed planks of wood inset with carved grooves to hold the flickering flames, but they evolved into much more. The gothic mansions and castles of Europe glowed with hanging candelabras made of forged iron shaped into curving arms, each one tipped with light. The wealthy owners (or their peasant servants) moved them from room to room as needed. Through the 15th and 16th centuries, chandeliers continued to symbolize wealth and status, becoming more and more decorative and ornamental.

Early American

American pioneers used chandeliers for practical overhead light and their fixtures were made of common materials like wood, forged iron and softer metals such as copper and pewter. The tin chandelier stands out as an example of early American folkcraft — they are usually made of sheet iron, not tin, and are constructed with cones, curving arms, fluted cups, and may feature floral or geometric designs pierced into the shades. You'll see similar styles in the "primitive" shops and boutiques around the country. Flemish brass chandeliers, made in Europe and shipped to the colonies, introduced a more stately version of the chandelier into ordinary homes. Usually made from a spindle with curved arms attached, Flemish chandeliers are still popular today.

17th-Century European

Decades of iron, wood and brass chandeliers prefaced an era led by the Italians and Murano glass. Name after its home island in Venice — the clear bubble-free glass could be colored and shaped in new ways and quickly became popular. A typical Venetian Murano chandelier has multiple curved arms adorned with colored garlands, flowers, fruit, leaves and other embellishments. Made completely by hand, these fanciful masterpieces were designed to hang in theaters, palaces, and other important places. Many of them are still there. The concept of crystal chandeliers took hold throughout the world, with many variations and styles created to hang in the world's most magnificent landmarks.

* Regency & Victorian *

The highly decorative chandeliers of England's Regency and Victorian periods crowned the ballrooms of high-society events like debutante dances and weddings. Chandeliers were built from tiered rings of crystals and faceted glass that resembled upside-wedding cakes. The French style of montgolfiére , which hides the fixture's stem inside a "bag" of glass strands and resembles a hot air balloon, became popular and evolved into even more creative and elaborate styles. Another important development during the 17- and 18th century was the introduction of gas lights. By the end of the 19th century, both gas and electric lights were used in chandeliers, making them brighter than ever before.

* 20th Century *

As the 19th century ended, the world continued its love affair with the stately chandelier. The first all-electric chandelier was manufactured by Austrian company J. & L. Lobmeyr (who worked with American inventor Thomas Edison in making it) heralding a new era in overhead lighting. In the 1920s, flappers and their dates danced the Charleston under Bauhaus styles — ovals, baguettes, half-moons, and drums — that reshaped notions of what a chandelier could look like. But elegance and glamor carried on as the primary purpose of chandeliers as the Art Deco period of the 1930s pushed them in new directions. Novel ideas, such as shades made from stained glass and pure white milk glass, came about. At the same time, old styles — such as the Flemish chandelier — persisted and evolved.

* Mid-Century Modern *

The 1950s and 1960s were two of the most exciting decades in American design and chandeliers went along for the ride, taking a sharp turn away from classic ornamentalism. Mid-century chandeliers are some of the most valuable collectibles today and hang in world-famous theaters, museums, and other landmark buildings. Modern shapes like bubbles, Sputniks, tripods, domes, and starbursts inspired by or manufactured by legendary designers like the Castiglioni Brothers, Serge Mouille, Poul Henningsen and others established the aesthetic of the time and lit the salons of the era's prominent intellectuals and artists. Chandeliers of the mid-century era were often made from fusions of metal and glass and plastic was put to use for the first time.

* Today's chandeliers *

When shopping for a chandelier today, you have a range of choices that include mid-century, classic, rustic, traditional, modern and pop art. New manufacturing technologies and LED lighting are taking the chandelier in new directions. You'll see shapes and styles that resemble airplane wings, bacteria, mobiles, flower petals, starbursts, orbs and vessels. Some chandeliers blend various styles together, combining classic crystal drops with the rustic interest of reclaimed wood or a tiered candelabra inside a cage of copper spindles. What's best about contemporary chandeliers is the ease of installation and the many lighting options. Energy-efficient bulbs can be controlled with remotes or smartphone apps, allowing you to change the hue and intensity of the light.

* Conclusion *

When shopping for a chandelier, assess your home's history and current style of decor. Consider a statement piece that will claim attention or a more subtle model that highlights an interesting aspect of the room's architecture. Measure the amount of natural light coming into the space and choose a model that can illuminate under-used or dark areas of the room. Shades are another important consideration — think about how the light and shadows will land and choose accordingly. With chandeliers inspired from all eras of history in our catalog, you can soon stand beneath the shimmering light of a chandelier that makes your home a more beautiful and inviting place.

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How to make a statement with a chandelier

The chandelier, once a common and popular fixture in the home, is now making a comeback. Whether for function or aesthetics, chandeliers can help make an instant statement.

The entryway is a common location for a chandelier. The visual impact of placing a chandelier there can help set the tone and introduce guests to what is to come.

Dining areas

Chandeliers can be used to define rooms, especially dining areas. Often the selection of the dining table as far as its shape, style and even location is dictated by the location and style of the chandelier placed above it. Typically dining areas have an air of formality, and the style of chandelier can reflect this or a more casual feel.

Other rooms of the home

From living rooms to kitchens and even bedrooms, these days few design rules apply. One way to make an impact in any room is through lighting. A chandelier can be used to add illumination, define a particular area or infuse a particular style or aesthetic.

Dos and don'ts for choosing a chandelier

Do choose a chandelier that is the appropriate size and scale. A chandelier that is too big or too small can look out of place.

Do select a chandelier that makes a bold statement.

Do pay attention to style and color. A chandelier should complement your decor .

Don't forget that not all chandelier have to be overly fancy. Consider a chandelier that may be simpler if it fits your lifestyle.

Don't hang your chandelier too high or too low. The bottom of the chandelier should allow for ample headroom, without being too close to the ceiling. The entire chandelier should ideally be visible from the entry point into the space.

Don't purchase a chandelier that is overly trendy. A chandelier should be an investment, kept over time, as opposed to a temporary lighting solution.

— Cathy Hobbs, based in New York City, is an Emmy Award-winning television host and a nationally known interior design and home staging expert with offices in New York City, Boston and Washington, D.C. Contact her at [email protected] or visit her website at www.cathyhobbs.com.

What is Creative Writing? A Key Piece of the Writer’s Toolbox

Not all writing is the same and there’s a type of writing that has the ability to transport, teach, and inspire others like no other.

Creative writing stands out due to its unique approach and focus on imagination. Here’s how to get started and grow as you explore the broad and beautiful world of creative writing!

What is Creative Writing?

Creative writing is a form of writing that extends beyond the bounds of regular professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature. It is characterized by its emphasis on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary tropes or poetic techniques to express ideas in an original and imaginative way.

Creative writing can take on various forms such as:

• short stories
• screenplays

It’s a way for writers to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas in a creative, often symbolic, way . It’s about using the power of words to transport readers into a world created by the writer.

5 Key Characteristics of Creative Writing

Creative writing is marked by several defining characteristics, each working to create a distinct form of expression:

1. Imagination and Creativity: Creative writing is all about harnessing your creativity and imagination to create an engaging and compelling piece of work. It allows writers to explore different scenarios, characters, and worlds that may not exist in reality.

2. Emotional Engagement: Creative writing often evokes strong emotions in the reader. It aims to make the reader feel something — whether it’s happiness, sorrow, excitement, or fear.

3. Originality: Creative writing values originality. It’s about presenting familiar things in new ways or exploring ideas that are less conventional.

4. Use of Literary Devices: Creative writing frequently employs literary devices such as metaphors, similes, personification, and others to enrich the text and convey meanings in a more subtle, layered manner.

5. Focus on Aesthetics: The beauty of language and the way words flow together is important in creative writing. The aim is to create a piece that’s not just interesting to read, but also beautiful to hear when read aloud.

Remember, creative writing is not just about producing a work of art. It’s also a means of self-expression and a way to share your perspective with the world. Whether you’re considering it as a hobby or contemplating a career in it, understanding the nature and characteristics of creative writing can help you hone your skills and create more engaging pieces .

For more insights into creative writing, check out our articles on creative writing jobs and what you can do with a creative writing degree and is a degree in creative writing worth it .

Styles of Creative Writing

To fully understand creative writing , you must be aware of the various styles involved. Creative writing explores a multitude of genres, each with its own unique characteristics and techniques.

Poetry is a form of creative writing that uses expressive language to evoke emotions and ideas. Poets often employ rhythm, rhyme, and other poetic devices to create pieces that are deeply personal and impactful. Poems can vary greatly in length, style, and subject matter, making this a versatile and dynamic form of creative writing.

Short Stories

Short stories are another common style of creative writing. These are brief narratives that typically revolve around a single event or idea. Despite their length, short stories can provide a powerful punch, using precise language and tight narrative structures to convey a complete story in a limited space.

Novels represent a longer form of narrative creative writing. They usually involve complex plots, multiple characters, and various themes. Writing a novel requires a significant investment of time and effort; however, the result can be a rich and immersive reading experience.

Screenplays

Screenplays are written works intended for the screen, be it television, film, or online platforms. They require a specific format, incorporating dialogue and visual descriptions to guide the production process. Screenwriters must also consider the practical aspects of filmmaking, making this an intricate and specialized form of creative writing.

If you’re interested in this style, understanding creative writing jobs and what you can do with a creative writing degree can provide useful insights.

Writing for the theater is another specialized form of creative writing. Plays, like screenplays, combine dialogue and action, but they also require an understanding of the unique dynamics of the theatrical stage. Playwrights must think about the live audience and the physical space of the theater when crafting their works.

Each of these styles offers unique opportunities for creativity and expression. Whether you’re drawn to the concise power of poetry, the detailed storytelling of novels, or the visual language of screenplays and plays, there’s a form of creative writing that will suit your artistic voice. The key is to explore, experiment, and find the style that resonates with you.

For those looking to spark their creativity, our article on creative writing prompts offers a wealth of ideas to get you started.

Importance of Creative Writing

Understanding what is creative writing involves recognizing its value and significance. Engaging in creative writing can provide numerous benefits – let’s take a closer look.

Developing Creativity and Imagination

Creative writing serves as a fertile ground for nurturing creativity and imagination. It encourages you to think outside the box, explore different perspectives, and create unique and original content. This leads to improved problem-solving skills and a broader worldview , both of which can be beneficial in various aspects of life.

Through creative writing, one can build entire worlds, create characters, and weave complex narratives, all of which are products of a creative mind and vivid imagination. This can be especially beneficial for those seeking creative writing jobs and what you can do with a creative writing degree .

Enhancing Communication Skills

Creative writing can also play a crucial role in honing communication skills. It demands clarity, precision, and a strong command of language. This helps to improve your vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, making it easier to express thoughts and ideas effectively .

Moreover, creative writing encourages empathy as you often need to portray a variety of characters from different backgrounds and perspectives. This leads to a better understanding of people and improved interpersonal communication skills.

Exploring Emotions and Ideas

One of the most profound aspects of creative writing is its ability to provide a safe space for exploring emotions and ideas. It serves as an outlet for thoughts and feelings , allowing you to express yourself in ways that might not be possible in everyday conversation.

Writing can be therapeutic, helping you process complex emotions, navigate difficult life events, and gain insight into your own experiences and perceptions. It can also be a means of self-discovery , helping you to understand yourself and the world around you better.

So, whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, the benefits of creative writing are vast and varied. For those interested in developing their creative writing skills, check out our articles on creative writing prompts and how to teach creative writing . If you’re considering a career in this field, you might find our article on is a degree in creative writing worth it helpful.

4 Steps to Start Creative Writing

Creative writing can seem daunting to beginners, but with the right approach, anyone can start their journey into this creative field. Here are some steps to help you start creative writing .

1. Finding Inspiration

The first step in creative writing is finding inspiration . Inspiration can come from anywhere and anything. Observe the world around you, listen to conversations, explore different cultures, and delve into various topics of interest.

Reading widely can also be a significant source of inspiration. Read different types of books, articles, and blogs. Discover what resonates with you and sparks your imagination.

For structured creative prompts, visit our list of creative writing prompts to get your creative juices flowing.

Editor’s Note : When something excites or interests you, stop and take note – it could be the inspiration for your next creative writing piece.

2. Planning Your Piece

Once you have an idea, the next step is to plan your piece . Start by outlining:

• the main points

Remember, this can serve as a roadmap to guide your writing process. A plan doesn’t have to be rigid. It’s a flexible guideline that can be adjusted as you delve deeper into your writing. The primary purpose is to provide direction and prevent writer’s block.

3. Writing Your First Draft

After planning your piece, you can start writing your first draft . This is where you give life to your ideas and breathe life into your characters.

Don’t worry about making it perfect in the first go. The first draft is about getting your ideas down on paper . You can always refine and polish your work later. And if you don’t have a great place to write that first draft, consider a journal for writing .

4. Editing and Revising Your Work

The final step in the creative writing process is editing and revising your work . This is where you fine-tune your piece, correct grammatical errors, and improve sentence structure and flow.

Editing is also an opportunity to enhance your storytelling . You can add more descriptive details, develop your characters further, and make sure your plot is engaging and coherent.

Remember, writing is a craft that improves with practice . Don’t be discouraged if your first few pieces don’t meet your expectations. Keep writing, keep learning, and most importantly, enjoy the creative process.

For more insights on creative writing, check out our articles on how to teach creative writing or creative writing activities for kids.

Tips to Improve Creative Writing Skills

Understanding what is creative writing is the first step. But how can one improve their creative writing skills? Here are some tips that can help.

Read Widely

Reading is a vital part of becoming a better writer. By immersing oneself in a variety of genres, styles, and authors, one can gain a richer understanding of language and storytelling techniques . Different authors have unique voices and methods of telling stories, which can serve as inspiration for your own work. So, read widely and frequently!

Practice Regularly

Like any skill, creative writing improves with practice. Consistently writing — whether it be daily, weekly, or monthly — helps develop your writing style and voice . Using creative writing prompts can be a fun way to stimulate your imagination and get the words flowing.

Attend Writing Workshops and Courses

Formal education such as workshops and courses can offer structured learning and expert guidance. These can provide invaluable insights into the world of creative writing, from understanding plot development to character creation. If you’re wondering is a degree in creative writing worth it, these classes can also give you a taste of what studying creative writing at a higher level might look like .

Joining Writing Groups and Communities

Being part of a writing community can provide motivation, constructive feedback, and a sense of camaraderie. These groups often hold regular meetings where members share their work and give each other feedback. Plus, it’s a great way to connect with others who share your passion for writing.

Seeking Feedback on Your Work

Feedback is a crucial part of improving as a writer. It offers a fresh perspective on your work, highlighting areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. Whether it’s from a writing group, a mentor, or even friends and family, constructive criticism can help refine your writing .

Start Creative Writing Today!

Remember, becoming a proficient writer takes time and patience. So, don’t be discouraged by initial challenges. Keep writing, keep learning, and most importantly, keep enjoying the process. Who knows, your passion for creative writing might even lead to creative writing jobs and what you can do with a creative writing degree .

Happy writing!

Brooks Manley

Creative Primer  is a resource on all things journaling, creativity, and productivity. We’ll help you produce better ideas, get more done, and live a more effective life.

My name is Brooks. I do a ton of journaling, like to think I’m a creative (jury’s out), and spend a lot of time thinking about productivity. I hope these resources and product recommendations serve you well. Reach out if you ever want to chat or let me know about a journal I need to check out!

Here’s my favorite journal for 2024: 

Gratitude Journal Prompts Mindfulness Journal Prompts Journal Prompts for Anxiety Reflective Journal Prompts Healing Journal Prompts Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Journal Prompts Mental Health Journal Prompts ASMR Journal Prompts Manifestation Journal Prompts Self-Care Journal Prompts Morning Journal Prompts Evening Journal Prompts Self-Improvement Journal Prompts Creative Writing Journal Prompts Dream Journal Prompts Relationship Journal Prompts "What If" Journal Prompts New Year Journal Prompts Shadow Work Journal Prompts Journal Prompts for Overcoming Fear Journal Prompts for Dealing with Loss Journal Prompts for Discerning and Decision Making Travel Journal Prompts Fun Journal Prompts

Inspiring Ink: Expert Tips on How to Teach Creative Writing

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What are chandeliers: the ultimate guide.

Whether you’re considering a change to your lighting or just curious about the options, chandeliers are a great way to go. To that end, we’re going to cover the following five questions:

• “ What are chandeliers ?”
• “How do chandeliers differ from pendants?”
• “What are the benefits of chandeliers?”
• “Are chandeliers out of style?”
• “How do I choose a chandelier?”

Let’s dive in!

What are chandeliers?

Chandeliers are “a decorative hanging light with branches for several light bulbs or candles.” The name came from Modern French “chandelle” which means candle and the Latin word “candelabrum” which meant “candlestick” or “candle holder.” Besides branches, chandeliers can  feature levels known as “tiers” (which we will discuss later) and can be installed in any room.

How do chandeliers differ from pendants?

We’ve answered the question, “what is a chandelier?” But, what are pendants, then, and how are chandeliers different? Pendants are hanging fixtures with only one bulb and they either hang alone or in clusters of two or more. Chandeliers have multiple lights, but with the exception of rooms larger than the typical home will have, hang alone.

Chandeliers typically offer diffused or reflected light. Pendants, on the other hand, rarely reflect light as they tend to focus its path through the use of shades. Chandeliers can also be aimed toward the floor or up at the ceiling, but pendants are almost exclusively downward facing.

What are the benefits of chandeliers?

Beyond mere illumination, chandeliers are preferred over other lighting solutions for what they stand for and how they look. From their earliest days in the 1400s until the 1900s, chandeliers symbolized class, luxury, elegance, and wealth—especially since most people couldn’t afford to own and maintain them!

When gas-powered chandeliers were invented, however, prices dropped, as did the range of possible materials for use increased, along with aesthetic appeal, functionality, and demand. When the light bulb was invented, these trends continued. Nevertheless, the reasons for using chandeliers have remained consistent from the beginning.

Are chandeliers out of style?

Chandeliers are very much in style today and not just for the aforementioned reasons.

Chandeliers can be more expensive than pendants and other solutions, but they light up any space they’re in better than just about every option out there. Their main rival, recessed lights, can also light up even larger rooms, though it will require more lights and may cost more money and/or labor to install. Also, because chandeliers hang lower, the light source is closer to you.

Chandeliers are an affordable way to add that something special you’re looking for to any space without researching/making extensive, painstaking changes to your home like painting walls, buying new furniture, or adding or updating flooring or other features. (Pro tip: adding mirrors is usually inexpensive and will not only brighten your room but also create the illusion of space).

How do I choose a chandelier?

Chandeliers come in a variety of shapes and materials. Some are more ornate than others, but their popularity has remained high, even to today. They can even increase your home’s value!

So, how do you choose a chandelier? The main considerations include styles, types, dimensions and hanging position, and room choice. Price is also an integral part of the process, but we won’t be covering it today since it’s a complicated consideration that depends largely on your other preferences.

Chandelier styles

The six main chandelier styles are traditional/classical, neoclassical, modern/contemporary, industrial, geometric, and unique chandeliers. That said, styles can and do overlap.

Traditional/Classical

These chandeliers feature crystals and prisms to reflect the light, arms that enable multiple sources of light (since candles weren’t terribly bright), and antique finishes. Its basis is in the search for perfection. Candle-shaped lights are often used with this one, but not any more often than other light bulbs.

Neoclassical

This style appreciates the ancient and has a fascination with antiquity. In other words, it aims to keep the ancient aspect of traditional chandeliers while bringing the touch of modernization to it. An example would be a classic metal central candle holder with multiple candle holders branching out from it, and in place of candles, it would use candle-shaped lights.

Modern/Contemporary

Innovation is at the core of modern/contemporary chandeliers. Chandeliers of this style are characterized by a clean, fresh (as in what’s trending) look and optimal functionality while maintaining great aesthetics. For example, chrome or brushed nickel is often paired with glass or wood for a fresh take on the timeless classics.

This style embraces vintage bulbs, finishes in rust, gold or brass, wood, pulleys and gears, and a machine-like look. They are typically pretty simple in design and function rules over beauty in most cases (at the time of writing, I saw one chandelier that had a rack complete with hooks for pots and other kitchen items!).

Designers love this style because it features artistic ways of implementing geometric shapes. These chandeliers are most often symmetrical and fairly simplistic by design. Most, if not all, have an open frame which reveals the entire shape. The most common materials for these are metals, plastics, and crystals.

Chandeliers of this style have been gaining popularity in recent years as people love using the artistic flair on their homes. That said, it’s extremely difficult to pin down the style’s exact principles because the variety possibilities are endless (one chandelier with pink mason jars in a waterfall-like shape; another featured colored glass that glass blowers shaped into a sun or star shape).

Chandelier types

There are a number of chandelier types. Each is classified by some particular feature, and overlap between categories does happen.

Shaded chandeliers use shades to change the ambiance of a room. Drum chandeliers use one or more drum-shaped shades across the fixture. Candle-style chandeliers use candle-like bulbs (some even copy real candlelight!). Crystal chandeliers use crystals to reflect light. Sputnik chandeliers feature light bulbs on spindles connected to a central point and make use of the sun-burst, satellite, or other geometric shapes.

Globe chandeliers use orb- or globe-shaped light bulbs. Waterfall chandeliers make use of the waterfall shape with either light bulbs up at the top shining down on reflecting crystals, or a cascade of light bulbs. The idea is to make a falling water look. Caged chandeliers use open-frame cages to protect their light while giving it a special light-trapping appearance..

Finally, tiered chandeliers are chandeliers with more than one tier of lights in a combination of shapes and/or materials for an elegance that is difficult to top. (One example is the empire chandelier, which features two tiers, the top tier shaped like a cone and the bottom tier shaped like a bowl).

Chandelier dimensions and hanging position

It is imperative that the size of your chandelier and how low it hangs corresponds to the space you’re putting it in. This will affect overall brightness in the room, how the piece looks, and more.

Chandeliers less than 22 in (56 cm) in diameter go best in areas less than 100 ft 2 (9 m 2 ). Chandeliers with diameters from 22-30 in (56-75 cm) are for rooms sized around 144 ft 2 (14 m 2 ).

Chandeliers more than 30 in (75 cm) in diameter need at least 200 ft 2 (18 m 2 ) of space.

If these standard recommendations don’t work for you, as long as you can make adjustments that do, go for it.

Hanging position

This will depend on how high your ceiling is and which room it’ll occupy. Assuming an 8 ft (2.44 m) ceiling, the standard height to hang the chandelier at is 30-36 in (75-90 cm) above a table. If the ceiling height is greater than that, raise the chandelier 3 in (7.62 cm) per additional foot of ceiling height. This principle applies for kitchen islands as well. For chandeliers hanging over the floor, make sure you have 7 ft (2.13 m) of clearance to protect even the tallest of guests.

For those that reject the standard height recommendations, it’s perfectly okay for you to try something different. Just make sure to consider how the chandelier looks in your room from different angles (including entrance up to sitting at the table), how it impacts the overall design and feel of the room, and how well it serves your purposes overall (be it lighting, design, or something else entirely)page on chandeliers just for you. This is especially important for any two-story foyer, where it may be seen even from above.

If in doubt, make sure to consult with a licensed, bonded electrician. Larger, heavier chandeliers may require additional ceiling support. Also, be sure to research your ceiling type as it will also make a difference in your choice of chandelier and its position.

Room choice for your chandelier

As mentioned in the dimensions section, you want to make sure your chandelier is sized well for the room it will occupy. But there’s more to consider.

What is the impression your chandelier gives?

How does the chandelier actually look in a given room? Does it stand out? If you have nothing else to show off in the room’s design, great! The chandelier will serve its purpose well. If you do, though, it could overshadow the other item(s) you want to pop. You might consider a smaller chandelier. Does it look right in the room? Some chandeliers look better in one room than they will in another.

What about the role(s) your room serves? You want to ensure that the lighting is appropriate for that/those role(s). Kitchens need light everywhere, which makes chandeliers a great choice. Some kitchens also function as dining spaces, so dimmable smart-enabled bulbs are a great way to change the mood for the particular company it serves. Living/family rooms love chandeliers because the light bounces off the ceiling, creating greater ambiance.

The Bottom Line

Choosing a lighting solution can be a tricky process. Now that we’ve answered your important questions, especially “What are chandeliers?” and “How do I choose a chandelier?”, you should feel confident and ready to make that final lighting choice. To help you along with that, we’ve got a page on modern chandeliers just for you! Happy hunting!

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castle - quotes and descriptions to inspire creative writing

• Bow and Arrows
• great halls
• Medieval Stocks
• royal crown
• stone staircase

The castle rose upon the hill as if it had woven its stones from the most golden of early sunrays.

In those times of the sword, of armies with their philosophy of plunder, the castle was our safeplace, our cocoon, our fortress. For we lived together. That's how we survived, everyone needing one another. From the fletcher to the baker, we were the castle, we were the heartbeats within the rock.

The evil kings were the ones who lived only in the Money-Nexus, who valued only the treasures of cold metal. The good kings were connected to the Love-Nexus and had the philosophies that saw creation and mankind as the upmost treasures of their kingdom. The ignorant saw castle walls of rock, we saw our method of protecting whom we love. You could say that we came to have different Gods, those lectured to by either good kings or bad, the latter losing the ability to tell the difference between virtue and vice, so easily misled, so barbaric and vile.

The castle was bold on the blue beyond. It stood there as if conjured from the storybook of a child. It was perfect. Amy imagined unicorns in the courtyard, because if those towers could exist, why not? Every stone was even and square, as if those who built were set on perfection, as if they really loved what they made. They were walls made to protect a community, to echo with laughter and be the shelter they needed for the millennia to come.

The castle walls are the strongest thing for miles around, yet when Rose looks carefully she notices the stones. It is built of stones of varying sizes and shapes, each one unique. From a distance it is uniform grey, from up close it is a mosaic of humble rocks, each of them nobody would think anything of were they loose by the roadside. But together they are a castle, the crown of the landscape and protector of ancient peoples.

We stood upon the drawbridge, upon the ancient wood. At one time this was where the horses passed over, where they carried the goods into the citadel within. This was more than a castle; it was a home for everyone in these parts.

In the days of the good king, the castles made peace with one another. We traded goods and inter-marriage was normal. In that we grew stronger and the golden age began, the days of the rise of magic.

If one has a heart to plunder, to be the wrong sort of king, I suppose a castle is what you need. I suppose if you want so much more than any man or woman has a right to, then you need tall walls of stone... for your castle and your mind. I imagine these people are lonely behind such rocky towers, paranoid as they fill their world with weapons, each as deadly as the last sin they inflicted on the less powerful. How they preach, those greedy ones who sit and guzzle, taking whatever and whomever they please. Yes. I can see why they would need to live in a building such as that... grand and empty, dank with small windows and surrounded by their own filth. It's just perfect.

The castle was a tower of rock amid the jolly green, a fine accompaniment to the bonny foliage.

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Written by Lumens Admin • February 24, 2022 • 9:56 am • The Guides

How to Choose a Modern Chandelier

When it comes to light fixtures, nothing creates a statement like a chandelier . It sets the tone of the room and can be a conversation piece among guests. But first, you’ll need to educate yourself about the different chandelier designs, styles and types, so that you know all the possibilities for adding a chandelier to your home.   

This guide will begin with some basic information on chandeliers and the different types, shapes, finishes and functions. Then it will go over three things to consider when putting a chandelier in your home: position, installation height and brightness level.  

What is a Chandelier? 

At its essence, a chandelier is a light fixture that hangs from the ceiling. While most commonly used in the dining room, chandeliers can be used to create a statement in any room such as the living room , bedroom and patio . Chandeliers feature multiple lamps, often in multiple tiers, and are used for ambient lighting.   

A similar style of light, the pendant light, may be confused with a chandelier. A pendant light generally includes just one shade or light source hanging from a single wire or suspension system, while a chandelier has multiple shades/light sources, often connected by a branched frame.  However, even with this distinction, the difference between pendant lights and chandeliers seems to blur when comparing larger-sized pendants. For most, a larger hanging light fixture is more broadly understood as a chandelier even if it technically might be a pendant light. 

Although the image of a traditional chandelier is often quite specific—a suspended light fixture with multiple arms and candelabras with beads and crystals hanging beneath—modern and contemporary chandelier design rethinks the traditional concept of chandeliers in new and innovative ways.  

Chandelier Design and Style 

One of the most exciting aspects of being in the market for a chandelier is the discovery of a style that you adore for your home. To match your home’s design, consider the following types of chandelier design and which one might fit your home the best. 

Modern Chandelier Design 

Modern and mid-century modern chandeliers are distinctive for both the era their style originates from and their focus on creating furniture that was both aesthetically pleasing and functional. 

Contemporary Chandelier Design 

Are innovative design and minimalism key themes of your home? Contemporary design breaks away from other styles to produce cutting-edge chandeliers that show how chandelier design can be reimagined for everyday use. 

Rustic Chandelier Design 

Characterized by an emphasis on simplicity and naturalism and a nod to the American West, the use of wood, wrought iron and Edison-style bulbs are common for rustic chandeliers. 

Farmhouse / Craftsman Chandelier Design 

In the same vein of rustic, farmhouse chandeliers offer a pinch of nostalgia. These chandeliers often use clear glass or no glass to show off bare Edison-style bulbs, aged looking wood and metal accents. 

Industrial Chandelier Design 

Industrial design employs the use of exposed wood and metal to stir up the image of lighting that may have been used in a factory or industrial setting. 

Chandelier Shapes 

Once you have an idea of the type of style you’d like, then you can consider the type of shape your chandelier can take. There’s a lot more to a chandelier than just the number of arms it has. Take a look at some of the different forms that chandeliers can be found in. 

Rectangular Chandeliers  

Round Chandeliers  

Cluster Chandeliers  

Sputnik Chandeliers  

Caged Chandeliers  

Globe Chandeliers  

Chandeliers by Finish 

As with style, you should determine whether you want your chandelier’s color or finish to coordinate or contrast with the surrounding furnishings and any other light fixtures. For example, a chrome chandelier can work well with wall sconces in bronze, as long as they have similar design styles. 

Bronze Chandeliers  

Gold Chandeliers  

Silver Chandeliers  

Chandeliers by Lighting Function 

After determining a chandelier’s design statement in a room, it’s best to consider how its lighting will function within your home.  

• Uplight Chandeliers : Uplight chandeliers focus light upwards, providing reflected ambiance around a space, rather than direct downlighting. 
• Downlight Chandeliers : Akin to the traditional style of chandeliers, downlight chandeliers provide unobstructed light below. Ideal when your room needs lots of direct, focused light as well as ambient light. 
• Ambient Lighting : With the exception of downlight chandeliers, most chandeliers aren’t ideal for providing task lighting—most work much better to create ambient lighting due to their emphasis on diffused, non-direct light. 

While the easiest option is to go with the style that matches your home, another option is to find a chandelier that contrasts with its surroundings. You may find that a classic crystal chandelier is more dazzling in a modern space than a simple large bell shade. 

With whatever type of chandelier you choose, the key is selecting a style that will enhance the surrounding space and not take away from the theme of the room. 

3 Things to Consider When Choosing the Perfect Chandelier 

1. Positioning a Chandelier 

In an interior space, the position of the chandelier should be as centered as possible. Here are three reasons why: 

• Aesthetic: A well-designed chandelier is admirable from all angles. Placing the chandelier in a central position gives you a 360-degree view to admire all the beautiful elements. 
• General Light: Artificial ambient light is more evenly distributed from a centered position. 
• Symmetry: As most likely the only suspended object, a chandelier is best put in a central location for visual balance. 

2. Installation Height 

In a dining room, a chandelier should hang approximately 30 inches above a dining table surface so people seated around it can see each other and won’t get glare in their eyes. If you have a high ceiling (9 feet or higher), add about 3 inches for each additional foot of ceiling height. 

Additionally, the chandelier should be 1/2 to 2/3 the width of the table. 

In other rooms, you should always consider such line of sight and safe clearance when installing a chandelier. After all, a light fixture is much less appealing if it blocks your view or if you keep hitting your head on it. 

3. Chandelier Brightness 

The ideal lumen count for ambient lighting in a dining room—or any room—is determined by the space’s square footage. Per 100 square feet, a dining room needs about 300-400 total lumens. So you would be smart to consider the lumen output of a chandelier as part of your selection process. In the interest of proper light layering, a chandelier may not be the sole source of ambient lighting in a space, but it will likely be the primary one. 

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Beautiful Chandelier Designs (68 Modern Examples)

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A classy or modern living room chandelier is always a good interior design idea, regardless of whether you’re looking to enlighten the living room, entryway, dining hall, or an unexpected area like the kitchen and the bathroom.

The following chandelier design ideas help make the place more personal and dramatic, especially when the owner decides to follow a particular stream, and hanging light fixtures in similar shapes and made of similar materials.

The glamour and elegance that chandeliers bring into our homes has become something that we take for granted. But it wasn’t always like this. The first chandeliers were nothing more than two pieces of wood tied together to form a cross with spikes at the end that held the candles. They may seem very simple now but back then they were only used in churches and large gathering places which pretty much means chandelier lighting was a symbol of status and wealth right from the beginning.

The term “chandelier” comes from French where it was adapted from Latin and it basically means “candle holder” which was an accurate description of the item at first but later the sense was lost. Chandeliers evolved from being very simple and primarily functional to being more ornate as the materials and the production techniques improved over time. Initially made of wood, chandeliers then also became available in metal, glass and crystal.

During the 18th century , glass chandeliers were being created by Venetian glassmakers and by Bohemians. It was also during this period that the baroque and rococo styles emerged, the latter being defined by lots of leaves, flowers, garlands and other decorative elements, usually made of bronze. Russian chandeliers then created their own styles, being identifiable by the colored glass.

With the industrial revolution, decorative objects (chandeliers included) became available to more people. When the electric light bulb was invented the designs and structure of chandeliers changed and designers started using completely new ideas and finding inspiration in nature. In 1965 glassmaker Daniel Swarovski entered the chandelier business and turned these light fixtures into eye-catching decor elements.

As they started growing in size, chandeliers became more extravagant and illumination became their secondary function. This made them mainly decorative. Today, modern chandeliers are just as much decorations as they are light sources, with exceptions on both sides. We’re now living in a time when it’s possible to find any type of chandelier variation you desire, whether it’s minimalist, contemporary, rustic, vintage, made of wood, of metal, glass or with any other particularities.

Designed using techniques passed down generation after generation, the Rezzonico chandeliers have a rich history that goes back to the 17th century when the Rezzonico family, one of the richest in Venice, asked a glassmaker to create an impressive ballroom chandelier that would show off their status and wealth. Ever since then, the Murano chandeliers created by Gianni Seguso recreate that magnificent style. The chandeliers you see here are handmade in Murano.

This is the Atlantis chandelier, a shimmering beauty with a vibrant and unique design inspired by the beautiful energy of the ocean. The chandelier features hundreds of nickel chains draped over the frame which create an organic, cascading effect. Every chandelier is made using almost 3 miles of chain handcrafted by master Italian artisans.

The Stream chandelier is also designed using huge amounts of chain. It has three cascading tiers that use more than 3 km of metal chain and, as its dramatic look suggests, this is not by any means a cheap chandelier, especially if you want the limited edition gold-plated version. Naturally, the chandelier becomes a focal point no matter where or how you display it.

The Tesoro chandelier is the type of light fixture you would display above a staircase or in a room with an extra high ceiling. The chandelier features a metal frame covered in strings of handmade Murano glass drops that have irregular forms and various different color tones. The light bulbs fit inside custom-made glass covers. This beautiful crystal chandelier comes in two sizes.

Rectangular chandeliers are excellent choices for the dining room. They can be paired with rectangular dining tables and they can look very elegant. This one is a two-tier chandelier from Bella Figura created using square-cut Murano glass. It can look exquisite in dining rooms but also in kitchens, above islands or bars.

The Pentagon chandelier also has a rectangular shape. It’s a contemporary ceiling light which can be displayed above dining tables, kitchen islands, breakfast bars and peninsulas. Also, its elongated form can emphasize the size and shape of a room or complement other design elements present in the space.

It looks stunning and impressive and you can only make the most of its beauty if you have a double-height ceiling or if you display it on a staircase hallway. Keep in mind that such a chandelier could easily overpower a small room so design the rest of the decor accordingly. The Waterfall chandelier is eye-catching but also quite simplistic.

The classic version of the Pentagon chandelier has been reinterpreted here and transformed into a stylish drum chandelier able to fit beautifully in a lot of modern and contemporary spaces. The design is versatile and glamorous, taking advantage of the inclination towards geometric patterns that these styles show a preference for.

Simple, sleek and modern, the Hyde Park Chandelier has a steel frame that holds a set of drum shades with diffusers available in more than 200 silk colours. The overall design has the flair and charm needed to brighten up a contemporary living room and to add a warmth touch to its decor.

The Concertina  chandelier is a modern light fixtures defined by surprising contrasts. It has a round body which offers diffuse and pleasant light decorated with a series of brass V-shaped strips that resemble wooden tree branches.

All three chandeliers displayed here are beautiful and each one has a special something that makes it stand out from the others. Starting from the left, we have the Bond Street chandelier that puts together a circular brass frame and a series of clear lucite rods in various different diameters and lengths. Then comes the Curzon Street chandelier which has a rectangular shape with curved ends, ideal for rooms with low ceilings or for dining spaces. The one on the right is the Villanova chandelier decorated with tiers of Murano glass drops.

The juxtaposition of the glass panels gives the Gateaux chandelier a really sculptural and eye-catching look while the proportions allow it to become a focal point in double-height spaces. You can use this light fixture to add drama to a room without creating an overwhelming look.

This is Annello , a crystal chandelier that can easily fit in almost any modern or contemporary interior decor. Its design is made up of three circular elements decorated with clear cut crystal bricks installed on a polished stainless steel frame.

Designs such as the one featured by the Pavuk chandelier showcase the intricacy that these light fixtures reached over the years and the journey from purely functional to aesthetically pleasing and extravagant beauty.

Similarly, the Angelus chandelier has a highly graphical and intricate design guaranteed to stand out. We’d imagine this black chandelier in an industrial-style living space or in a double-height hallway or stairwell with beautiful architectural elements such as a vaulted ceiling or arched windows.

With a name like Champs-Elysees , it’s easy to guess where the inspiration for this chandelier came from. Or is it? The design is inspired by the Champs-Élysées bowl designed in 1951 by Marc Lalique and features delicate leaves reminiscent of the beautiful trees on the famous boulevard.