HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND ON DESCRIBING THE SCENERY

[Marie Cash]

As a new writer to the genre, an editor recently commented "your first chapter is beginning to sound like a travelogue." I thought once I set the scene, I needed to spend some time describing the area so the reader could get a feel for it. Michael McGarrity spends a bit of time on describing Santa Fe and Albuquerque, and Sue Grafton not only describes the places she's driving by on the highway, but tells you what turnoff she takes. Is there a happy medium for this?

[B.R.Stateham]

Dan--you gotta love a man who's humble, buddy (winking and grin'nin)

[Eve]

My ideal scene has no description other than the voices of the chacters. I've yet to write an ideal scence.