Description in Writing

Writing Questions

Hi guys. I'm getting back into writing fanfiction after taking a long break. So long in fact, I feel like I have to start from scratch. I'm struggled with description when writing. I'm one of those writers who love detail. When I describe something, like something in a kitchen for example, I'll list the name brand of the object as well as its colors and texture.

My question is, how much should I limit myself to? I don't want my story to drag on and on and I also don't want my readers to feel bored but I would like them to feel as if they're in the story, or they can see it as clearly in their head as if they're reading a novel.

Here is a paragraph of the first part of my latest fic to give you guys an example of how I write. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thank you guys and Happy Easter!

“Thank God”, Gideon sighed in a whisper. They had been on the road going on four hours now and it was only now that Gideon had noticed how quiet it was. He had almost gotten used to the sounds of his baby daughter’s cries, the noise drowning out the sounds of all his thoughts. Now that the only sound around him was the rain and he had taken notice of Trinity’s silence, the thoughts were beginning to creep back in his head again, all swirling around in his head: The feeling of coming in from a long day of church duties, feeling drained and tired, the things he said to her when all she really wanted was his help with two crying babies, her pleas for him to stop and listen when he couldn’t even think for himself anymore, the final sound of that front door opening and shutting for the final time. It sounded so hard, so cold, so final. It wasn’t until he had started his car after packing Trinity and all the items of hers he could gather into the backseats of his car and driven off that the reality of the night’s happenings began to dawn on Gideon’s mind. Hard.

Posted Apr 5, 2026, 3:18 PM UTC

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