Tag: Otherworld

Getting it Right

This post glides right along side the previous post regarding description, and well my lack thereof.

Upon further reflection of that text, just thoughts, not an actual review of what I wrote- I wonder how much is too much.

Let me elaborate.

I’m good at writing erotica, especially of the BDSM variety. I can get the reader holding their breath waiting for the next action (at least that’s what I’ve been told). I make it “real” even if some of the scenes I’ve written are a bit extreme they are not out of the realm of real. Description in these stories comes easy, down to the nth degree.

So why is it so dang difficult to insert description in this manuscript? I’m contemplating this as I’m actually stumbling over my next scene. It’s a real place one in which many people can visit nearly every day of the year. So how in depth do I get? (rhetorical) Do I dive down into the scenery, describe the hike; or do I skim the scenery and focus on the trek, the emotion, the weather- OR do I do both?

Yes, yes, I do realize this is only my first draft and there will be many revisions. Part of the struggle is how easy it was to write the previous manuscript (the one that’s still unpublished and sitting on my hard drive.

Urban fantasy is a slightly new genre for me to write, not read. I read nearly everything I can get my hands on regardless of how well known the author is.

People get it right, some don’t. I don’t want to be part of the latter.

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“Insert Description Here”

Literally. As I’m writing out my first draft, I am putting placeholders in areas where I know I’m going to get flack from my writing partner in crime. Description is not my forte.

We’ve been at this for more than a decade, and I know damn well where he’s going to say…. what does xxx look like (be it person, place or thing).

I’m bad, very bad when it comes to more than a couple of words of description. For me if the curtains are billowing, they are billowing- – to elaborate on the fabric, the color, the pattern, the ferocity in which they are billowing mostly escapes me.

My main character in this first of the Otherworld series revolves around Bert- a female chief of police. I’m about half way through the book and other than looking over the rim of her reading glasses from time to time, the reader has no freaking clue on what she looks like. Heck, I haven’t even given her a hair color.

I did great with her personal assistant though. Jasper’s physical detail on page one is thorough and precise. The reader can envision the Fae in their minds without issue. His brother? I think the same. I would actually have to go back and see how in depth his description is.

I think I need to go give Bert “a look”.

I tried to give the great hall “a look” but it’s mediocre at best. If I don’t have a comment there, there should be.

See what I mean? Bad, very bad.

What is the fine line between none, sparse, too much, and over the top? I think it depends on the reader. When I’m engrossed in a book, I’m focusing on the plot, the actions (although fight scenes can be way too descriptive as well) where the characters are going and what they need to do.

I will skip over too much description, and thus far it hasn’t hampered how the book flows in my mind.

But I am not my readers (future readers, yes I know). So I must take these things into account, no matter how much angst I get trying to include the imagery.