Too much detail in a novel? Any help is apprecaited.?

Question

I've been working on a novel for quite some time now. I read all the time from books that describe every detail to books that leave most of that to the reader's imagination. I'm close to finishing the novel,and I was reading back through it for typos.I'm not exactly sure what genre it would fall under as it has horror,suspense/thriller,and mystery aspects throughout it. In my story most situations are described in detail,and certain places as well. I described them with so much detail because it applies to the plot. For example... I described an apartment in great detail and later on the character realizes she had been fantasizing the apartment in place of her true surroundings which turned out to be a room in an mental institution. Everything that was described in detail came into play later throughout the book. There are also instances where,for example,she would dream about a distinct type of "creature" (or monster if you will) and I described in many details exactly how the creature looked and moved. Should I ease up on the details or is it alright. When I read it through I could visualize exactly what the characters,creatures,and places looked like but then again it's my own creation so I knew what it all looked like before it was written down. Any insight would be appreciated.Thanks so much

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Everyone has a different writing style; if loads of details is yours, then go for it ! I personally, don't think that there's a right and wrong way of writing. From what you wrote in your description it seems as though you want your readers to really be able to see/feel what the characters are seeing and feeling. Details are never too much, especially if they play an important role in the plot and outcome of your story, and it seems like it in your case. I really wouldn't worry about it. 
However, if the details become repetitive, then yes, ease up a little bit.

Poisson Fish · Answer

Personally, I'm not usually big fan of an extreme amount of detail in descriptions about what is going on in a story. I tried reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and couldn't finish it because half of the book was incredibly detailed descriptions of the undersea life. I'm currently reading through Don Quiote, which is a very long book because there are a lot of side stories and conversations between characters that don't really add to the storyline. I'll finish this one, but it's a very long read and I'll be glad when I'm done.

This is just my opinion though. There is a reason those books are famous classics, people apparently like to read them. There will be people out there who will enjoy the amount of detail that you put in your book. Just don't expect it to be read by most people who will not want to slog through the details.

Good luck!

P.S. I'm going to try reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea again. I loved Journey to the Center of the Earth so I'm willing to give it another try.

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Too much detail in a novel? Any help is apprecaited.?

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