Writing Corner: The Tediousness of Character or Location Descriptions
I hate describing characters appearances or details of a location. There are only so many ways you can say what someone looks like or provide the layout of building or street. I have finally given up on providing too many details, instead, I leave most to the readers imagination.
For instance, I can describe a house providing detailed descriptions of the furniture and carpet of each room, the color of the walls and the placement of the windows. I can give the layout and lavish praise on the exterior trim. Or I can just say what type of house it is maybe point out a few key features. We, as readers, fill out the details in our own minds. I don't feel it necessary to describe what a Victorian home is, I treat the Victorian home as the descriptor. The reader is welcome to look up images of Victorian homes if they do not know what they look like. A picture is worth a thousand words and all.
For characters, I am as vague as possible as well. For Gray, the main character of the Touch of Gray series, her hair and eye color are given as is her height. I provide brief description of her clothes and other accoutrements, but not too detailed. The novella is written in first person since I am only telling the story from her point of view, and I would rather the reader immerse themselves in the story and world and not what the characters looks like. In our everyday life, we don't go around dissecting and describing what we are wearing in our own minds, and honestly I don't register what others are wearing in too great a detail. The fact that someone is wearing yoga pants and tennis shoes yes, but not the pattern of the pants and the brand of shoes. Not many have time to devote to that in their everyday lives.
As a reader, do you like detailed descriptions? Or, do you find yourself skipping through elaborate descriptors in order to get to the plot?
For instance, I can describe a house providing detailed descriptions of the furniture and carpet of each room, the color of the walls and the placement of the windows. I can give the layout and lavish praise on the exterior trim. Or I can just say what type of house it is maybe point out a few key features. We, as readers, fill out the details in our own minds. I don't feel it necessary to describe what a Victorian home is, I treat the Victorian home as the descriptor. The reader is welcome to look up images of Victorian homes if they do not know what they look like. A picture is worth a thousand words and all.
For characters, I am as vague as possible as well. For Gray, the main character of the Touch of Gray series, her hair and eye color are given as is her height. I provide brief description of her clothes and other accoutrements, but not too detailed. The novella is written in first person since I am only telling the story from her point of view, and I would rather the reader immerse themselves in the story and world and not what the characters looks like. In our everyday life, we don't go around dissecting and describing what we are wearing in our own minds, and honestly I don't register what others are wearing in too great a detail. The fact that someone is wearing yoga pants and tennis shoes yes, but not the pattern of the pants and the brand of shoes. Not many have time to devote to that in their everyday lives.
As a reader, do you like detailed descriptions? Or, do you find yourself skipping through elaborate descriptors in order to get to the plot?
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