The thing is, I don't really notice words once I'm into a story, unless they say something really jarring. I'm one of those people who see what's going on, not the words, as I read. It can get annoying when you're reading and it ought to be night, and you raise your head and it's daylight.
So, I notice words when they change. Maybe it's that the pace changes suddenly and for no apparent reason, like with big blocks of description that are only there to show how well the author describes things, or a weird turn of phrase that catches my mind like a frayed rug might trip my foot. One really bad thing about descriptions is when an author tries to show an extremely specific setting without sounding like a guidebook. I get an idea in my head, based on things I've seen or imagined, houses I've lived in, and so on, and suddenly, where my mind is turning left, the writer tells me I'm turning right. I have to stop and go back and re-think this.
But sometimes, I just love a description. That one sydpad quoted, with the guy wringing his hand on his mouth, was just so great! I can completely see him just from that.
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Date: 2006-12-14 03:57 pm (UTC)So, I notice words when they change. Maybe it's that the pace changes suddenly and for no apparent reason, like with big blocks of description that are only there to show how well the author describes things, or a weird turn of phrase that catches my mind like a frayed rug might trip my foot. One really bad thing about descriptions is when an author tries to show an extremely specific setting without sounding like a guidebook. I get an idea in my head, based on things I've seen or imagined, houses I've lived in, and so on, and suddenly, where my mind is turning left, the writer tells me I'm turning right. I have to stop and go back and re-think this.
But sometimes, I just love a description. That one sydpad quoted, with the guy wringing his hand on his mouth, was just so great! I can completely see him just from that.