Young Writers Society

I need to describe the inside of a building, but I don’t know how. Normally, it wouldn't be important, but I feel like I really need to allow the reader to see what I’m seeing. It’s not important to the story as much as it is to the mood of the plot. What is the best way to describe something without overwhelming or boring the reader?

The way you make description not boring is have it build the mood of the scene.

Therefore, you're already on the right track with wanting the writing to relate to the mood. In order to execute this, I'd suggest you consult this article for a bit more depth on the topic.

My shortest piece of advice is to be downright obsessive with your word choice. Every single word has to work towards that mood, and it must also be terminology we understand. A word you dug up in the thesaurus might be absolutely perfect, but if everybody must look it up then find another word. Simplicity in vocabulary is the key to having such moods work.

That doesn't mean it's simplicity in the vocabulary itself, but do keep in mind the previous tone of the work. If you go from one style to a completely different style, that's going to throw readers off. Might do well if you're going for creepy, but it could also be confusing. You can write it however you want at first, but as you edit, you should work on balancing out the tones.

Also, if you're working in limited third or first, use your narrator's voice to your advantage. Have them describe things in their tone, which not only gives you a bit of authenticity but also provides a benchmark for keeping that scene in line with the rest.