Movie or television show directors use camera angles, lighting, and soundtracks to instantly create story worlds for their viewers; stage directors employ lighting, sets, and music. Musicians rely on sound, visual artists on sight.

Writers have only one tool—description—to invoke sights, sounds, atmosphere, mood, and so much more. Learning to effectively wield that tool makes the difference between writing that delivers information and writing that sings the story to life on the page.

Descriptive writing, when done well, creates an immersive reading experience. Readers love to get lost in a good book, feeling as though they’re in another time and place, walking in characters’ shoes, seeing, hearing, experiencing, smelling, touching right along with the characters.

Creating such an experience can be daunting, but writers can learn, and apply, descriptive writing techniques to their own projects. However, writers must be careful to employ description subtly, so as not to stop action, pace, or flow, or disrupt character development, voice, or theme. Description done well is like a sparkly thread so subtly woven into a tapestry that is not immediately obvious yet is essential to the overall effect.

In this online writing course, you will learn how to effectively use descriptive techniques to elevate your writing into an immersive reading experience for your readers, including agents and editors.