How
do you manage to write such vivid descriptions in your books as a blind
author?
I've
been asked that question countless times over the last few years. It wasn't
even something I ever thought about until my first novel, Haven Lost,
was published, and people started asking. I take pride in the descriptions I
write of the worlds my characters inhabit, and it's one of the most enjoyable
parts of storytelling for me. The fact that my blindness might inhibit it just
never really crossed my mind.
So,
how do I do it?
First,
I didn't lose my vision until I was six-years-old, which gave me a strong
foundation of what the visual world is like. I won't deny this has helped
tremendously, but it is not the main or only reason I write the way I do. I
think anyone can write compelling visual descriptions; some have more of a
knack for it than others. Plenty of bestselling authors can spin great stories
without being very good at visual descriptions at all—Robert J. Sawyer comes to
mind. Other authors thrive on describing the world they are building in rich
detail, like Anne Rice.
Second,
you'll notice that in the paragraph above I was very specific about *visual*
descriptions. The fact is, descriptions should be wholly immersive for your
reader. There are at least five senses you can pull from, and all should be
used in your writing at appropriate times to "draw" a picture of the
setting you're creating. Many readers won't even realize that you're doing this
if you've snared them with your story. A character noting the smell of a flower
might conjure the image of a rose in your reader's mind; the feel of the steam
upon their face will make them "see" the rich dark brown of the
coffee. The point is, don't get hung up worrying about the visuals. They should
be there, but play to your strengths when you need to.
I
credit a lot of my style of descriptive prose to Anne Rice, who is often
praised for her ability to place readers into preternatural situations. When
you finish an Anne Rice novel, you feel like you've lived the story, not just
been told it. She is the master of exploiting all the senses and drawing
pictures, not just with words, but with experiences, which is what I strive for
in my work as well.
Next,
I've always been a particularly visual person in general. Everything I touch,
hear, smell, or taste acquires a color, texture, or picture in my imagination.
When i use an app on a computing device, I build a visual map of its interface
in my mind. This is something that happens naturally for me, but it's also a
technique that can be learned. Build "pictures" in your mind as you
experience the world around you. If those pictures need to be more tactile than
visual, that's fine. Imagine the moon as a buttery croissant if that's what
works for you. (Damn, now I'm hungry.)
Looking
back at the initial question, I can't help wondering if I really answered it. I
certainly can point to signposts along the road that have led me to where I am
as a writer, but, as many writers will tell you, we mostly don't know how
we do what we do. So much of the creative process feels like magic as it's
happening.
If you're an aspiring author who happens to be visually
impaired, (or just not very good at visual descriptions), the best advice I can
give you is to read as much as you can and, most important of all, keep
writing.
Josh de Lioncourt is the author of The Dragon’s Brood Cycle, an epic fantasy series. He was born and raised in California and enjoys writing projects in a wide variety of fields, including fiction, music, software, tech articles, and more.
He has written on Apple accessibility for Macworld and Maccessibility, hosts or participates regularly on several podcasts, and writes and records music with Molly, his wife. Josh enjoys the works of Stephen King, the music of George Michael, Masters of the Universe, home-roasted coffee, and Los Angeles Kings hockey.
He also happens to be blind.
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