Description Difficulties

[The Judge]

How would I have found out, for example, they were 'oriel' windows though? I wouldn't have even known where to look to get the answer (apart from ask you smartarses here!).

Researching around, I think, and following the research down byways. For instance, you knew "Gothic" so if you'd looked up "Gothic architecture" in Wikipedia, that would (eventually) tell you about the ogival arch; going along to ogive would give you lancet arch, which (at the bottom) gives you lancet window. "Window" in Wikipedia gives a list which includes oriel, go to that and it has a picture of Bradford Town Hall, and if you click on that you can get to a site with a full architectural description. That description is pretty indigestible as written (http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=337245&mode=quick) but copy and paste it and put some spacing in to make it easier to read and it will pay dividends. There are plenty of sites with architectural definitions so you can find out exactly what it's warbling on about, and you, too, can talk of tracery and spandrels and shafted windows... (Not that kind of shafted... )

Although most of what you read won't be relevant, the odd thing might just spark something which will be of help. (And remember to keep notes and where you found stuff -- the hours I've wasted trying to find something again because I forgot to make a flaming note at the time.)

 

[Glitch]

I might actually nick some of that for when Ambrose shows up! Ta!

If you find it useful, then by all means

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I once learned the terminology by walking around the exterior of a medieval castle with an architect's report in my hand. It was very educational - i think - but half of it passed me by. I have used something like this in the past, though:

http://www.trailend.org/article-architecture.htm

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I wouldn't use the correct terminology to be honest unless I was writing omniscient, despite studying archaeology in the deep and distant past. I'd also include the character every step of the way so something like (boys are fighting so apologies for any major typos):

Joe sneaked up to the Victorian cemetery with its over-sized, over-elaborate gate. White light from the nearby old-fashioned streetlamps (or orange gloom) gave it an added eerie feel as it picked out the mature trees. He'd always thought the turrets and towers made it look more like a grand medieval castle.

 

[Gumboot]

In my personal experience (and I think others have pretty much said the same thing in different words), actually describing what's there is usually never the way to go. If nothing else, it becomes wordy and stale, can confuse readers due to the density of description, and is wasted word count because it really doesn't contribute anything.

Instead of describing what's "actually there", I tend to try describe what my characters "experience". Although given that I do write in limited 3rd person so maybe it makes sense in that style.

But as others have said, you don't actually need a comprehensive description of the entrance - that is unless your characters stop and study it for ten minutes. Ask yourself how the gatehouse impacts your character's experience. Do they dart quickly through in darkness, feeling momentary dread at half-glimpsed leering gothic windows, and want to get away from it as quickly as possible? Then that's all you want to write. Forget the rest.

 

[Mouse]

I do know to describe it from a character's POV rather than state in black and white what's there. I'm not quite that daft.

I didn't want to write a massive block of text of description. I was struggling to even write a sentence from my character's POV because she'd know the words and I, unfortunately, did not (I do now ).

Anyway, I've passed that scene so I'm dandy. Thank you all!