How Not To Fanfiction

Details

This is something most people don't know how to do. I'm going to give you three examples. This is a quiz. Answer which one you think is the best in the comments before you read the correct answer. This is partly an opinion, but in truth, there really is a correct option.

A) It was raining.

B) The rain poured down in buckets, the echoes of thunder booming as lightning streaked across the sky.

C) The small, clear droplets of water fell from the sky, filling up holes and dripping off leaves as thunder loudly clapped and lightning lit up the dark, cloudy sky with shades of purple and white, creating a display more beautiful than a bouquet of fresh picked roses.

Got your answer yet?

Go on. I'll wait.

. . .

Times up.

If you chose A, you're wrong. Here's why. There is NO detail. It's much too simple of a sentence. You aren't intrigued by it, because it's such a vague, plain sentence.
How about C? A pretty likely choice, right? It's got some details, doesn't it?
Too bad. It's also wrong.
What? How?
There are far TOO MANY details.
But how can there be too many details? That doesn't exist!
Doesn't it? Reread the sentence. Doesn't it seem a bit too rambly? Couldn't you have gotten the point across in fewer words? Of course you could have. Just like this chapter. I could've conveyed a very simple message to you. The message would've been something along the lines of:
Answer B is correct because it uses just enough detail. It isn't too lazily plain, but it isn't more complex than necessary.
Then I would've been done with it. But you see, that would've been too simple in itself. I would've completely destroyed the point I was trying to make. As for the length of this chapter, it's turning dangerously towards letter C territory, so I'll quickly summarize.

Detail is important. Don't go overboard. Don't go under-board. Give enough detail to make it colorful without looking like one of Gamzee's murder scenes.

I'll explain later how to eliminate unnecessary details and how to spruce up lame sentences.