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Scenery Descriptions



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Sat Feb 24, 2007 6:59 am
Snoink says...



So, you have this really cool place and you want to describe it. Or, alternatively, you have this really boring place and you feel obligated to describe it, but for some reason, you don't know how. In any case, how do you go about describing scenery?

The first step for many writers is to think of these landscapes from their calenders and then use the visuals for that. But... um... yeah.

What I like to do is take a place I love and have been too and think about what exactly I liked about it. What I like about places is not just the visuals... I also like the smells, the weather, the plants, the animals, and other things. And with this comes the sounds of birds chirping, the gentle whish of grass, and other little things. Think about these things, really think about the and why you like them so much. And then write about it.

You see, when you hear the tip, "Write what you know," this doesn't just refer to characters. It also refers to places. By writing about places you know about and using the sounds, smells, feelings, you can create a four-dimensional setting that adds to your story.
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Sat Feb 24, 2007 10:04 am
Middle Children says...



The problem is, birds chirping and grass blowing doesn't make for an interesting story.

If you have to describe something at in detail (and I really hate when people think they do, but sometimes it is necessary), don't go for the easy things such as the way the grass moves, or the ever so pretty chirping of the birds. Think outside the box.

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Sat Feb 24, 2007 1:03 pm
Myth says...



But for short stories I don't really go into detail about scenery. Take a look at Curiosity, the descriptions are very short. I do take more care with my novels though. Especially smell.
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Sat Feb 24, 2007 8:15 pm
Snoink says...



Scenery, my dear, is not a story. Conflict is a story. Don't get scenery or conflict confused EVER. ;)

Yes, with novels you can get away with more description than you can with short stories. But that doesn't mean you should totally neglect your senses. ;)
Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est.

"The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls the butterfly." ~ Richard Bach

Moth and Myth <- My comic! :D
  





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Sat Feb 24, 2007 8:21 pm
Middle Children says...



I didn't confuse them. If you're writing about the scenery, the scenery is part of the story.

Don't mistake disagreement for ignorance.
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Tue Feb 27, 2007 3:54 am
Pacific says...



Some description can be good, as long as it's spread out. (IMO, anyway)
But when you have a big chuck where it's all description, to tell you the truth, I skip those parts if I ever see them in books. :P Am I the only one that does that?
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Wed Feb 28, 2007 6:27 am
Elelel says...



But when you have a big chuck where it's all description, to tell you the truth, I skip those parts if I ever see them in books. Am I the only one that does that?


*shifty eyes* ... yes ... you're the only one ... I certainly don't skip huge descriptions ... only a truly terrible person would do that ...


...


OK!!! I'll admitt it!!! I hate reading long descriptions that don't actually matter! A little bit here and there is lovely, but it's the chunks! THE CHUNKS!!! THey overwhelm the bordemometre!

But acting like a description lover for a moment. I don't care what someone describes in a book, just as long as they do it interestingly (and not for two hundred pages). So bring on the tweeting birdies and blowing grass.
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