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Fictional Narrative Basics - Description
Unit Completion Date: End of Week 5
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Like many other aspects of fiction writing, techniques of effective description are grounded in careful use of language. As young writers develop, they very often realize the inadequacy of their understanding of the rules of grammar and syntax. This is in part because we absorb our first language as a living, spoken totality rather than a series of rules. The other reason, I suspect, is that few people (especially children) get excited over learning grammar for grammar's sake. Only when we encounter a compelling reason to learn the rules of language do most of us come to the project with enthusiasm.
A good place to start in this process for most writers is Strunk and White's Elements of Style. If you don't own this book, and you are serious about your writing, you have no excuse for not buying a copy. My edition is 85 pages long and cost $3.50 new. I probably got it at a used bookstore for fifty cents. It is intended mostly for academic writing, and includes some advice not geared toward fiction writing (Page 78 - "Do not use dialect unless your ear is good." Well, as fiction writers, our job is to have a good ear, etc.). I've never met a developing writer yet who would be harmed by reading Elements of Style at least once a year.
Most of the "rules" contained in this book are simply habits for writing what Christopher Keane calls "good, clean prose," prose that delivers the scene and action to the reader without overtly drawing attention to itself or distracting the reader. Most of the students I encounter in my class tend to overwrite in one way or another. Elevated word choice, excessive description, and excessive use of adjectives and adverbs are all common indicators of a young writer. Most students benefit from learning to write simply and under control first, before attempting a more eloquent, descriptive style. Keane's exercise in What If?, Exercise 58 - "Practice Writing Good, Clean Prose" provides a great workout at this. Write two pages as Keane suggests. The exercise will not be posted to the course site, but should be placed in the "Description" section of your craftbook.
Description Exercise 4 (Opt.) - Submit Response
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