World description vs action

[Joeski]

I recently received some feedback for an opening chapter of a novel from an editor on a creative writing forum.

The notes was 'Remember, you're writing a novel, not a film, we don't need to know every detail of what the character is doing and what their surrounding looks like'.

So my question is, how do you find the balance between world description and action?

 

[pmmg]

Practice, and lots of it.

This whole thing we undertake is an Art. And like all artists, we have to hone and improve our craft. In the beginning we spatter words onto the page, and over time we start to get a sense of what actually looks good and what does not. And that inner voice that assess as we go starts to tell when things are going off, and that well of experience provides the way to fix it.

I think you've really asked two questions above:

Question 1:
In movies, we have the camera, and we think of how everything looks in the lens, and even get to fake the stuff that is not in the lens. The visual is its advantage. In writing, we get to get into the characters, know their thoughts, and feel their struggle. If a movie shows us a fight, it shows us all the flashy bits, and lots of swords hitting each other, and lots of movement. In a written story, I get to feel inside the character instead. I get to know if they feared, if they are hurt, if they are weary, if they think the opponent is too tough, or if they see the openings they can exploit. The interesting part of the battle is not the flash, its what it means to the people involved and what it shows about them. So...in some fashion, you need to focus on what is good about writing, and less what looks good on camera.

Question 2:

Balance between world description and action... well, action is actually boring and takes up too much space. Its meaningless and filler without meaning. Bring meaning to it, and it has its place and makes the story stronger. Action should never be filler, it should be telling the story, and revealing character and plot and all that. Meaning comes from many of the scenes where there is not action, but instead character moments, and world discovery. When the focus is on telling the story, and creating meaning, the balance kind of takes care of itself. But...as I said above, is an art more than a science.

 

[JBCrowson]

I think people who read books do so because in part they like to imagine. As writers we provide stimuli for that imagining to coalesce around. I think that means we have to include description of elements that are essential to plot or character - you can't omit that your MC has an extra set of arms until the scene they win a juggling contest. Mentioning the scars your battle hardened warrior has helps the characterisation, but you don't need their entire plastic surgery history.
Surroundings I'd say the same thing - if your scene has the hero flee by vaulting onto a sleeping dragon that flaps off in surprise on being woken up, you need to mention the dragon somewhere first.
I'd also say that fantasy needs more description than regular fiction because a story set in the "real world" will allow the writer to assume a whole bunch of stuff, but in your fantasy world you need to outline where your world diverges from "ours".

 

[JBCrowson]

Practice, and lots of it.

This whole thing we undertake is an Art. And like all artists, we have to hone and improve our craft. In the beginning we spatter words onto the page, and over time we start to get a sense of what actually looks good and what does not. And that inner voice that assess as we go starts to tell when things are going off, and that well of experience provides the way to fix it.

I think you've really asked two questions above:

Question 1:
In movies, we have the camera, and we think of how everything looks in the lens, and even get to fake the stuff that is not in the lens. The visual is its advantage. In writing, we get to get into the characters, know their thoughts, and feel their struggle. If a movie shows us a fight, it shows us all the flashy bits, and lots of swords hitting each other, and lots of movement. In a written story, I get to feel inside the character instead. I get to know if they feared, if they are hurt, if they are weary, if they think the opponent is too tough, or if they see the openings they can exploit. The interesting part of the battle is not the flash, its what it means to the people involved and what it shows about them. So...in some fashion, you need to focus on what is good about writing, and less what looks good on camera.

Question 2:

Balance between world description and action... well, action is actually boring and takes up too much space. Its meaningless and filler without meaning. Bring meaning to it, and it has its place and makes the story stronger. Action should never be filler, it should be telling the story, and revealing character and plot and all that. Meaning comes from many of the scenes where there is not action, but instead character moments, and world discovery. When the focus is on telling the story, and creating meaning, the balance kind of takes care of itself. But...as I said above, is an art more than a science.

I've learned so much in a short space of time from reading your replies to people's questions and comments on here. Thank you for sharing your experience and time with the rest of us.

 

[pmmg]

I've learned so much in a short space of time from reading your replies to people's questions and comments on here. Thank you for sharing your experience and time with the rest of us.

Wow, thanks. I appreciate that.

I try to be helpful, but I fear at times I am less friendly than I could be, and come from a different place than many/most here in values, so...too much of me might not be so good depending on your perspective. But...I did just get an award for 5000 posts. I am even on the members boards now, depending on how it sorts.

But really, I am just filling the empty parts of my day If only I could get into a writing mind set at work....I'd have ten novels written.

 

[Mad Swede]

I recently received some feedback for an opening chapter of a novel from an editor on a creative writing forum.

The notes was 'Remember, you're writing a novel, not a film, we don't need to know every detail of what the character is doing and what their surrounding looks like'.

So my question is, how do you find the balance between world description and action?

Practice, by writing. Writing a lot. Reading a lot too, despite my dyslexia.

I still get some criticism from my editor for not including enough little details. You need some details, to give depth and to provide plot hooks. Sounds, smells and the like. Background characters. As an example, if your character can read and sees something on a piece of paper nailed to a wall outside the Watch office, is there a small crowd of people reading it? Are there other notices and if so what are they about? If they were all reward notices for catching criminals then your readers might draw the conclusion that this place is a little lawless and so then accept that your character wanders round with a sword all the time. If your character is disturbed at night by a noise, what was it about the noise that made it noticeable above the usual background noise of the city? Does this give the character any clue about what is going on? Where do you buy food, and what does this shop or market tell you about the area or time of year? And so on and so forth.

 

[Demesnedenoir]

Pointless actions tend to be the issue. In screenwriting, people will often get WAY carried AWAY with describing everything so the actor knows exactly what to do... ummmm, no. In novels, if you've ever heard of "talking heads syndrome" (another thing prevalent in screenplays but more acceptable), you will also see a lot of pointless actions to break up the talking heads (not including David Byrne) dialogue, and this is one place where it gets tricky. Talking heads— Bad. Pointless actions— Bad.

One could babble on a good deal about this, but in the end, without seeing what you're talking about it's difficult to say what you're doing.