Creating a Picture through Writing

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My husband is out taking pictures today, so this subject came to mind. He is quite good with the camera and takes some great shots, although he is a perfectionist and thinks they are never good enough.


This got me to thinking about how important it is to paint a picture in the reader’s mind through my writing. I learned this in a writing class that I took years ago, yet it surprises me how much I let his slip my mind, at times.

My instructor, a retired college English teacher, told the class to use good description and details, not leaving out any of the five senses. Of course, this makes sense. When I wrote my first book, I probably used this advice to the extreme. As I look at it today, my writing is a lot more flowery than I use now. This is okay, but in places I probably over described scenery and things. There is really a fine line as to how much detail to give, although I think I am grasping this concept better than I used to.

I know it is best to leave some things to the reader’s imagination, but I personally like to know what things look like. This includes people and places. Now, I try to use dialogue more effectively when describing things, instead of using too much narrative. I do think this makes for a more exciting read, but like everyone else, I am still learning. I am grateful for the feedback I get, and I try to use it to make my writing better.

Have a wonderful writing week everyone.