Too much/little detail in a novel?

Question

My story plotwise is very detailed, but I don't want to have to explain every tid bit to the reader. It too much detail need in a novel or is it a bad thing. I mean for example a character walks into a room, I can say the room was a bedroom and was well lit, but do I need to explain the paint on the wall, carpet on the floor, and windows if they won't be used in the story's plot? Seems like a waste of time to me.

Can someone give me some pros and cons of too much detail in a novel? I think the reader should be able to use their imaginations and not have everything explain to them.

P.S: I know things suck as characters and symbols need to be described in great detail

Answer 1

Do not explain anything which does not help elaborate on the characters, theme or plot.



For example, do not say for no reason when a man walks into a room that the carpet is red. It's red because the person living in that room is a communist. Because there's blood on the floor. Because it's an extravagant and richly decorated hotel room. If there's no reason for it being red, but it just is; don't bother mentioning it. This is when you don't bother.



If a child lives in a child-like bedroom which includes features like teddies, light blue decor, a night light - you may describe these things to make the child look innocent. That is when you do bother.



The point is, don't include information unless you're trying to hint something or make a statement. If you think deeply enough about any situation in any successful book, you will see how everything that has been described is there to give characters and places character. Having said that, if you want to describe a vast mountain range dotted with villages for an entire page--maybe two--go ahead. It will be interesting if you can pull it off.



It's mundane information that is boring for the reader and you will hurt your hands writing and the novel's chance of publication when all that jargon you've written builds up to an extra 200 pages. Also you're dead right about the imagination side of it--leave something for the readers to picture for themselves!

Answer 2

I believe you only need to describe what is important to describe. It's a great exercise to get a character talking to get him to describe something in detail, either a room or an experience, however this can also just be private for the author and never has to enter into the novel. In my experience, the more back-writing you do to find your character's voice, the less writing that actually needs to be in the novel to tell your story---your character will have a strong voice and know how to get to the point. His character and the setting will be painted with few words.

Answer 3

I agree with Marissa. Personally, I like details because I like forming a really good mental image, but when you start talking about the intricate pattern on the bedstead that looked like an ancient Grecian pillar, then maybe you're going a little overboard.

Pros: Gives the reader a vivid mental image, let's the reader experience the story like they were there (wow, that sounds corny), and, to be perfectly honest, if you are just trying to fill up pages then it's a great way to write a twenty-page essay.

Cons: Can get a little boring and confusing, can be time-consuming, and if the writer doesn't like to give detailed descriptions, then it's a complete waste.



Hope that helped! Good luck!

Answer 4

You don't want to suffocate the reader or bog the story down with too much detail, but then you also don't want them unable to picture the scene in their head. The balance of detail is really difficult to get right, in my opinion.



One way I've found of giving good detail without suffocating the reader is to include description into the action. So instead of saying, "The book was blue," you can say, "The boy ran his hand across the blue cover of the book." By disguising the detail in with the action, you provide an accurate picture of the scene while keeping the story moving :)



Anyway, I hope I could help

Good luck and happy writing :)

Answer 5

Paint a picture for your readers. It draws them into the world you're creating. If you don't, they end up being slightly removed, and that could lead them to put your book down and pick up one that does a better job. What you want is just the right amount. What kind of bed, what color are the walls, what's covering the windows, what color is the floor. Enough so the reader can see what your character sees. So no, you can't just tell someone it's a bedroom and expect them to fill in the blanks. That's sort of taking the lazy way out.

Answer 6

Let the reader imagination do most of the work, yes you want to be descriptive but not so much that the reader gets tired of hearing about how beautiful the room is or whatever. I hope I helped, I think all writers have problems like these.

Answer 7

Personally I wouldn't want an author droning on about a particular location, and have it take away from the story. description is necessary sometime, for characters but I wouldn't some thing like Tolkien and use 50 pages to describe something.

Answer 8

Just as characters are described in detail, so does the character's bedroom SOMETIMES. The characters bedroom can also describe him (style, etc). You should get one of your friends that reads books to look at it for you and after they read it ask if it grabbed and kept their attention.

Answer 9

If the detail adds to the atmosphere, then by all means, add it, but if it doesn't affect the plot, doesn't add to characterization, doesn't add to the theme, and doesn't add much to the style, the extra detail just comes out as purple prose.

Answer 10

I think you need to play by ear. You should explain some of the rooms, but you dont need to do all of them.