Writing is in the Details

What do you need to make your writing personal? Details.

What do you need to build breathing, writhing characters? Details.

What does it mean to show, not tell? More details.

How do you create vivid descriptions that don’t span two paragraphs? Succinct details.

Show the homeless girl at the street corner who sells Coach knock-offs. Write about the recent divorcee burning his “Martha” tattoo with a cigarette lighter. Don’t write: They fell in love. Write: The sunrise strangers walked away from their sand-castle at sunset, pinky-in-pinky.

Life–and writing–is in the details.

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