Writing Discussion 5

[kriadydragon]

They're ba-ack!

If anyone is curious as to why I haven't touched on some of the suggested topics it's because some of the topics are rather fanfic centered and I want the discussions to be centered around both fanfic and original fic.

Tonight's topic is on wording, word choices and using words in a way that makes your story flow and holds your reader's interest.

I start with this question: Have you ever read a story that A) even though it was well written, interesting, the content superb and agreeable, something about the story still managed to give you a headache or B) have you ever read a story that though well written and interesting, made your mind wander more often than not and you wished the author would - to put it bluntly - shut up already? I just finished a book not too long ago that actually did both. Though it was good, it just kept going and going and going... yes, the plants have special powers, we get that already. To quote Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Get on with it!

And also this question: have you ever stopped reading a story for something as trivial as, say, the author's choice of words? I have. I believe it was because of the gratuitous use of the word giggle. I don't trust stories written by people who actually think grown men giggle, and said men are neither drunk, drugged, insane or ten years old.

Now on to the topic question - how the heck to avoid all the above mentioned pitfalls?

Comments

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

You know that's one of the instances I very much prefer German over English with it's rigid SPO-structure. With the German language, you can get much more creative, both in the word order and the choice of words.

To avoid the overuse of words - well the problem is to find out what your own writing habits are. That's one of the reasons I write fanfictions, to find this kind of pitfalls. Ie one reader once pointed out to me that I tend to like tears too much - and it's true, my characters tend to tear up way to easy. It's a cheap way to show emotions, really.

I'm also a straight to the point girl - I have less an editing and more an "I should add some details"-problem.

But when it comes down to writing interesting, there are three rules I like to follow.
1. Show, not tell. That's a very important one for me, because going straight to the point has the pitfall of telling to much. I'm at a point where I examine every adjective I use twice.

2. Don't insult the intelligence of your readers. It doesn't pay off to write on the most dumbest level - TV-Shows writers tend to do it that way, but the average reader normally is able to get some level of subtility. It's not necessary to spell out everything, and it's not necessary to explain anything twice.

3. Pay attention to the pacing of the story. The reader needs to have the feeling that he makes progress while reading. (that's double true for fanfiction - nothing so frustrating like getting an update for a WIP, and then getting a chapter in which nothing gets resolved).

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

3. Pay attention to the pacing of the story. The reader needs to have the feeling that he makes progress while reading.

So yes to this. I can't stand filler chapters there simply because the writer had no idea what to write, or stories that feel like they should have ended thirty chapters ago but just keep going. Then there's the flip side - stories that seem to do a lot more glossing over than actual exploring. There was a published author who I lost patience with because they would build and build all this intrigue and excitement only for nothing to really happen. For example, one book had these two characters plotting to kill another character. All through the book these characters are plotting and plotting, and you think that when the moment of truth comes it's going to be good. What happens? Somehow someone discovers what they're up to, they're arrested, and it's all neat and tidy and quiet. And the only way we know about it is because it's mentioned briefly in a paragraph before the story moves on. I finally gave up on the author all together.

Which I think brings up another good rule - See the story through. Whatever you write you need to be willing to see it to it's proper conclusion. Don't string your readers along only to deny them the payoff of a good confrontation or emotional explosion or what have you, and don't shove your characters into messy situations unless you're willing to deal with the messy aftermath.