Necessary information, in small doses
I'm working on a new scene tonight, and I'm juggling the need to get information across to the reader without smacking them upside the head with it. It's a tricky razor to walk, too obtuse and the clues aren't caught, too strong and the story becomes too obvious. I'm not even talking mystery points here, just character interaction, backstory, and general growth and development of the whole piece.
Everyone writes differently, and no two writers have the same style. I am not prone to declarative statements - He was scared, is an arbitrary example, as is He trembled in fear - I'm much more likely to have the character wipe dampness from their hands or take a short step back or something. I tend to go for action over declaration, which makes small details a bit tougher yet to sneak in without being too obvious about it. In the scene I'm working on, Jess is getting out of class and lingering while her guard discusses something with the teacher. This small thing is a deviation off her established schedule and I'm trying to show that she's a bit edgy about it, not scared exactly but aware that it's an unexpected risk. I'm also trying to show her regret and reluctance for the way her life is heading, nervousness, even shame. It's a lot to cram into a small scene - I expect it to be under 500 words - especially when it's pretty much nothing but action and dialog.
Anyway, that's what I'm doing tonight since the kids are playing outside or are next door at my mom's. ;)
Everyone writes differently, and no two writers have the same style. I am not prone to declarative statements - He was scared, is an arbitrary example, as is He trembled in fear - I'm much more likely to have the character wipe dampness from their hands or take a short step back or something. I tend to go for action over declaration, which makes small details a bit tougher yet to sneak in without being too obvious about it. In the scene I'm working on, Jess is getting out of class and lingering while her guard discusses something with the teacher. This small thing is a deviation off her established schedule and I'm trying to show that she's a bit edgy about it, not scared exactly but aware that it's an unexpected risk. I'm also trying to show her regret and reluctance for the way her life is heading, nervousness, even shame. It's a lot to cram into a small scene - I expect it to be under 500 words - especially when it's pretty much nothing but action and dialog.
Anyway, that's what I'm doing tonight since the kids are playing outside or are next door at my mom's. ;)