When writing, when do you cross the line...?

Question

Between detailed and thorough description and wasting space and words with too many adjectives? Any answers or hints on when to stop the descriptions? I want to be specific, but I don't want to bore the reader or take up too much space.

Oh, and no editor is going to help. It's just free writing and school writing.

Thank you so much for all your help. I'm going to let the question go to a vote, but thanks to all who answered.

Answer 1

You cross the line when you lose your "voice" and try to sound like an "Auh-thor" ... Writing is talking on paper. When reading a young author's work, I want to hear their voice come through as though they were sitting opposite me telling me the story. When you try to sound how you think an author should sound, you usually have crossed the line. Read your work out loud to yourself. Is that how you would talk if you told the story? Or is how you think JK Rowling or Emily Bronte or some other author would say it? When you know it is your voice = a style you are comfortable with. You are usually right on. Pax- C

Answer 2

When the adjectives stop advancing the story. If the overall mood of the scene is important, then some detailed discriptions are important. If not, as in if a character was just passing through a scene, perhaps thinking about a character he was meeting, then the background scene would be less important.

It's still never required that every piece of furniture in a room, or every species of tree, or every variety of bird is mentioned.

The wall of books can be dark and brooding. The clock could be striking stentorously and the carpet could be overlaid with dust, unisturbed for months. But no one needs to know that the grain of the oak table ran diagonally, or that the figurines were Dresden china, or that the cat was waiting patiently outside.

Answer 3

In my opinion, there's two ways to look at this:

1.) Stop when you feel as though you are just going on and on and the point of the main idea starts to fall in the readers mind. Sometimes if you include too much information, you can get the reader lost in your words and they'll unfortunately end up confused.

2.) There is no limit because the way you write is your writing style. In most of my high school classes, I based my writing on what I said above....however, in my AP classes, it doesn't matter how detailed we write. Just remember to stay consistent with your style!

Good luck!

Answer 4

I had to learn this one the hard way--trial and error. I had some very well meaning authors back when I was 18 tell me I was repeditively descriptive--so for several years after that I cut all my descriptions down to the bare minimium. But I wasn't happy there either, so I worked a little description back in here and there until I was comfortable with my style.

Answer 5

Reading it out loud is a great way to solve most writing dilemmas. Use the least amount of work to get the job done. Make sure every word is doing new work - and yes, that's straight out of Zinsser's pages.

For a smart and funny guide to this, grab a copy of "On Writing Well" by William Zinsser. His advice on clutter and keeping your stuff neat and clean is the best. And he's hilarious.

Answer 6

Here's an idea.Write whatever it is &put it aside for a dy or two to let t"cool"then,back back with a fresh pair of eyes & the overwrittne sections will jump out of the page at you.This business of re-writing isn't drudge work,it's honeing&refining the work so that it comes alive.Don't worry,you'll know when you have this problem in ne reading! But,be patieant

Answer 7

You'll have to be your own editor. I always suggest reading a piece outloud to get a real feel for it... if you get bored by your descriptions, they are obviously too long. What you cut out will be the bits that you found repetitive or unnecessary.

Good luck!

Answer 8

Description animates the page; however, I guess if you become redundant then you may want to revise your work. Blessings in your writing.