Natural:
Grass stems
Straw
Reeds
Burrows
Intestines
Valves (heart, etc.)…
Man-made:
Straw
Culverts
Pipes (copper, metal, PVC)
A pencil with no lead
A pen with no ink chamber
Flashlight…
Synonyms: cylinder, column, pipe, hollow, duct, pipeline
Describing a shape is best done in as few words as possible. Think of the shape as a camera snap shot–you want to capture the gist of what you mean as soon as possible so you can get on with other related (and more important) detail, and the action happening in the scene
Accurate shape comparisons will streamline your prose, allowing you to describe an object quickly so the reader’s focus stays on the action and events of each scene.
Want access to a plethora of real-world comparisons for specific shapes so you can spend your description currency on what matters most? We have you covered. This thesaurus has been expanded by 50% and integrated into our online library at One Stop For Writers. There, you’ll find an intuitive list of ideas to choose from, cross-referenced for easy searchability. To view a free sample of this descriptive thesaurus and others, head on over and register at One Stop.
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.
Thanks everyone. LOL, all I could think of while writing this is the old saying, “Totally Tubular, dude!”
Great add, Jude! I can’t believe I forgot!
Wow, great stuff. Love it!
don’t leave out my snorkel!!!
Love these posts! 🙂
Interesting!
That makes perfect sense, yet it would be so easy to do it the other way – like in your first example. Great tip and examples, Angela. 🙂