Guide to Writing

Writing Tip 6: Balance the details

Chapter written by AliciaM21 

Balancing details can be a pain because sometimes you don't know when and how to use them.

Details are needed immensely in novels, but too much can cause a reader to feel overloaded and not know what's happening in the story; they may be confused or unfocused because of it. In other cases, they could just be bored because you're describing so much about an object or a person that it slows down the plot.

The trick is to detail only things that are important: things like scenery, emotions, thoughts, actions and reactions. The smaller details of a person, such as their clothing or hairstyle, are often unimportant unless they have relevance to the story setting. A person's appearance should preferably be detailed throughout the book. For example, you might say person A has brown hair in chapter one, and in chapter three they have green eyes. This way, it isn't so bundled and doesn't sound like an info-dump.

The same goes with objects. You have to give detail without it being too much, without it being vague, and with imagery. But you should pick out the most important things to describe, something that is relevant to the story. Will the fact that your character is wearing a blue hoodie with the school logo do anything for the plot? Unless it does, it's probably not needed. Does the fact that they're wearing a hoodie matter, though? Probably - it could hint to the reader that the weather is cold. Here we can cut the small details (the logo and colour) to give just enough that your readers know what's happening.

The point of details is to give a clear picture, but you never want to overwhelm or bore the reader. Leave enough out that we can use our imaginations - it's one of the best things about reading!

What others have had to say

xFakingaSmilex "Detailing should enhance the scene and give it life. It should be like a moving picture in a movie not a stand alone image. By using common expressions you can quickly paint ideas and sum up concepts without detailed descriptions." 

Stephen King "Look-here's a table covered with a red cloth. On it is a cage the size of a small fish aquarium. In the cage is a white rabbit with a pink nose and pink-rimmed eyes. In its front paws is a carrot-stub upon which it is contentedly munching. On its back, clearly marked in blue ink, is the numeral 8.

Do we see the same thing? We'd have to get together and compare notes to make absolutely sure, but I think we do. The paragraph doesn't tell us what sort of material the cage is made of-wire mesh? Steel rods? Glass?-but does it really matter? We all understand the cage is a see- through medium; beyond that, we don't care. The most interesting thing here is the number on its back. Not a six, not a four, not nineteen-point-five. It's an eight. This is what we're looking at, and we all see it." 

PriciliaChang "There is such thing as too much detail. We really don't need to know the size and shape of everything in the character's room for example. Use self explanatory words. Also, adjectives shouldn't appear too much." 

KatherineArlene "Using brand names will distract your readers by pulling them out of the story. It will also date your story because in a few years, those brand names will no longer be popular, or even in existence. It's fine to mention your character is wearing jeans, but readers don't need to know what kind they are unless it's crucial to the plot."

Ammelia11 "Always be careful with how much detail you give, and keep the details plot relevant. Remember that readers are intelligent! We can generally work things out given just enough.

We don't usually need to know a person's entire outfit, or have brands name dropped every other line. Hint at things in small ways by showing it through the character's behaviour and attitude - e.g. for a rich character maybe the house has a personal cook, or the character doesn't bother to clean their room because they assume the maid will do it. Things like brand name dropping not only drag down the story, but they also date them, which makes them less accessible in future."

ViktoriaRay "Describe what is important and helps develop your story. Something as simple as an article of clothing or a hairstyle isn't exactly significant to your story, for the most part, where as something like the surroundings is. Describing a scene in more detail will help set the mood which is essential."

Thanks for reading, everyone! What's your opinion on detailing in a story?