DESCRIPTIVE WRITING PART 2

[G.E.]

My style is descriptive. The key, I believe, is to do so in a way that enhances the book without making it tiring.The goal is to create characters that are real. Most often, if the readers fall in love with the characters, the plot and story matter less. They will want to see what is going to happen next :)

[Harold]

Sensory detail gives the reader a sense of presence. It places him in a world closer to reality than what generalized description provides. The reader should be able to see, hear, feel, and taste -- not always be told those things in a generalized way. Here is an example from Wallace Stegner's "Recapitulation":

"Around the edge of the bridgegroom's hair, like a scalping scar, runs a line of unsunburned white. This is probably the first time he has had his hat off ... in weeks."