The Extra Leaves in the Table

Last year, I read and blogged about Stephen King's book On Writing. I quoted the following:

"For me good description usually consists of a few well-chosen details that will stand for everything else."

Yesterday, I participated in a Memoir Workshop given by the Bridgeport History Center at the Bridgeport Library. We looked at this Norman Rockwell painting Freedom From Want as our prompt. As usual, I'm alone in my dislike of Rockwell, though this painting didn't annoy me as much as others do. 

I wrote a fictional piece based on the painting, but ended with a few paragraphs that were based on my life. In the fictional part, I wrote about Grampa putting extra leaves in the table. That was the detail that resonated with people in this class. I didn't think it was important; I just wanted to give Grandpa something to do. You never know.

I often focus on details in others' writings: Scott's grandmother's never used door that rattled and John's grandmother in her wheelchair mixing sugar cookies. I also remember how a teacher focused on spilled lime juice on the counter in a story I wrote that the class trashed.

Details are crucial to a story. So are realistic breaks in dialogues. I often wrote about smoking just to give my characters something to do. In my latest story, it was drinking coffee and wine. I need more work.