When you start a sentence with a description, it’s a quick and easy way to make your writing much more interesting from the very first word.
You don’t need to go to extremes because it usually takes only a handful of words to do the job well.
Sometimes you already have a description appearing later in a sentence. In that case, it’s easy to move it.
You won’t want to start all your sentences like this. But by being selective, you can add much more variety to your writing.
Deciding what you can describe
You have almost unlimited opportunities to start a sentence with a description.
One of the easiest ways is to find the subject or object of a sentence, which could be a person or a thing, and describe it. But you can also describe the setting, weather, sounds, atmosphere, or other details.
Here’s a quick example of how you can move a description to the beginning of a sentence.
When she flicked through the pages of the old book, a yellowing, unopened letter dropped to the floor.
A yellowing, unopened letter dropped to the floor as she flicked through the pages of the old book.
Of course, you could expand the description a little if you like.
An old, yellowing, unopened letter addressed to her late mother dropped to the floor as she flicked through the pages of the old book.
You can use longer descriptions like the one above. But very often a quick description is enough.
The old book was hiding a yellowing, unopened letter.
If you find something or someone described by only one adjective, that will often do.
Types of descriptions you can use
You have so many options and possibilities to craft the start of your sentences.
But description starters are one of the easiest ways to vary your sentences. All you need is someone or, in most cases, something to describe.
1. Describe a person: A tall, athletic young man strode confidently to the podium.
2. Describe a place: Beyond the overgrown, neglected garden, a dark forest stretched toward the hills.
3. Describe an object: A sad, drying, and dying potted plant hinted at the effect of a long summer.
4. Describe the weather: Sharp, angry hailstones clattered loudly against the windows.
5. Describe an atmosphere: An eerie silence suddenly fell upon the crowd.
6. Describe a sensory detail: The heavenly scent of freshly baked bread drifted through the house.
7. Describe a sound: A long, growling clap of thunder announced the arrival of heavy rain.
8. Describe an action through detail: With a pounding heart and trembling hands, she opened the door.
9. Describe a change: The quiet, empty streets of the village slowly filled with people arriving for market day.
10. Describe a color: Bright red roses lined the door of the florist for St Valentine’s Day.
In addition to these, you can probably think of many more things or people you can describe, such as a contrast, body language, or movement.
As you can see, it’s so easy to start a sentence with a description by crafting phrases or clauses to open a sentence.
Extended descriptions for fiction
For fiction writers, this is one of the most powerful ways to show, rather than tell, a story.
Descriptive passages are often much longer than in other forms of writing because they are working to set a scene.
Here are a few quick examples.
Moonbeams pierced through the canopy of the forest, illuminating patches of the forest floor with a ghostly glow as the distant hoot of an owl mingled with the soft rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze.
Waves rose in jagged, angry white peaks, with the vicious wind snapping at the rigging like a wild beast.
Describing inner feelings and sensations:
Exhausted after the long, harrowing journey, with legs like lead and a pounding headache, she collapsed onto the bed.
Describing a contrast:
A battered, beaten, and clearly well-traveled suitcase looked strangely out of place in the hotel’s golden, gleaming reception area.
Describing fear:
Running down the dark, narrow alley, gasping for breath, she slowed and glanced nervously over her shoulder.
The only limit to crafting phrases like these is your imagination. You can use this technique for almost anything you want to bring to life, including things a reader can’t see or touch.
Quick examples from literature
Some of the most memorable sentences in fiction begin with a descriptive detail.
A blazing sun upon a fierce August day was no greater rarity in southern France then, than at any other time, before or since. Charles Dickens — Little Dorrit
The hall was not dark, nor yet was it lit, only by the high-hung bronze lamp; a warm glow suffused both it and the lower steps of the oak staircase. Charlotte Brontë — Jane Eyre
Five couriers, sitting on a bench outside the convent on the summit of the Great St. Bernard in Switzerland, looking at the remote heights, stained by the setting sun as if a mighty quantity of red wine had been broached upon the mountain top, and had not yet had time to sink into the snow. Charles Dickens — To Be Read at Dusk
You don’t need to go to such extreme lengths as these examples.
However, they do illustrate how effective it is to start a sentence with a description to paint a picture for the reader before an action begins.
Summary
For any type of writing, describing is one of the best ways to grab a reader’s attention in the first few words.
But it’s a little like seasoning, because too much can ruin the dish.
You’ve probably noticed that the opening sentences of many great novels describe a setting before moving into the story. That’s a good hint that it’s an effective literary device.
You don’t need to jump into using this technique. But it’s food for thought for your next writing project.
Related Reading: How To Describe Smells In Writing Readers Can Sense
English teacher, writer, and author. Passionate about grammar, creative writing, and self-publishing. Always exploring new tools and tech to help writers succeed.
