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| Critique and Advice Works seeking critique, advice or assistance. |
11-02-2007, 03:54 PM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Pennsylvania
Gender: Male
Posts: 8
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Detail
Just wondering. How does one go about getting more, better descriptive detail into a story, thus making it longer. I feel that I don't have enough detail in my stories and by the time I get the story told and completed, its to short. Does it just come through practice and experience? If so, how long did it take you to really find you best way of writing in a good, descriptive way. Thanks!
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11-02-2007, 05:38 PM
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#2
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Best Seller
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: In the shadow of the rain.
Gender: Female
Posts: 541
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I pretend I'm in the scene myself. I describe the smells, the sounds, taste, scenery, feelings - then I cut it too shreds leaving the bare bones with just enough for the readers imagination to take over. Otherwise it's too prosy and insults the reader.
__________________
Originally posted by Sam Winchester.
Fossy's good too. She gives good advice.
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11-02-2007, 06:06 PM
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#3
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Mentor
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Atlanta, GA
Gender: Male
Posts: 4,191
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Quote:
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and by the time I get the story told and completed, its to short.
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Don't worry about your story being too short. Worry about it being good.
Quote:
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the bare bones with just enough for the readers imagination to take over.
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That about sums it up.
__________________
"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
-- Albert Einstein
"I am really only interested in a fiction of miracles."
-- Flannery O'Connor
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11-04-2007, 06:20 AM
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#4
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Writing Machine
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Here, usually
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,856
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The question isn't really about getting it longer. It's more useful detail vs page fillers. I would rather have a 200 page book I care about, than a 400 page book full of uninsteresting and useless description. 
__________________
Just because nobody complains doesn't mean all parachutes are perfect Benny Hill
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11-04-2007, 06:27 AM
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#5
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Mentor
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 5,073
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Everything in your story that ends in "ly," like happily, dumbly, sadly can be replaced with descriptions of how these expression would look to someone watching the character. Other things like that, things that are one word but could be replaced by a description, should be replacef by said description.
Everything mentioned above is great info as well.
Just remember that everything doesn't need a multiple adjective modifier in front of it to work. Only use it if it advances the story.
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11-04-2007, 07:53 AM
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#6
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Writer
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: England
Posts: 31
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I agree with all the above really. Defiantly quality not quantity. Also being over discriptive can be a major put off! You only need to plant the seed, not grow the tree aswell, if you get me!?
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