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WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Helping writers become bestselling authors

Colors, Textures and Shapes: Crusty

October 22, 2009 by ANGELA ACKERMAN

Natural:

Scabs
Dried sea foam
Lime
Dried Tears
Tree bark
Water scale…

Man-made:

Meringue
Buns
Scones
Over gelled hair
Bread
Pastries…

Synonyms: flaky, crispy, brittle, well baked, scabby…

Describing texture in a story creates intimacy between reader and character, and can even cause an emotional trigger for both. To anchor the reader in the scene, make sure comparisons and contrasts are clear and relatable, and within the scope of the narrator’s life knowledge and experience.

Textures are a powerful tool for pulling readers into the narrating character’s world, so don’t skimp.

Looking for ways to encourage that shared empathy bond between your readers and the hero? You’ll be happy to know that this thesaurus has been expanded by 60% (many new entries to explore!) and integrated into our online library at One Stop For Writers. With One Stop’s cross-referenced searchability, adding texture to your writing has never been easier, so if you’re interested in seeing a free sampling of the updated Texture Thesaurus and our other collections, head on over and register.

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ANGELA ACKERMAN
ANGELA ACKERMAN

Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Erica says

    October 27, 2009 at 12:08 am

    I use the word crusty all the time in my WIPs. Nice to see some alternatives 🙂 Thanks again!

  2. Tara says

    October 24, 2009 at 12:16 am

    Scab right off the bat was not a nice visual. I’d add craddle cap.

  3. Ray Veen says

    October 22, 2009 at 12:35 pm

    I haven’t told you in a while, but I think your thesaurus is awesome.

  4. PJ Hoover says

    October 22, 2009 at 11:37 am

    Crusty is good! I had the best crusty sushi roll at the grocery the other day. Yum.

  5. Angela says

    October 22, 2009 at 11:20 am

    I see one for ‘Unease’

    https://writershelpingwriters.net/2008/01/unease.html

  6. Liana Brooks says

    October 22, 2009 at 11:10 am

    Is it my imagination or wasn’t there ever an entry for Nervous in the emotion thesaurus?

  7. Angela says

    October 22, 2009 at 8:57 am

    Thanks Bish–those are great additions. 🙂

  8. Bish Denham says

    October 22, 2009 at 8:14 am

    Lichens are kind of crusty. And there’s that crusty stuff on the bottom of a pan. In Puerto Rico there’s an actual word for it, pegau. (I hope that’s how it’s spelled!) The pegau made from over-cooked, slightly burnt rice is considered by many to be a crunchy taste treat.

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