Slowing Down

I'm starting to realize something. Ok, I've known if for awhile, but still, it truly became apparent to me as I was doing some writing not long ago.

Ideas were coming to me faster than I could type, so what did I do? I started trying to throw down the ideas, general plot ideas, ideas for character action, etc. and skipping the interesting details. The little descriptors, adjectives and adverbs that add color to a story.

I was ending up with a nice plot outline, but a crappy story.

I need to stop doing that.

Plot is easy to write for me. Now, I don't write convoluted tales or anything, but its pretty easy for me to write plot.

Writing description, bringing my plot to life, that's the tough part. And being tough, the part that tends to be skipped.

During my recent vacation I read "The Portrait of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde. It was amazing! Wilde's use of language was brilliant! His descriptions, while often overwrought by modern standards, were beautiful. They brought to life the world of his characters, but seldom ever interrupted the plot. (Some authors can write amazing descriptions, but they tend to lose the plot in them. I haven't noticed this as often.)

I also read a book "Doomsday Morning" by C.L. Moore. She was a genius at description. Little asides, ventures into the mind of her characters, that really filled out the story and took what could have been a rather pedestrian SF story and turned it into a true work of art.

I'm not sure there is anything wrong with just slapping down the general outlines of the plot, as long as I come back and bring it to life. Make it seem real instead of the basic plan of a D&D encounter.