Words like 'evocative', 'thought - provoking', and 'mesmerizing' are also good descriptive words for stories. 'Evocative' means that the story can bring out strong emotions or memories in the reader. 'Thought - provoking' indicates that the story makes the reader think deeply about certain ideas or concepts. 'Mesmerizing' shows that the story has a sort of hypnotic quality that keeps the reader entranced.
Engaging, vivid, and captivating are great descriptive words for stories. 'Engaging' implies that the story can hold the reader's attention well. 'Vivid' suggests that the details in the story are so clear that it's like the reader can see, hear, and feel everything in it. 'Captivating' means that the story has a charm that makes the reader want to keep reading.
Some good descriptive words for stories could be 'intriguing', 'compelling', and 'immersive'. 'Intriguing' makes the reader curious and eager to know more about the plot or the characters. 'Compelling' gives the sense that the story is so strong and forceful in its narrative that it's hard to put down. 'Immersive' means that the reader can fully get into the world of the story as if they are part of it.
Enchanted. This word gives the feeling of a story being under a spell, full of magic and wonder. Another one is 'mystical', which implies that there are elements in the story that are difficult to understand and are full of mystery. 'Mythical' is also a great word, often associated with legends and creatures from ancient tales.
There are also 'gloomy', 'blood - curdling', and 'unnerving'. 'Gloomy' sets a dark and depressing mood, like a gloomy forest filled with mist. 'Blood - curdling' is used for things that are so scary they make your blood seem to freeze, like a blood - curdling scream. 'Unnerving' makes one feel disturbed or on edge, like an unnerving silence before something bad is about to happen.
Words like 'haunting' are often used in scary stories. It means something that stays in your mind and makes you feel a bit spooked. 'Macabre' is great too, it's related to death and the grotesque, like in a really dark and disturbing horror story. 'Grim' can also be used to describe the overall mood of a scary story, suggesting something very serious and often a bit depressing and scary.
Eerie. This word can describe the strange and spooky atmosphere often found in ghost stories. For example, an old, abandoned house with creaking floors and dim lighting gives an eerie feeling.
One good descriptive horror story is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It vividly describes the narrator's descent into madness as he obsesses over an old man's 'vulture - like' eye. The detailed account of how he plans and executes the murder, and then is haunted by the sound of the old man's still - beating heart beneath the floorboards is truly terrifying. The use of sensory details like the sound of the heart getting louder and louder makes the horror palpable.
For a scary story, 'menacing' is a good descriptive word. It shows that there is a threat looming. 'Ominous' is also very effective, as it suggests that something bad is going to happen. 'Shadowy' can be used to describe a character or a place, making it seem mysterious and a bit scary, like there could be something lurking in those shadows.
Grim is a great word. It describes a situation or a setting that is very unpleasant and often related to death or suffering. Sinister is also useful. It gives the idea of something evil or threatening. And then there's 'dreadful'. It simply means causing great fear or terror. For example, a dreadful monster in a horror story can make the readers' hearts race.
Eerie, a great word for creating an atmosphere of unease. It makes the reader or listener feel like something strange and unsettling is about to happen. Another is 'creepy', which gives the sense of a slow - building fear. And 'macabre', which is often associated with death and the grotesque, adding a very dark and disturbing element to the horror story.
Some descriptive words for novels are 'captivating', which means it can hold the reader's attention firmly. 'Intriguing' is also a good one, suggesting that the plot or characters arouse the reader's curiosity. And 'engaging', it implies that the novel makes the reader get involved in the story.
The moon was a pale, sickly orb, casting long, distorted shadows that seemed to writhe like living things. The wind howled through the bare branches of the ancient trees, sounding like the wails of the damned.