Description

Alana

Back in high school and my early adult years when I wrote stories they were filled with too much description. But after I fell ill nine years ago I lost the ability and now have trouble not adding enough description in my stories like other authors do.
Do you have any advice on how to pick up on the fault?

Jay Mandal

Is it necessarily a fault? Or is it just different? I have trouble with description, too. I added it to some stories, but it stuck out like a sore thumb. If it's the description of people you mean, just writing how they acted may be enough. With scenes, i.e. places, you may not need too much description. I had to cut a lot of stuff from a story which took place in Venice as it sounded as if it was written by the Italian Tourist Board! I used to be able to visualise scenes, i.e. what was happening, but don't seem able to now. Possibly the result of depression. But I seem able to hear dialogue, so I concentrate on that. Best of luck! (Hope you're well now.)

heather

I agree with Jay. It is a far more common fault to have too much flowery description that slows the pace of a story and doesn't add too much to it. However, if you feel that your writing has become too dry and it's difficult for the reader to get a sense of place that you think is needed, you could try adding some specific descriptive 'facts' into your story rather than long passages of description and go for something particular rather than general, using any or all of the senses.

For example, if you have someone entering a room and you want the reader to 'feel' the kind of room it is, maybe the character smells its mustiness, or maybe there is a worn leather chair in the corner or maybe the floorboards creak when she enters or maybe she can taste the smoke from the previous night's log fire or she runs her hand along a mantelpiece and it is covered in dust. Not all of these - choose the one small fact that adds atmosphere to the story you are writing and just slip it in.

Hope that helps.

Dwight

[quote=heather]choose the one small fact that adds atmosphere [/quote]

Yes, something that gives the essence of the scene, although I would say TWO details, rather than one, and use two different senses too.

dorothyd

my daughter complains about any description, she keeps saying 'give me the story!'

boredrobots

Just had a rant about this last Thursday:

http://stevenchapmanwriter.blogspot.com/2011/02/devil-is-in-details.html

Too much detail can not only bore, or intimidate, the reader but can also lead to mistakes later on in the novel. The more detail you put in the more you have to remember and the less the reader has to imagine. You have to find that equilibrium, that satisfies both your need to write and the readers enjoyment.

Jay Mandal

In one book of mine, a labrador changed to a retriever! Then the relative/relevant scene was cut, anyway.

Carol

I find detail can be a problem if I'm still vague about the setting or some element of the story. Plus I'm a minimal type writer where description is concerned- so if I'm told I haven't used enough description I go to the other extreme...

red-lucy

Jay Mandal wrote: sounded as if it was written by the Italian Tourist Board

I know what that's like too-and it's difficult to strike the happy medium between describing something and becoming too flowery. As Heather says getting the feel right is key and I find using the character's conversation to convey the surroundings and events is a good way to get any required description across to the reader. It's just finding 'your' voice really, something I stumble across occasionally but can't seem to pin down every time. Good luck Alana and hope you are now recovered.

Daisy

[quote=red-lucy]It's just finding 'your' voice really,[/quote]
Yes, that's it exactly.

Alana

At the moment I have started a new story and when I read the first chapter to my mother she really liked it. I had put a bit of description in the chapter but did not overdo it.