Word Painting: A Guide to Writing More Descriptively
by Rebecca McClanahan
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Book Summary Information
Author: Rebecca McClanahanEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2000-08-15
ISBN: 1582970254
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: Writers Digest Books
Book Reviews of Word Painting: A Guide to Writing More Descriptively
Book Review: Mostly a waste of time
Summary: 1 Stars
I admit there are some useful advice and exercises, but after about page 100, it loses focus and starts to ramble on about topics that are MUCH better dealt by other books, such as characters, point of view, setting, and plot. It actually made me angry and frustrated to be reading about something that, to me, had little to do with "description" per se.
In my opinion, the useful advice contained in this book can be summarized as follows:
1) Use concrete, multi-sensory details instead of explanatory labels ("amazing" "great")
2) Describe an object in motion; if not try using active verbs (e.g. "her chin jutted out")
3) Consider describing something by negation and try to find something surprising about the object you are describing
That's pretty much it. Yes, this book is chock-full of commonsensical information, which CAN be useful for review, but I doubt it's worth the price of the book.
The first four chapters are the most relevant and useful in my humble opinion. The 5th chapter on metaphors is interesting depending on your interests, but downright impractical(try finding your "constellation of images"). The subjects of Chapters 6 and 7 are much better treated by Orson Scot Card in his CHARACTERS AND VIEWPOINT so you can skip that.
Chapter 8 is mostly useless. Thankfully, Chapter 9 finally presents a few useful techniques (quickening the pace by adding sensory details, sprinkling details for effect, and delaying revealing details to increase tension).The last Chapter is a sustained ramble on mood, tone, psychic distance, and "The Big Ear," which we are encouraged to cultivate, whatever it is.
Another minor yet personally important grievance involves her absurd claim that "physical description of a character is such an important element of most fiction" (p.119) and I must say that, au contraire, physical description is the LEAST important element. Who the hell cares what the main guy's nose looks like (ahem, Maltese Falcon) or the color of his or her eyes or hair? Those are the LEAST memorable, too.
I'm more of a believer in showing characters through action (Orson Scott Card seems to think so too). Another example: Heinrich von Kleist, a famous German writer/playwright and contemporary of Goethe, does away with physical description altogether and reveals them exclusively through their action. And his stories are simply riveting.
Don't waste your time or money on this.
Summary of Word Painting: A Guide to Writing More Descriptively
Let Rebecca McClanahan guide you through an inspiring examination of description in its many forms. With her thoughtful instruction and engaging exercises, you'll learn to develop your senses and powers of observation to uncover the rich, evocative words that accurately portray your mind's images. McClanahan includes dozens of descriptive passages written by master poets and authors to illuminate the process. She also teaches you how to weave writing together using description as a unifying thread.Art History Books
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