Unlock the Secret of the Rose: Transform Your Writing with Powerful Detail as Narrative
With this:
Mom charged in, ignoring the closed bedroom door, stood so close I could feel the heat coming off her body, could smell her morning coffee. “Where on God’s earth were you last night?” she demanded, twisting a dish towel in her reddened hands.
Details in list form can hit or miss. One or two may catch our eye, but we might miss a vital one for the story we are telling. The key detail is the mother’s worry and anger, which is beautifully shown in “heat coming off her body” and “twisting a dish towel in her reddened hands.” The well-chosen ones invite us to experience it.
