TSS237: Every Scene Needs a Purpose – Part III

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In this episode, Taylor expands on the ideas she shared in episode 213 and explains how we can be sure our description serves the correct purpose in scenes.

Taylor mentioned the following episodes at the beginning of the episode:

• 206 – Avoiding The Two Extremes when it Comes to Writing Description
• 211 – Avoiding Character Aimlessness to Improve Pacing and Characterization
• 213 – Every Scene Needs a Purpose: Description
• 225 – How Going Deeper Than The Obvious Makes Characters Feel Real and Alive
• 235 – Using Inner Dialog to Guide Conversation

Taylor also mentioned the following guidelines when creating description:

1. When we have description, we need to know what exactly is being described.
2. Visual and spatial descriptions (objects and layouts) should always be introduced when something is first introduced through that characters eyes.
3. If description can’t serve its ultimate purpose, it must serve a different purpose in order to belong. (The ultimate purpose of description is to provide context so the character isn’t forced to perform in a spatial voice.)
4. Sometimes filler and throw-away details becomes worse than filler and throw-away detail.
5. If we can’t give a visual or spatial element of a character’s the history the emotional weight it deserves, we’re better off not including it at all.

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