Specific Details Are Evocative

Avoid general descriptions. A single specific detail is evocative, and it can impact the reader more than entire paragraphs of generalized descriptions. From a draft of Shawshank Redemption:

He opens the glove compartment, pulls out an object wrapped in a rag.  He lays it in his lap and unwraps it carefully revealing a .38 revolver.  Oily, black, evil.

He stumbles out of the Plymouth. His wingtip shoes crunch on gravel.  Loose bullets scatter to the ground.  The bourbon bottle drops and shatters.

Extremely evocative for 54 words.  

Don't worry about it in your first draft. Just get words on the page. When you're in that edit mode, make your language evocative. Change "dog" to 'golden lab." Change "car" to "67 Chrysler." You might even have one edit dedicated to evocative descriptions.  

If you're bold, share an evocative sentence from one of your works on Twitter with us. Include me @adamrenfro.  

All the best in your writing!

​--ar