Too often when I read a book the plot comes to a crashing stop to set the scene.
Now Umberto Eco got away with exhaustive description in The Name of the Rose (although frankly, I skipped a lot of pages). And I heard Hunchback of Notre Dame starts out with an architectural treatise on Paris.
But most of us aren't Umberto Eco or Victor Hugo. So how do we give the reader a sense of the surroundings without stopping them in their tracks?
The answer's in the question - a sense of the surroundings. Your character is moving into, around, and through your scene. Let the reader experience the place through her senses!
Compare:
The store's neon sign was bright blue.
My gaze lit on the store's neon sign, a blue which seared my retinas. I stumbled around half-blind for the next minute.
Or:
Lilac bushes lined the yard.
A scent teased her nose, drawing her toward the yard. Sweet, heady, the scent from the lilac bushes filled her with a sudden joy.
Published since 2009, over the years I've accumulated various items of
writing wisdom. The Third Tuesday Writing Tidbit showcases these items
in no particular order. Click here to see all 3T Tidbits.
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