Ways to describe stars without using a cliche!
24.01.23
Stars are difficult to draw.
They are also tricky to describe without using the adjectives ‘twinkling’ or ‘sparkling’!
So, for your next starry night scene, consider the following four things (please read to the end for ideas for advanced 11 Plus writers):
- Colour
- Reflection
- Shape
- Simile
Colours
- Polar-white
- Molten-gold
- Lustrous-gold
- Birthstone-blue
Reflection
- Flashing
- Gleaming
- Coruscant (meaning glittering/sparkling)
- Pulsing
- Flickering
- Glistening
- Glittering
Shape
- Pinpricks
- Daisies
- Petals
- Pentagrams
Similes
- like swirling snowflakes
- like a hail of polar-white sparks
- like scattered moondust in the sky …
- as if a giant hand had tossed sequins into the sky …
Sentence example:
Like swirling snowflakes, the coruscant pentagrams shone polar white.
(Note on hyphenation: we don’t need to hyphenate the adjective if it comes after the noun, only if it is before, e.g., polar-white stars / the stars were polar white)
For advanced 11 Plus writers
In addition to the above, think about the symbolism of the stars – do they offer reassurance and optimism, or are they a representation of something unobtainable for the character in the story?
Examples of phrases for stars offering reassurance/hope:
- …like beacons of hope for all the lost souls of the world …
- …the sky was alive with molten gold starbursts.
- …the inky-black sky was alive with its heavenly finery.
Example for stars representing missed opportunity/ something unobtainable:
- …fading into pinpricks, the stars flashed their final goodbye …
- …vanishing into a veil of darkness, the faint silver specks turned to ash.
Happy ‘star’ writing!
Anna