Many of us have an opinion about stairs. We either love them or hate them. There is no middle ground. The way we experience stairs depends on our mood, the weather and if we have been drinking or eating recently. Sometimes we need those four steps to take a walk up to the park to get some fresh air. Other times we hate going up and down those steps, especially when they prevent us from being on the move.
Whether we like it or not, we will have to live with stairs for the rest of our lives. Describing a staircase is therefore one of the most important issues you need to consider when it comes to creative writing. How do you want your readers to feel when they are transported to the other side of the street? More importantly, how do you want to feel when you write about climbing those steps? You can use a variety of techniques to achieve this, including vivid detail, dialogue, descriptions of weather and scenery, and the occasional use of maps and diagrams. Let’s have a look.
Vivid Detail
One of the simplest ways of describing a staircase is by using vivid detail. You can use this to make the reader feel as though they are there with you. If you are writing about a luxury hotel, you can use this technique to describe the sweeping staircases that wind their way to the upper floors. You may also want to use this method to highlight the patterned carpet, polished wood flooring and the intricate tile work. Vivid detail can help to bring a real atmosphere to your writing and can help to make the reader feel as though they are truly there. If you want to attract a more literary audience, you can use figurative language and a unique perspective to describe the setting. For instance, you could say that the staircase is ‘sobering’, ‘grim’ or ‘monochrome’.
Dialogue
Another way to describe a staircase is via dialogue. You can give voice to the people you are representing by using this method. The more the merrier too, so you can have several characters talking to each other while walking up the steps. This will create a more natural and lively atmosphere. In the novel The Guernsey Literary and Historical Society, by Elizabeth Taylor, you can hear the characters speaking as they go up and down the stairs. This technique is particularly effective:
- If you are using short-stories for your creative writing assignments;
- If you are writing in the first or second person;
- If you are writing in free verse;
- And if you are writing in the third person.
Although it is usually used in novels, you can use dialogue in other forms of creative writing too. For example, if you are writing an essay or a play, you can use this technique to describe the conflict you are portraying. Giving the dialogue a comic book tone can help to make it more interesting to read. You can even write the dialogue in the present tense for a more contemporary feel. There are many tools and techniques at your disposal to make your dialogue sound as natural as possible.
Description Of Weather And Scenery
If you are writing about a specific location, it is important to mention the weather and the scenery. This will help your readers to imagine themselves there. You can use this method to write about beaches or mountain ranges or even indoor places like museums or galleries. If you want to write about climbing stairs in the snow, how cold it is and how difficult it is to go up and down those steps will make a fantastic addition to your story. You should probably mention whether or not there is any snow at all at this time of year too. If there is, it could be a real pain to deal with. If there isn’t any, then it will be an entirely new experience for your character.
Use Of Diagrams And Maps
In many cases, we don’t need to see the actual staircase in order to know what it is. Some of us have an idea in our heads as to what a staircase looks like and can therefore picture it in our mind’s eye. If you don’t have this visual image in your head, then it’s a good idea to look up the definition of a staircase in a thesaurus or a dictionary. Sometimes it can be hard to describe things which you have never seen or experienced before. This is when drawing a diagram can really help. If you draw a diagram of a staircase, you will have a much better chance of describing it accurately. Looking at the diagram will also allow you to see things you might’ve missed if you weren’t there with your own eyes. You should also look up the definitions of the words and phrases you are using, as there is more than one meaning for some of them. For example, you could use the word ‘staircase’ to mean:
- A set of steps to a higher floor;
- A flight of stairs;
- A section of stairs;
- A ramp/stairway to a garage/roof area.
If you use a thesaurus or dictionary, you can look up the different variations of words and see how they are all used. This will help you to ensure that you use the correct word in each and every instance where it is required. It can be difficult to use the right word if you are not aware that there are several alternatives. Thinking of the right words can also help you to avoid using words that might have negative associations. If you want to make your writing more vivid, you can use a thesaurus to find synonyms and antonyms for the words you are using. For example, if you are writing about a museum and you want to use the word ‘artistic’ to describe some of the work there, you could look up the word ‘contemporary’ or ‘modern’ to find alternative words. This will make the work sound more innovative and interesting. If you are writing about a place you have never been to before, then looking it up on a map is also a good idea. This will help you to see the place in a three-dimensional manner, rather than just as a series of long, thin lines on a flat surface. Looking at a map of a location you are writing about will also help you to visualize how the place is portrayed in your story. If you do not have a copy of a relevant map nearby, then look up the location online to see the actual layout of the streets and how other buildings and structures look in comparison. This will also give you a better understanding of how the setting looks in reality, rather than how you might’ve imagined it. Maps and diagrams can also be very effective tools in terms of describing time and date. It is easy to say that some incident happened ‘so long ago’ or ‘back in the day’ when you are writing about it, but having a map or a photograph to show where these places are on today’s streets will give a much better picture.
Describing Climbing Stairs In The Rain
If you want to write about climbing stairs in the rain, then this is a great opportunity to use your unique perspective. It is often said that the rain is one of the most dreadful things you can experience as an outdoor lover, but there are so many things to love about bad weather. There is nothing quite like the feeling of rain on your cheeks as you walk up a flight of stairs. If you have ever been to Ireland, then you know exactly what I mean. The rain creates a romantic ambiance, as anyone who has ever been stood under an umbrella or walked through a downpour should know. The sound of rain on the roof is also quite mesmerizing, as you might guess. It can be a challenge to write about climbing stairs without having a romantic subplot, but this is what makes your writing truly unique.