: Re: How much description is necessary? I have trouble imagining things. With me everything is blurred, as if I were almost blind. That's why I find it hard to describe things. For example, the
Not a direct answer to the question, but I find that it can help to look through dictionaries to find the right nouns, adjectives, and verbs to describe a setting, especially if it's somewhere architectural like a castle.
In this particular instance you might find the following two lists of castle-related words useful: www.macmillandictionary.com/us/thesaurus-category/american/castles-towers-and-fortifications medievalcastles.stormthecastle.com/castle_words_terms_and_definitions.htm
Examples from the first list:
belfry noun - the part of a tower that has a bell in it
bell tower noun - a tower of a church or other building in which there is a bell
campanile noun - a tall tower with a bell at the top, especially one near a church but not a part of it
Examples from the second list:
Motte and Bailey: an early form of castle where a large mound of dirt was built up then a wooden fortification was placed on top. This wooden fortification was in the shape of a timber fence that formed a circle like a crown at the top of the mound. The Mound is the motte, and the timber fence and the space it enclosed is the Bailey.
Ashlar - Blocks of smooth square stone. They can be of any kind of stone.
The same goes for any sort of setting, or even a character or event you're trying to describe. Trying to describe a character? Look up a list of facial-feature descriptors. here, for example is a list of terms just for describing a person's eyes: www.macmillandictionary.com/us/thesaurus-category/american/describing-the-appearance-of-someone-s-eyes (edit: adding a more direct answer to the question)
As for how much description is necessary, it depends on the pacing as well as the desired tone you want to achieve in that section.
For instance you might glide over a whole event by saying something like:
"He strode through the gates, across the busy courtyard, and didn't stop until he stood before the throne"
Or draw it out a bit:
"He entered under the tall arching gates and strode across the courtyard, now full of milling townsfolk, livestock, and a retinue of soldiers. None of these gave him much heed and he was able to enter into the winding hallways on the other side. The air in the stone halls was damp and chill and he hastened forward down a series of torch-lit halls and dim chambers until he found the throne room. No guards warded the great oaken doors so he slowly heaved one open and slid through the opening, then swiftly crossed the chamber until he stood before the throne.
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