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Q&A Am I being too descriptive?

If people are telling you that your writing is very descriptive, I would take them at their word. I have been in many critique groups with many very nice people and they do not say that about every...

posted 7y ago by Mark Baker‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2020-01-03T20:41:55Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/29632
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T06:51:49Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/29632
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T06:51:49Z (almost 5 years ago)
If people are telling you that your writing is very descriptive, I would take them at their word. I have been in many critique groups with many very nice people and they do not say that about every piece they read.

A good story is a composite of many elements. There is no one recipe for a story any more than there is one recipe for food. Every story is different and every story is a particular combination of different ingredients. Just like a chef may have a signature taste and a favorite set of ingredients that they use frequently, a writer may favor certain ingredients in their stories, but they still need multiple ingredients and they need to combine them in just the right proportions to produce a satisfying story each time.

If you have a gift for description, chances are that will be one of the signature flavors of your writing. You will still need to combine it effectively with other ingredients, but each story will be different. In any one story you may put too much or too little description, but you can't generalize this. You just have to focus on how best to use the ingredients you excel at to create overall satisfying stories.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2017-08-09T03:17:16Z (over 7 years ago)
Original score: 2