It is all about the detail by Vanessa Harbour

Firstly, I must apologise for a slightly shorter post, but it is the chaos just before the start of the semester and our MA students are about to hand in their dissertations. I am even giving feedback in my sleep at the moment!

I have recently been lucky enough to read an uncorrected proof copy of Sally Gardner’s Invisible in a Bright Light. A book I loved and one you should definitely get when it is published. I loved it because the language and imagery were so rich. Sally Gardner, as always, was very adept at painting a picture with her words. Sometimes it can be a single word or a short sentence that paints a thousand words in the mind of the reader – I think that is possibly something we are all aiming for.

This is a topic I discuss a lot with both my students and the writers I work with at the Golden Egg Academy. It is the importance of details. It can make such a difference and convey so much information. For example, a reader is going to create a different impression of someone who drives a battered old red mini to someone who might be driving a bright red Ferrari. Clichéd, but you get the general idea.

It is a mistake I often see in early drafts and from ‘new’ writers. The information given is very basic. Giving nothing for the reader to work with. There is a caveat here, however. I am not suggesting great long descriptions should be included in the form of 'info dumps'. Another common mistake made. There is nothing worse and it takes the reader away from the narrative. It is all about dropping hints in that the reader can work with.

When I am writing I try to be more specific about colours. Instead of just saying green go for emerald green, instead of blue go for maybe a cobalt blue. Building on the colours so the reader has a better sense of what particular shade of colour you are suggesting. Using different names to make the reader think and experience within the narrative. There are two fabulous books that I use as a resource. They are glorious to just explore and can be a great source of inspiration if you are feeling blocked with your writing too.

The books are called:

Werner's Nomenclature of Colours by Patrick Syme published by The Natural History Museum (2018)

and

The Secret Lives of Colour  by Kassia St Clair published by John Murray (2018)

These are not the only resources on colour but the two I love the most. 

Recently, I was very flattered when I heard that my novel, Flight (Firefly) was being used as a research source because it was felt the way I wrote about horses was authentic This was hugely satisfying because I had done a great deal of research into horses, watching them, reading about them, learning as much as I could etc. Trying to get those tiny details right.

I must be honest when writing I do think it is important to try to get the detail correct as much as possible. I will spend a long-time researching information. Personally, I enjoy that side of writing, in the same way, I enjoy reading books that are rich with language and imagery. As a lecturer and mentor, one of the most satisfying feelings is when you see someone you are working with having a lightbulb moment as they realise the difference a detail can make to their writing. Seeing how it brings the text to life on the page.

I hope you all enjoy painting pictures with your words and once again apologies for this brief post. Will do better next month.

Dr Vanessa Harbour

@VanessaHarbour

www.vanessaharbour.co.uk

http://chaosmos-outofchaoscomesorder.blogspot.com

The Devil is in the Detail - Heather Dyer

‘The trivial is sacred’ - OSHO

I think it was the poet Blake Morrison who said, ‘Try and write about The Meaning of Life, and you will end up staring at a brick wall. Describe a brick wall accurately and you may incidentally say something about the meaning of life’. Note his careful use of the word ‘accurately’, here. If you can get close enough and be truthful enough about your subject, you might find big ideas in something very small.

 

If you are looking for a place to begin writing, try starting with small, specific images and objects that interest you. There’s a reason why you’re drawn to these things: perhaps they are symbols that reflect things buried in your unconscious. If you could interpret these images the way that dreams are interpreted, you might reveal what your unconscious wants you to know. You don’t need to interpret the images though, just as you don’t need to dissect a seed to find out what it will become. Just plant it, and see what grows.

For example, you might have the urge to describe the box of buttons that you used to play with for hours as a child, while your mother was working late. You don’t have to know that the piece you are going to write is about loneliness. You just have to describe the box of buttons – get right inside it and see where your thoughts wander. Perhaps it will be in writing this story that you will first realize that you’ve always felt lonely. Maybe only now will you realize that this feeling has affected all the decisions you have ever made. And when you look back at your initial image – that box of odd buttons; each one lost, alone, waiting for a garment to belong to – you might marvel at the wisdom of your unconscious in choosing the perfect symbol to portray your loneliness. But you don’t have to know this in advance. To begin with, all you need to concern yourself with is describing the box of buttons.

This technique can also be applied when you’re stuck in the middle of your story. Instead of trying to look further ahead and predict the ending, try going deeper into the story. It’s like drilling down to tap into an underground river; direction and flow can be found if you drill deep enough in the right place. So, hover above your story. Look down upon your settings, see the characters walking through various scenes, and hear snatches of their conversations. What draws your attention? By digressing in order to describe the details more accurately, more authentically, you might find that you unearth a truth about a character, a setting, or a situation that leads you in the right direction.