By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I dislike writing setting and
description, but I used to absolutely despise it. I’ve got plenty of now-published manuscripts
in my Word archives with helpful editorial direction on them: “Elizabeth, could
you share with us what this car looks like?
I can’t really picture it.”
description, but I used to absolutely despise it. I’ve got plenty of now-published manuscripts
in my Word archives with helpful editorial direction on them: “Elizabeth, could
you share with us what this car looks like?
I can’t really picture it.”
Each time, of course, I added the
description in for my editor. There are readers who
really enjoy description, I know. I’ve
just never been one of them.
description in for my editor. There are readers who
really enjoy description, I know. I’ve
just never been one of them.
There was also the side of me that mutters, “Who cares?” when asked about the car’s description. Really, did it matter? It wasn’t a clue to the mystery. The character didn’t care much about cars.
Why include it?
Why include it?
But as I went on, I started making my
peace with it. All right,
so the character doesn’t care about cars.
Maybe that’s something I should be showing with my description. Maybe the car shouldn’t be the latest
model. Maybe the car desperately needs a
trip through an automatic carwash. Or
maybe the car simply functions as a mobile billboard for the character’s
beliefs and causes—in the form of bumper stickers. How could I take a humdrum assignment (adding
description) and make it something I could get interested in?
peace with it. All right,
so the character doesn’t care about cars.
Maybe that’s something I should be showing with my description. Maybe the car shouldn’t be the latest
model. Maybe the car desperately needs a
trip through an automatic carwash. Or
maybe the car simply functions as a mobile billboard for the character’s
beliefs and causes—in the form of bumper stickers. How could I take a humdrum assignment (adding
description) and make it something I could get interested in?
So
that was one thing that helped—have the
description help show a bit about the character.
that was one thing that helped—have the
description help show a bit about the character.
Another tip that I picked up along my
blog reading way was that verbs were much more
fun than adjectives when describing something. A blog post by David Jacobsen on the Book
Talk blog, “Writing
Tip: Describing With Verbs”, does a nice job explaining the process. He
changed Kari was a beautiful toddler. She had
long, black, curly hair and shining, green eyes. to: As Kari toddled across the room, her black hair
curled and bounced around her shoulders, and her green eyes shone.
blog reading way was that verbs were much more
fun than adjectives when describing something. A blog post by David Jacobsen on the Book
Talk blog, “Writing
Tip: Describing With Verbs”, does a nice job explaining the process. He
changed Kari was a beautiful toddler. She had
long, black, curly hair and shining, green eyes. to: As Kari toddled across the room, her black hair
curled and bounced around her shoulders, and her green eyes shone.
Although his examples are dealing with
describing a character, you can use it with settings, too. Something like this: The mountains rolled off as far as she could see, rising gently to the
sky until they faded into the horizon.
The closer hills were draped with trees, like moss on stones.
describing a character, you can use it with settings, too. Something like this: The mountains rolled off as far as she could see, rising gently to the
sky until they faded into the horizon.
The closer hills were draped with trees, like moss on stones.
Discover
how the character feels about the setting. Literary agent and writer resource Donald Maass recommends
that we consider how our character feels about the setting, suggesting that we brainstorm emotions tied to particular events, incorporating those details
in our setting. Again, this exercise
helps us, and our reader, understand the character a bit better…and helps make
our task a little more interesting.
how the character feels about the setting. Literary agent and writer resource Donald Maass recommends
that we consider how our character feels about the setting, suggesting that we brainstorm emotions tied to particular events, incorporating those details
in our setting. Again, this exercise
helps us, and our reader, understand the character a bit better…and helps make
our task a little more interesting.
Make the
setting enjoyable for you to write. For one of my recently-written books, I chose
a setting with secret passageways, trapdoors, and a spooky attic. Beats writing about lunch in a restaurant. If there’s a place you especially enjoy,
think about writing a similar location into your book.
setting enjoyable for you to write. For one of my recently-written books, I chose
a setting with secret passageways, trapdoors, and a spooky attic. Beats writing about lunch in a restaurant. If there’s a place you especially enjoy,
think about writing a similar location into your book.
Have you got any tips for writing
description and describing setting? Is
it something you enjoy as a reader or writer?
description and describing setting? Is
it something you enjoy as a reader or writer?
Image: MorgueFile: calebunseth
Elizabeth – In general, I’m with you. I don’t write setting description as easily as I write other things. But it does help to place the reader. What I try to do, for what it’s worth, is imagine it through my character’s eyes, rather like Maass’ recommendation. Does the character prefer sunny days or rainy ones? How does the car (or the beach, or whatever) strike the character? That helps me do a better job with setting.
This is one of the hardest things for me because, as a reader, I skip descriptions and as a writer, I haven’t a clue. Like you, I’ve had to learn. This is very helpful. Thank you.
Those are great ways to handle setting descriptions. I’m like you – I don’t like to read or write a lot of description. Having it relate to the characters in some way makes it easier to write. Basically it comes down to making the description relevant.
Great advice. I had to work hard to figure out that description could be used for so much more than simply letting the reader know what the world looks like.
I remember the text which frightened me as a youth was a pastoral scene with a boy and a girl playing hooky … early spring day. Spring love.
They go to the oak on the hill and find six shallow graves. The corpses were still in the process of purification.
I remember how much the lovely setting seemed to heighten the horror of finding the unwelcome dead.
Stayed with me.
I enjoy descriptive prose and used it a lot in my fist book, and then someone said. Gosh I hated all that description, I just want to get to the action. It put me off so much the next book was all action and no description. My editor wasn’t pleased. A happy medium is important, but really today – it’s seems to be all about the action! Maybe because the internet has opened the world so much we all feel we’ve already been there and don’t need to be told about it. I just know that when I read a book it was the clear descriptions that took me to that place, that time? Great post!
I skim over setting description when I’m reading. However, if it was left out, I bet I’d notice and then gripe about it. :)
As a writer who is often prone to overwrite description, I find I’m also prone to skip over it – unless action and description are integrated or description carries subtext.
Really great advice. I am going to try it.
Alex–That’s a good way of putting it–making it relevant.
Paul–I work harder on description than on the other 98% of my book…
Margot–Sounds like the perfect method!
Karen–Thanks so much for coming by!
Jack–Now THAT is a vivid scene and a good description/setting!
Maybe it’s my genre that’s making me such a slacker with description. Yes, I need to describe food and quilts (my hooks for two of the series). But crime scenes? No way! No gore in cozies.
Or maybe I can use that for an excuse, anyway…. :)
Yolanda–As I read what you and Jack wrote, I’m thinking, “No…I can’t remember a time that I felt as if I were really IN the book because of description.” But then…I realized that wasn’t true. “The Secret Garden?” The Harry Potter books? Even Nancy Drew. Yes, the description put me there. But what struck me is that all the times I remember the description pulling me in were periods in my life where I had more *time*! I’m so starved for time that I guess I’m speed-reading instead of really enjoying these passages. That’s making me feel a bit sad.
Carolyn–Are you writing more of a literary book? I know description is very important with lit fic (possibly another reason I don’t write it…ha!) Good point about having subtext in the description.
Clarissa–Good luck!
I love reading descriptive prose. As long as the author made choices (she didn’t describe everything) and she’s not simply showing off (which is easy to spot) then I’m all for description. Now tell me–which book has secret passageways and trap doors?! I want to read that one! Did you ever see Private Eyes? So funny, but still, as a little girl I wanted to live in a mansion like that.
This is great advice! Thanks!
I’m laughing because I LOVE description. I am constantly being told by my editors to cut some of it out because nobody cares. When I read a book, I want to know enough to allow me to feel like I’m there. This is especially important when the author is describing a place I have never been. I don’t know what it is like to be in a desert, or in Canada in winter, or any foreign country. I want to experience it based on actual details.
The descriptions written by masters like Chandler aren’t there so we know what a wingback chair looks like or because the cigar smoke plays a role in the book.
Psychologically, statistically, we are conscious of 0.001% of what we experience. The other 99.999% goes to our unconscious, bypassing our conscious mind.
But we still experience it.
If I don’t know that your protagonist is a little chilly, or that the drapes are green, or the woman at the next table is wearing flats instead of heels, how you connect with my unconscious, touch my memories, dredge up what I’m afraid of or willing to fight, or fight for?
Chandler wrote great long paragraphs of what most authors would call “description.”
Guess which author has the most recognizable voice in mystery, and one of the most recognizable in all of fiction, perhaps second only to Dr. Seuss?
Chandler didn’t describe the scenes, he gave your unconscious the wherewithal to be in the scene.
Provide vicarious experience. It’s a fundamental purpose of writing. Vicarious can’t be superficial.
Any writer who skips description should either slow down, or read better quality books. Read Chandler. Read Dickens. Read Craig Johnson’s “Longmire” books — you will be in Wyoming, not just picture it in your mind.
One of the things I got almost right in “Through the Fog” is the sense of place. The story is too simple by half, but folks who’ve been to that part of Ireland feel the breeze and smell the grass and oak and the chips across the street in the pub.
Teresa–That sounds exactly what I’d do! Ha! Yes, I don’t have anything to skim over…what’s wrong with this writer? :)
Elizabeth–Haven’t seen Private Eyes, but it sounds right up my alley! Mine borrows a good deal from Nancy Drew, I think…ha! It’s Quilt Trip–comes out in December. :)
The Gift Diva–Thanks!
Karen–You and I need to trade editors… :)
And your editors are wrong…there ARE readers who really care. And Joel makes an excellent reason why in his comment.
Joel–You put that beautifully!
And you’re making me rethink this.
I’ve read all those authors–I was an English major. BUT! I was about 20 at the time. :) Yes, it’s been a few years. The lovely thing about being 20 was that I had sooooo much time. At 42, I’ve gotten so jealous over the time that I *do* have that I’ve actually gotten very good at telling people “no.” No, I *won’t* be on this committee. No, I couldn’t possibly help with the barbeque fundraiser for Scouts. Marshal at the art festival? Who has the time?
And you’re right–I’m mainly reading mysteries right now, no lit. :) A good deal of Christie, though (who started giving short shrift to description after the first few). Chandler…yes, he was a master at it. I don’t remember skipping his, either. But I never got the feeling he was showing off. I think it’s the showing off feeling that irritates me when I read it sometimes…I feel as if the writer is jerking me out of the story to tell me “read this!” Chandler was the Real Thing.
I’ll mix it up more with my reading…help to keep things fresh and give me another perspective. You’re right…it’s important.
Might have to read “Through the Fog,” since going to Ireland sounds like the perfect escape right now!
I love the advice of showing character through how their view their setting. Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth
Great post, thanks.
I think the advice around describing the scene/setting from your character’s perspective is particularly valuable. Using their feelings to colour what they are seeing makes it so much more interesting, both to read and write!
Also, in books with more than one POV, it means you can describe the same place from different perspectives, and give even more clues to your characters’ mind set, emotional state etc.
thanks again
Mike
Elizabeth, do you want Kindle or ePub? (The digital versions have all 50+ of the photos of the print version, which makes this the most complex ebook I’ve ever done.)
Lemme know which works for you and I’ll email it over.
And for any of your readers who make it this far, same deal: just email me at joel@somedaybox.com and tell me whether you want Kindle or ePub and I’ll send it right back.
I like description and actually miss it if an author does too little. But I’m bad at details, which make up the crux of description, so sometimes writing it is like pulling teeth. I can put one detail in and think I’ve done a lot because it looks like a lot to me and then everyone else is saying I didn’t describe anything.
I’m trying to stick to a rule of three details so I don’t put in too little or too much. I like metaphors, so I use those a lot. The five senses are hugely challenging, though, because they’re details. I’ve ended up going to a place and taking notes that I can refer to, or looking a pictures and cherry picking details.
The book YOUR FIRST NOVEL has some good advice on writing description in interesting and varied ways. Some strategies are stripping out adjectives and adverbs, substituting more vivid words (“shrunken” vs. “thin”), or targeting multiple senses.
I think vividness is the key. You want the reader to feel like they’re in the scene, not watching it from afar. “The car was red” is boring. Consider “Rust freckled the car, and I covered my nose against the smell of gasoline.”
I just reread some passages of good description, and I noticed the usage of verbs instead of adjectives. Definitely great advice!
Excellent advice. I always hate reading descriptive narratives, but when they are woven into the story so that you don’t even realize it, that’s pure genius.