One of the more difficult areas of description is when a character stumbles across an item that he cannot easily identify. It is important for the author to help readers understand the shape and size of various objects in the scene so they can form the right mental pictures. Without sufficient information and clarity, readers won't be anchored in the setting, making it difficult for them to visualize what's happening or empathize with the characters.

Conveying shape is also important when a character is faced with something he's familiar with but the item itself is unknown to readers. Think about an abandoned factory where the hero is being held during a kidnapping. The size, shape, and some of the machinery inside will factor into upcoming scenes, so describing the factory well enough to distinguish it from other abandoned buildings is pretty important. If it were, say, a knife-making factory, the POV character would not know what the drills, presses, cutting tools, and conveyer belts inside do, but the author still must relay enough information about these things for readers to be able to create a mental image. This also goes for characters who are different in some way. If a character is human but walks hunched over while taking shuffling steps, readers will need to know why. Articulating a special deformity that causes limited movement will be critical for readers to visualize the character and understand his limitations.

Describing shapes can be difficult, which is why we often rely on similes or metaphors to convey what we mean. However, just as with colors and textures, any comparison a writer chooses must fit the story. Describing something as round as an orange isn’t going to work if your character lives in a world or climate where oranges do not exist. Here are a few additional tips to help you when brainstorming the perfect comparison for a particular shape: