The Devil’s in the detail

[John Dean]

I was writing the other day and part of the novel deals with a character dying from a serious bronchial illness, fighting for every breath.

My detectives go to see him only to discover that, since they last met him, he has died. I found myself writing (slightly changed as the original contained crucial plot information) “Five minutes later, the officers were seated in the living room, acutely aware that his chair was empty and that the oxygen cannister had gone. They could see the ring on the carpet where it had stood.”

Just a couple of lines but ones of which I was proud. Why? Because I have always believed that what differentiates good writing from less effective writing is detail.

It’s something I include in my creative writing courses. As part of my research for a course I was taking on the theme, I came across this passage from D Robert Hamm: “The first thing one needs to understand is that all fiction consists of the judicious selection and revelation of ‘significant detail’. Learning the craft of writing does not dictate which details are counted as significant in any given work, nor how to present those details. Rather, it (hopefully) provides one with the skills to judge those things in light of the desired end result and choose from a variety of options. Just as a serious painter learns what combinations of materials, brushes, strokes, and pigments he or she can use to achieve different effects and guide the viewers’ eyes through the painting, a serious writer must learn how various writing techniques can achieve the desired effects and guide the reader through the story.“

Wise words. Getting the right details is so crucial. Overdo it and you are writing Death by Boredom, get it right and you are writing Death by Bestseller.

So how does that work in reality? Here is what I tell my students:

* Create details about character. Ask questions about your character. What does your character look like? How does he walk or talk? Does she part her hair? What kind of clothes does he wear? And which facts are relevant? What matters, what does not? Keep what matters, kick out what does not.

* Create details about your settings. What does your character's living room look like? Is it messy or is it tidy? Are there paintings on the wall etc etc? Create details that bring the settings to life. A story comes alive when the reader can see, smell, taste, hear, and touch the world you’ve created. But if it does not matter that a certain painting is on the wall, don’t mention it. If it‘s there for a reason , to reveal something about the character, plot etc, then keep it hanging there.

In short, use only what is necessary.