Scene descriptions

[Harvey]

Hey I was just wondering how much detail if any you out into describing your scenes. How much detail do you think is needed to get the basic yet descriptive image in yours or the readers' head?

[Presence]

I find that with time and experience you begin to balance brevity with creativity. It may sound a lttle cheesy but if I can get the whowhatwhenwhere in as quickly as possible it leaves all the more room for dialogue.

[Chesher Cat]

You don't describe your scenes. You briefly and ingeniously describe your characters the first time they appear in the story and you write out the actions of your characters and the words they say.

Go to the one of the zillion sites that have screenplays posted and read them. Pick scripts that have done really well in the genres you like to write in and go from there.

[IWrite]

When it comes to descriptions - you usually want to limit it to necessary details the challenge is to write the action in a brief, yet compelling way.

The more you write descriptions the easier it will be for you to say more with fewer words.

[aspiringwriter]

My question is how much description should you give a scene? In other words, how much is needed...Should you describe everything that is going on, or just a few sentences to get the point across?

Aspiringwriter

[Boo_Radley]

You want just enough to get the idea across unless you need to include an important, key element. If you go into specifics you're basically telling the set designer what to do. That's not your job.

Keep it simple. If you're wanting to describe a house, just give us a hint, enough to get an impression..."a beach house in bad need of repair" gives a good enough idea without going into detail about what it is which needs repairing, what shape the roof is in, what color the deck is, etc.

As for action...I think it pretty much depends on the beats you're attempting to set up. I think if you're, say, describing a brief tussle, it's okay to say something like...

"Bob slams Harry in the gut. Harry drops to his knees. Bob swings again. Harry catches Bob's arm and twists, flipping Bob head over heels."

But if you're going for something lengthy, like, say, your average Jackie Chan kind of fight scene, you're probably better off with something like...

"Bob defends himself against numerous attackers armed with sticks and knives. The lengthy battle leads them into and across a construction site where Bob dispatches them with all manner of convenient machinery and tools.

By the fight's end, Bob finds himself hanging precariously from an I-beam, a goon's boot heel hovering above his fingers."

Eh...you get the idea.

[aspiringwriter]

Thank you very much....I've been told different things by different people...(not on this site) but on others who claimed they are experts...:) Again, thank you SO much for that because this really helps me. I plan on posting a screenplay i'm working on...I want it to be sort of an adult drama exclusive for DVD!!! Sounds like a concept doesn't it?

*Bill