If you, as a writer, wish to be effective in setting your scenes and in using word pictures, you must use specific, rather than general terms.  For example: She cut a flower for her hair.  This is a general description which doesn't allow the reader to really see the image.  How about instead: She cut a rose for her hair.  (Better, but still not evoking a vivid mental picture.) 

Try adding picture words.  She cut a blood-red rose for her dark curls, dew-drops still glistening on its velvet petals.  Touching it to her lips, she inhaled its intoxicating scent.

I've read many how-to books on writing in which a writer is told to do away with most all adverbs and adjectives and use stronger verbs. Strong verbs make for vivid scenes, however, adjectives play an important role in word pictures--if they are not over-done.  I would not attempt to write a novel without a certain number of adjectives, (though I do tend to avoid as many adverbs as possible.)

The first principal in effective writing is this: Avoid general terms and use specific, descriptive terms instead. Search for the precise words you require to make your word pictures.

Words to remember:

Malediction: A curse; literally, speaking evil.

Benediction: A blessing; literally, speaking good.

Puissant: Powerful

Impotent: Powerless.

Differences between the intransitive verb lie and the transitive verb lay are similar to those between sit and set.  Watch for more on these words.  (Many writers misuse them).

Some writers have trouble forming plurals of compound words.  Remember that the plural is formed by making the principal word plural, as: sister-in-law, sisters-in-law; ox-cart, ox carts; man-of-war, men-of-war; court martial, courts martial.  A few compound words add the plural to both parts of the word, as: man-servant, men -servants; Lord Justice, Lords Justices.  However, when a compound word is written without a hyphen, we make the ending plural as: cupful, cupfuls; spoonful, spoonfuls.  If we mean more than one cupful or spoonful, we should say cups full or spoons full.

Add S to different terms, in which the same word is used, to make it plural, as: Dozens of eggs--OR six dozen eggs.

((HINT: There is only one form of the verb "burst".  There is no verb bust, busted, or bursted.))

Confusion sometimes exists with the verb, hang.  There are two verbs--hang.  The one with the principal parts: hang, hung, hung, is used in speaking of things: I shall hang the picture. I  hung a picture yesterday.  This same picture has hung on that wall for years.

The other verb, whose principal parts are: hang, hanged, hanged, is used only in referring to executing prisoners.  He'll hang tomorrow.   He was hanged yesterday at sunrise.

PRESENT TENSE, PAST TENSE, FUTURE TENSE: These are called the simple tenses. I frequently study late at night.  Yesterday I studied later than usual.  I shall study earlier tonight.

((HINT: The word SHALL  is always a sign of future tense with I and we. The word WILL is always a sign of the future tense with you, they, he, she, and it.))

I have driven slowly all morning.  PRESENT PERFECT

I had driven three miles before stopping.  PAST PERFECT

I shall have driven eighty miles by the time I get home.  FUTURE PERFECT

THE USE OF LIGHT IN DESCRIPTION: Light may be described in several ways: it has color, character, and motion, and it has a definite effect upon the beholder.  There are numerous descriptive words for light.

LIGHT COLORS: There are many adjectives suggestive of color that might be employed to describe the color of light.  A few are: silvery, golden, ruddy, opalescent, pearly, coppery, steely, milky, flushed, tawny, frosty, dusky, pallid, amber, brassy.

LIGHT CHARACTER: A few adjectives describing the character of light are: bright, brilliant, dim, faint, murky, shadowy, dingy, sharp, obscure, frosty, garish, intense, mellow, dull, vivid, pure, translucent, clear, bleak, hazy, wan, pale, radiant, soft.

LIGHT MOVEMENT: Try to picture the kind of light the following adjectives suggest.  These words are all present, or past, participles used as adjectives.  Sparkling, filtering, diffused, focused, shimmering, twinkling, flaming, glimmering, shining, flickering, flashing, dancing, flooding, burning, blazing, fading, beaming, glowing, gleaming, quivering, wavering, dawning.

Light does not always have the appearance of motion.  Light that does not move is: quiet, still, immutable, undisturbed, unwavering, steady.

IN ALL DESCRIPTIONS OF LIGHT, ADJECTIVES OF COLOR PREDOMINATE.

LIGHT EFFECT: Choose words to describe light, by keeping in mind that your description must reflect the disposition and  mood you wish to create for the reader.  A few light effect words are: dazzling, blinding, glaring, soothing, cheery, stimulating, peaceful, depressing, gloomy, dismal, somber, cold, hot, warm, chilling, cool, irritating. 

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EXERCISE: (Aw, come on, give it a try.)

Write a scene or scenes in 300 words or less, using at least one (or as many as you can) of the words in each of the categories listed.

EXAMPLES:                                                                  

Frozen valleys sparkled like fields of crystal shards, capturing the rays of the sun, intensifying them into bursts of blinding light. Shrouds of ice-covered tree limbs bowed to the earth.  Chilled skies overlooked the snow-covered landscape.  A pulsing hummed through the silence like a breathing entity.  ((SONG OF INNOCENCE)) - Margery Casares

.....I saw a faint haze of light upon the horizon.  Day was at hand.  I lit my lantern and by its glow worm light, put on my boots ...  ((TRAVELS WITH A DONKEY)) - Robert L. Stevenson.

INTERESTING FACTS: Potato chips were invented by a black chef in Louisiana in 1865.

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