Since the goal of this blog is to inspire your muse and, ultimately, improve your writing (and mine!), I like to share good blog posts that contribute to this effort. Found a great article yesterday on Kristen Lamb’s blog: WarriorWriters. As a successful author and editor, among other hats, she is someone with a lot of wisdom.
A writer should retain the posture of a student. There’s always something to learn, a new tool for polishing, another way to approach things. Certain lessons are sooooo much easier to learn going into the writing adventure because mastering them will help us move from ‘novice’ to ‘seasoned’ (at least in the eyes of our readers) at a faster pace.
One problem us newbies tend toward is giving too much detail. We don’t give the reader enough imaginative credit, feeling we must dictate the particulars so they can see what we do, in their mind’s eye. Instead we pull them out of the action so they can picture the “pinky finger with the chipped nail polish tapping on the roughhewn, maplewood dinette set.” Um. No. An “impatient tap on the table” will do, thank you.
Too much info takes away from your writing. You don’t want to know the details of my stomach problems anymore than I want to know how your hero approached his car, opened the door, buckled himself in, looked at himself in his rearview mirror before adjusting it, slid on his sunglasses, and revved the engine while Kenny Chesney crooned “It’s the Simple Things.”
Yeah, I think you are picturing this post just like I hoped you would . . . 😉
Okay, enough yammering from me! Hope you find Kristen’s article on “3 Simple Ways to Improve Your Writing and Increase Your Sales” as helpful as I did! Check it out 🙂
I was so bad with over-writing in my early stories. (Still am sometimes.) It’s hard to trust the reader to get everything, and to be okay with it if he doesn’t. Less is better . . . 🙂
Part of the learning curve as a writer! I struggle as well. Have a good Thanksgiving, Melissa!
Isn’t she amazing! She was the one who helped me understand the “Stage Directing” problem I saw in so much writing, which is part of what you’re talking about. I love her blog so so much!
Oh really? That’s awesome. I remember you telling me that. I’m on a book launch team with her 🙂 She’s got a great site.
That’s awesome! I don’t think I’ve ever looked at her site, just her blog. I might need to get connected!
“I am a big fan of Kristen’s site.” The guy with a loose necktie and collared white shirt banged the words out on his outdated laptop computer. The other men in the cafeteria shot him sideways looks while his rhythmic pings echoed off the nearest wall. His stomach rumbled as the half cooked eggs and a cold cup of stale coffee wrestled in his gut. He drove the thoughts from his mind and focused on his nightly reading schedule while the hands of the clock slowly twisted towards the morning sunlight that would bring his next activity.
Must say that was a lot of fun! Thanks for the demo 😉 Actually some great descriptions for the right narrative. Maybe not all at once, ha ha.