Just do your thing, follow your instinct and when you've finished the novel put it away for a while, like at least a month or more if you can. When you read it again with fresh eyes you'll realize if it's enough or if there's something missing in the way you've pictured it to the reader. And in the meantime, like the others have said, read read read, find out through other writers what amount of and what kind of description you like the best, what gives you the most vivid picture of the scenes you read, and how they can set the mood for the story. Then take this into practise when revising/editing your own.
Yes, get it down first, then fix it. Description for the sake of it is generally a bad thing ("generally" because sometimes the description is what the work is all about -- Proust, for example), but description to immerse the reader in your world is not "for the sake of it".
One thing to be careful of is to not ruin the natural pacing and flow of your work by adding in descriptions. I find when writing a first draft of something sometimes I emphasize the content, other times times the plot and characters, and sometimes description. A few apt descriptive words can sometimes get the creative juices flowing by setting the atomosphere not just for the reader, but for yourself while writing it.
Definitely write down what you're thinking before you forget any of it. You may find that some of the description comes to mind as you write it, and some of it will come when you go back later to review your writing. As for too much or too little, I really think that depends on your style. I've read a lot of books that make do with an average amount of description, but I've also read authors like Cecilia Dart-Thornton, who uses absolute shovels of the most flowery, beautiful description I've ever seen, but still manages to put out wonderfully riveting books. Read read read, and get yourself a thesaurus, if you need help with finding words.
Noooooooooooo! A thesaurus is a bad way to build vocabulary. The thesaurus is a feral beast who will whip around and rend you with its razor teeth and gulp down gobbets of your still-twitching flesh. Beginners who build their vocabulary with a thesaurus are quickly spotted by their just-off use of words they don't quite understand. You need to see words in use by competent writers to understand the contexts to which they apply and the shades of meaning beyond a simple definition, much less the fuzzy-synonym relationship learned from a thesaurus. The way to build your vocabulary is through reading, reading, and more reading. But even more important than a large vocabulary is a somewhat smaller vocabulary used with precision.
What Cogito said, that thesaurus can and will lead you astray. And quickly. It has it's uses, but not to build vocabulary.
ditto Cog. I only use a thesaurus when I desperately need something other than "smile", or if perhaps I've used all of "run", "sprint", "flea", "escape", "dart", "rush" etc all in one page. Don't use it to "build" a vocab, but you can use it to remind you of other fun words that have just slipped your mind right then. I once came across the word "angelic" and didn't know what it meant. My dictionary told me it was a "sweet smile" - so I proceeded to say that my adult male character gave an "angelic smile".... not so great. So yeh, use a thesaurus sometimes, but really, only pick the words you actually know - a thesaurus is a good reminder of words, but it's not for looking up brand new words whose definition you're not really sure of. For example, one of my writer friends love to use the thesaurus - there was a word I didn't know at every paragraph thanks to that - including the word "petrichor" It's just not very helpful really. I mean, it's really just a way of showing off your vast vocab without really worrying about just how well it's gonna convey its message to a general, mass average audience.
yes, write it out, who cares about description when you have a story to tell? Then, when you finish, you can revise it by adding what you need to and then it becomes a story to share.
The main point for descriptions that I make is that they don't carry on aimlessly. I see there's a tendency in plenty of writers in beginning years that pound on two adjectives for every noun, thinking it makes the story vivid and beautiful. Most of the time it will end up clogging your story's flow, instead. Be concise and original. It becomes easier to do this upon massing pages of literature in your noggin, as plenty have said before and will continue to say.
Uh...sorry, I didn't really mean it like "build your vocabulary with a thesaurus", I meant "if you're a little stuck for words...". I generally use it when a mind block attacks and I've got a word that I know I've already used several times, but can't quite think of another one to use. I never use words that I don't fully understand, though. And for the record, I have read a crapload of books.
I don't think I would include anything in something I write just "for the sake of it". Although it might be helpful in laying a starting block for a scene and then can be removed later. I certainly find that describing setting seems to be the hardest part for me, just because I'm probably not the best observer of my surroundings as it is. Seeing it done well in novels that I enjoy can be a powerful motivator, but I still find it to be tedious. There are times, however, where the setting is as important as the scene itself; where the environment sets the narrative into motion. I'm currently working on a scene set in a Jamaican restaurant, that will culminate in a very awkward and pivotal confrontation between several characters- the smells, the heat, the decor will all play a big part in this. So I've got to get over my fear of description, and start writing!
I agree. When I write, it's like watching a movie in my head and the descriptions appear as I go along. It helps make it enjoyable to write. Not everyone is like this but the main thing like others have said is to first get your words down on paper before you forget them. Also, don't overthink it so much. Writing (at least in the beginning on a manuscript) should be exciting, where words seem to be overflowing in your brain faster than you can get them down. When it gets to be a chore like it seems to be in your case, put it away for a while and then come back to it. Good luck!
I am working on a book that has a 1800's to 1900's style pirate ship/warship and I am having difficulty describing it. Does anyone have any ideas?
I've done that. I meant I don't want my character to say he walked on to the deck of a 1800's style pirate ship. That may be the best route but for some reason is not sitting well with me.
How much research have you done on these ships? Do you know what they look like? Do you know how they're rigged, how they're crewed? If not, you've got some work to do before you can take this job on. Do your research. Get to know these vessels. Then imagine yourself walking up the gangplank onto the deck. What do you see? Where's the mainmast? Where's the poop deck? Where's the captain's cabin? Where's the galley, the brig, the crew's quarters, the wheelhouse, the chartroom? Research, research, research!
True, research should come before advice follows. You can watch some period movies about warships/pirate ships of the time period you are looking for, like The Treasure Island.
How do you describe a character getting tickle by another character? It can be exotic, or torture. Add some of your fetish examples as long as they are not disgusting please.
They were on the couch, and she laughed when he touched her ribs. "Stop," she said, swaying her body as if she were dancing. "But it's fun," he said. "For you!" she said, pushing him away. Then she panted heavily. "You know I'm ticklish," she said.
There is a scene in my story where the MC sees the town's main guard dog, a big black Presa canario, and is described as such. The problem is that I do not think most people know what a Presa looks like, but I don't think there is a dog that represents strength and ferociousness like this breed. Should I keep the Presa or attempt to describe a big dog?
Make the main character surmise that is what the dog is after describing it. My point is, do both, describe it and then say something like "...it had to be [breed] or the, "description, description, description, etc. lead MC to believe it was [breed]. I am listing this this way because I have no idea what the breed is like or what the description would be but my recommendation should remedy your dilemma: do both! Weigh my feedback by reviewing my work, web search Kelson's Challenge or Kelson Hargis, all of my stuff is free and readily available. ~Kelson
Always keep your reader in mind. Your dog is 'big and black'. Does the breed matter? Stephen King's 'Cujo' has a dog in it. Check out how he describes the beast.
