“Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.”
-Stephen King
Just Imagine the Possibilities
When I read a book, I don’t see words on a page. I see a movie in my mind. It’s as if a screen has opened wide and I can see the characters as they act out the plot.
It blew my mind when I found out this didn’t happen for everybody. I couldn’t believe it. What about imagination?
As writers, it is our job to create a picture for the reader. To bring them beyond the words on the page and into the world we created. However…there is something to be said for allowing the reader to use his or her imagination. To lead them along with our descriptions, make them see, hear, feel, smell what we do—yet allow them the flexibility of using their own minds. And not only with physical descriptions, but with concepts and lessons as well.
Our readers are smarter than we give them credit for. We don’t need to browbeat them with our knowledge and wisdom. We do not need to plainly state: “This is the message I have for you.” Instead, let the characters show them, let the language and actions of the world we created speak for itself. Then let the reader’s own knowledge, wisdom, and imagination fill in the gaps.
In Stephen King’s book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, he says this: “… I tried never to come right out and say ‘Annie was depressed and possibly suicidal that day’ or ‘Annie seemed particularly happy that day.’ If I have to tell you, I lose. If, on the other hand, I can show you a silent, dirty-haired woman who compulsively gobbles cake and candy, then have you draw the conclusion that Annie is in the depressive part of a manic-depressive cycle, I win.”
A Balancing Act
I won’t lie, getting it right is a little like walking a tightrope. I’ve had my fair share of editors say, “Geez, Deb, you don’t have to hit them over the head with it…” So we juggle and weave, and use the finesse we have learned along the way to walk that tightrope—and not fall off.
How do you keep balanced?
