Part 3: A forest fire
It is time for another one of our series that will help you write better descriptions, draw detailed imagery and create seamless sensory surroundings. A very visually vivid scene is that of a fire. Everyone knows how it feels to be at a bonfire, roasting marshmallows and dancing around it. But what if it was a much, much bigger fire?
Have you ever imagined what it must be like to be caught in a fire of any kind? We see much of it in movies where heroic characters save others from fires in buildings or forests. There are a lot of graphic details to be seen, but how do you think it feels to experience one? Can you imagine being trapped in a fire of any kind? Did you know that you can smell a forest fire before you see one?
Let’s see how you can describe one well, using not just figures of speech and sensory details but also feelings and thoughts running through the head of the person:
Imagine a bonfire that burnt itself out in the night of a very cold and damp winter. In the morning, the weak ashen fumes travel up your nostrils and settle on that unpleasant spot that usually makes you sneeze. It is not inviting or warm anymore but acrid and revolting, almost like dishwater.
Now, imagine a waft of that filling up your nose as you draw closer and closer to the spot in the forest where fire has taken siege. Then you see it. The trees part, and the vast open sky, usually blue and white, is suddenly crimson and angry. It is like the pits of hell have opened up and are letting all the devils come up and invade your precious future. The heat is so strong that you can barely keep your eyes open, which are watering down tears almost enough to put the fire out. Your face feels like a red-hot cotton ball is smothering you, soft yet blistering, unseen yet oppressive. And the sound. It is not the comfortable crackling of chestnuts in your kitchen that is followed by merry jingle bells. It is deafening. You cannot hear your own thoughts. Tree trunks explode; leaves hiss at you; the ground melts into lava. Explosive, merciless and unrelenting waves rise up till fiery sticks of tentacles assault your face and push you back while your legs are preparing to run away at your slightest command. Worst of all, there is no air left to breathe.
How many of the above details were you aware of? More importantly, did pick up tips on how to write it down? In summary, there are helpful similes that depict clearer pictures, sensory details that hint at what one must feel like, contrasting images that add creativity and alliterations that give the writing an almost rhythmic feel.
Each of these techniques adds value to the picture that you have drawn. You must always remember to use them with purpose. They should fit, and they should make sense and last but not the least, you must never use boring comparisons. Can you see how the personification and hyperbole add to the image of the unmerciful fire consuming everything?
So, what would you like to describe with so much vigour?