Well, I did say non-crutial... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />
To me non-crutial means: everything that is in it's right place from the characters point of view and isn't important for he plot. If someone's hobby is collecting knives and displaying them on the wall in the bedroom it might as well not be mentioned for a good number of pages (in the part of the story narrated from that person's point of view) but eventually if I want those knives employed in some way I will make someone notice them first (e.g. a guest). On the other hand if I want them to just be there in my head but don't find it important I don't even mention it to the reader - only I know that XYZ had a particular hobby ;-) Does that seem right from a normal person's point of view? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />
And the second question: the fact that examplatory collection of knives is actually mentioned somewhere halfwy through the story seems sometimes nautral to me while to others it doesn't - I say: He didn't pay attention to his own collection as he hd better things to do, the first person who did notice appeared just now"
They say: But it's a strange habbit, one I as a readaer don't expect and want it pointed out as early on." Who's the strange type: me, them or both? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/silly.gif" alt="" />
Another thing is that some people claim to be incapble of reding stuff when thay aren't given tips on how to vsualise a chatacter, room, item. If I write "The council's meeting room" and don't describe it, to some people it many be just a phrase not a place. I am simply wondering is it common for people to *need* descriptions. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />

EDIT: That duel scene got me thinking. There are many possibilities of solving that, one of them unfortunately showing signs of the "presto" syndrome as I call it. And yet even that one could be well thought - the problem is I let my stories live and watch as they do that making sure it just is logical and this seems logical.

1.The duel didn't start suddenly, the character had time to look around the place taking notice of all possibly useful objects
2.The duel started suddenly and the character doesn't know the room well - he/she starts glancing in every way during combat and manages to see the chair.
3. The duel started suddenly in a place which the character is familiar with. Now, I can't have him/her thinking about the room for too long, there's no time for that during combat, and since he/she knows the room well glances are also a waste of time and make no sense. Flashbacks are out of question too.
a) I make the hero "interact" with the chair before using it to whack the rival on the head but unfortunately it still looks like plot convenience (just a different kind of it)
b) I make someone enter the room and describe it before there will be any dueling. It's a tricky one. The reader might actually forget that there ever was a description of that room and the chair will come out of the blue for him/her anyway, or some attention may be drawn to that location or even object (the author doesn't make unimportant descriptions so this room has to be special) and personally I don't want that - the duel and the "whack on the head with a chair" is still intended to surprise the reader.
Point 3 also applies in a situation when the hero doesn't know the place but he doesn't have time to look around either - he's too busy avoiding or blocking blows.

Cheers

Last edited by Boginka; 20/06/04 11:22 PM.