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Horrible Things You Do Anyway While Writing
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I cry foul! Misa stole my list! Well other than the edit.
I only do that some of the time.
Jerry Phoenix you are not alone. My characters do that too. It's like they can't see anything without turning first.
I describe some characters a bit when they first show up, and others not so much. When the editing day of reckoning comes it will be a busy one.
I abuse adverbs. There. I've said it.
I describe some characters a bit when they first show up, and others not so much. When the editing day of reckoning comes it will be a busy one.
I abuse adverbs. There. I've said it.
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Don't you think you're being just a LITTLE melodramatic about it? I mean, c'mon. Explode?
I am the most wishy-washy writer around. I use any technique that gets me to finish my stories. That means on a background of writing mostly organically, I can throw a little outlining in on chapter twelve to get over a sticky point. It means I choose exceptions to writing "conventions" when they best serve the story, but not just because I can (and other writers do it). And as pure heresy to organic writing, I think a scene through before I sit down to write it--I come to the keyboard prepared to write that scene. Then I turn around and betray that organization by letting the scene find it's own path within and even beyond that original framwork. I am both this and that, and everything in between. I am whole-brained (not right or left). And I am unashamed of my vacillating ways because my goal is to finish the stories, not to get all tied up about how I finish them.
I had to push the edit button to edit this message, to add that I edit as I go (!), even though such an editing practice seems to be some sort of poison-tipped arrow around here.
I had to push the edit button to edit this message, to add that I edit as I go (!), even though such an editing practice seems to be some sort of poison-tipped arrow around here.
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I use adjectives instead of adverbs.
Sentence fragments. (Which also leads to semi-colon abuse.)
Lack of dialogue tags. (Replace 'em with action descriptors as much as possible.)
And I make up words like nobody's business.
Sentence fragments. (Which also leads to semi-colon abuse.)
Lack of dialogue tags. (Replace 'em with action descriptors as much as possible.)
And I make up words like nobody's business.
I skip around. All over the place. I currently have most of the beginning of my WP written, a good chunk of the ending, and about a third of the middle. I just go with a spot until I can't think of where to go next, then I jump to somewhere else. It'll all fit together in the end, and it's better than being stuck with writers block, or (worse) not getting a scene down right because I waited to write it.
Points A and C are easy. It's figuring out point B that gets me sometimes.
Me three. I do that one. I blame a scatty brain, and by christ, I've just deleted two errant that's when trying to reply to this post, and THEN procrastinated in hitting reply in case I change my mind.
Kath who edits as she writes, uses that far too much and procrastinates.
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run-on sentences.
My Beta reader once counted 52 words in one sentence...I'm channeling Marcel Proust.
Commas, bless 'em, I'm addicted.
Adverbs, although I'm slowly weaning myself off them.
My Beta reader once counted 52 words in one sentence...I'm channeling Marcel Proust.
Commas, bless 'em, I'm addicted.
Adverbs, although I'm slowly weaning myself off them.
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1. I edit as I go, mostly in my head. Thankfully, I've learned to lay off the Delete key once I've typed the words in.
2. I use "just," "that," and adverbs too much.
3. I start the next paragraph before I finish the one I'm working on. I tend to skip ahead one or two paragraphs, never more than that, then go backward. If my writing progress were a piece of yarn, it would be crocheted.
4. I'm compulsive about updating my word count in my sig (like every 50 words).
2. I use "just," "that," and adverbs too much.
3. I start the next paragraph before I finish the one I'm working on. I tend to skip ahead one or two paragraphs, never more than that, then go backward. If my writing progress were a piece of yarn, it would be crocheted.
4. I'm compulsive about updating my word count in my sig (like every 50 words).
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Haha no, the comic book thing was a joke to show how passive-aggressive I--nevermind. Apparently it sucked. :|
I edit it as I go too. I can't help it.
I'm also addicted to sentence fragments.
I start too many sentences with "And" and "But." Pages delights in telling me that this is INFORMAL. And WRONG.
Pages is wrong.
I'm also addicted to sentence fragments.
I start too many sentences with "And" and "But." Pages delights in telling me that this is INFORMAL. And WRONG.
Pages is wrong.
Um, yeah. Big time. So...
Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori!
Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori!
Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori!
Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori!
Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori!
(BTW, thanks for doing all the hard work on these, Ken!)
I finish a chapter and then go back and edit it before moving on. Only once though...I promise!
I totally use adverbs. (sticks out tongue). I'll fix 'em in post!
I use italics like they're going out of style.
The elipse is my friend...
So, when can I expect my flogging?
I totally use adverbs. (sticks out tongue). I'll fix 'em in post!
I use italics like they're going out of style.
The elipse is my friend...
So, when can I expect my flogging?
I write completely out of order. I've been known to not just jump from chapter to chapter within a single book, but also to jump from book to book within a single writing session.
I also edit as I write. Why not? Saves me work later.
I frequently describe characters when I introduce them. Nothing else makes sense.
I have one book that opens with dialogue.
I sometimes use more than one POV in a single scene.
I seem to use more description than most people on AW say I should, and yet my writing is sparser than 90% of the published fantasy authors I read.
I also edit as I write. Why not? Saves me work later.
I frequently describe characters when I introduce them. Nothing else makes sense.
I have one book that opens with dialogue.
I sometimes use more than one POV in a single scene.
I seem to use more description than most people on AW say I should, and yet my writing is sparser than 90% of the published fantasy authors I read.
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Michael Moorcock wrote two of his novels simultaneously--one in the morning, one in the evening.
He also wrote 15,000 words a day, so he can just go kill himself as far as I'm concerned.
He also wrote 15,000 words a day, so he can just go kill himself as far as I'm concerned.
You almost made me spit coffee all over my monitor! I'm still laughing as I type this.
I make grammar errors, even though I know all the rules etc.
I write my fast-paced action scenes in streams of run-on sentences and no paragraphs and sometimes not even spaces between the damn words because I get caught up in them (which is a pain to fix later).
I write my fast-paced action scenes in streams of run-on sentences and no paragraphs and sometimes not even spaces between the damn words because I get caught up in them (which is a pain to fix later).
Michael Moorcock wrote two of his novels simultaneously--one in the morning, one in the evening.
He also wrote 15,000 words a day, so he can just go kill himself as far as I'm concerned.
Now that's something to aspire to, I only average about 5,000 words a day when I write. I think once I don't have little kids at home all day long and if I didn't cook and had about 4 solid hours to write I could probably do it, but not yet. Someday.
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Now that's something to aspire to, I only average about 5,000 words a day when I write. I think once I don't have little kids at home all day long and if I didn't cook and had about 4 solid hours to write I could probably do it, but not yet. Someday.
Wow, I must suck. I pretty much have as much time as I want, but I still only average about 2,000 a day. Maybe I'm just too picky.
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