WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

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Colors, Textures and Shapes: Pitted

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Natural:

Unpolished marble
Sandstone
Orange peel
Honeycomb
Acne scars
Barnacles…

Man-made:

Old concrete (sidewalks,etc)
Cracker tops (Ritz, soda)
Weathered brick
Rust blooms
Golf balls
Sponges…

Synonyms: pock, honeycombed, cratered, pocked, pock marked…

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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Comments

  2. Mary Witzl says

    I always like your weak examples and find them useful. They make me really pore over my texts, line by line, to identify places where the writing is flat, with no verve or life or whatever it is that makes me sit up and take notice when I’m reading. Before, I never knew why some sections of my manuscripts zinged and others just fizzled out, but I have a much better idea now, partly from making visits here. Believe me, I have learned so much from your blog!