Thread: Do readers want to know what characters look like?
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Old 11-11-2009, 07:40 PM   #24
nomesque
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Heather Parker View Post
How do people (readers and authors) feel about a lot of description in a book generally? I tend to get a little bored if it isn't necessary for the story - but I have noticed it seems very popular with judges of literary competitions. Perhaps just personal taste?
It seems to be both a personal taste thing, and a changing trend. Some people LOVE vivid descriptions and beautiful prose. They'll happily gush in reviews about gorgeous, evocative language...

Personally, if the first sentence is 60 words or more long, there's a good chance I'll put the book down in disgust and never buy it. Unless, of course, it's a damn GOOD sentence!

BUT - I've noticed that the younger the reader, the less likely that they'll be a fan of much description. 'Pare it down to the bare essentials' seems a growing preference.

I'm in between. Good, simple description I like, overlong description is skipped.
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