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- Jul 31, 2015
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When I first started writing I used to want to be inside the readers head, trying to force them to see everything exactly as I imagined it. Like the whole story would be ruined if they imagined the character's bed next to the window instead of the desk or something....
Later I started reading novels more critically and taking notes of things I thought worked well. I discovered that I really liked novels where there wasn't much description and it was up to me to decide what the characters looked like etc. Since I'm writing contemporary fiction for the YA market I think the lack of description might be a good thing because it will allow readers to fill in the details using stuff from their own life. Except now I think I might have taken this idea a bit too far because I'm barely describing anything.
I recently read a book set in a small Welsh town. Some of the reviewers of this book said they were disappointed that more wasn't made of the Welsh setting. All of my (half written/abandoned) novels are set in a small Scottish town, which I haven't really spent any time describing. Since most people aren't from small towns in Scotland maybe they want/need more details about the setting and what life there is like? I haven't even named this town, it's just a made up one, based on the town I grew up in. Do you think I should be doing some more work on describing/bringing the town to life rather than just leaving it like *insert imaginary Scottish town here*? I've read so much about the importance of 'showing not telling' that I think I've become a bit paranoid about it. Surely some description/telling is needed at times?
If anyone knows of any novels with similar settings I'd love to hear about them. It would be interesting to see what other writers have done. Most of the Scottish novels I've read so far seem to be set in cities or in the Highlands/remote islands.
Thanks!
Later I started reading novels more critically and taking notes of things I thought worked well. I discovered that I really liked novels where there wasn't much description and it was up to me to decide what the characters looked like etc. Since I'm writing contemporary fiction for the YA market I think the lack of description might be a good thing because it will allow readers to fill in the details using stuff from their own life. Except now I think I might have taken this idea a bit too far because I'm barely describing anything.
I recently read a book set in a small Welsh town. Some of the reviewers of this book said they were disappointed that more wasn't made of the Welsh setting. All of my (half written/abandoned) novels are set in a small Scottish town, which I haven't really spent any time describing. Since most people aren't from small towns in Scotland maybe they want/need more details about the setting and what life there is like? I haven't even named this town, it's just a made up one, based on the town I grew up in. Do you think I should be doing some more work on describing/bringing the town to life rather than just leaving it like *insert imaginary Scottish town here*? I've read so much about the importance of 'showing not telling' that I think I've become a bit paranoid about it. Surely some description/telling is needed at times?
If anyone knows of any novels with similar settings I'd love to hear about them. It would be interesting to see what other writers have done. Most of the Scottish novels I've read so far seem to be set in cities or in the Highlands/remote islands.
Thanks!