Hello and thanks for your time. I’m wondering if anyone can give me some advice about describing a giant bipedal mecha besides “Yeah it’s big and it has armor’n stuff.” I’m struggling with putting together more than just a basic color scheme or general outline for how it appears. My biggest issue is describing the angles or shapes of its armor, head pieces and supporting components, like weapons.
I hope I'm not overstepping bounds here by replying at such an early stage (being a noob); just disregard if you are not interested. When I am writing science fiction (I would call my writing more space opera than anything else) tend to describe things like mecha in general terms. I figure my base readers will all know what a mecha looks like or have a visual of one in their head already. If you have unique details you want to convey, you can just describe those. You don't need to describe every angle and widget in my opinion.
Kinda describe it like a tank. Not overly specific since some have rounded armor and others angled armor at acute angles. Perhaps spend some time looking at pictures of mechs to get a better idea of how to describe them Weapons are usually cannons and missiles since they are so big they aren't given ordinary names like their man carry counterparts. Though pistols and some rifles may be similarly named even though they are scaled up for a Mech.
My guess would be to only give the reader the general shape and also somehow convey the aesthetics of the faction the particular machine belongs to (if to any), and if its particular appearance doesn't play any marginal role for the narrative (if you are not explaining every single hardpoint, every gun, device, whatever being torn off or used), leave it to the reader to imagine the glory of the mech. and who knows, perhaps they will imagine it being cooler (for them at least) than what you had in mind. I guess that works. Also, you don't have to (at least I think so) describe it right away, you can say what is happening to it, and slowly add up as the action goes. Suddenly an untought of turret gets blown off, missile rack you did not write about earlier appears and so on. So may dislike it, some may appreciate the surprise this offers.
