: Re: Skipping details in a scene I often struggle with details in a scene, and thought maybe I could just skip some of them while trying to keep the scene seamless, but I'm not sure how. This

@RJPawlick285

Vote Up Vote Down

I have this exact same problem, I'm glad you asked the question!

The other answers have been very helpful, and I'll take be using their suggestions in my own work. I've been looking at cutting down some portions of my story, and this will help immensely.

In case you absolutely need the 'intermediate' scenes, I will offer suggestions to what I've been doing with them so far.

I generally use the scenes between the action packed scenes to progress the character development. Describing characters wandering through a marketplace, whilst on its own can be boring, can also be used to have a conversation between the characters, and advance the plot that way.

To address this specific scenario, if it is the first thing you're writing, your reader getting a first impression of the characters is important.

Rather than just describing 'some switches' and 'instrument lights', you could describe them in a way that one of your characters is incredibly nervous, possibly about to be sick, and he is obsessively checking the switches and lights. This is then already establishing that particular character as a nervous person.

However, it seems like an action-packed scene (they are, after all, about to launch in a space shuttle). You don't want to keep halting the pace of the action to describe things in detail, or start talking about a character whilst things are happening around them.

Therefore I would choose 1 of 2 options:

If you want to start in the action, then don't bother with specific descriptions. Focus on the big stuff that is happening, and have the readers immersed in the action until it is over. When things slow down in the story, that's when more thorough descriptions are useful. Most people will have an idea of what a space shuttle will look like inside, and unless yours is different in a way that is important to the story, you don't need a full description.
Start the story before the action begins. I'm not entirely sure, but when a shuttle is launching, I feel like there might be a reasonably long period of time where the astronauts are sat in the shuttle not doing much whilst the rocket is being fueled or something. You could start your story at this point, and have the characters develop before the action starts, with a simple conversation to establish who they are. This could then include an in-depth description of where they are, whilst serving a secondary purpose.

The most important thing here is the pacing. You need things to run quickly at parts, and slowly at others. You can't have the entire story at one pace, or the reader will either be overwhelmed or bored. So describing things in detail isn't always bad, but do it at the appropriate time.

(0)

Login to post a comment!