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Tue Aug 27, 2013 10:22 am
TimeWillRemember says...



Cheers!

I want to ask you for your opinion on a matter of - where the detail focus has to be? You're writing a novel, you know you keep your own ratio of tell/show, but what everything do you really describe? Do you mention to the detail everything you see in your head or do you leave out many details and mention only what you believe is important? As much as it is all about personal preference, there must be a core to a good writing that differs greatly from "no detail at all" and "info dump". Given the subjectivity of the topic, I want to ask you to share your experience with the feedback to your own tries. Do you show the reader everything in that scene as you see it or do you mention only the core? Are you somewhere in between? What would you recommend other less experienced writers to focus on when dealing with the details of a scene? Your input could help many, I ask you to share your experience/opinion for more than just me, because later you can just send the link to a new writer to make it easier for them to learn the ropes.

Best regards,
Jeremy.
“Smile, gentlemen, smile, for a serious face is not a sign of intelligence. All the dumb things in the world are done with that facial expression.”
― Baron Munchhausen

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Tue Aug 27, 2013 10:11 pm
LadySpark says...



Like you said, personal choice plays into this. Moby Dick, for example. Let's be real, does it really need that much description? No, probably not. But at least you have a clear mental image in your head when it comes to what's going on. I personally am a big believer in allowing the reader an imagination. Obviously, a little description is good, but I'm the kind of reader who hates it when everything is spelled out for me. I feel like you're asking a question that's going to go around in circles. Really, what you need to do when you're wondering this is test the waters. You have to learn for yourself where your balance is. As a rule, when in doubt, describe. And if you're still feeling a little nervous about info dumping, you can always note it when you post the work about your reviewers paying extra attention to it.

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Tue Jan 07, 2014 11:20 pm
GoldFlame says...



The quantity of description determines the pace. Excessive description is classified as "filler," meaning that it's wholly unnecessary for us to read. For example, Stephenie Meyer's writing. We're just sick of hearing about Edward Cullen's smoldering eyes, his crooked smile, and how perfect he is.

The worst crime, though, is clogging up with your sentences with prose. Leaves absolutely no freedom to emphasize any one of them. Eventually, all the reader processes is a jungle of dependent clauses, adverbs, and adjectives. My point? You should leave some room open for interpretation.

But always settling for short, blunt descriptions is not an option :P. Just use prose in moderation, and only write details if intending to slow down the pace. How much would you want to focus on the starry night sky when a werewolf is on your character's heels?
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Wed Jan 08, 2014 5:20 pm
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Tenyo says...



Cheers! =D

This is something a lot of writers struggle with, but I've found it's also one of the most enjoyable things to practice and get good at.

Imagine it first

Imagine first, then write, is probably one of the most important things that we forget. When you imagine something first then you can completely loose yourself in it, but if you write while you imagine then there are a hundred things distracting you, and your perspective becomes very narrow.

See what you see

Walk through a door and into the middle of an unfamiliar room, take a deep breath and walk back out again. Then write about it.

It would be tempting while creating something to describe the floor plan and the colour of the room and what's on the shelves or on the table. In truth though, when you walk into a room you're probably going to notice other things. You won't notice the floor plan, but you might notice how spacious it is, whether it's bright or dimly lit, what the smell is, the general impression that you get from the furniture.

You might walk into a place and it feels uncomfortably formal, like walking into a show home. Everything there is meant to be seen and not touched; to be watched and adored, but never lived in.

That would have a more solid impact on your reader than 'there was a white carpet, with white furniture that didn't have any kind of creases in and bleach-white lighting.'

Say what your character sees

Once you've got the hang of the first part, then you make it more specific. Different people see different things. My mum likes places that are clean- it's the only time she can relax when everything is in it's place. When she walks into a room she sees the floor and how clean it is, and how much dust is on the television. She likes to notice the lack of clutter.

Even in someone else's house I like to make myself at home as quickly as possible, so I always notice how squishy the couch is, if there are any sources of entertainment like magazines or books lying around, where I'll put my mug of hot chocolate once I've made it.

There's also contrast. A fisherman will delight in the smell of fresh fish because it's delicious and smells like home. A nobleman might say the same smell is the odour of poverty, since they'd associate it with the street urchins who play by the docks.

It's often underestimated how much you can really say about your characters simply by describing things from their perspective, and it's a great opportunity to develop your characters and get into their heads.

Use the atmosphere

Once you've described a room once, you can't describe it again, can you? Of course you can!

We see different things depending on our mood. I find this is most evident with people. Have you ever noticed how when you're in a mood with someone, suddenly you notice how many spots they have, and how frizzy their hair is, and how awful those shoes actually look. But when you like them, their eyes glow more, they look great with those natural curls and those shoes really suit their unique sense of fashion.

Colours are more vibrant when we're happy. People look older when we're grumpy. Beds feel softer when we're tired. If you come in on a warm day you would walk straight past the magnificent fireplace to the glass of water on the table. On a cold day you wouldn't care about the puddle on the floor, you'd be more interested in the tiny convector heater in the corner.

Practice, practice!

Like I said, this is probably one of the best things about being a writer. Go somewhere new, then sit and write the first things you notice. Look at a stranger sitting opposite you on the bus for just a second and then scribble in your notepad what you remember.

These are the things you describe. Floor plans, eye colour, patterns on the woodwork, you'd be surprised how often we don't notice these things, and if you don't include them then your reader will make them up based on the impression you give- which is more fun for the reader to try and figure out the impression based on the information you give.

Hope this helps!
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