SWRT 218 | Better Description through Revision

August 19, 2021

person typing on MacBook Pro on brown wooden table during daytime photo

This week at the Story Works Round Table, we cover one of Kathryn’s current pain points: when description doesn’t happen while drafting and how to get it done in revision. The role of description is much richer in your story than you may think.

Previously aired as episode #125.

VIDEO

AUDIO

SHOW NOTES

What we talked about:

How does Robert handle description in first draft? (0:50)

How description can help bridge the logical leaps we make as a writer. (3:10)

Why lack of description is a problem. (3:52)

Where are Kathryn’s description issues? (4:53)

Should you use placeholders? How do you catch places where you need more description? (5:46)

How flow state changes your description ability. (8:27)

Make your placeholders your writing prompts! (9:26)

Description is a part of your narrative voice. (11:15)

How do you weave description into your revision drafts? (12:04)

Is what’s on my head on the page? (15:50)

The concept of “artfully vague”. (16:32)

How should you balance details in your description? (19:19)

Is there an advantage to doing your description in revision? (20:32)

What should you do when you just can’t see the picture you’re trying to portray? (24:25)

LINKS

Get Alida’s Writing Tips here.

Things we mentioned:

SWRT 037 Revision
SWRT 079 Approaches to Revision
SWRT 112 The Devil is in the Details: Revision

Have thoughts, questions, other examples? Join the conversation at the Story Works Writers Facebook group.

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About Your Hosts

Alida Winternheimer is an award-winning author with an MFA in writing from Hamline University. She pursues her fervor for all things story as a writing coach, developmental editor, and teacher. Three times nominated for the Pushcart Prize, she is also a notable in Best American Essays and winner of the Page Turner Award. Author of The Story Works Guide to Writing Fiction Series, Alida lives and writes in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She camps, bikes, and kayaks in her free time. Unless it’s winter, in which case she drinks chai by the fire. You can find more at www.alidawinternheimer.com.

Kathryn Arnold writes fantasy and anything else that sparks her creativity from her home in Kingston, Washington. She currently earns her living as an insurance underwriting assistant, where she also creates marketing and web copy. When not writing, she plays (and teaches) piano and keyboard in a band (or two), and is working on starting a ministry team with her husband. You can find Kathryn at www.skyfirewords.com.

Robert Scanlon was born in Australia, but whisked off to England when only a baby. After many years complaining about the weather, he did the sensible thing and moved back to Australia. Despite a career in the music industry, followed by decades teaching public speaking, Robert is an introvert who adores reading. Robert grew up on a diet of sci-fi masters, eventually discovering he had read the library’s entire science fiction section. Now he has to write his own. Robert is the author of Constellation, book one of the Blood Empire space opera series. Find out more at www.RobertScanlon.com