this post was submitted on 26 Jul 2023
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What do you do when trying to describe something very specific? (beehaw.org)
submitted 1 year ago by silent_g@beehaw.org to c/writing@beehaw.org
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Many times when writing, I get a very specific image in my head of the way I want something to look, or the way I want something to move. Particularly with actions where objects are moving in a very specific way, I want to describe them accurately so that most readers would see the same thing that I'm seeing in my head. The problem is, I don't want to come off as sounding too technical (the object slid along its Z axis and suddenly stopped and rotated 45 degrees on its Y axis), and I also don't want to be so vague that a later sentence contradicts what they were seeing in their head.

Is this just a psychological thing that I need to get over and stop worrying about, and just write to the best of my ability and edit when I hear critiques/comments from readers, or is it a skill that I need to improve?

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[โ€“] ag_roberston_author@beehaw.org 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I just generally describe it as well as I can then accept that every reader will envision it completely differently.

That's the best thing about reading, in my opinion.

[โ€“] silent_g@beehaw.org 1 points 1 year ago

True. I have to remind myself that that's what's so great about any art form; the audience's unique interpretation of it. Everyone is going to see something differently, and each perspective is (in most cases) valid.