How much do you describe a character's surroundings? | Writer Questions #5

Image courtesy of Pixabay.com.

Writer: 1. Do you describe the surroundings only when they drive the plot/story forward? Or [do] you like to describe them to give the reader a sense of the mood/setting/atmosphere? 2. How long are your descriptions? How do you decide the length?

Dear Writer,

Questions of craft are tethered to context. That said:

I often want the reader to be oriented to the immediate setting, even if the immediate setting isn't the most significant setting. In such cases, I choose a handful—usually no more than three—orienting details that engage some of the five senses and establish in broad terms where the characters are and what it's like to be there.

Even in a film or television shot of a detailed setting, the camera often doesn't linger on the setting's details unless it is to draw attention to something significant (Chekhov's Gun). More often, the cinematographer will use wide shots to broadly establish the setting and then cut to close-ups. I try and write along similar lines.

The depth of description depends upon the significance of the given setting. I make these decisions based on what would seem to be proportionate based on the immediate context.

Best,

DRM