One of the kindest things writers can do for their readers is employ “local dexterity.” This occurs when images, sentences, paragraphs and scenes are pleasurable to read because of their vividness.
To achieve the descriptions, imagery and symbolism in your story must work in concert with all of the other techniques discussed so far in this book. Imagery that is written in passive voice, for example, will remain weak writing.
Consider this passage:
The stuffy house was dark from the drawn curtain. Yellowed Cape Cods were over the kitchen sink. Boxes and stacks of newspapers lined the walls. Abbie saw one pile with by an edition dating back some 15 years. The furniture was at least that old as well. Peter was unhappy for suggesting they go inside. Sitting at the dining table, he pushed away dirty dishes and an open cereal box. Lyle, his eyes caked with gray dust and belly sticking out even farther than usual, slumped in a chair across from him. Their father went into the living room, his mouth open. He was like a senile old man trying to gain his bearings.
The passage could use a little tightening, some variety in sentence structure, and definitely active voice verbs. It could be rewritten as:
The wind died as they entered the stuffy house, dark from the drawn curtain and yellowed Cape Cods over the kitchen sink. Boxes and stacks of newspapers lined the walls. Abbie noticed one pile topped by an edition dating back some 15 years. The furniture appeared at least that old as well, and for a moment Peter reproached himself for suggesting they go inside. Sitting at the dining table, he pushed away dirty dishes and an open cereal box, while Lyle, his eyes caked with gray dust and belly sticking out even farther than usual, slumped in a chair across from him. Their father lolled into the living room, however, his mouth hanging open as if a senile old man trying to gain his bearings.
Notice how the second passage describes the house and three men in a clear and striking manner compared to the way it originally was written. As both passages’ images are life-like, readers can visualize the scene as they would an immediate experience – but since the second passage makes better use of diction and narrative drive, its imagery is more effective. Be careful of using local dexterity to hide the absence of drama or conflict, however. If you enjoyed reading a passage you wrote but keep telling yourself that nothing happened in it, you’re going overboard with local dexterity.
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My name is Rob Bignell. I’m an affordable, professional editor who runs Inventing Reality Editing Service, which meets the manuscript needs of writers both new and published. I also offer a variety of self-publishing services. During the past 15 years, I’ve helped more than 400 novelists and nonfiction authors obtain their publishing dreams at reasonable prices. I’m also the author of the Storytelling 101 writing guidebooks, four nonfiction hiking guidebook series, and the literary novel Windmill. Several of my short stories in the literary and science fiction genres also have been published.
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