Alliteration, the pattern of two or more words within a phrase or sentence that begin with the same sound, is an effective form of emphasis that adds lyricism to even straightforward prose and influences the mood. Think about how your writing sounds and vary the sentence structure to avoid taking on a singsong quality. Learning how to show surprise in writing can be a little challenging, because the “show, don’t tell” rule in writing is sometimes difficult when applied to emotions. And even if they are truly silent, describing the absence of sound will be interesting in itself. Being able to describe the impact/movements with short, concise sentences usually works better. I'm trying to write a sword fight scene where a swordsman is able to predict his opponent's next swing. Speedy slash: Just describe it as a whistle while using 'whoosh' as a sound effect Generally good ones that work with anything: bang, boom, whoosh You don't really need a lot of sound effects. The emotion of surprise and shock can be difficult to show to readers, but with a few tips and suggestions, this task can become much easier for … § 5 Responses to Words Commonly Used to Describe Sounds. So again, just finding one really evocative smell to describe will go a long way. Example: "Coward! 155 Words To Describe An Author’s Tone 6k views; How To Use Emily Dickinson’s 4 Super Simple Writing Techniques 1.8k views; 350 Character Traits – A Fabulous Resource For Writers 0.9k views; 106 Ways To Describe Sounds – A Resource For Writers 681 views; 30 Essential Websites & Web Apps For Writers 639 views; 140 Words To Describe Mood In Fiction 610 views 3. Write With Sound. If you’re writing a high-stakes boxing match, describing the spotlights, the size of the venue, and the roars of the crowd will get your readers’ adrenaline pumping even more. Thank you for this post. For example, note that the "waterfall wistfully winds" around the rocks or that it "hides from the sparkling summer sun." MOST POPULAR. M. Zane McClellan says: February 4, 2014 at 2:08 am. We've put together a handy list of amazing adjectives you can use to describe tone, feelings and emotions - good or bad. Trevor Browne says: February 12, 2014 at 2:52 pm. It doesn't fit. Both the overall effect, and perhaps specific effects on phrases or words. Descriptive Writing and the Sense of Sound. How can a writer describe magic and music and make both sound so vivid in written words? Link to the sound in question. The best I can think of is something along the lines of "screeching metal". I ended up doing links to youtube vids which becomes a ridiculous novel with visual aids. Besides onomatopoeia, I never thought there was another way to really describe sound, until I … The most popular way to describe sounds in writing is with the use of onomatopoeia. So instead of trying to duplicate in a reader the sound of what is happening, and hoping readers will realize the same effect, instead try to describe the effect of the accent directly. Why don't you-" Whoosh! You get the idea. And those are fun, especially when making up your own. But that's not what I'm looking for. Few settings are silent. Try examples of repeated first-letter consonant sounds, called alliteration. The following rhetorical tools enrich writing by eliciting a primal emotional response in readers: 1. I am a wee bit of a logophile and always looking for a choice word to enrich my writing. Sound of the Language. Reply. Another example of the sound. The English language would be incredibly dull without those descriptive adjectives. If you’re writing a quiet scene on a front porch at night, the chirping of crickets and the flickers of fireflies will add to the peaceful ambience. And every time he does, he hears this sound. Alliteration. 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