Horrible Things You Do Anyway While Writing

Salis · Jun 17, 2009

Yeah, it's time to fess up.

I'll get this one rolling:

Never describe a character right after you introduce them to the story: I do this. More than once. Suck on it!

Avoid Passive Sentences: I am a passive-aggressive writer. Active, passive, active, passive. No, honey, I don't mind at all that you threw away my old comic book collection... but if you really loved me, you wouldn't have.

Avoid an over-use of emphasis (italics): Hoo boy. You know how capslock is cruise control for cool? Well, apparently, italics is cruise control for awesome in my WIP, judging from how much I use it.

I'm sure I'll think of more.

bettielee · Jun 17, 2009

I do all kinds of things people say are wrong. I try to improve myself, but sometimes... I think the other people are wrong. I see stuff I am not supposed to do all the time... or I get so afraid of all the things I am not supposed to do I stop writing.

I do this. More than once. Suck on it!

yeah.

Ken · Jun 18, 2009

... recognizing that there's a flaw in a plot,
but leaving it in and continuing on with the story.

"La, la, la, I can't hear you flaw in my story."

:-(

ccv707 · Jun 18, 2009

Salis said:
Avoid Passive Sentences: I am a passive-aggressive writer. Active, passive, active, passive. No, honey, I don't mind at all that you threw away my old comic book collection... but if you really loved me, you wouldn't have.

I was under the impression that both passive and aggressive sentences are proper to use under different circumstances. In any case, I do this as well. I believe most writers fluctuate between passive and aggressive passages.

Salis · Jun 18, 2009

ccv707 said:
I was under the impression that both passive and aggressive sentences are proper to use under different circumstances. In any case, I do this as well. I believe most writers fluctuate between passive and aggressive passages.

Of course. That's kind of the point of this thread (other than admitting we're all imperfect): poking fun at how silly "Never do this!" is. Also, I had to come up with a way to say "Suck on it!" without offending someone.

aadams73 · Jun 18, 2009

That, that, that, that...

I whack them in the second draft.

Caramia · Jun 18, 2009

Struggling with this 'telling' thing. I kinda like the idea of peeking into my MC's history and thoughts without making her fess up to them. If I 'show', then she's focused on these things that she is rather keen on keeping in the past.

The other things are descriptions and of course, too fast of a pace.

jerry phoenix · Jun 18, 2009

now here is thread where i have plenty to contribute.
my first drafts are full of sentances where characters are turning and saying or turning and looking. i can always make more of these sentances at edit time.
im sure quite a few slip through and have been on editors and agents desks, where upon the agent or editor turns and throws the story in the bin-possibly grimacing or laughing as they do so.

10er · Jun 18, 2009

Salis said:
Yeah, it's time to fess up.

I'll get this one rolling:

Never describe a character right after you introduce them to the story: I do this. More than once. Suck on it!

Why not? It's just a bad idea if it feels forced. Depending on the POV you're writing, it would make no sense to not describe a newly introduced character right away. If the POV sees the person for the first time, it's only natural for him to take note of the looks.

Unless, of course, you mean something other than physical appearance, in which case you are absolutely correct.

KTC · Jun 18, 2009

I DID NOT KNOW THAT ABOUT CAPS LOCK. LOOK AT ME. I'M COOL.

I belabor a point quite often. I have to kill things like this in the re-write. It's like the Nina Hagen song, New York, New York.

New York City is a place so nice
Everybody says it so they had to name it twice

Only...you don't have to say it twice in writing. You say it twice and you ruin the effect of the first mention. Yet...I still do it. I'm trying to improve. Really I am. I'M ALREADY ON THE FAST TRACK TO COOL, NOW THAT I KNOW THIS INSIDER INFO ON THE COOL CRUISE CONTROL THING.

calley · Jun 18, 2009

I write in standard internet format, instead of standard manuscript.

Aka, I separate paragraphs like this.

And I don't indent.

Not until I'm cleaning it up later, anyways. Don't know why, but it just seems to help the writing flow. Probably all that RPing...

john barnes on toast · Jun 18, 2009

Salis said:
Avoid Passive Sentences: I am a passive-aggressive writer. Active, passive, active, passive. No, honey, I don't mind at all that you threw away my old comic book collection... but if you really loved me, you wouldn't have.

I'm pretty sure that's not what's meant by passive sentences.

I don't think it's inherently got anything to do with whether the character is acting in a passive/submissive manner.

I think passive sentences (or the 'passive voice') relates to sentence structure and the positioning of the subject of a sentence in relation to the event/action.

eg. the fight was won by our hero.

is a passive sentence, even though our hero won a fight.

whereas:

Our hero won the fight.

is an active sentence.

This is my basic understanding, although I'm no grammar expert.

thethinker42 · Jun 18, 2009

*deep breath*

*stands up*

My name is Lori, and I edit as I write.

*waits for chorus of "Hi Lori", then sits back down*

Ken · Jun 18, 2009

Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori!

NeuroFizz · Jun 18, 2009

Just for the record...there are many contemporary conventions of fiction writing, but most comments and suggestions around here do not come in the form of, "Never do this or that." For every convention there are exceptions, for example instead of saying never use adverbs, most advice I've seen is to use them sparingly. People may chime in by saying I never do this or that, and that's fine because they are offering their own personal slant. Every person should develop his/her own writing style and writing voice. Advice around here concerning the various contemporary conventions is given to help us all stay out of the slush pile, and it is based on a long and deep expanse of community experience. But advice is advice and it is up to each and every person to take it or ignore it.

Alpha Echo · Jun 18, 2009

john barnes on toast said:
I'm pretty sure that's not what's meant by passive sentences.

I don't think it's inherently got anything to do with whether the character is acting in a passive/submissive manner.

I think passive sentences (or the 'passive voice') relates to sentence structure and the positioning of the subject of a sentence in relation to the event/action.

eg. the fight was won by our hero.

is a passive sentence, even though our hero won a fight.

whereas:

Our hero won the fight.

is an active sentence.

This is my basic understanding, although I'm no grammar expert.

Yes, that's exactly what passive voice is. And sometimes, it flows better, at least in my own writing. I do notice that I use it a lot, and when I go back to revise, I change a lot of the passive voice to active. But not all. Some of it works.

Blue Sky · Jun 18, 2009

[Long pause.]

[Phil looks around, stopping at Lori. Stands up.]

My name is Phil. I also edit as I write.

[Phil sits down immediately, unrepentant.]

Manix · Jun 18, 2009

Weird it's. Sense more make to around phrases turning--edit and back go to having then, backward dialogue of sections whole constructing myself find I.

RitrChick · Jun 18, 2009

I have this nasty habit of using parentheses A LOT! Seems I like to offer many asides as I'm zipping through my story. To me, they seem like important added info, but they are probably mighty distracting. I am vowing to work on that in my current WIP.

And...

I also edit while I write. Sparingly, but still. :tongue

thethinker42 · Jun 18, 2009

Blue Sky said:
[Long pause.]

[Phil looks around, stopping at Lori. Stands up.]

My name is Phil. I also edit as I write.

[Phil sits down immediately, unrepentant.]

*whispers* I'm just as unrepentant as you are. I only came for the cookies...

*keeps editing while writing*

Parametric · Jun 18, 2009

I get melodramatic. Seriously, if I had a melodrama-meter, it would explode.

Margo_U · Jun 18, 2009

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. :tongue

MsGneiss · Jun 18, 2009

For me, it's telling and not showing. I'm a doctoral student, so in my academic writing, it's all about telling. I have a serious problem with showing when it comes to my fiction endeavors. Sigh sigh sigh.

misa101 · Jun 18, 2009

I edit while I write.

I abuse adverbs.

Sometimes when no one is looking I insert unnecessary exclamation points.

I use too many brackets.

I procrastinate by coming to AW

thethinker42 · Jun 18, 2009

Margo_U said:
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.

Ooh! Ooh! *waves hand in the air* Me too!!

I write so out of sequence it's not even funny. Granted I've (usually) outlined, so I know what's going to happen eventually, but I'll write chapter 1, then chapter 7, then chapter 29, then come back and realize something needs to happen between chapters 8 and 9, so I'll write chapter 8.5 (I'm not joking).

Oh, and as an added bonus, it drives Scarletpeaches INSANE because I also (brace yourself for another writerly sin) send my chapters to my two beta readers as I finish them. As in, first drafts. I know. I know. Insanitah. (But I have a good reason for doing it, as discussed here.) So every time I send a chapter, I have to say "Oh, um, this happens right after Chris *mumbles*, but before Kat and Natalie *whispermumble*..."

Whatever works, right? OUT OF UNITE, SEQUENCE WRITERS!!!

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