The Small Details

Years ago, I took a tour of Salamanca.  It’s a city in Spain that’s known for the knowledge and education.  There’s old architecture and fascinating legends associated with it.  There are three notable ‘secrets’ hidden details of the buildings.  Amongst everything else, the intricate details and carving in the buildings, there’s three things that just don’t quite match.

That is a frog, an astronaut and a gargoyle eating ice cream. I found two of the three while there.

Here’s a picture that I took.  Can you see the frog?

How about now?

Most people probably wouldn’t even notice them if they weren’t told to look for them.  But having it hidden there really makes the experience even better.  It helps the tourists really stop to enjoy the artwork, to pay attention to the small details that it took to create the masterpieces that spent years to create.

I’d like to think that while writing, I add those details that are so subtle that it might be missed by the average reader, but could still help increase the beauty of the art.  It’s a matter of finding the balance between too much and not enough.  It’s putting in the details that matter while making sure they blend into the story.