So, last week, we were talking about using description. The question is: once you figure out what description you want, how do you add it in?
It’s an important question because I’ve put down books where the authors (who are delightful writers, mind you) have characters walking into a room, doing a dead-stop, and then giving me a rundown of the room that is so detailed, it’d make Martha Stewart applaud.
Sometimes, you’ll want to do the dead stop. If your character walks into a room and finds a dead body, for sure, I want every detail. But if you want to tell me about the shoes my character is wearing, toss it in with some dialog or action.
œBrewster wants the files by the end of the day. Mandy flopped into the chair and peeled the stilettoes from her throbbing feet.
This way, you get the information is across but it’s subtle.