Lucy Burroughs answered
One of the best things about creative writing is that you don't have to know everything about what you're writing about; you can make things up. Chances are, you already know enough about hospital waiting rooms to describe one.
Most people know roughly what a hospital waiting room is like. Even if you've never visited one, you can get a general idea of what they're like from watching medical dramas like House, Scrubs and ER.
Things to Consider When Writing About A Hospital Waiting Room
Really, it would be cheating if I just described it for you. Try these tips instead, and if you're struggling, remember that a paragraph isn't long!
- Close your eyes and imagine you're sitting in a hospital waiting room. How are you feeling? Are you nervous? Think about how this might be conveyed through your description. For example, someone who's waiting anxiously for test results might pay a lot of attention to the clock.
- I tend to associate hospital waiting rooms with the smell of coffee and disinfectant, but it might be different for you. Write about how you think it should smell.
- Because of all the hard floors and long corridors, sounds tend to have muffled echoes. You can also think about the noises of the other patients, nurses, and speakerphones.
- Hospital waiting-rooms vary in comfort, depending on what department you're in. From my experience, the chairs in ER waiting rooms are never comfortable - but then, perhaps that's a reflection on how I usually feel when I'm sitting in one. It's important to remember that when you're writing in first person, your character's state of mind should be reflected in the description of the situation or setting.
