Be Specific!

When we're writing, it's easy to grab at the first word that comes into our head. Take, for example, the sentence:

The fortune-teller wrapped her Tarot cards in a cloth.

How about being more specific about what type of fabric the cloth was made of?

The fortune-teller wrapped her Tarot cards in a square of silk.

Or:

The fortune-teller wrapped her Tarot cards in her damask cloth.

You could also give a fuller description of the cloth, by naming the colour, but again, a little attention to detail goes a long way. Compare this sentence:

The fortune-teller wrapped her Tarot cards in a red silk cloth.

with this one:

The fortune-teller wrapped her Tarot cards in a crimson silk cloth.

You can also play with the word order to add greater emphasis:

The fortune-teller wrapped her Tarot cards in a cloth of crimson silk.

Doesn't that sound more poetic?

Try making simple changes like these to your writing and see how they bring it to life.