Why do I feel like the more descriptive the story, the harder it is to visualize?

[BlackKnightX]

I love simple and conversational writing style. That’s why I love reading light novels and web novels more than traditional novels. The styles are vastly different. The traditional novels are usually more descriptive and enriched in more details, while light novels and web novels usually have more of a sparse prose.

Most of the time, I find descriptive writing boring and too slow for my taste. Writing descriptively means that the author’s trying to create an immersive experience for the readers and help them visualize the story vividly, but it does the opposite for me. I can’t really immerse myself with all these details getting in the way. I just want to move on with the story.

Do you guys feel the same way?

 

[ABCGUY]

Yes i feel the same and when its not so descriptive you just have more to imagine yourself which makes it more interesting

 

[Deleted member 54065]

What I love about conversational style of writing is that, it feels like you and your characters are talking.

It's so immersive to the point that I often found myself lost in the dialogue and have to reread and edit some parts.

 

[Amok]

Depends on world. I don't need a paragragph describing to me what a cow looks like. But where an author creates something unique, descriptive immersion is only a plus to me. Tottering spires of bone, amphibian pack animals snorting through five nose holes as they ruffle their rump quills, ebon vessels of leviathan proportions plying their way across a violet sea, sailing between jutting obsidian islands topped with micro-ecologies of crimson tendril trees and howling ning birds nesting in the crowns.

If the world is fresh, I want it painted in words, for then it's not mere scenery but the very basis of reality in which the characters exist, partly forming who they are and what challenges they face.

 

[SailusGebel]

No.

 

[Omnifarious]

Do you guys feel the same way?

there needs a balance of description and plot momentum

 

[RaizarP]

Most of Korean's novel is like that, and I admit it's quite interesting to visualize the action ourselves

 

[Pujimaki]

When you spend reading five paragraphs about a description of a castle. Like, come on, I know what a castle is.

 

[BlackKnightX]

Most of Korean's novel is like that, and I admit it's quite interesting to visualize the action ourselves

Agreed. Korean web novel does the complete opposite of the “show, don’t tell” advice that a lot of writers in the west seem to abide by like a sacred gospel. Korean author will “tell” constantly, narrating the events and the character’s feelings directly without getting fancy about it.

And not just Korean, either; Japanese and Chinese web novels are also written in this way. The narrator usually “tells” instead of “shows”. It moves things along quickly without bogging readers down in details.

I heard some people say that telling or summarizing events like that creating a distance between the readers and the characters, but I disagree. Instead of creating more distance, I feel like writing this way creating even more intimacy. It gives off that storytelling vibes that I love so much.

 

[MyukiMruieast]

Same

 

[BlackKnightX]

When you spend reading five paragraphs about a description of a castle. Like, come on, I know what a castle is.

Yeah, I totally get you!

There’s nothing wrong with describing a castle. No, actually, describing it is a good way to create an atmosphere and ambiance in the story. It actually helps the readers becoming more immersed.

But—when you get fancy about it, that’s when the problems arise.

 

[bigbear51]

It's likely that maybe a lot of what you read that maybe the author's aren't that skilled in making good descriptions. Aside from overloading details in way too many paragraphs, they could also be defining and describing things that really aren't necessary in our minds. Not to mention that every time something is added, that's supposed to be another thing we need to visualize until we get to the point where we forget what the big picture is like by the end of it.

 

[Ritz]

Unless you can't read and visualize at the same time, and not use too much mental power in the process, it won't do its magic.

 

[Devils.Advocate]

“show, don’t tell”

you know what the part that exasperate me?
that people actually assuming that shows means wrote the whole thing as a wall of text and tell means writing it in a direct sentence.

the former isn't called show, it's a thorough describing, and the later isn't called tell either, it's just a brief sentence

what it means by show not tell, is deliberately giving a gaping, yet obvious information about something.

The narrator usually “tells” instead of “shows”. It moves things along quickly without bogging readers down in details.

You have a fundamental misunderstanding of what "show, don't tell" means

P.S

like a sacred gospel

Days since someone started a thread and talk about how "show, don't tell" is broken, while not knowing what it actually means and takes the phrase's words literally? <22 days

Replies explaining what it is and still maintaining that it's used as a tool, not as a rule? Numerous

Threads saying how great "show, don't tell" is on SHF? As far as I know, zero.

 

[BlackKnightX]

Unless you can't read and visualize at the same time, and not use too much mental power in the process, it won't do its magic.

I always read and visualize at the same time without exhausting my mental power, but like I said, the description is better when painted in a brushstroke.

The moment I read the first sentence describing something, my mind will instantly come up with a clear and complete picture, so I don’t need anymore description after that. It will just get in the way and become redundant.

That’s why I love a conversational and more of a sparse prose. It usually doesn’t intend to paint picture; rather, it intends to evoke emotions and feelings in the readers. And precisely because of that, my mind will always find a way to fill in the blank and create a vivid picture for me. That’s my it’s more fun to read a not-so-descriptive writing than the vice versa.

 

[Omnifarious]

Often people complain about the use of "show, don't tell" and say how they hate it when there are too many descriptions and not enough plot development. However, "show, don't tell"'s core purpose is to cut down unnecessary descriptions/exposition and move the story along, which is exactly what people complaining about it wants.

Irony.

 

[BlackKnightX]

you know what the part that exasperate me?
that people actually assuming that shows means wrote the whole thing as a wall of text and tell means writing it in a direct sentence.

the former isn't called show, it's a thorough describing, and the later isn't called tell either, it's just a brief sentence

what it means by show not tell, is deliberately giving a gaping, yet obvious information about something.

There are a lot of meaning in ”show, don’t tell“, that’s why it’s so confusing. And you know what? All of them are actually true to some extent.

But the original meaning of “show, don’t tell” comes from the newly emerged modernist aesthetic of “indirectness”. In other word, making the readers work for their meal. Give them1+1 instead of 2.

There’s this famous quote from Anton Chekhov—“Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”

This quote is used time and time again to illustrate this curious little thing called “show, don’t tell”.

But my point is: from the above example, why can’t you just directly tell the readers that it is night and the moon is shining?

That simple sentence already paints the perfect picture in my head—the night sky, the brilliant light of the full moon, the cold night breeze, the owls hooting. It already paints the picture enough that there’s no need to make it more confusing by being indirect about it.

See? It’s the modernist aesthetic of “indirectness”, unlike the traditional way of storytelleing where the author just tells or narrates the story directly.

Of course, I’m not saying that showing or being indirect—get into the scene or in the moment—is bad. No. It’s actually a good thing to show Nina joking and making her friends laugh instead of simply saying Nina is funny.

But—you can’t just show anything. Sometime it’s better to tell the readers that he’s angry instead of showing him clenching his fists and gritting his teeth. It’s just redundant.

 

[SailusGebel]

It’s just redundant.

It's funny seeing these words coming from you.

 

[BlackKnightX]

It's funny seeing these words coming from you.

Elaborate.

 

[SailusGebel]

Elaborate.

Look at our conversation about NEET.