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WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®

Helping writers become bestselling authors

Texture Thesaurus Entry: Crackled

January 13, 2010 by ANGELA ACKERMAN

Natural:

Walnut shell
Papery or scaly skin
Dried mud puddles/riverbeds
Lightning
Disintegrating leaves
Marble…

Man-made:

Burnt timber (charcoal)
Manufactured electricity
Static electricity
Old, peeling paint
Antiqued paint technique
Mummified remains…

Synonyms: fissure, crackle, splintered, fracture

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. Daisy Whitney says

    January 15, 2010 at 5:20 pm

    Nice work! I like your thesaurus-ing!

  2. Lisa and Laura says

    January 14, 2010 at 11:53 pm

    Oh god, the dreaded wrinkle cliche. Crackled is the perfect way to kick it to the curb. Love it!

  3. Niki says

    January 14, 2010 at 1:09 am

    Crackled is such a neat word :o)

  4. Bish Denham says

    January 13, 2010 at 5:52 pm

    Fantastic!

  5. Karen Lange says

    January 13, 2010 at 4:08 pm

    Love this one! Thanks for the examples too. They’re always helpful:)

  6. Elana Johnson says

    January 13, 2010 at 2:00 pm

    I like to use this word as a verb. It’s very “crackly.” 🙂

Trackbacks

  1. Color, Texture and Shape Thesaurus Collection | Writers Helping Writers says:
    October 11, 2013 at 4:30 pm

    […] Crackled […]

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