Post History
Is it a good idea to leave those things to the reader's imagination? No. This is not good writing, to compare something we know to something we don't know is backwards, at best the reader will m...
Answer
#5: Post edited
by
Amadeus
·
2020-02-01T22:39:18Z (almost 5 years ago)
> Is it a good idea to leave those things to the reader's imagination?No. This is not good writing, to compare something we know to something we don't know is backwards, at best the reader will mentally reverse it, and try to imagine a flower that looks like a nose, or gems that look like purple eyes.I wouldn't even count on that, I wouldn't do this AT ALL.Describe your world in words and images your readers will understand, AND your characters will understand.If you want to describe something moving fast, but your character inhabits a medieval world, you cannot describe the thing moving as fast as a race car. Not even the narrator can do that.You must find something that is fast in the medieval world, or you will jerk your reader out of their reverie which is grounded in the medieval world, by reminding them they are reading fiction. What's fast in the medieval world? A race horse, perhaps, a diving hawk, or a runaway wagon flying down a hill.Don't use made up words for objects (unless you have described them in words the reader will understand), or emotions, or facial expressions or body language.The same goes for past events: Referencing the horrors of some past war that are never actually described leaves the reader out, even if the other characters seem to understand it. The reader won't adopt their solemnity or shame or whatever they feel, you are telling the equivalent of an inside joke that the reader doesn't get.The reader needs to identify with the hero (or some character) and they can't do that if the character you intend for them to identify with is reacting to knowledge the reader doesn't have, or to memories or images (like flowers or jewels) that have never been shared with the reader.Doing what you are doing is keeping the reader at arm's length, not letting them engage with your story, and preventing them from becoming immersed in your story.
- > Is it a good idea to leave those things to the reader's imagination?
- No. This is not good writing, to compare something we know to something we don't know is backwards, at best the reader will mentally reverse it, and try to imagine a flower that looks like a nose, or gems that look like purple eyes.
- I wouldn't even count on that, I wouldn't do this AT ALL.
- Describe your world in words and images your readers will understand, AND your characters will understand.
- If you want to describe something moving fast, but your character inhabits a medieval world, you cannot describe the thing moving as fast as a race car. Not even the narrator can do that.
- You must find something that is fast in the medieval world, or you will jerk your reader out of their reverie which is grounded in the medieval world, by reminding them they are reading fiction. What's fast in the medieval world? A race horse, perhaps, a diving hawk, or a runaway wagon flying down a hill.
- Don't use made up words for objects (unless you have described them in words the reader will understand), or emotions, or facial expressions or body language.
- The same goes for past events: Referencing the horrors of some past war that are never actually described leaves the reader out, even if the other characters seem to understand it. The reader won't adopt their solemnity or shame or whatever they feel, you are telling the equivalent of an inside joke that the reader doesn't get.
- The reader needs to identify with the hero (or some character) and they can't do that if the character you intend for them to identify with is reacting to knowledge the reader doesn't have, or to memories or images (like flowers or jewels) that have never been shared with the reader.
- Doing what you are doing is keeping the reader at arm's length, not letting them engage with your story, and preventing them from becoming immersed in your story.
#4: Attribution notice removed
by
System
·
2019-12-19T22:13:54Z (about 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/48077 License name: CC BY-SA 4.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
#3: Attribution notice added
by
System
·
2019-12-08T12:58:54Z (about 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/48077 License name: CC BY-SA 4.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
#2: Initial revision
> Is it a good idea to leave those things to the reader's imagination? No. This is not good writing, to compare something we know to something we don't know is backwards, at best the reader will mentally reverse it, and try to imagine a flower that looks like a nose, or gems that look like purple eyes. I wouldn't even count on that, I wouldn't do this AT ALL. Describe your world in words and images your readers will understand, AND your characters will understand. If you want to describe something moving fast, but your character inhabits a medieval world, you cannot describe the thing moving as fast as a race car. Not even the narrator can do that. You must find something that is fast in the medieval world, or you will jerk your reader out of their reverie which is grounded in the medieval world, by reminding them they are reading fiction. What's fast in the medieval world? A race horse, perhaps, a diving hawk, or a runaway wagon flying down a hill. Don't use made up words for objects (unless you have described them in words the reader will understand), or emotions, or facial expressions or body language. The same goes for past events: Referencing the horrors of some past war that are never actually described leaves the reader out, even if the other characters seem to understand it. The reader won't adopt their solemnity or shame or whatever they feel, you are telling the equivalent of an inside joke that the reader doesn't get. The reader needs to identify with the hero (or some character) and they can't do that if the character you intend for them to identify with is reacting to knowledge the reader doesn't have, or to memories or images (like flowers or jewels) that have never been shared with the reader. Doing what you are doing is keeping the reader at arm's length, not letting them engage with your story, and preventing them from becoming immersed in your story.
#1: Imported from external source
by
System
·
2019-09-19T20:34:25Z (over 5 years ago)
Original score: 3