Question Home

Position:Home>Books & Authors> Can you have too much detail in your story?


Question: Can you have too much detail in your story!?
I have been posting the beginning of my story on here for suggestions and some people have been saying that I have too much detail!. I didn't think that it was possible!. What do you think!?

also - I'll post my story below just in case someone wanted to read it!.

The snowflakes fell in flurries, each one of them noticeably falling in a collective pile of white dust!. Every powdery flake seemed to call my long, dark eyelashes home, coating them thickly in the white snow that seemed to fall from the heavens!. The thin jacket wrapped around me did little to protect me from the frigid wind; I still felt every gust and shivered violently in response to each one!. My eyes gazed down upon the blanket of white beneath my feet as I began to ponder exactly what I was planning to do!. Was this the right path for me!? I've walked so many of those wretched paths for more, my judgment was muddled!. The thought of being sent to yet another foster home brought nothing but sadness to my heart!. It would be just another story of heartbreak and betrayal to add to the memoirs known as my life!.
Gazing up at the sky, I felt my tears nearly frozen on my reddened cheeks!. Quickly brushing them away, I took a deep breath and picked up my bags!. I started down the long driveway to get to the house!.
I curled my toes hoping to warm them as I walked!. My heart was thudding a tempo to the beating of my boots on the iced pavement!. I was breathing rapidly, becoming worried!.
What if the family beat me!? My social worker had assured me that this was the best family possible!. I hoped that she had been right!. It was hard to take her seriously, with all of those stains on her sweat suit!.
My mother had recently died!. I missed her tremendously!. She and I had been best friends, crazy as it sounds!.
Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
I think it sounds fine and I've been writing for over 5 years!. I had a teacher in high school ,who was also the creative writing teacher, who said the more detail the better!. I agree with him on this!. You want the reader to be able to see everything the way you do!. I think what most people are referring to is staying on one specific topic for too long!. 1-3 very descriptive sentences about one thing (like snowflakes) and then move on to the next topic or item you want to describe!. Be as descriptive as possible without drawing it out!. This is the one thing all GREAT writers have in common!. Master that and you will go far with your writing!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

i liked your story!. but yes, there can be too much description!. like when someone uses the same description over and over and over and over and over throughout four books like the twilight series!. ex: edward cullen's "gorgeous marble body" but your story was nice; it didn't have too much descriptionWww@QuestionHome@Com

Yes, too much detail!. It becomes too tedious to read and the story line gets lost!. You lose interest!.

Just think of it as someone just blabbering on and on until you come to a point where you don't even know what he is talking about!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

I remember answering your first one :)
I like your description, but if you have A LOT of it, it seems more like a list of what you are describing more than a vision!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

Your story is wonderful! There is just the perfect amount of detail!. =)Www@QuestionHome@Com

That was really great! I almost felt like I was there! That isn't too much detail! It's the perfect amount!Www@QuestionHome@Com

I don't think that you have to much detail!. Enough detail is necessary so that, the reader will be put into the right mood and see clearly the picture you are portraying!.
Your story sounds absolutely GREAT!. I would love to read the entire thing!.
Best of luckWww@QuestionHome@Com

Some of the greatest authors have a lot of detail!. I actually think that what you wrote is excellent!. The people who say that you have too much detail probably are people who find too much reading boring!. I think that you have just enough!. I think that this is better than writing only one or two sentences and then moving on to something else!. if the long description is about nothing, or doesn't really relate to the story, then yes it would be a waste!. But you are using description to let the reader know about what this girl has faced in life and what her worries are of the future!.!.!.and that's important!.Www@QuestionHome@Com