h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I think the question how much detail you put in your story is interesting.

If you're telling it aloud, you probably don't want too much, or your listener will lose the thread of the narrative.

If you're writing, you need enough to give the story atmosphere. This event happened in this place, and it would have been different if it had occurred somewhere else. Too much though and readers may get bored.

But perhaps the idea 'I don't want too much description' should not be used to escape the need for research!

Yes, it is a good thing to consider the level of detail, taking into account the audience (eg if you're writing a book then it will be easier to work in more small points without disrupting the narrative, but to write an engaging Guide Entry, say, it is important to stay focused on the main points of the story...).

"If you're telling it aloud, you probably don't want too much, or your listener will lose the thread of the narrative."

That reminds me of a 'family joke' thing in my house that if one of us 'decided to tell a long story' (as some of our acquaintances are wont to do) we always began with "It was Wednesday, yes - oh, actually it was Thursday. I know it was a Thursday because..."

"That has happened to me so often that I usually re-read my entries with an eye to removing the details that contrary readers are likely to seize upon in order to avoid reading the story you wrote."

That is fascinating insight - makes sense indeed, though, as it links in with the general level of detail. Seeing the story from both sides, the writer wants to convey interesting and detailed information, but if the details cause the reader to miss the main point, then the information has not been conveyed successfully...

I used to laugh at certain couples who would tell anecdotes in tandem. One would start, 'It was Wednesday, a week ago...' and the spouse would interrupt, 'Oh, no, dear, it was Thursday. Don't you remember, Marie had that thing....?' They wouldn't pay attention to the audience again until they got that sorted out.