THE ART IS IN THE DETAIL..
I have just read a trilogy of novels by the Glasgow writer: Guy McCrone, recently re printed by B&W Publishers. What struck me so forcibly about his writing was the attention to detail in his descriptions, his sense of place and depth of emotional detail.
He loved the family in his story and the city around him. His vivid writing brought them all to life.
Writers have to keep reading and learning their craft however many books they have published. McCrone's attention to detail challenged mine and brought me up short with the realization that if those details are telling and abundant, the work is so much the richer. Sounds simple enough but so easy to get slipshod.
It is often the little asides that catch the mood; how the papery leaves skate along the pavement in the breeze, that certain smell of oil and tar and dust in a shipyard, the way the mist swirls across water at dusk and how trees drip after rain. Often nature can capture the mood of the character.
What I also found so endearing was the way he enriched characters as they went about their business by setting them in the street with others, how they walked, dressed in fashion or not, the fabrics they used; all basic stuff, you might say, but in the rush to tell a story we can skip these telling details.
Using every sense shows we know our stuff. What can you smell, hear, touch, feel that enriches the scene so the reader can imagine being there themselves?
Good writers take us with them on their journey, not just imposing impressive layers of description that are empty of warmth and real observation.
Observing the crusts, dusts and minutiae shows we know what we're talking about.
What are the details around you, right now; objects, images, clutter that are showing your character and what matters in your life? Look and learn…See you soon,. Helene.