Detail... it's the one thing that transcends certain novelists above those mere mortals still honing their craft. I mean just look at writers like George R.R.Marting, J.K Rowling and Tolkien, isn't the thing that makes their worlds so incredibly rich, so incredibly sumptuous to sit in, the details? Would Harry Potter be just as entertaining if we weren't aware of the exact beetle blackness of Hagrid's eyes? Or the level of ginger to which the Weasley's heads glow? Looking back over a long manuscript the one question that plagues me is, have I added enough detail? Does this colour suit this fish exactly as I imagine it? Will my readers see what I see? I think the answer is not that the detail is neither important nor unimportant, but rather the degree to which you as the author care about the improvisation of details by the mind of the reader. Are you okay for that beauty mark on your heroines cheek to be on the left instead of the right? Does it make you stir with an angry rage when you think about the shade of the sky being Azure instead of Baby blue? For me, it is a constant battle of what is too much and what is not enough. I read the Da Vinci Code as a child, and I would be lying if I said the fact that the description extended to the colour of the mould on the floor didn't aggravate me. When it comes to some books, isn't it just enough that we remember the overly complicated plot, without having to worry about the damn floor mould? As a writer myself, and an English literature student I'm internally at war on the subject. When I think about my writing from the point of view of my student side, I want to to throw in details just to make the future readers go... 'can I interpret this in this way? Or 'Oh wow so if this metaphor actually means this then that means...' punishing them and giving them secret victories, as other writers have given me,when I'm analysing the crap out of their work at 3am with seemingly little reward. As a writer though you want to sell, as much as people don't like to admit this, and as much as they love writing, get paid and having people be in love with your stories as you are would be a cherry on the top of your brand new book pile. So if you do want to sell,I guess it comes down to audience... Is your audience going to care about the colour of the floor mould? Even if you as the author are besotted with your mould, if the answer is no, perhaps that detailing should be binned. As writers we have to be selective, as much as writing can be a cathartic flow of consciousness, we have to be careful. Part of being a skilled writer, in my opinion is not always what you put down on paper, but rather what you hold back, if only temporarily. It is about an instinctual judgement, about being able to say:YES that looks right.
What are your thoughts on writing a detailed piece, is that what makes the magic happen for you? Or do you prefer to let your readers minds do the walking?
Don't be afraid to drop me a comment, after all, having an opinion is what writers do best.
Kristy Nicolle xx
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