Description of Description
- Kris Lynn
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
“We look up at the same stars, and see such different things.”
– George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords
This begins a series of articles and comments about Description. It is an interactive Journal on which all can comment and share.
Description of Description (notes taken from 8/9/2013 the Editor’s Blog – Beth Hill)
Unless one character needs to describe something to another character because the second character wasn’t there to see an event or person for himself—or wasn’t capable of seeing or hearing for himself—description in fiction is pretty much solely for the benefit of the reader.
Characters have no need to describe objects, setting, events, or other characters to themselves
Description establishes or changes mood—for the reader.
Description creates a sense of place—for the reader.
Characters, except for the reasons mentioned in the first paragraph, don’t need description. READERS DO
So keep READERS in mind:
1. When you write description.
2. When you choose what to include.
3. When you choose what to exclude.
To accomplish this, we can ask our writer-selves some questions.
1. What does the reader need to see and feel of your world, of your character’s world?
2. What does the reader need to know to make sense of the events of that world?
3. What would the reader like to know?
4. What might she be wondering about?
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Beth Hill's discussion on her blog was helpful for me. I created two "worlds" in the Canyon Series and I tried to keep in mind to describe settings as seen through the eyes of my character to share with the reader the importance of the setting - not so much for me as the writer. I wonder if I succeeded...
What do you as a writer think about how you've used Description in your stories?
I added a short scene from Blood Stones below.
Post something from your stories or an example of another writer that you admire to keep the dialog going.
Do you have trouble with writing description or does it flow more organically?
Do you like a lot of description of natural settings, or does that get in the way of the flow of the story?
Sharing a bit of description from Blood Stones: The Haunting of Sunset Canyon.
I wrote it so the the reader can see what she sees. Is it effective?
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Darcy turned, expecting to see a tall, blond cowboy of twenty-one - a tanned youth with a self-satisfied smirk on his all-too-handsome face. Instead, her eyes were met by a hardened, older version, honed to a lean, knife-edged athleticism, his faced carved into a sneer. The only thing that made him recognizable to her now was the Indian hatband with the silver conchs he had always worn on his Stetson.
Comment and share a description of your own.