Friday, April 29, 2011

Friday Round-Up - #154


Historical fiction author, Jody Hedlund, at On The Path, gives practical advice on how to create the right amount of setting in our books.

Question for Readers: Do you enjoy a lot of scene setting or do you skim over descriptions?

Question for Writers:  How do you achieve a balance between not enough and too much setting?


Clarissa Draper, at Listening to the Voices, gives some guidance on Forensic Science. There are also other posts listed on her sidebar dealing with this subject. If you write mysteries/suspense/historical suspense, this is a valuable resource.

Question for Readers:  Do you enjoy books with lots of forensic information or does too much technical information put your brain on tilt?

Question for Writers:  Do you put just enough detail in your manuscripts to get the point across or do you go indepth?


Have a fabulous weekend!




21 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Susan. When I am writing a detailed scene.. I step away for a while then go back, read it, and edit it. I like to give enough detail that the reader begins to create a picture in their mind.

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Sonia -

Excellent strategy!

I'm still trying to find the balance between too much and not enough description. :)

Blessings,
Susan

Chatty Crone said...

Susan - thanks for the information! sandie

Rhonda Schrock said...

I like enough forensic detail to make it real, but I skim when there's too much description of settings.

Good questions, Susan. And you surprised me with your comment on my blog about fiction/nonfiction writing! :)

Happy spring!

Nancy said...

I do enjoy writing settings. I like to give enough of a picture so that the character is sitting or standing somewhere specific and the readers have something to picture.

I have read some books where the setting was so minimal that it didn't count in the story. Of the few books I have done, the setting is very important.

Kristen said...

Thanks, Susan! Thank for sending up to Jody's blog. It looks fabulous.

As for writing setting, my strength in dialogue, mainly from my years in theater. As a result, I don't do enough setting description (or interior monologue, for that matter.) Setting is definitely something I need to boost in my writing.
Thanks

Anonymous said...

I tend to skim setting details, but I focus on emotional or relational details. I like getting to the heart of the character!

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Sandie -

You're welcome. Hope the articles help.

Blessings,
Susan :)

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Rhonda -

I'm with you. Too much setting puts me to sleep. Hmm, maybe I should try that instead of warm milk.

I surprised you? God sure surprised me. :)

Blessings,
Susan

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Nancy -

I'll come over and take lessons. :)

Blessings,
Susan

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Kristen -

Jody's blog is a tremendous resource. I hope you find some time to explore her articles.

Action and dialogue are my strong points. Setting is a challenge for me, but I'm working on it. :)

Blessings,
Susan

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Alisa -

I can see from your writing that you'd go deep with your characters. :)

Blessings,
Susan

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Susan .. I like a little of both - actually some good depth .. yes and now reading what Sonia says .. yes create that picture with everything we do ..

Cheers Hilary

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Hilary -

I love books where the scene plays out in my mind like a movie. When setting is well done, it's a natural part of the story and doesn't shout at you.

Blessings,
Susan :)

Anonymous said...

I'm somewhere in the middle. I do like some technical background. This shows me the author did their homework and I can learn a fe things. But the story has to move fast. Don't weigh me down with a bunch of heady blow hard stuff that drags on and on and on.

Kathleen said...

Another great resource! You sure do get around, dear friend.

Love your heart,
Kathleen

Jody Hedlund said...

Thank you so much for linking to my post, Susan!! You're a sweetheart! Hope things are going well for you and your writing these days! :-)

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Stephen -

I agree. Too much description can kill the action in any story.

Blessings,
Susan :)

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Kathleen -

LOL! It's a challenge since I started my new job, but I love finding interesting tidbits for my readers.

Blessings,
Susan :)

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Jody -

You're welcome! Thank YOU for producing such wonderful articles. I can't wait for your next book to be released.

Blessings,
Susan :)

Eileen Astels Watson said...

I try to point out a few key, telling details to give the reader a base to work with to create a vision they can relate to.

If I'm reading a book long in detail, I do skim, anxious to read something that moves the story along.