sethmblack Concrete Detail Conversion
Replace abstract language with concrete, sensory details that readers can perceive directly.
When to Use
- Prose contains too many abstract nouns (love, fear, hope, sadness)
- Descriptions are vague or generalized
- Writing tells emotion instead of showing it
- Verbs are weak or generic (was, had, felt, seemed)
- Request for "make this vivid" or "show me, don't tell me"
- Text lacks sensory grounding
Inputs
| Input | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| prose | Yes | Text containing abstractions to convert |
| focus | No | Which sense to emphasize (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell) |
| context | No | Scene or situation for grounding details |
The Conversion Process
Step 1: Identify Abstractions
Mark every:
- Abstract noun (love, anger, fear, hope, sadness, beauty, truth)
- Weak verb (was, were, had, felt, seemed, appeared, looked)
- Generic descriptor (nice, good, bad, interesting, beautiful, ugly)
- Vague quantity (some, many, a lot, several, few)
Hemingway's principle: If you can't see it, hear it, touch it, taste it, or smell it - it's abstract.
Step 2: Ask the Sensory Questions
For each abstraction, ask:
- What does this look like? (physical appearance, movement, gesture)
- What does this sound like? (voice, noise, silence)
- What does this feel like? (texture, temperature, weight, pain)
- What does this taste like? (if applicable)
- What does this smell like? (if applicable)
- What action expresses this? (behavior, choice, movement)
Step 3: Find the Precise Word
Replace:
- Generic nouns with specific ones: "tree" becomes "oak" or "birch"
- Weak verbs with strong ones: "walked" becomes "shuffled" or "strode"
- Vague descriptions with exact ones: "old" becomes "seventy years old" or "gray-bearded"
Hemingway: Not "fish" but "marlin." Not "moved" but "rolled" or "lurched."
Step 4: Ground in Physical Reality
Anchor every scene in:
- What characters physically perceive
- What their bodies are doing
- What objects are present
- What space they occupy
The reader should be able to draw the scene.
The Conversion Table
| Abstract | Question | Concrete Option |
|---|---|---|
| She was sad | What does sadness look like/do? | She sat at the table without eating. |
| He felt afraid | What does fear do to a body? | His hands wouldn't stop moving. |
| The room was beautiful | What specifically makes it so? | Light came through tall windows and fell across the floor in long strips. |
| They were in love | How does love show in action? | He held the umbrella over her, not himself. |
| It was a nice day | What are the sensory specifics? | The sun was warm. No wind. The kind of day you remember. |
| She seemed angry | How does anger manifest? | She spoke without looking up. Her fork hit the plate. |
Workflow
Step 1: Gather and Review Inputs
Collect all relevant information:
- Review the provided data and context
- Identify key parameters and constraints
- Clarify any ambiguities or missing information
- Establish success criteria
Step 2: Analyze the Situation
Perform systematic analysis:
- Identify patterns and relationships
- Evaluate against established frameworks
- Consider multiple perspectives
- Document key findings
Step 3: Generate Recommendations
Create actionable outputs:
- Synthesize insights from analysis
- Prioritize recommendations by impact
- Ensure recommendations are specific and measurable
- Consider implementation feasibility
Output Format
## Concrete Detail Conversion
### Original
[Original text]
### Abstraction Map
| Abstraction | Type | Sensory Question | Conversion |
|-------------|------|------------------|------------|
| [word/phrase] | [abstract noun/weak verb/etc] | [what can be perceived?] | [concrete alternative] |
### Converted Version
[Revised text with concrete details]
### Sensory Inventory
- **Sight:** [what can be seen]
- **Sound:** [what can be heard]
- **Touch:** [what can be felt physically]
- **Smell/Taste:** [if present]
- **Action:** [what characters do]
Constraints
- Every abstraction must be converted or deliberately cut
- Conversions must be true to the original meaning
- Don't over-specify - find the telling detail, not every detail
- Avoid cliche conversions (tears for sadness, trembling for fear)
- The physical detail should illuminate, not decorate
Outputs
Primary Output: A structured analysis document that identifies and articulates patterns, insights, and actionable recommendations based on the input data.
Format:
## Analysis: [Topic]
### Key Findings
- [Finding 1]
- [Finding 2]
- [Finding 3]
### Recommendations
1. [Action 1]
2. [Action 2]
3. [Action 3]
Example output: See the Example section below for a complete demonstration.
Example
Input: "The old man felt a deep sense of loneliness as he looked at the photographs. There was something very sad about the whole situation. He had so many regrets and wished things had been different. The memories were painful."
Output:
Concrete Detail Conversion
Original
"The old man felt a deep sense of loneliness as he looked at the photographs. There was something very sad about the whole situation. He had so many regrets and wished things had been different. The memories were painful."
Abstraction Map
| Abstraction | Type | Sensory Question | Conversion |
|---|---|---|---|
| felt a deep sense of loneliness | abstract emotion | What does loneliness look/sound like? | Sitting alone in quiet; no one to show photos to |
| something very sad | vague abstraction | What specifically is sad? | Cut - shown through scene |
| so many regrets | abstract noun | What does regret do? | What he says or doesn't say; what he touches |
| wished things had been different | abstract thought | How does wishing show? | Cut or shown through action |
| memories were painful | abstract description | What does pain look like? | Physical reaction; what he does with the photo |
Converted Version
The old man sat alone at the table. He held a photograph in both hands. A woman in a white dress. He looked at it for a long time. Then he put it face down and poured himself another drink.
Sensory Inventory
- Sight: old man at table, photograph, woman in white dress, drink
- Sound: silence implied by "alone"
- Touch: hands holding photograph, putting it face down
- Action: looking, putting photo face down (avoidance), pouring drink (self-medication)
The original used 47 words to tell us he was lonely and sad. The revision uses 42 words to show it. We feel the loneliness through his solitude, the regret through turning the photo face down, the pain through reaching for the drink.
Integration
This skill is part of the Ernest Hemingway expert persona. Use it to transform abstract, telling prose into vivid, showing prose grounded in physical reality.
"All our words from loose using have lost their edge."