Tentative language & the intention to act At the basic level, a story is about something(s) happening. Even in a story intentionally about nothing or about the quest for nothingness (looking at you, Mx Moshfegh), a character takes action, has thoughts, moves forward (or backward) in time, and does stuff that means, or moves towards,Continue reading “Hot writing tips from an editor #5”
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Hot writing tips from an editor #4
Adverbs Every writer wants to write beautifully, meaningfully, clearly, and uniquely. And when it comes to a character’s actions, sometimes a verb just doesn’t cut it. Consider the following (unartful) example: ‘He moved, and the punch missed him and went into the wood pillar instead. He shouted. His opponent knelt and showed his teeth.’ Boring.Continue reading “Hot writing tips from an editor #4”
Hot writing tips from an editor #3
Stage Direction Action and movement are both crucial to a compelling narrative, both symbolically (pacing, timeline, propelling the narrative forward) and physically (a character interacting with other character and with objects, relocating, moving forward in the narrative). If movement is unclear on the page, it is disorienting, confusing, and can ultimately break the reader’s immersion. TheContinue reading “Hot writing tips from an editor #3”
Hot writing tips from an editor #2
Filter Language Verbs carry action, the literal and symbolic movement within creative writing. Without verbs, a narrative would stand still. But, like all things in writing, there is a need for consideration and moderation with every verb used. Why? Because a verb can also be a distraction. This is when a verb becomes filter language.Continue reading “Hot writing tips from an editor #2”
Hot writing tips from an editor #1
Timeline Nudges A common quirk in fiction writing is what I call a timeline nudge. Not doubting that you could offer an accurate guess, a timeline nudge is when a writer uses adverbs like ‘now’, ‘then’, ‘before’, and ‘next’ to clarify the order of events in their narrative. As an (unartful) example: ‘Next, the hoodedContinue reading “Hot writing tips from an editor #1”
The Write Stuff 