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Posted By: irishwrestler21 Dec 01, 2004 - 05:58 pm

Yeah, so obvious ::shakes head::

Anyway, I am working on a new writing but I cant think of how I should start it. I have it in my mind.... but when I write it out.. and look at it.. it makes me soooo mad.

The problem is I dont know how to put the description of this woman into the story. I know it sounds easy but it isnt all that easy for me right now because I am describing how the surroundings are, then I try to put the girl in and it doesn't fit right. Like a bowling ball in a shoe box.

Yes, thats my problem. So if anyone could help me I will be extremely happy and thankful. ^_^

Posted By: Magus Dec 01, 2004 - 06:06 pm

Maybe you could try to describe the surroundings, get to the woman's description and then continue with the surroundings.

But I know what you meen. I've been there as well in my writing. Just try to write through it and sort it all out later. try posting some of what you've written so far here. Let us take a look at it and better help you with the dilema.

I hope you can find a way past this. Good luck!

Posted By: Aldan Dec 01, 2004 - 07:40 pm

One thing that you may try to do is to, instead of stopping to give a full-blown description, just do it slowly. For example, when you introduce her, do it with her voice. Have her say something and then, if the story's centered around her, get inside her head... go with her thoughts and how they differ (or not) from her words. Later you can have her image reflected in water, but do it so that it's not clear, as in reflected glass, but instead it would just give an image of skin and hair color, as well as the color of the clothing. Later, after the story has progressed further, you can start using the reactions of other characters say things about her. If she's short, she wouldn't have to stoop when her companion does, or if she's thin she won't have to twist to get through a tight spot when her more rotund companion would.
And on you can go... basically it can really create and maintain a lot of interest in a character if you DON'T just shove a picture in the face of your readers, but instead give out the description piece by piece via a lot of different, unobvious methods. When you're done writing it, have someone else read the story who hasn't had the character described to them, and then when they finish reading, ask them to describe her. The answers will be fascinating, or at least they have been when I've used that technique...

Posted By: Magus Dec 02, 2004 - 01:05 pm

That's good, sound advice, Aldan.

Posted By: Aldan Dec 04, 2004 - 12:50 pm

Thank you. All my centuries of experience speaking... Feh. Who am I kidding?

Posted By: Magus Dec 04, 2004 - 05:30 pm

Me, for one.

Posted By: Caegaraneva Dec 23, 2004 - 02:04 pm

One other thing; things may seem stiff and awkward to you that wouldn't to anyone else. I know, sometimes, that when I write dialogue, it always seems really really stiff to me. But then I caught myself, and I realized that the reason it seemed mechanical and predictable was that i KNEW what was coming, every word. So just try to write it, and don't worry too much about it. Once you've gotten farther along with your story, you can come back and blend it in better with the rest, like Aldan said...take most of the information out of the original description, and scatter it throughout the rest of the beginning of the story.

Posted By: Magus Dec 24, 2004 - 09:06 am

Yeah, that's a good plan. You also might want to give the dialogue to somebody else to read to see what they think. Just keep in mind:

Verbal Communication = 7% of all communication. This comes from my mother, a Speech and Language Pathalogist.