Writing a book

[exchemist]

That's a good point, knowing when something is enough basically if I understand you correctly? Because I agree, to use my own example, "The ball flew through the air" might be better in a lot of situations, as it describes exactly what is happening.

I completely agree, that if the character of a movie or a book, is not interesting or likable, then I don't think we care too much about them or their story. I can only say that it was exactly how I felt about the characters in the Disney Star wars movies, I didn't care about them.

Yes, but I think @It Aint Necessarily So is onto something with his criticism. The choice of an apt simile or metaphor is key and needs to be thought about with great care if you are writing a novel. Why would you choose a comparison with a meteor? And what does it mean for something to fly "majestically"? A ship can sail "majestically", because it moves with unhurried sureness and weight, giving a sense of power and command, and maybe ceremony and ritual, especially moving in and out of port. But a ball, in the air? How is that "majestic"?

My understanding is that writers will often spend hours getting individual things like this right, going through many drafts in the process.

So if it is important to the mood of the scene, or the plot, how the ball moved, then by all means spend time on describing how it seemed to move. But choose the similes and metaphors after real thought about what you want to communicate.

 

[idea]

His backpack dragged along the dusty ground as he slumped through the back door. It was only the third day of school. Three days watching paint peel with no books, no lessons, no teacher in one class.... - describing a child that just came home.

I think artists and authors catch details - look more closely at things. It's like drawing a picture - study perspective, lighting, texture - the details are the story.

 

[Nimos]

Yes, but I think @It Aint Necessarily So is onto something with his criticism. The choice of an apt simile or metaphor is key and needs to be thought about with great care if you are writing a novel. Why would you choose a comparison with a meteor? And what does it mean for something to fly "majestically"? A ship can sail "majestically", because it moves with unhurried sureness and weight, giving a sense of power and command, and maybe ceremony and ritual, especially moving in and out of port. But a ball, in the air? How is that "majestic"?

My understanding is that writers will often spend hours getting individual things like this right, going through many drafts in the process.

So if it is important to the mood of the scene, or the plot, how the ball moved, then by all means spend time on describing how it seemed to move. But choose the similes and metaphors after real thought about what you want to communicate.

I completely agree. But it wasn't my point with the example and I might have communicated it badly, so I will highlight the "assume" part, as people seem to ignore it or not see it.

The first description I made was not an example of how to write something good, but merely an example of trying to demonstrate a person with imagination versus one without imagination.

Let's say you saw a ball flying through the air and were told to describe it.

A person that might be good at spelling and language in general, but not have any imagination. Might go for the second option. Whereas a person might be poor at spelling and language, but in their mind they can make it sound imaginative and interesting and then write down those thoughts.

So it's not about the exact words I used, as I wrote "If we assume that the first sentence was good writing..."

It's about when someone says that "someone is a good writer" and what makes them so, is it because they have the imagination, to create complicated characters, plot, lines etc. and can express something which might be uninteresting in an interesting way?

 

[Vinayaka]

Not that easy, writing a book. Many folks think they can (maybe including me) and can't or can but don't know the finer intricacies of it. I understand how it can be therapeutic, and an enjoyable activity despite having no intentions of publishing. Lots of folks write for fun, and everyone on here is a short 'ideas' writer, simply by being here.
There area lot of factors ... audience, editing, set-ups, plots, characters, dialogue, reading level, length, and more. It's certainly not as easy as saying, "I can write book". To get to the point of that one, I'd strongly suggest finding 3 or 4 really close, but honest friends to read a few paragraphs of your work and give you an honest critique. I would do that for anyone here. You can also hire independent reviewers for a price who will give you an honest view.

Best wishes to anyone who tries it, and especially to you, Nimos.