This week: It's all in the details Edited by: spidey  
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Welcome to the Contests & Activities Newsletter. I'm spidey , and I'm your Editor this week!
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It's All in the Details!
Feedback on a prior newsletter got me thinking recently! Here it is:
If I'm reading something and it's important to the story, I appreciate some fleshing-out. If it's something I'm writing, then I keep the fact that I rarely include "I made this up out of whole cloth"-type disclaimers at the end of the piece. To that end, I'll do (just) enough research so that someone familiar with the real-world basis for something doesn't immediately say, "Well, that's just plain wrong." Why is 'just' in parentheses? Because sometimes that research leads me into a veritable warren of rabbit holes from which escape is... difficult.  ~ Soldier_Mike 
The newsletter's subject was about setting and how much detail you should put into your setting. Personally I like at least some detail, as Prahajess  wrote, I like to be able to "see" something in my mind while reading, not just blank space, and at least a little description helps me do that!
But details can also get you into trouble as a writer! You have to make sure your details are accurate, or someone out there is going to notice!
I recently read a book (a popular author who is traditionally published) and the book involved the sport of hockey. At one point, one character mentions that a player, the goalie, was put into the penalty box twice for roughing. As a hockey fan myself, I had to question that. I did a quick search just to be sure it wasn't just a major vs minor league difference, but the goalie is never put into the penalty box! I have to say, it bothered me a little bit that it got past the editors, but do I expect the editor to even know to research something like that? It was a pretty minor detail in the book...
How much research are we expected to do as writers, I wonder?
I still liked the book even though that took me out of it a little bit. I guess it's a gamble. When entering a contest, you don't typically know the judges and their knowledge, preferences, etc. We're all human and can make mistakes, including both contest judges and participants! Keep that in mind, I guess! 
Take care, and as always, keep on writing! 
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Official Writing.Com Contests & Activities:
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If you write 52 short stories, one of them's bound to be great... right? Let's find out!
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Feedback from my last newsletter "Contests & Activities Newsletter (December 11, 2024)" , which discussed goals:
I set goals last year and I achieved some of them. I have new goals for 2025.
~ Annette 
Awesome! 
Nice suggestions for 2025 goals. Like this year, I'm taking part in the I Write challenge, which helps me get contest entries written since I enjoy supporting the different contests held on the site. Other than that, along with the healing and getting back to a regular life, I do want to make progress in already finished novels and publishing. Hopefully 2025 is a good year.
~ Dawn Embers 
Great goals! Happy 2025 and best wishes!
And feedback from my previous newsletter, "Contests & Activities Newsletter (November 13, 2024)" about settings:
I consider setting descriptions to be critical. It's one of the main things I find myself focused on in critiques of other people's writing. It might just be my *thing*, but I want to see images in my head as I read-- not white space!
~ Prahajess
I feel the same way!
If I'm reading something and it's important to the story, I appreciate some fleshing-out. If it's something I'm writing, then I keep the fact that I rarely include "I made this up out of whole cloth"-type disclaimers at the end of the piece. To that end, I'll do (just) enough research so that someone familiar with the real-world basis for something doesn't immediately say, "Well, that's just plain wrong." Why is 'just' in parentheses? Because sometimes that research leads me into a veritable warren of rabbit holes from which escape is... difficult.
~ Soldier_Mike
That's a good point!
Submit your feedback below!
How much do you research your subjects? Do "mistakes" in writing bother you? |
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Contests & Activities: January 08, 2025 Issue [#12923]
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