Real World Comparisons:
Nature:
Ladybugs
Butterfly wings
Leopard
Spotted owl
Deer faun
Spotted Salamander
Angelfish…
Man Made:
Polka dots on fabric
Chocolate chip cookies
poppy seed cake
Blueberry muffins
Rust blooms
Water spots on tables…
Synonyms of Spotted: polka dot, rash, pimply, dots, dotted, freckled…
Make every detail count
Colors are powerful descriptors, not fillers. Make sure that if you use a comparison or contrast to highlight a color, you choose the right one. Look at the setting and atmosphere you are working to create, then draw from the viewpoint character or narrator’s history, education and past experiences to find the right fit.
Colors not only paint a picture for readers; when used well, they can also create emotional and symbolic harmonies.
Looking to add vivid imagery to your character’s world? This thesaurus has been expanded and integrated into our online library at One Stop For Writers. There, entries have been enhanced to include symbolism opportunities, a wealth of real-world comparisons that can be woven into your writing, and examples of how to describe colors and patterns in ways that engage the reader’s imagination. This collection is also cross-referenced for easy searchability so you can find exactly what you’re looking for. Interested in seeing a sampling of the updated Color and Pattern Thesaurus and our other collections? Head on over and register for free 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.
diaper rash! LOL!
And I love dice.
Great post as always!
Just found your blog, searching for expressing character emotions in writing. This place is just what I was looking for! Thanks!
Weak comparisons, the bane of many a writer (myself included). Thanks for the list.
Mary we think alike because we wear the same tin foil hats!
Thanks Ann!
Bish I remember her! She was on the knowledge network sometimes (I grew up with three TV channels and that was one of them).
Shannon, that is so beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing it!
ElanaJ–I do that too. A word will hit me and i get shivers because it’s exactly right!
Conda and Niki, thanks so much for stopping in and commenting!
Thanks Karen! I hope it helps!
I like this one. “Spotted” just sounds so interesting, with so much potential.
🙂 Thanks!
This is a great blog. I look forward to your posts. Thanks! :o)
I love these different thesauruses! Good work.
I used the word “freckled” the other day in my WiP. I was like, “oooh, good word!!”
I don’t know why, but this post makes me think of Gerard Manley Hopkins’s poem, “Pied Beauty”.
Glory be to God for dappled things–
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced–fold, fallow, and plough;
And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim.
All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise Him.
How many remember the comicbook character Little Dot? She was all about dots.
This one is especially fun.
Ladybugs were the very first thing I thought of here; clearly great minds think alike!