I seem to have a tendency to describe in intimate detail the surroundings and somehow fall short on the meat of the story. I can't quite seem to grasp the point of the story in the first few lines of the first chapter to make it worth wile to keep reading and I just can't figure out how to tone the description down. I feel as though the words are too mundane if I just state it plainly. Advice, please.
Posted by LMermaid (Member # 2778) on :
I tend to info dump if I'm not careful, so I try to ask myself as I'm writing, "Does the story work just as well without this description?" If the description does not further the plot, explain the characters, or add significantly to the ambience of the story, I (with a sigh of regret) take it out.
For me, most of the above process actually happens when I'm editing. I put a story aside for several months and then (usually) can be more objective about what's really necessary.
Posted by luapc (Member # 2878) on :
I think you're being overly critical of your own work. LMermaid has the right idea in my opinion. I'd suggest just writing the story completely through the first draft the way you want to, and the way you are most productive. If that means it's wordy, that's ok. Let it sit for at least four to six weeks so you can have a fresh view on it, then go back and edit out extra and unnecessary description.
I've read, and found it mostly to be true, that a second draft should be 10 to 15 percent shorter than the first. Don't feel like you're cheating yourself by getting rid of some of your best lines just because they don't fit or you find them overly descriptive. I suggest keeping these cut items that you like in a file on your computer and using them in future stories. That's what I do and often find a place for them in a completely different story later on.