All in the Details

[romulus86]

Hi guys, I have started writing my first story ever, and I wanted to know how much is too much?

 

I feel like my stories are kind of lengthy because of all the details that I put in my writing. Personally, I think the details are fantastic when the story is sexual in nature. I feel more focused on what's happening.

 

But, I'm not sure that it's all that necessary to convey imagery when typical situations are occurring.

 

I'd like to give an excerpt of two paragraphs from a story I'm writing. One is sexual in nature, but the other has more of a subtle tone. Do you think it's important for me to be as descriptive if the situation isn't action filled?

 

This paragraph was taken from a chapter that was written about an early egyptian male couple. The second chapter sets back to the present.

 

I turnedover while Saahanib slid his legs under the blankets next to mine. I could feel the warmth from his body as heheld me under his arm while the other rested under the ribs on my lower side. He exhaled in deep relaxation. I waited for him to speak but he stayedsilent. Perhaps,he has fallen asleep, I thought. I relaxed in his arms and began to close my eyes when I felt his fingerstwitch. I stood motionless, as he raisedhis hand and gently caressed my arms, moving his hand further down to mythigh. I could feel his heart beatingharder. My own heart began to beatquickly. As he drove his fingers deeperbetween the linens around my waste, I could feel his fingers graze the top ofmy hairs. I turned over quickly to facehim. I have had just about enough of hisbehavior. "Why do you do thisSah

[VickyS]

the details r fantastic, those who dont want, they can always skim through it, atleast the ppl who love to read it all, have the option to do so. so my suggestion, keep the details.

[Greedya]

I wanted to know how much is too much?

 

I feel like my stories are kind of lengthy because of all the details that I put in my writing. Personally, I think the details are fantastic when the story is sexual in nature. I feel more focused on what's happening.

 

 

 

 

A Shakespeare quote:

 

Why then, can one desire too much of a good thing?

 

Basically, there are some points you should be careful about:

• Are the details relevant?
• Do the details interrupt the flow of the story?
• Do the details significantly slow down the pacing (and the scenes require that the pacing is furious or thrilling)?
• Are the details redundant? (Sometimes the details can be implied.)

There's a writer I know whose description of the sex scenes is great but the pacing is horrible. Moreover, there are some irrelevant streams of consciousness that interrupt the hotness of the scenes. Anyway, as a general rule, unless you write poetry, prose poetry or something of a revolutionary style, try to focus only on description that is linked to emotions. You don't need to be very graphic. You just need to hit the right keys with sufficient power.

 

Another example is writing war scenes. I beta'ed someone's work a few months ago (not on this site). His war scene is full of long sentences (bad pacing) and he repeatedly shifts between explaining the scene and explaining the plan that was agreed earlier (interrupting the flow). War scenes should emphasise the actions and results of the actions, NOT the thoughts (actions speak much louder)! Result: I don't feel excited reading the scene at all although I'm pretty sure I'd have been very excited should it been made a movie. Bad narration can harm that much.

 

Hope this helps.

[Former Member]

Basically, there are some points you should be careful about:

• Are the details relevant?
• Do the details interrupt the flow of the story?
• Do the details significantly slow down the pacing (and the scenes require that the pacing is furious or thrilling)?
• Are the details redundant? (Sometimes the details can be implied.)

 

This is a good thing to keep in mind, if you ask me. I'm also afraid that I tell too much or too little about something, but this'll definitely help. Thanks for sharing, I hadn't thought of this

[Greedya]

I'm also afraid that I tell too much or too little about something, .

 

Telling too much or too little - this is not a question I ask myself when writing. The amount of details, as a general rule, depends on the impact you want to cast on your reader. In mystery fiction, you tell just enough, but obscured hints to advance the plot. In romantic fiction, you emphasise the emotions and character relationships.

 

So set a goal first - what you want to do. The rest will come up in your mind easily.

[Tipdin]

Writing details in a sexual situation is an extremely delicate task - too much or too little detail and your reader may lose interest, or the story may not flow well.

 

What you posted seemed interesting, although, here is where my personal pet-peeve comes in. Punctuation and typos need to be corrected. Too many mistakes and I, for one, will get so distracted by the mistakes that I no longer enjoy the reading. (That's why we treat our editors like royalty!)

 

The bits you posted whetted my curiosity; however, please ask an editor to double check punctuation and word spacing. You tendto, throw in unnecessary punctuation: and groupwords together that shouldnot be.

 

A good tease though - now we're all waiting for the rest!

[rec]

The use of detail is subjective. Some authors do it well, some poorly. I think it's fruitful for an budding author to look at both.

 

One of my favorite authors for detail is Rock Lane Cooper whose works appear in several places but at Bestofnifty.org under the Mike and Danny series. Contrast Cooper's use of detail with Etienne's, say in the Page Turner, which is a good story despite the weaker use of details.

 

Of course, my observations above are subjective. Others may have different views.

[VickyS]

Telling too much or too little - this is not a question I ask myself when writing. The amount of details, as a general rule, depends on the impact you want to cast on your reader. In mystery fiction, you tell just enough, but obscured hints to advance the plot. In romantic fiction, you emphasise the emotions and character relationships.

 

So set a goal first - what you want to do. The rest will come up in your mind easily.

 

Cool advice, also it depends on "where in the story" you are. You certainly dont want to read through a lot of unrelated details in the middle of something gripping. Althoug of course, one can argue that details can add to that effect for some readers. I guess you should, like mentioned earlier, try your hands at a lot of different styles, until you discover something you are comfortable with.