Okay, so I wanted to get better at describing scenes in my writing, specifically streets. I figured, why not start with something familiar? So, I grabbed my notebook and pen and headed out to the street I live on.
First, I just stood there for a few minutes. I closed my eyes and just listened. Cars whooshing by, a dog barking in the distance, kids laughing somewhere down the block, the gentle rustling of leaves from the trees lining the sidewalk. It was a whole symphony of sounds!
Then, I opened my eyes and really looked. Not just a glance, but a deep, observing look. I noticed the cracks in the pavement, the way the sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees, casting dappled shadows on the road. I saw the different colors and styles of the houses – some with neatly trimmed lawns, others a bit wilder.
I started jotting down notes. Not full sentences, just words and phrases that captured the essence of what I was experiencing:
- “Sun-drenched asphalt”
- “Chirping birds – sparrows?”
- “Faded red brick house with a wobbly porch swing”
- “Smell of freshly cut grass”
- “Rusty mailbox leaning to one side”
I walked up and down the street a few times, trying to see it from different angles. I squatted down to look at the weeds poking through the cracks in the sidewalk. I craned my neck to see the tops of the tallest trees. The more I moved, the more details I noticed.
Next, I tried to go beyond just the obvious. Instead of “a blue car,” I wrote, “a beat-up blue sedan with a bumper sticker that says ‘I Brake for Donuts'”. Instead of “a tall tree,” I described, “a towering oak, its branches reaching up like gnarled fingers.”
Adding the “Feel”
It wasn’t enough to just list what I saw, heard, smelled, etc. I wanted to capture the feel of the street. Was it bustling and energetic? Quiet and peaceful? Creepy and deserted? My street felt…comfortably lived-in. So, I added phrases like:
- “A sense of lazy afternoon warmth”
- “The comforting hum of everyday life”
- “A place where time seems to slow down a little”
Finally, I went back inside and tried to put it all together into a few coherent paragraphs. It wasn’t perfect, but it was definitely better than my usual “The street was busy” type of descriptions. It felt like a real place, with its own unique character and atmosphere. It was a fun little exercise, and I think I’ll try it again with a different street next week!