The furniture became necessary because she'd have fallen forward onto the floor (thus introducing "floor"), and he'd have been undignified, flat on his ass on the same "floor". She looks best with her breasts swaying and the long line of her back taut like a bow, and he's a lazy bastard who likes to slow stroke himself while he watches her turn towards him with the slow turning look that she has.
I'm pretty light on detail most of the time. I figure that everyone knows what a bed looks like, and they probably imagine one they are familiar with. Unless there is an important detail about the bed, there's not really much point in describing it.
That made me think for a second about why, with my fetish for description, I've never really thought about describing the bed. And I think my answer is that, when my characters are in the bed, they're probably not noticing it. They're focused on other things. And it'd damage the consistency of the scene for the guy having his first threesome to start thinking "golly this is a really soft mattress, and the sheets are such an interesting color!", though thinking about it a second time yeah, I can totally see someone having those intrusive thoughts mid-fuck and it coming out that way. But it's not something they'd be deliberately noticing.
Rated 5 stars partly out of relief that it's not about a certain couch-fucking vice president.
I found that when I off-the-cuff imagine a banana, I will envision the general basic idea of a banana. But I don't get down to the granular level of how ripe it is, whether it's green or yellow or spotted, etc.. Because the banana could be any of those things and still be a banana, and I don't feel the need to drill into it in that level of detail. I'm happy to leave the banana, well, a bit open-ended. But it's more of a conscious choice I guess and something done on an as-needed basis, not a default thing.
See I can't do that, the banana is instantly in my head, it's a little over-ripe, the stem is dark and woody, I can smell it, I wouldn't want to eat it plain but it would still be really good sliced up on a bowl of corn flakes 
Can't wait for all three W'sIP!
But why would you want to add description that doesn't naturally fit into your sense of the story? You'd be in danger of watering down your unique impact, don't you think?
Sketch the outlines in hopes that the reader will be just oriented enough to proceed, but will not be distracted from the central emotions and sensations by the surrounding setting.
Absolutely. Many times. I love getting hooked that way.
I'm sure I have, but, not surprisingly, they were un-memorable.
No. No tricks. Just concentrate on the MC's experience and add the minimum necessary for setting.
So sad! My images of the devestation are of the coast. Everytime I see clips I'm reminded of driving by all those packed small houses right up against the water, so different from the New England coast. Can't believe they were wiped out.
That's a great visual! I vacillate between 4 and 5.So I saw this image online a couple of years ago when John Green shared it, and it sort of blew my mind. When you think of "An Apple," what happens in your brain? Do you visualize something, or do you just hold an abstract concept of an apple? And if you visualize something, what is it?
View attachment 2513107
I'm absolutely a #1. I can't help but visualize the apple, its color, its kinda waxy texture that reflects light in a very specific way, the way it smells, the weight and density and the woody sound it makes when you rap your knuckles on it... And for a long time I didn't realize that not everyone was like that?
So I think that's how I tend to write. I've gotten feedback on some of my stories that I sometimes spend too much time talking about how characters look, or what they're wearing, or what their room is like, but holding those things in my head is the only way I can conceive of a character or write about them.
I have to work really hard to NOT use descriptive language, in things like a 750-word short. But even though I don't have the word count to spell it out, I've still got the image in my head. I know exactly what Molly Moore the lingerie sales assistant looks like, even though I didn't describe her in the slightest
On the other hand I've also gotten positive feedback that my descriptions paint really vibrant mental images for some people, and really puts a scene in their head. so I think maybe it's just a difference in how people visualize and what they want in a story?
There's a long running British detective series (can't remember which one), which featured vivid descriptions of the country side. That was OK for most of the series, but then it began to feel like a self parody. "Enough!" says I to myself. This sounds like a travelogue. Interestingly, at the end of the book, in the acknowledgements, the author thanks those readers who praised his descriptions and asked for more. So, there are folks out there who can provide counter arguments, but, personally, I'm with you.
As I said before, I generally only have a problem with overly detailed descriptions that span over multiple paragraphs. But even in those cases, I acknowledge and respect such a writing style, as long as the person, scene, or object being described is somehow important for the story.
After musing about this off and on for a couple of hours, I'm able to put a finer point on it.
I don't think so. The added description can naturally fit in, as well as help me to slow down and pace the story a little bit better. I just have to remember to take the time to actually do it.
I'm capable of that level of visualization, but default to "generic apple." Not abstract or Platonic, but generic.Do you visualize something, or do you just hold an abstract concept of an apple? And if you visualize something, what is it?
I'm absolutely a #1. I can't help but visualize the apple, its color, its kinda waxy texture that reflects light in a very specific way, the way it smells, the weight and density and the woody sound it makes when you rap your knuckles on it... And for a long time I didn't realize that not everyone was like that?
As a counter-counterpoint, though... It all depends on which video games you're playing:
The two x 750 word stories have been published. It's the "featureless" one that's still in work.
I don't see that as a counter point at all, I see it as exactly the point
