Detail

An exercise in allowing details to show, rather than stuffing in adjectives that tell.

Boyfriend who is a jerk:
His eyes widened into pools of helpless self-pity and remorse, withdrew, and finally stopped looking at me altogether, knowing that no words could apologise for dating his girlfriend's best friend.

Bad dress sense:
Suzy had an unfortunate weakness for lace and a tragic magnetism for clashing colours: a purple toga top with green pin-spots, a gypsy skirt asplash with blue and yellow fleur-de-lis (and a lace hem of course), torrid yellow socks and equally bright sneakers composed today's get-up.

Beautiful mountain scenery:
In the late mornings the sun would strike the peaks at a steep angle; they emerged from the mist with startling intensity, crowned in iridescent shades of green and surrounded by pools of deep verdure so intense it was almost blue where the shadows from mountain and cloud fell.

Inconsiderate roommate:
She had to print her notes at three in the morning on that ancient printer of hers--the one that rattles enough to keep the dead awake.