In a previous article I wrote on August 14, 2023 entitled, Description and Setting, I spoke about the importance of using description to give the reader a picture; whether seen, heard, or felt. I also made mention of the fact you shouldn’t over describe. Write your seen first then do some ‘nip and tuck’ afterward. Below you will find a list of some ‘nip and tuck’ ideas.
| Description Type | Nip and Tuck |
| I viewed the mountains on the horizon. | The dark, grayish mountains hovered on the horizon with daggered peaks draped with snow. |
| Ella walked down the dark street at night. | The night sky’s cloud cover rendered Ella’s surroundings along the lone gravel road an inky black and thick with a dewy mist. |
| The front yard was well kept. | Dawn continued strolling down the sidewalk peering at the house number of each. She’d never been to Sandy’s house before. Most of the front yards sported grass in need of a cut. Then she spied the right house. It had to be, since the front lawn stood out like an outdoor museum. She stopped in front of it, glanced at the house number, and smiled. Yup, this was it. |
| My elbow hurt. | I bent my arm, and a sharp, stabbing pain screamed at me. |
| I opened the old door. | The ancient door snarled in defiance, as I opened it. |
| The two friends fought. | Wild fists flew, as Danny and Eric continued their reckless battle. |
| The nightmare bothered me. | I lifted the spoonful of cereal to my mouth but stopped midway. The tap, tap, tap, that echoed inside my nightmare continued to hold me hostage. I jumped at the sudden pounding on the back door. |
