
When to go into details
Ever been to a cocktail party where someone is telling a story going on one tangent after another? Then we’d been to the same party and I might have been the one telling the story.
I love asides, making detours, embellishing the tale with little backstories. Depending on the level of intoxication, its difficult to keep the thread in my mind and pick up where I left the main story line. To come full circle I have to remember the reason why I’m telling the story.
We all love details and we want to hear every juicy bit of it. For writers this is coming up when doing flashbacks. When to bring up that moment that helps illuminate the current situation? How much detail is necessary? How long can you linger? How fast will your reader or in case of the party the listener lose the threat and thus interest in your story?
The difference between a boring and an exciting tale lies in the execution of the story. The specifics of narration and character. The individuality of the goal and the originality of the obstacle. Yes, it’s all about details. But which kind of details? If you are a writer who likes to explore their subject as you write, how much detail do you need? Enough to get you excited but not so much that you lose sight of your goal.
Recently in my trusted group of writers we talked about world building and structure. The tricky part of being the creator of never before seen worlds lies, yes you guessed it, in the details. What is essential to follow a character and not get lost? We writers make up a lot of stuff only to take confusing details out again.
One way to arrive at some kind of framework is by building it as you write. Look at the game Jenga. Scenes are the blocks that create the structure of a story. Later you check if you can take out any scene without the whole thing collapsing. You might use a scene you’ve cut later, in a different place.
The other way to arrive at some kind of structure is to make a plan and write according to that outline. Look at how many sketches a painter makes before she finds the right composition. The one she wants to expand on with color. Outlines are sketches of scenes in your story. If you go into too much detail you’re loosing sight of the big picture and you might never finish your story.
Remember Stanley Kubrick and his movie Napoleon? The Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art— LACMA—exhibited his research of the emperor’s life and times. I walked past walls covered with timetables and drawings. Kubrick was obsessing over every detail down to the buttons of the uniforms. You wonder why you don’t remember the movie? Well, it never got made. Kubrick abandoned the project due to insurmountable budget and production challenges. Maybe the buttons were one detail too many?
Worry about details in your next draft. Details come in when you know where you’re going. Then you know where to linger and no side step or tangent can make you stray too far from the story line. Instead, details now add flavor rounding the picture. When our story pulls us forward, we know which details will make the moment shine as you stay the course.
All I’m saying, do not fret over details. But hey, maybe you’re not like me and more like Kubrick. What can I say? He told some unforgettable stories for the screen.

