WHich approach is better when creating a fearful atmosphere?

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Jinsune

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I've started working on a novella (dark fantasy that leans more toward the horror spectrum of things) recently, and I'm finding it difficult to write descriptions. Since novellas have a word cut off point, I can't write loads of description the way I would if I were writing a regular novel. That being the case, should I shorten my descriptions when it comes to writing the scenes, abnormal things, etc? Or is it better to just treat this horror novella the way I would a horror novel, then go back and whittle it down to a good size word-wise?

I'm thinking of readers when I ask these questions. If they're picking up a novella, they obviously don't want to read a huge book, but they would want descriptions that aren't vague, right?
 

Marlys

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I would think the best way to keep word count down is to have a plot that you can wrap up within 20K words (or whatever your goal is), not to skimp on description that feels necessary to you. If your plot is so complicated that you're tempted to cut vital stuff just to squeeze it inside a novella, it might either need simplifying or expanding into a full novel.
 

JackdeNileth

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Does it really matter if it's a novella or a short novel? Just let the story flow the way you think is best. If it's a bit too long and you really don't want it to be, then you can still think about cutting it down.
 

Jinsune

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That makes sense, Marlys. I could simplify the plot a bit, and maybe try to tighten up the descriptions,

I understand what you're saying, JackdeNilethm but most of the small presses I'm going to query have a firm word count, so I'm trying to keep the story within that frame.
 

WeirderSister

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One useful piece of advice I received from a professor (which I then turned around and offered my own students) was to focus on specificity. That is, when you want to paint a clear picture for your reader in as few words as possible, aim to be as specific as you can with regards to your choice of nouns and verbs. So instead of saying "she stood in a clearing of trees," say "she stood in a clearing of birches." "The witch lived in a small, old house with a sloped roof and windows that jutted out the top" >> "The witch lived in a withered Cape Cod," etc.

Precise words do a lot of your heavy lifting for you. Also, I'd say to follow Chuck Wendig's suggestion for description--stick to giving your reader details that they wouldn't be able to fill in on their own. Most people know what the inside of a bar looks like. Tell us the details that make it your bar in your world--the broken glass swept into the corner, the gleaming jukebox that only plays rockabilly music. Get the most bang for your description buck.
 

Poet of Gore

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Does it really matter if it's a novella or a short novel? Just let the story flow the way you think is best. If it's a bit too long and you really don't want it to be, then you can still think about cutting it down.

a story is as long as it has to be is my philosophy
 

Maryn

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One tactic which may work for descriptions is to limit yourself to something which represents the whole, allowing the reader to make certain assumptions correctly and fill in the remaining details in her mind without you having provided them.

Example: You provide a large wood-paneled office with an oriental carpet so deep the character cannot see the toe caps of his wingtips. Your reader will furnish and light that room in what they consider classic elegance.

Or you provide a rusting mobile home with its window screen torn and a tire leaning against it near the door. Your reader will make the place a dump inside and out.

Maryn, who uses this
 

authorMAF

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In my opinion, just write your story. If it's longer than a novella (like, much longer), you may want to turn it into a novel as someone else suggested. If it only goes over a little, then cut out some details and keep it as a novella. But I think the important think is to first write your story, and then when you go over it with a fine comb, you'll see where you go from there

Don't worry too much about the details until the draft is finished :)
 

quicklime

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I've started working on a novella (dark fantasy that leans more toward the horror spectrum of things) recently, and I'm finding it difficult to write descriptions. Since novellas have a word cut off point, I can't write loads of description the way I would if I were writing a regular novel. That being the case, should I shorten my descriptions when it comes to writing the scenes, abnormal things, etc? Or is it better to just treat this horror novella the way I would a horror novel, then go back and whittle it down to a good size word-wise?

I'm thinking of readers when I ask these questions. If they're picking up a novella, they obviously don't want to read a huge book, but they would want descriptions that aren't vague, right?


I guess I am confused: to me, novella is distinct from novel based upon length, yes, but that's more an issue of story length or scope, not economy of prose. If you tend to write in a certain way and it is effective, story X is a novel or novella, but saying you will cut all description by 70% in order to make it a novella isn't going to turn a novel into a novella, it is going to turn it into abrupt, patchy writing.....

that said, you can build tension (or ruin it, or over-build it) any number of ways, not just description, and the description bits that build tension don't have to be long or intricate passages.....

maybe I misunderstand your problem?
 

Galumph_Triumph

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One useful piece of advice I received from a professor (which I then turned around and offered my own students) was to focus on specificity. That is, when you want to paint a clear picture for your reader in as few words as possible, aim to be as specific as you can with regards to your choice of nouns and verbs. So instead of saying "she stood in a clearing of trees," say "she stood in a clearing of birches." "The witch lived in a small, old house with a sloped roof and windows that jutted out the top" >> "The witch lived in a withered Cape Cod," etc.

Precise words do a lot of your heavy lifting for you. Also, I'd say to follow Chuck Wendig's suggestion for description--stick to giving your reader details that they wouldn't be able to fill in on their own. Most people know what the inside of a bar looks like. Tell us the details that make it your bar in your world--the broken glass swept into the corner, the gleaming jukebox that only plays rockabilly music. Get the most bang for your description buck.

Not to be rude, but I recommend doing the exact opposite of what this post suggests. I do not know what birch trees look like, nor do I know what Cape Cod looks like, and if these are all the description you give me, then you've painted no picture in my head at all.

In contrast, plain and simple language helps populate the scenery in your reader's mind without making them stumble around big or esoteric words. "She arrived in a bucolic meadow" does not paint a unique atmosphere in your head if you don't know what bucolic means - and many readers won't. "She arrived in a big, green meadow" does the job just fine. Your reader will imagine the field *they* like most.

In summary, try not to force your reader to imagine the picture you see in your head. That's where you start over-describing. You want your reader to leap right across your sentences without getting tripped in awkward or ineffective prose. Let the reader imagine their own version of your world. If my book talks about "an old, moss-covered graveyard", the last thing I want to do is talk about whether that moss is brown or green. Let the reader decide. A few simple sentences is more than enough.

This is also true for descriptions of the physical appearance of people. People like Stephen King spend pages and pages describing how someone looks... at serious risk of ruining the reader's interest. If your character is "the most beautiful woman in the world", then don't describe her. Let the reader interpret that for themselves.
 
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