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When writing, it's always important to avoid what is known as white room syndrome, a situation where, if the scene in your book were a play on a stage, there would be nothing but the characters talking and acting, with only a white floor and walls around them--no furniture, no scenery, no objects in their hands. Nothing. They could be anywhere. Usually this happens when there is a dialogue-heavy scene and the author feels the dialogue is enough to carry the scene. It's not. Very rarely is dialogue enough to carry a scene (and only should be justified when an editor approves), so if you want to be the best writer you can be, use description to flesh your scene out. It's vitally important to situate your scene early on, within the first few lines, so the reader is anchored in place and time. To do this, use of description is useful.
Anchoring your reader
When working on a scene, it's best to imagine as you write what the space looks like where the action is happening, and not just focus on what the characters are saying or doing. For example, if the scene is taking place in a kitchen, what color is it? Where are the windows? Is the sun shining into the room, forcing one of the characters to squint when they face another character? Is it a big, spacious kitchen, or a tiny, cramped one? Is it run down, with empty cupboards, or is it messy with pots and pans still on the stove from the night before? All these things might seem incidental and unimportant, and you certainly ought not to detail every little thing in your narrative, but these things help you decide what aspects are worth mentioning if they are relevant to the action of the scene. By considering the space around the action, the descriptions will be there ready for you to utilize as your write, arriving spontaneously, as though you are watching a film. These small details will dress your scene and anchor your reader so they feel comfortable and can focus on the story unfolding instead of trying to work out where the scene is happening and why.
Describing appearances
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Descriptions of appearances, especially of main characters, should best come from another character. If that is not possible, then a quick description through the use of a reflective surface is possible, although do remember that if the story is written in first or third person, the character who is viewing their reflection is never going to comment on the color of their eyes, unless they have changed from what they usually are. A good rule of thumb is to consider how you react when you look at your own reflection. You don't go into tiny detail about the shape of your eyes, their color, the glossiness of your hair or your perfectly arched brows, you just look and check if you look better or worse than usual, or you draw comparisons to another and think about that--for better or worse. So when thinking of writing a description for a character who is reacting to their reflection, make sure the description sounds authentic. For example, if a character is ill with the flu, they might mention how puffy their eyes are, etc. In general, it is always better to let another character describe a character, it comes across as honest and fair. You can do this both via dialogue or by internalization.
Over-description
Over-descriptions will kill a book. Here is an example of something I just made up, it's exaggerated, but hopefully draws attention to the overuse of adjectives (italicized):
Jade opened the white, shiny kichen cupboard door, and took out one of her mother's favorite wine glasses. She set it on the red table and went to get the black corkscrew. She poured out a large glass of orange juice and sat down on the soft, leather chair.
Every one of the above italicized words could be removed and we would still know what Jade is up to. The trick is not to shower adjectives before every noun in the hopes that will suffice to set the scene. Instead, set the scene with a little description and once that is anchored in the reader's mind, you don't need to add more in, you can just get on with telling the story, with an occasional meaningful descriptive word placed in the narrative for greater impact.
Some other tips
Don't over describe clothing or appearances, keep those tight and pertinent. Think of Chekov's Gun analogy. Only describe what is relevant to the story and drives the plot forward. If one of your characters has a wart on the inside of their wrist but it never gets mentioned again apart from the time it was written as a part of the character's description and it has nothing to do with the story, leave it out.
Remember to use more than just the visual sense in your descriptions. In particular, the sense of smell can be a very evocative and powerful descriptor, as well as the sense of touch--consider the warmth of sunlight on one's shoulders. Think of universal, relatable sensations, and your reader will feel connected to your story.
Finally, read widely to observe how successful authors use description to support their story and create an immersive world without the reader feeling bombarded by description. This aspect of the writing craft is one of the trickier ones to master, and requires a lot of practice. Be patient and kind to yourself. Use observation in your daily life to practice describing things you see, feel, and hear in your head. For example, if you are out walking the rain and a car drives past, listen to the wheels as they slick along the surface of the road, hold the sound in your head and imagine trying to describe that exact sound to someone who has never heard it before. It's challenging, but it's a brilliant exercise to force your mind to analyze things we take for granted. Then when it comes time to write, you will have an array of options to work with.
