Upgrade Your Writing With Detailed Nouns

There are so many nouns, it can be hard to choose the right one for your story. A good noun can communicate a lot to your reader in very little space. How do you make the best use of your nouns? 

Sure, you can write that “Jenna ate a slice of cake.” Or, you could strengthen your imagery with two extra words. “Jenna ate a slice of double chocolate cake” tells your readers more of what’s happening without taking an extra sentence to explain. Welcome to the wonderful world of detailed nouns.

What is a “Detailed Noun?”

While “detailed noun” isn’t really an official writing term used by many people, it’s a great way to describe nouns surrounded by words that help give a clearer image of what that noun looks like. The term “detailed noun” will be used in this article for clear communication of this concept.

Adjectives can be helpful in upgrading a noun, but as in the example above, other nouns can do that as well. This helps add detail to your description without interrupting the flow of your story.

Here are a few examples of detailed nouns:

• “She drove a rusty red Ford.”

• “Jenna walked into the kitchen.”

• “Robin sat under the willow tree.”

Why Do You Use a Detailed Noun?

Detailed nouns help create a better picture of the setting. By telling your reader that your character is going to “law school” instead of simply “school,” you won’t need to explain what kind of school your character is attending in more detail later on. 

They can also help establish a well known location for your reader. Instead of saying your character lives in “the city,” you can say they live in “New York City.” This works for fantasy stories as well. By naming the city you give your reader a better understanding of the location.

These nouns are helpful when you want to describe a trait your character has. Instead of saying “Robin combed his hair” you can say “Robin combed his curly brown hair.” This establishes how Robin’s hair looks without stopping to go into detail about everything else in his appearance.

How and When to Create a Detailed Noun

Watch out! Using too many detailed nouns can drag down a story. It’s important to know how to use them and when to use them.

How to Create a Detailed Noun

To create a detailed noun, you can do any of these things:

• Add a noun or adjective that describes the current noun.

• Adding the flavor of a cake.

• Adding a color or texture.

• Change a vague noun into a more descriptive one.

• Tell the reader what type of room the character is in.

• Say what tool a character is using instead of saying “tool.”

• Use a proper noun like a brand, location, etc.

• “Harvard College” instead of “College”

• “Discord” instead of “texting.”

When to Use a Detailed Noun

Use a detailed noun when you:

• Want to quickly describe a character’s appearance.

• Want to add extra context to a scene.

• Feel that extra detail will easily clarify something.

• Want to show a character’s knowledge in a subject.

• Want to reference a brand or real life location.

Decide what noun is most important to put emphasis on and then add detail to it. Typically only a few detailed nouns per paragraph are enough.

Improper Detailed Noun Usage

Below is a short scene that uses too many detailed nouns:

Kenny looked out the foggy window at the rain. His mind wandered back to his PlayStation, where he could stay inside. But he promised Sandy he would play with her today, and last time he stayed home, Sandy took his MilkyWay from his Superman lunch box. To avoid that, he kept watch for her pink raincoat from his foggy window.

Proper Detailed Noun Usage

Below is the same scene with the proper use of detailed nouns:

Kenny looked out the foggy window at the rain. His mind wandered back to his PlayStation, where he could stay inside. But he promised Sandy he would play with her today, and last time he stayed home, Sandy took his candy from his lunch box. To avoid that he kept watch for her pink raincoat from his window.

The first example turns almost every noun into a detailed noun, causing it to be longer than it needs to. The first example also repeats “foggy window,” which doesn’t need to be repeated since it was already established in the first sentence.

By selecting three nouns that feel most important, the second example provides just enough information to be specific without sounding exaggerated.

Start Using Detailed Nouns

Now that you know how to make your nouns work better for you, you can start adding them to your writing. You can always go back and edit your work to add them, too. 

When you’re ready for feedback, post your story on StoryForge for our community to read. You can also post it in a Writing Circle and ask other writers for advice. 

Using Detailed Nouns is Fun!

If you need another reason to use detailed nouns, they can be really fun to write! It challenges you to expand your vocabulary and consider what details you find important in your story. 

One writer may find value in being specific about food, while another considers technology brands more important to mention. What detailed nouns you use can create a distinct style in your writing, allowing you to stand out from others.

Remember to enjoy what you’re writing, and it’ll show through to your reader. The StoryForge community would love to see your amazing writing!