As a Reader, what am I supposed to see?
Jan 15, 2023 20:04:55 GMT -5
Post by Radrook Admin on Jan 15, 2023 20:04:55 GMT -5
As a Reader, what am I supposed to see?
The question might seem silly, at first glance, but it is actually very relevant to writing. You see, as a reader I depend on the writer to describe exactly what he wants me to visualize is happening in his story. So if the writer doesn't provide specific details, then the responsibility for filling those gaps falls upon me as a reader. The question is, what am I supposed to do when a writer fails to provide essential details?
For example, if the writer describes the protagonist and his wife merely as a man ad a woman. How am I to visualize them? As two elderly people? As two young persons? As being average physically? As being of North European physical appearance? Or as East Asian? As being black? Blonde? Black hair? Short hair? Long haired? Also, how should I imagined that they are dressed if no description of their attire is provided. Is she wearing a skirt?
Or if the place they live in is simply described as a house. What do I do then? Imagine it to be a row house? Or do I imagine it to be a big house? Do I see it as dilapidated or brand new? Do I imagine it a brick house or made of wood? Where is it located? Do I imagine it in the suburbs? Are these suburbs on Earth? If so, what country is this taking place?
If I as a reader am told that they are conversing, where do I imagine the conversation is taking place? In the living room? Bedroom? Kitchen? Do I see them standing or sitting as they are conversing. How do I imagine the tone of the conversation? As being tense? Friendly? Antagonistic? In what tone are the words being said? Sarcastically? Patiently? Impatiently. Softly? Loudly?
If they have a pet dog, and it is mentioned only as a dog, how do I visualize it? As a Chihuahua? As a Rottweiler? As a Poodle? As a pit Bull? What kind of a cat? Siamese? Since I don't know these things then I, as a reader, will be forced to imagine things the way that I choose. Is this really what a writer is supposed to want? For his reader to create their own worlds, which might be completely contrary to how the writer is seeing it?
Of course not. Fiction writer are supposed to want their readers to see the events in their stories clearly and in the exact way that the writer is visualizing them. Of course, in order to assure that, the writer must include details about the things that he is writing about. That is the only way to assure that the reader will not see an entirely different world from the one that the writer intended. .