Today, I want to keep it short and simple. As writers, we need to convey a lot with just text, and part of that struggle is finding ways to convey specificity instead of vagueness. Let’s look at three easy tips that will strengthen your writing and enhance your story.
1. Vague Words
The first and most obvious way to avoid vagueness in your story is to avoid vague words. Think of words like you would animal families. The Felidae family is cats. When you see the word cat, you can think of many different versions: Lion, Siamese, Bobcat, etc. Cat is a vague term. It’s the general word for a group of many different felines. In your writing, you want to use the specific term and not the general one.
For instance, let’s look at nouns. If I use the word object, what do you picture? Can you picture anything? Some might fill in the blank with something specific, others might see an abstract shape, and still others may not picture anything because it’s too vague to form an image. When writing a story, the last thing you want is readers feeling lost or making the wrong assumptions about simple things. Avoid words like: things, it, stuff, noise, etc. If the noun is a general name for a group, then use something specific in that group that gives a concrete picture. Instead of noise, use shattering glass or a heavy thud. Give your readers something specific to imagine.
Like nouns, writers must avoid vague verbs. Don’t use words like move, talk, dress, walk, stop, look, etc. Find a specific verb that portrays movement and an image. Instead of saying she got dressed, use tugged on her jeans or slid into her dress. That way it isn’t a mundane action but showing the clothes and person. What does she wear? Is she graceful or fighting to fit into that outfit? Check your verbs and make them specific if you are using a category term for a generic action.
2. Showing “The Many”
It’s very hard (or maybe impossible) for our brains to imagine a large collective. If we see the word crowd, some will picture a stream of people at a farmers market and others will see the audience at a concert. But no one imagines the faces or maybe even the clothes of the crowd. Whether it’s picturing a million dollars or the bird’s eye view of a city, people have a hard time imagining numerous things.
The best way to get a reader’s attention when describing “the many” is to zoom in on the details. For instance, let’s go back to the crowd. Instead of saying he walked a crowded street, try describing one aspect of a crowded place. He shuffled his feet, trying not to step on the heels of the person before him. One little detail, but we know it’s crowded, right? No one worries about the length of their strides unless they’re walking very close to others. Check your manuscript for any instance of groups, and see if you can make something big feel personal by describing details.
3. The Void
Just like it’s hard to picture numerous things, it’s hard to picture nothing. We have no concept for it. Yet so many times writers expect readers to experience nothing. He saw nothing there. She felt nothing. While these are understood by people, it’s not really true. Something has to be there with him. She has to feel something. Instead of trying to get our readers to see or feel what isn’t there, give them details about what is present and emphasize it’s the wrong thing.
For instance, let’s look at the concept of seeing nothing. What was he really looking for? The dog he’d been trying to catch? Then use the dog’s absence in the description to convey to the reader he didn’t find what he wanted. He turned the corner, gaze scanning the dirty cobblestone street, but only a cat sat perched on a nearby stoop. Now readers have an image of what he’s found, and they understand it isn’t the dog. Instead of asking people to picture nothing, give them an image and let them deduce what’s missing. It engages readers more in the story and will keep their attention better. The next time you want to point out nothing, change your thinking and show how what is there isn’t the right thing.
Final Thoughts
Well, I said I’d keep it short and simple this week, and I hope it was the little nudge you needed to enhance your prose. As writers, we need to put lasting details in readers’ heads, and the best way to do that is to give them a specific image to hold onto. Kick out that vagueness from your story and replace it with concrete details. It’ll take your writing to the next level.
Thanks for reading!
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