How Much Description is Too Much?

Some people write too little. Others write too much. My rule of thumb for both types of writers is this: if you've painted a picture you can see the same each time you read it over, you've done a good job.

If you see a totally different picture every time, you've written too little description.To fix this, go back and listen for the holes in your description-- maybe you can't see your living room walls. You've written: "The two couches faced each other, their stained cushions sagging under the weight of the books stacked there. The coffee table was home to a stalemated game of chess."

It's good description, but we can't see the surroundings. They might as well be blank white fog. So finish this off with: "The walls were lined with bookshelves topped with portraits of famous (and infamous) poets. The carpet was a frayed greyish-blue." Boom. Description. 

If you find yourself skimming what you've written, you've put in too much description. For example, you wrote: "The two couches, centered in the middle of the room, faced each other as if habing a , their stained cushions sagging under the weight of the books stacked there. The coffee table, sitting between the two couches,  was home to a stalemated game of chess. The black king was in the center of the board, with the white king on his right. The walls of the library were lined with wooden bookshelves topped with portraits of Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, Maya Angelou, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The carpet was a sad, frayed greyish-blue, with three big worn patches where furniture had once stood." That's too much. We'd get a clear picture if it weren't for the fact that we're skimming over it. The fact is, that much description is too much.

 

To fix this, take out whatever seems extraneous. This is entirely subjective, so if you aren't sure, let someone else read it. They can tell you, "I don't care who the poets are, or where the kings are on the chessboard. Just give me the basics." 

Remember, let your readers use their imaginations.You should give the reader a picture, but don't shove it into their brain. When you read a book, you should be forced to use your imagination to make the story yours.  

So when you're writing description, remember, if you've painted a picture you can see the same each time you read it over, you've done a good job.