This is probably one of the best tips that I have ever received. So many novels out there are bland because they lack the pizzazz that is ever present in movies and on TV. But some novels are wonderful because they are filled with details which makes them easy to picture and play out in your mind. When you are writing you should always add a lot of details because this will help to hook in your readers better and leave them thirsting for more!
Here is an example:
First Version - Henry went to the market and someone hit his car.
Second Version - When Henry drove to the market on a cloudy morning, begrudgingly going to get his wife a quart of milk. He made a point to park farther down the parking lot so that he wouldn't have any trouble pulling into a tight space. Once he made it into the chilly market and fought through the crowds of busy shopping moms and eventually purchased his milk, he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He had always been good with his intuition, but he waved it off as though it didn't matter. However, as he marched across the crowded parking lot, a rock somehow managing to get in his shoe and worsening his mood, he saw from a distance a clumsy teenager trying to pull into the parking spot next to his car...but they didn't make it. Instead they rammed their souped up corvette into his station wagon, causing their airbag to erupt. Henry stopped in his tracks and dropped the milk to the cement with a thud, the carton opening and spilling all over his shoes. He knew that his day could now not get any worse.
Doesn't the second version sound much better? You can completely picture the scene and it doesn't leave the reader responsible for imagining up the scene themselves. Remember this tip in every writing piece that you pursue and you are sure to have a winner every time!
Here is an example:
First Version - Henry went to the market and someone hit his car.
Second Version - When Henry drove to the market on a cloudy morning, begrudgingly going to get his wife a quart of milk. He made a point to park farther down the parking lot so that he wouldn't have any trouble pulling into a tight space. Once he made it into the chilly market and fought through the crowds of busy shopping moms and eventually purchased his milk, he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He had always been good with his intuition, but he waved it off as though it didn't matter. However, as he marched across the crowded parking lot, a rock somehow managing to get in his shoe and worsening his mood, he saw from a distance a clumsy teenager trying to pull into the parking spot next to his car...but they didn't make it. Instead they rammed their souped up corvette into his station wagon, causing their airbag to erupt. Henry stopped in his tracks and dropped the milk to the cement with a thud, the carton opening and spilling all over his shoes. He knew that his day could now not get any worse.
Doesn't the second version sound much better? You can completely picture the scene and it doesn't leave the reader responsible for imagining up the scene themselves. Remember this tip in every writing piece that you pursue and you are sure to have a winner every time!
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