They want atmosphere. it. 1. Enjoy! For more tips from our Creative Writing co-author, including how to add specific details, read on! If not, your highlighter pen remains unused, you probably want to edit that scene!). To help you create a powerful story about a society in crisis, here are our 56 dystopian writing prompts: In the year 2,121, sea levels have risen at an extreme rate. The vastest tree of the park comes into view with its narrow finger-like branches reaching skywards and brushing the heavens; its gnarled bark and broad trunk radiating infinite wisdom. Write the missing word/s. The sky fills with its fierce pink and orange. A repulsive blanket. Is it hot and humid or cold and dry? Having your characters voice their perceptions of a place indialoguealso adds to its dramatic impact, because now the reader sees place both through the eyes of a narrator and through the eyes of the characters themselves. (Oh, I cant write that, because Wikipedia tells me that the river isnt as long / the forest isnt as thick / or whatever else.). Vivid and horrific. Something with its own mood and colour. You could write a long-winded description that leaves no room for misinterpretation, but it might come off as boring. The fog dragged a cold breeze, that sent a chill up my spine, this house has been here forever and nothing like this has ever happened before, I gulped and strolled into the cold night fog. Likes: 14 | Great for creative writing classes. The youngest was a small girl who held a small soft toy in one hand and had her thumb in her mouth. It seeped through the nostrils and mouths and resided in the lungs causing its owners to cough in discomfort. more than oddly shaped rocks. Vociferous. The apocalypse will make believers of you all. General purpose platform session cookies that are used to maintain users' state across page requests. Dense fog gathered in the centre of the terrain. ), And to be clear: youre doing the research, not because you want that research tolimityou. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). your own essay or use it as a source, but you need The victims of the tragedy also eventually woke up, still with the looks of utter disbelief and dismay on their faces as they looked at the scene of destruction. If your city is located in Canada, you may select a Canadian city that exists and change the name slightly to create a fictional name. Vociferous. For example, the naming of Sin City in Frank Millers, Note how the author describes the city. bleak day. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. There aren't many people. On the streets, I see an endless flow of cars in traffic, many of which have a small illuminated sign with the word "TAXI" on top. In salute to the bonny blue sky, the abandoned city created a form of poetry from the passing wind. This is a descriptive essay of a city which has been torn apart by war. What matters first is this: your fictional world has to seem real. "Very well written, only one part to add. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/c6\/Write-About-a-Fictional-City-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Write-About-a-Fictional-City-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/c6\/Write-About-a-Fictional-City-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid172750-v4-728px-Write-About-a-Fictional-City-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

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\n<\/p><\/div>"}, Creating the Basics of the Fictional City, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/f8\/Write-About-a-Fictional-City-Step-5-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Write-About-a-Fictional-City-Step-5-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f8\/Write-About-a-Fictional-City-Step-5-Version-2.jpg\/aid172750-v4-728px-Write-About-a-Fictional-City-Step-5-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

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\n<\/p><\/div>"}, Adding the Specifics of the Fictional City, {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/1\/11\/Write-About-a-Fictional-City-Step-10.jpg\/v4-460px-Write-About-a-Fictional-City-Step-10.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/11\/Write-About-a-Fictional-City-Step-10.jpg\/aid172750-v4-728px-Write-About-a-Fictional-City-Step-10.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

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\n<\/p><\/div>"}. Examine the maps provided of the fictional cities and notice the level of detail that is put into the maps. The City lay desolated. A boring apartment inAbove Suspicionbecomes scary when it seems someones been inside. granite sky. One vivid descriptive detail will do more work for you than three worthy but colourless sentences. You may also notate landscape details, like a mountain range that borders the city or sand dunes that protect the city from the outside. Go for unfamiliar angles that add drama and excitement to your work. It was black, but had a layer of ash on it so thick, that Now, show the very things you describe in the last part being destroyed. This will ensure your fictional city is supporting your characters needs and goals. Find out how you can use descriptions to create a sense of place and immerse your reader in your story. Some aspects of the descriptions will remain the same, this is done to keep the general structure the same, while still randomizing the details, but it'll never include the exact details of why the town might be abandoned. The use of obvious names can be effective if the town acts in contrast to the name. Making a convincing fictional city will strengthen your characters as well, as you can shape the city to fit with the actions and perspectives of your characters. There are lots of things to do. There are literally thousands of villages in the world which would fit that description. And if thats not enough for you, then try readingthis. Developmental Editing: Perfect your Manuscript, Ultimate Novel Writing Course: Everything your Novel Needs, Jumpstart Your Novel: How To Start Writing A Book, Fiction Foundations: Enhance Your Writing, Creativity For Writers: How To Find Inspiration, How to actually start writing a book: free online event, Be Selective With Your Descriptive Details, Think About Your Words Nouns And Adjectives, How to increase Amazon book sales using keywords and categories. Were told what we need to know, thrown into that murky Korova atmosphere and Burgess moves the action on. The smoke hung over the decapitated city as if it were a blanket. Dystopian writing prompts. Do Not Sell My Personal Information Type your requirements and I'll connect You should also think about the climate of the city. You might also want to watch our "Blick Rothenberg - The Truth" video, if you want to know how badly an accountancy firm can behave. When I pass by the numerous bagel shops, I can smell bagels and cream cheese. so dont buy it! Thank you for sharing your writing "Tell me." The little girl whispered, curling up in her mother's embrace. They stood around the site desperate to find any more of their belongings. Scholars The abandoned city, from the golden rock to the blacktop streets, was calling out for a return of heartbeats and feet. Consider the racial and ethnic groups in your city. Maybe the city is known as the center of commerce or has one of the most renowned sports teams. Tolkien describes the Morannon inThe Two Towers: high mounds of crushed and powdered rock, great cones of earth fire-blasted and poison-stained like an obscene graveyard. Its obvious from this description trouble lies ahead for Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee. For each topic, write down a list of specific facts using your reference materials. covered with a fine layer of dirt. Claustrophobia on the streets; commuters, shooting menacing glares at each other, attempt to rush to work. . It has profited those who were using quality web content without too many repeated keywords; and it has negatively impacted those who were using recycled, perhaps even plagiarized web content packed full of SEO terms on their website. Descending to the Earth, we observe the city in its now desolate state. Descriptive writing - English Dubai has the tallest buildings and the largest malls in the night the sparkly skies make me exited like a small child that has sweets it is the city that never sleeps. Obstreperous. What had happened to this city which had once been the most extravagant, most visited and most fawned upon one? Use a program like Photoshop, for example, to cut and paste images from the internet to create a map or a physical representation of the city. collected. A Shadow in the City: Confessions of an Undercover Drug Warrior is a well-known book written by Charles Bowden. They've already lost the reader. Choose three or four broad topics you would like to discuss. Via the use of highly specific detail, and. Remember: we were founded by writers for writers and we created this club for you. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. The reasons for the citys existence will help you get a better sense of your characters, as they may have personal ties and connections to the city due to how the city was founded and why it was founded. He could have written something like this: Macondo was a village of about twenty houses, built on a riverbank. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. The smoke from the industrial factories polluting the atmosphere and smelling like a failed chemical experiment. The two small children were too ignorant to truly understand the situation, but they still got up and went to their ruined home. This cookie is used to enable payment on the website without storing any patment information on a server. To write about a fictional city, first think of a name that reflects your story world. for the road. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. There were a number of tall bar stools arranged to accommodate any drinker who didnt want to be seated at one of the tables. And if you want more on writing techniques, then check outthis article on verbs its a must read. threatening clouds . And go take a look at what he thinks about Blick Rothenberg. His Fiona Griffiths series in particular has done really well in the US, where its been self-published since 2015. . Obstreperous. Answering this question can help you better describe the citys past. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Are there more African American individuals than Latinos or Caucasians? Clothes can tell a lot about a person. This will signal to the reader that submarines are common in this fictional city and used as a form of transportation without having to directly tell the reader that this is the case. The abandoned city was golden in the light of eventide, as if it was nurturing some happy memory of times passed. Some of the vehicles are large trucks that seem to add the irritating noise generated by rest of the motor vehicles around me. Policy. Or, have your character use a facility in the city that then allows her to describe how it feels to use the facility. Use the atmospheric properties of a place to add to other properties of the scene. The magical portal should contain enough detail to be believable and your character should interact with it in an interesting way. Running April 2023 March 2024. You don't need to name a town. They have to have an emphatic, solid, believable presence. Swarming. The sky seemed as though it would release its contents on the gloomy scene. Our members dont just get that course, they also get: Weve made the offer as rich as we know how to and made it incredibly affordable too. Last Updated: October 5, 2022 If that character is dangerous, for example, then simply describing a place adds a layer of foreboding, foreshadowing, to the entire book. Consider what locals love or enjoy about the city, as this will make it feel more unique. Already excited to see what lies ahead. The ground was almost groaning in grief as the rain continuously hammered it at a huge force and settled in great pools of motionless water. The virus had ripped apart society. Order custom essay Describing City That early paragraph needs to have enough detail that if you are creating a coffee shop, for example, it doesnt just feel like A Generic Coffee Shop. Looking through a dimly lit, litter strewn alley, a homeless man crouches defensively, ready to go to sleep for the night. The grinding of parts of their home against one another? Ugrade to Premium Membership to feature this review at the top of your content and also on listings across the site. Turning into the car park, we see that the once overflowing place full of resting vehicles of every size and shape, now contains nothing but the dormant parking meter that patrols the area. The gloomy grey sky, with its heavy nimbostratus clouds, blocking all of the sun's rays from reaching the Earth. In whistles and sighs, in roars and silence, it was both lyric and song. Stuff falling on shelves? Thats a simple technique, bit it works every time. A One Year Course An older city may have city planning details that have been preserved, while a newer city may have very few old buildings and an experimental approach to city planning.