how to describe darkness in creative writing

Dark words can have a real impact on your writing. Discover different words to describe darkness and choose the right ones to improve your creative work.

Here are 30 of the best phrases to help you master the art of describing night in writing: "The moon cast a soft, silver glow.". "Stars adorned the velvety sky.". "Shadows danced in the moonlight.". "The night was cloaked in mystery.". "A serene, moonlit meadow stretched before us.". "The darkness whispered secrets.".

Metaphors describing Darkness. Related: Darkness Symbolism. 1. The Darkness is a Veil. Perhaps the most common darkness metaphor, this one relates darkness to the concept of having something pulled down over your eyes. The most obvious feature that connects darkness to veils is that they both obscure our vision.

In order to get awed about something so dark there needs to be a comparison to a light source and the effect that this darkness might have on it. If everything is dark, pitch-black around you, you are simply blind. No way to compare it to anything, so the "darkness" effect gets neutralized.

Instead, try using more descriptive words that evoke a sense of sadness in the reader. For example, you could use words like "heartbroken," "bereft," "devastated," "despondent," or "forlorn.". These words help to create a more vivid and emotional description of sadness that readers can connect with.

Darkness comes as strong protective arms, holding us close until the promised dawn. Within it we are as children once more, safe in shields of duvet. Yet in this place so open to the skies, resting in the cricket's lullaby, our eyes are as bright as the constellations above; our stardust atoms seeking the stars until they can bathe in the light ...

Establishing the time and place. Sensory Imagery. Visual Descriptions. Emotional Atmosphere. Creating a mood through word choice and tone. Symbolism and Metaphor. Using night as a symbolic element. Character Interaction with the Night. Integrating characters into the nighttime setting.

Darkness is a symbol of ignorance, of not knowing, among others. Such as: "There was no darkness more terrifying to him than not knowing." I was playing Dark Souls the other day and I imagined Artorias, walking into the abyss. Walking into the complete and utter darkness, alone, feeling….

A quill still wet with thick black ink rested next to a sheet of parchment filled with writing in a language he couldn't read. Crude drawings made with heavy strokes were set within the words. Some of them were disturbing — a bleeding hand cut open with a knife and a person floating lifeless below a ghoul with black eyes poised to attack.

Instead of using words like 'night' to describe what is happening, try using words like 'dim' or 'dusky.'. These words have the same underlying meaning, but they carry a different tone. A word like 'dim' makes the surrounding area a bit hazy, like twilight.

Table of Contents. Dark and edgy writing can be defined as a style of writing that is often thought-provoking, intense, and unsettling. It is a type of writing used to express intense emotions and strong reactions by exploring topics such as fear, death, suffering, and despair. Dark and edgy writing may also have elements of shock, surprise, or ...

"It was a dark and stormy night." While this line (part of Edward Bulwer-Lytton's novel *Paul Clifford*) is an infamous example of over-the-top creative writing, it also serves a very important purpose for the novel's opening scene: it establishes a clear mood. Every piece of literature has a mood, because a strong mood is vital for a story's emotional resonance and lasting power.

Writing description is a necessary skill for most writers. Whether we're writing an essay, a story, or a poem, we usually reach a point where we need to describe something. In fiction, we describe settings and characters. In poetry, we describe scenes, experiences, and emotions. In creative nonfiction, we describe reality.

The most beautiful writing uses common words in uncommon ways. Try to avoid falling into clichés. I can't even count the number of times I've seen an author describe darkness as inky or velvety. Pitch-black is generally a bit too strong for this context, I think.

David Wright is the co-author of 30+ novels spanning horror, thriller, and sci-fi. He's also a podcaster at the Story Studio podcast and one of the three co-founders of Sterling and Stone Story Studio with Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant. both of whom have been on this show several times. Dave has a nonfiction book out: Into the Darkness: Hook Your Readers Without Getting Lost in the Dark ...

Like TVTropes, Springhole, and Wikipedia, an author could spend hours following one link (Black Panther Fanfic Writing) to the next (Bad to have a Disabled Love Interest?) and the next (Baby Banks in an Infertile World, Eugenics and Racism) into the wee hours of the morning, only this one is tailored specifically to people who want their fiction to have as much positive impact as possible on ...

Russet. Scarlet. Strawberry. Wine. Professional Hair Color Descriptions. Ash blond -- Lacks red or gold highlights (verges on green tones); light mousy blond, medium and dark blond, dishwater, beige. Ash brown -- Browns lacking warm/red tones tones; light mousy brown, medium and dark brown.

Notice the verbs that Blatty uses with Reagan — gleamed, dribbled, gloated, croaked, rumbled. In contrast, the more calm individual in the scene, Karras, responds with simple verbs like "answered" and "saw". The contrast allows the reader to see Reagan as disturbing. If you want to make your readers squirm, reading only in daylight ...

One of the earliest examples of writing about skin color in fiction is in ancient Greek literature, where people of color were often depicted as exotic, primitive, and inferior to white people. This trend continued throughout the centuries, with people of color being depicted in ways that reflected and reinforced the dominant societal views of ...

Physical descriptions - You can describe hair, skin tone, and facial features to create a picture for readers. It isn't foolproof, though. For example, dark brown skin and curly hair may point to a Person of Color, sure, but not an exact race or ethnicity. It's wise to pair physical details with other means.

"The shadowy clouds crept across the sky, shrouding it in a cloak of darkness." "The sun struggled to penetrate the thick, shadowy clouds, casting an eerie and surreal light over the landscape below." How it Adds Description "Shadowy" helps you to illustrate to your reader the dark and mysterious nature of the clouds in your story.

BECCA PUGLISI. Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing ...

Here are some of the most common types of clouds to describe in your writing: Cirrus: High-altitude, thin clouds, often wispy and light, suggesting fair weather but sometimes indicating a change. Cumulus: Fluffy, cotton-like clouds, generally white and often seen during sunny days, symbolizing cheer and tranquility.

In 2024, however, the fear of telling has become so widespread that creative writing teachers encounter student novels written almost entirely in dialogue. To avoid the dreaded "information dump ...