There’s an old saying that “the devil’s in the details” that’s true in many circumstances in life, but I think it’s especially true in all forms of art.
Of course, it’s obvious to us in visual art—paintings, drawings, photography—and tactile art such as a beautiful quilt or piece of pottery, or a woven basket.
Hexagon Quilt–selling for over $6000! But look at the work and the detail that went into this “work of art”!
But what about books? Are you a reader who loves lots of descriptive details? Or do those bog you down and leave you frustrated and impatient?
I have to admit, as I’ve gotten older, there are many kinds of stories that I feel could do with less detail in some areas. A lot of my “changes” come from looking at the way details and descriptions are presented more closely when I read. I’ve evolved into this kind of reader.
As a younger reader, I needed those details to help me create images in my mind. The descriptions were beautiful to me because I knew less of the world, and everything I read was a learning experience! Have you ever thought about it like that?
When I was a YA reader, whether reading sci-fi books (during the flying saucer craze) or historical fiction, I needed those descriptions and details to feed my hunger for learning about—well, everything!
I loved this series by John Christopher–read it when I was about 12 or 13, and it stayed with me all through the years so that when my own kids were young, I went searching and found it for them! The descriptions of the aliens that were determined to take over earth, the bravery of the young people that fought against them, and wondering what in the world was going to happen kept me reading far into the night! (and them, too!)
“Back in the day” I think authors engaged readers with a different type of writing style, too. Ours had not yet become a world of technology such as it is now. Life “took longer”—and happened at a much more unhurried pace. It was important for writers to create pictures in the readers’ minds—because there was no way to already have a pre-conceived idea of the things the author was trying to describe.
Here’s what I mean: In today’s world, we are inundated with images of all kinds, from instant pictures on our phones that we take ourselves, to movies, to ads on television, to video on Youtube. And now we have a prevalent presence of AI in everything we come into contact with. There is just so much more—and we are experiencing only the tip of the iceberg.
One of my very favorite paintings by the most fabulous Jack Sorenson. He does it the old fashioned way–brush stroke by wonderful brushstroke! This one is called “Horse With Christmas Spirit”–love the “details” in this one!
Can you see how out lightning speed technology can potentially de-value art? When a beautiful picture can be photoshopped together in minutes, or even created by AI and seen by millions, or mass produced in ways that hadn’t been thought of fifty years ago, the artist who painstakingly delivers every brush stroke “the old-fashioned way” can be under-appreciated in a hurry! Jack Sorenson is one of the most gifted artists BECAUSE of the details he includes in every painting.
Some writers suffer this same twist of fate with the influx of technological inventions in a different way. Because our lives are so rushed, and our society has been geared toward “quick reads” we’ve lost the pleasure of savoring those descriptions of the setting, the characters, even the emotions of the “players” in the books we read. It seems that finishing a book is more important than, as we once did, lingering over certain passages and re-reading them for the sheer joy of the way the words came together, our imaginations taking flight with the mental pictures they created for our hungry minds—and souls.
My confession—and you may all think this is weird—I do not ever skim. Even when I don’t feel the need for the minutiae that may be included, I read every word. What if I miss something? Deep down, I believe the author must have thought it important or he/she wouldn’t have included it!
What’s your pet peeve? Too much description? Not enough? More description needed of the characters? Or do you want some things left to your own imagination?
One does a whole painting for one peach and people think just the opposite – that particular peach is but a detail.
–Pablo Picasso
I learned no detail was too small. It was all about the details.
–Brad Grey
Sometimes when you start losing detail, whether it’s in music or in life, something as small as failing to be polite, you start to lose substance.
–Benny Goodman
Do you remember a book you’ve read that you thought was too detailed? IS there such a thing? I think many of the authors from the earlier days wrote in that style—it was just how it was done—and there was no mass media to show instant pictures, so there was even so much more to learn through reading.
As one who wrote very descriptive passages, James Fenimore Cooper comes to 
mind, but Diana Gabaldon’s books are full of wonderful descriptions of the landscape, the characters, and so on, and that skill she displays for description makes her stories and characters come to life!
For modern-day books that show a complete mastery of adding wonderful detail and pulling you into the story, there is no better author than Kathleen Eagle. I’ve never read a story by her that I didn’t love and one of the main reasons is the adept talent she has for adding the smallest details as the story moves along and drawing the reader right into each and every scene, as if you are truly there with her characters, experiencing their pain, loss, worry, and love.
I love to do giveaways, so here’s my question for today’s blog for you to answer in order to enter the giveaway. I’m giving a digital copy of LOVE UNDER FIRE from our Petticoats & Pistols Pink Pistol series to two commenters today! (USA ONLY) Do you have a favorite author who gives just the right amount of description? Is there an author you feel could do with a little less of it? 
More about this next time on CHARACTER descriptions–I’ve been doing a lot of thinking on this subject!
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A native Oklahoman, I've been influenced by the west all my life. I love to write short stories and novels in the historical western and western romance genres, as well as contemporary romantic suspense! Check my Amazon author page to see my work: http://www.amazon.com/author/cherylpierson
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I don’t want to name people, but there are authors with an art of description, showing. And there are authors droning on, and it’s more telling or purple prose.
HAHA! Denise, so glad you caught that little mistake of mine–I should have said “name the ones (like James Fenimore Cooper) that are dead that give too much description for your liking”…LOL You made me laugh when you talked about droning on–yes…that’s a great description of some books, of any genre, that use too much detail for everything. Thanks so much for stopping in today!
A lot depends on the genre of the book. Some authors do go on and on about simple details. Some do short and sweet. I do not like to name them but I think they know what category they fall under.
Ann, yes, I agree. Genre does have a lot to do with it, but I do think you can find examples of both types of writing in any genre, just depending on the author. I know a lot of description is necessary in some cases, but I think science fiction/fantasty authors have to learn to walk a very fine line in that area. And “back in the day” romance authors were guilty of that more than they are now.
Really does depend on the genre, but I tend to like to have quite abit of details in my sci-fi books, I love science fiction since I was 7 yrs. old, books, shows and movies. Now my historical western romance I like medium description to details. But some can definitely dag with to much details and you loss interest with that amount info they put into the book.
no fav
Thanks for stopping by!
I don’t like a lot of detail in my books and some author are really bad about it. As far as favorite authors right now I like a lot of them but really no favorite. When I first started reading it was Constance O’Banyon and I love all of her books and read them all. I still have old copies of them.
Quilt Lady, I agree with you about how some authors use too much detail. I think this came from the early days of romance writing when we were taught to describe EVERYTHING and “take the reader on a journey with us”, let them see, hear, touch, smell, and taste everything. Well…I always remember how masters of horror, like Alfred Hitchcock, let us see only up to a point in his movies and weekly show. Same way with The Twilight Zone. So many things we imagine can be so much more vivid than what the author may choose to describe it. I have not ever read any of Constance O’Banyon’s stories, but I will see if I can find them. I’m always looking for new (to me) authors! Thanks for stopping by today!
Shanna Hatfield does a wonderful job of describing rodeo life. You feel like you are right there, experiencing it all with her characters.
Linda, I agree! Shanna is a wonderful, wonderful author and her stories are always filled with “just right” description, making you feel like you are truly living that story!
Yes she does, and from someone who grew up in a Rodeo family, I have learned to not expect to be impressed. Shanna did her research and she did not disappoint.
Karen, Shanna is such a professional, meticulous author. I love her work!
I like a lot of authors, but to say a favorite one, I can’t pick out just one. As for details, it depends on the story.
Karijean, I have several favorites, yes, even some from the old days where every “glittering ballroom and gown” was described as well as the sumptuous multi-course meals they ate, even down to the decorations in the room. LOL But I think those are sentimental favorites because they were some of the first romance stories I ever read and loved so much. Glad you came by!
Shanna Hatfield gives me just the right amount of detail to fulfill my visual pic of the scene. As far as someone who goes on too much with it, I cannot name one person, as there were more than one. I felt I was drowning in detail and especially when they become repetitive.
Judy, yes! Shanna is a fabulous author and she does put “just the right amount of detail” in her stories. I’m so in awe of her and love the way she writes.
I agree with you about the repetitive detail in some of the books out there that just pulls you right out of the story. :(((( Thanks for stopping by today!
My pet peeve is when using an actual locale; poor research leads to errors that are glaring. I remember a tv show located in Indianapolis where a character mentioned going north on I-70. Nope! I-70 Iis an EAST/WEST road. In general even numbers go east/west and odd are north/south. I learned this in driver’s Ed and I lived in Indiana.
Kate, YES! Oh, yes, that is something that just irks me no end. And not just that, but when people are writing a story that mentions inventions that have not come about yet, or medicines that are not in existence yet, or wrong details on something (usually some kind of firearm, in westerns) that are incorrect. Research is so, so important! Glad you stopped by!
My pet peeve is the use of too many adjectives. I mean, how many ways can you describe a wool coat. I remember my husband saying Zane Grey books can get too descriptive. I guess most of the books I enjoy are just right are I would not keep reading them.
Sarah, I agree with you, especially about Zane Grey, but I think back in the day that was a much more prevalent way of writing for everyone, especially because in some cases, authors were paid by the word! I’ve noticed that Stephen King doesn’t “overly” describe his characters features in his story. I think a lot of people like to imagine what the characters look like in their own heads. Glad you stopped by.
My pet peeve is when those details become repetitive, especially when it involves feelings. I understood the feeling the first second, third and fifth time as well as the other times. When you get into more than that, I get bored.
YES! I feel that same way, Debra! I mean, the author needs to try to find some other way to call attention to that feeling other than just saying the same thing over and over again. That bores me, too, when it just goes on and on.
Not any that I can think off the top of my head.
Kathleen, I mentioned some of the early romance novels I read and the description/details that were given getting to be “too much”–but in all fairness, I do think that was just the difference in the times and the way people were taught to write. Even in a lot of the older short stories (including those we read in high school in our English classes!) that was the way things were written, and that’s hard to keep to that way of writing and make a short story interesting by the time you get to the end of it. LOL
My pet peeve is authors who use the same unusual phrase or word too many times in one book. I just read a book where the characters “planted their fists on their hips.” Every single character did it at least once… Sigh.
Oh, Nan! Yes, yes, yes. I am soooooo with you on that one. Yes, that makes me heave a huge sigh, too, when I come across a book like that. I have to admit, usually, I won’t finish that story. That’s just too aggravating for me. I used to think I should always finish a book I started, but anymore, I realize I’m too old to adhere to that logic. There are so many books out there that are wonderful and interesting, so if you see you don’t like a story, don’t continue to plod through it–my mantra these days. And that repetitive use of the unusual phrase or word is something that will make me lay it aside. Thanks for stopping in today!
I have seen book covers and read excerpts and even read books that sound like there written by AI I won’t read AI books and yes there is such a thing as to much detail you don’t want to give away the plot/ story line of book
Crystal, in this day and age, there probably are a lot of authors who use AI to write the blurbs, for sure. No, I won’t read AI-written stories, either. You can usually pick them out pretty quickly once you start reading.
I can’t think of specific authors but I do love Kathleen Eagle books.
Alice, I have loved Kathleen Eagle since I first read her book, The Night Remembers. OH MY GOSH! That story just grabbed me, it was so different, and so, so romantic. Her characters are so real to me. Can’t say enough good about her stories!
There is one author who writes Medieval romance that is quite descriptive. Walking down an alley, you feel the rough cobblestones underfoot, see the baskets & jugs, feel the heat or cold, smell the cooking food and open sewer. The small details put you right in the scene with her characters. I, too, tend not to skim. The one exception is sex scenes. I don’t mind a bit, but sitting by a bed for 5 or more pages watching is a bit too much for me. I recently heard an author say she had written a 44 page kinky sex scene. No thank you.
Yes, for some reason, I don’t mind all that description and detail in Medieval romances like I do in some other sub-genres. LOL Never thought about it that way, but gosh, that’s just how it is for me. Back many years ago, writing those long steamy sex scenes was a must if you hoped to compete in being published. I cannot imagine reading 44 pages of that, though! Good grief. LOL!
Really does depend on the genre, but I tend to like to have quite abit of details in my sci-fi books, I love science fiction since I was 7yrs old, books,shows and movies. Now my historical Western romance I like medium description to details but some can definitely dag on with to much details and you loss interest with that amount of info they put into the book. Don’t want to name any one by name they seem to just go on a on about every detail possible they think of.
Really does depend on the genre, but I tend to like to have quite abit of details in my sci-fi books, I love science fiction since I was 7 yrs. old, books, shows and movies. Now my historical western romance I like medium description to details. But some can definitely dag with to much details and you loss interest with that amount info they put into the book.