Details in fiction

I have always believed that what differentiates good writing from less effective writing is detail so here are some notes from a class I delivered recently, which may interest.

It started with a passage from D Robert Hamm: “The first thing one needs to understand is that all fiction consists of the judicious selection and revelation of “significant detail”. Learning the craft of writing does not dictate which details are counted as significant in any given work, nor how to present those details. Rather, it (hopefully) provides one with the skills to judge those things in light of the desired end result and choose from a variety of options. Just as a serious painter learns what combinations of materials, brushes, strokes, and pigments he or she can use to achieve different effects and guide the viewers’ eyes through the painting, a serious writer must learn how various writing techniques can achieve the desired effects and guide the reader through the story. What constitutes significant detail varies from story to story, from desired effect to desired effect, and from character to character. Is the feel of that glass in your character's hand significant? Maybe. Are you using it to show us something? Is it there to provide a pause, for pacing? Does it serve a purpose, even if only to break up the monotony of a dialogue-heavy scene or serve as a sensation-memory prompt? That's not to say you must know the purpose of everything you put into a story, because you can't. You won't. None of us do. Some things simply feel right in the moment, and it's only later, looking back, that you'll understand why“

I then looked at using details for Fiction, taking three basic areas:

* Create details about character. Ask questions about your character. What does your character look like? How does he walk or talk? Does she part her hair? What kind of clothes does he wear? What nasty habits etc? And which facts are relevant? What matters, what does not? Keep what matters, kick out what does not.

* Create details about your settings. What does your character's living room look like? Is it messy or is it tidy? Are there paintings on the wall etc etc? Create details that bring the settings to life. A story comes alive when the reader can see, smell, taste, hear, and touch the world you’ve created. But if it does not matter that a certain painting is on the wall, don’t mention it. If it‘s there for a reason , to reveal something about the character, plot etc, then keep it hanging there

In short, use only what is necessary.