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Treat details like Chekhov's Gun. They should only be there if they serve a purpose. If the purpose is to create atmosphere, explain the setting to the reader for the first time, place a macguffi...
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#4: Attribution notice removed
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/8598 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/8598 License name: CC BY-SA 3.0 License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision
Treat details like Chekhov's Gun. They should only be there if they serve a purpose. If the purpose is to create atmosphere, explain the setting to the reader for the first time, place a macguffin on a shelf (JK Rowling did this in _Order of the Phoenix_ when she casually listed a large ugly locket as one of the things in an enchanted cabinet, and it turned out to be a freakin' Horcrux in _Deathly Hallows_), or describe a character, then go right ahead. But if you're pouring on detail to prove that you did background research, or because you have a door fetish, then save the excess to your slush file to enjoy on your own time.