What Not to Write: Continued

         If you're reading this item, there's a good chance you've already looked at "What Not to Write"   by Verm . Otherwise, please know this one can stand alone if you're interested in a discussion of broader writing issues.

         Like the TLC show "What Not To Wear," the idea behind these articles is to feature qualities of writing which most readers find unattractive.

Not Editing

         I consider this one of the greatest crimes against writing. I'm definitely from the school of thought that says a writer should be their own first, last, and toughest editor. With my own work I tend to read, re-read, and re-re-read it to check on sentence flow, punctuation, and word choice, (you don't even want to know how many drafts this very article has been through). So when I see a writer who refuses to edit their work, it's very depressing.

         Being a writer means putting pen to paper, being a good writer means also pulling out the red pen.

Holly Jahangiri

         Do not post sloppy, careless work and dare to call yourself 'a writer.' We all make mistakes. But we can all tell sloppy, careless work from a mistake that crept in despite proofreading and editing. If you can't be bothered to proof and edit your own work, why should I waste my time reading it, let alone writing literate review comments on it?"

         Here are a couple of articles that you may find helpful in your editing:

"Invalid Item"   by A Guest Visitor

"Invalid Item"   by A Guest Visitor

Grammar and Conventions

         First off, most grammar is not optional. I'm not talking so much about being the paragon of perfection as I am about making sure to properly use grammatical conventions such as sentence punctuation and capitalization. If it's the end of a sentence there should be a period, if it's the beginning the first word should be capitalized.

         Some of the other things that are good to know and demonstrate are: the proper way to use dialogue tags, verb and noun agreement, proper use of past and present tense, and proper word use and spelling.

         The reasoning behind this is that using conventional grammar makes a piece easier for more people to read it. For most readers, if they have to struggle to read an item, they'll stop reading it.

Holly Jahangiri

         "'Grammar is not optional." That says it all.

         No, wait - if you don't know how to use a hammer and a nail, you don't call yourself a carpenter, right? Well, if you don't know how to use grammar, punctuation, and conventional spelling, what makes you think you can call yourself a writer?"

Lively

         My biggest pet peeve is in poetry. People seem to think poetry allows for incorrect punctuation and capitalization, they are wrong. Like any good form of writing punctuation and capitalization provides visual keys. Run on sentences provide a fast running flow and fragments create a staccato rapid fire read and I have no problem with people using these techniques, providing it is obvious they know the rules and are breaking them on purpose. I break them, the most recent "poem" I wrote is one long convoluted and complex sentence. I've not done the line breaks for it yet, but I can tell you that only the first word of any sentence will have a capital, in the reader's mind, conscious or unconscious, a capital letter means the a new thought, a new sentence. Very rarely have I seen any reason to break that rule. I have more tolerance for people who leave all words lower-case."

Unrealistic/Contradictory Information Within an Item

         By this, we're talking about a historical short story set in the 1800s where you have characters in airplanes. Or, you have a character who's been designed to behave in one way, say they're a huge klutz, and they suddenly behave another way, with a ballerina's grace. The keys here are research and consistency.

         But, what if you want to push the envelope and write a fantastical novel in a western setting? If you make it clear that you're including both elements, and keep them consistent, you're okay. The problem is when you establish in the first chapter that the technology of your world features steam powered trains and crystal balls, then suddenly have an electric train.

         Why are contradictory or unrealistic details something to avoid? In a word, they pull readers out of the story. It breaks continuity within your writing, a.k.a. mimesis. Readers who are too distracted asking, "But don't the midget people from Mars have green skin?" won't be able to marvel at your fantastic characters.

         The article which inspired me to talk about this subject, and which goes into the matter in greater detail than my own discussion, is well worth reading. You can find it here:

"Invalid Item"   by A Guest Visitor

Writing What You Don't Know

         If you want to write a piece of science fiction about living in space, wouldn't it make sense to do a little research to find out what astronauts experience? Yet, there are many people who don't bother. This becomes a problem when you have a character walking around outside the space ship without an EVA suit.

         Writing about a factual place, event, person, etc. when you know little or nothing about it is a great way to break mimesis. You want the reader to be involved with your story, not question whether or not you know anything about space habitation. So, do your research. Remember, there's a reason professionals hire people to do fact-checking for them.

Lively

         "As for the question, what not to write: Don't write what you don't know or love, you will be unmasked as a "wanna-be" If you are white anglo saxon protestant woman, you will probably not be able to write realistically from the view point of a young african american black man growing up in the ghetto. Again there are exceptions to this rule, but they are from exceptionally gifted writers who are capable of literally becoming the person they write, in most cases these writers are barely holding on to the edge of reality, are alcoholic or drug users that kind of writing (in my opinion) requires more than just a touch of insanity. To name a few examples: Poe, Hemmingway and Melville. All masters at the craft and each lived tortured lives despite their brilliance."

Holly Jahangiri

         "Read Rita Mae Brown's book, Starting from Scratch.

         Learn empathy. Observe the world around you. Ask questions and listen carefully to the answers. Do your research. If writers only wrote what they knew, there would be no speculative fiction, no stories about alien life forms, and only about half the horror stories we have to choose from. But write from what you know, definitely. Pull from it, use it, borrow liberally from your real surroundings and twist them into something new. The trick is to suspend disbelief and establish credibility. Don't stretch yourself too far, too thin, too fast."

Other Comments On This Item

         The following comments which I have included are not meant to stroke my own ego, as hard as that may be to believe. Rather, they are to show that there are many others who also feel it is important for an author's work to be professionally presented.

mood indigo

         "You've covered many of what I consider to be the most horrid crimes committed against the site's poor readers, and many of them simply point to a tragic lack of effort on the part of writers. You are very right--pieces that scream for attention, hide behind "creative" formatting, over- or underestimate their merit are indeed likely to be received negatively, and avoided like the plague where possible.

         This article is one of the most well-researched I've seen thus far on the site. You've been generous in labeling it "opinion;" really, you've covered all the bases as far as informing your points with carefully constructed polls and source quotes. By providing the links to said polls, you give the article a credibility that is refreshing..."

Damia

         "You covered most of my pet peeves. I have a few to add though. I despise tit-for-tat reviews, meaning the person gives you practically the same review you gave them. I also despise the quid pro quo system that some people adopt. Don't give me a five because you think I'll reciprocate, because for the most part, I will not. Everyone makes mistakes, so I want to know mine, regardless of the color of my suitcase.

         The other thing that annoys me greatly is when you take the time to help someone with their writing, only to be told that convention doesn't matter, that their writing comes from inside, their soul. In my opinion, they should keep it there then."

jbjackson

         "I think this is extremely helpful and covers a few things that I haven't seen covered in other writing-tip pieces. One other I would add is: Don't address your critics in your piece. I've closed many a piece of writing on here that begins: 'Look, to the person who gave me one-star, you should really have the balls to tell me why....' The last thing I want to read is a petty argument!"

AXE GRINDER

         "Dear Verm, as a newbie to this site I appreciate the input...While I am not guilty of most of the errors that you have stated, there are a few that I am guilty of and again I am thankful for having it pointed out..."

PENsive is Meemaw x 3!

         "This is an excellent piece that covers tips and pointers from many of our fellow writng.com authors. They are a good reminder of thins we should all keep in mind, as best we can, when we write."

doshaw

         "Thank you for the informative article. It's helpful to get a reminder about some of the ways to best use this site."

Some Related Links

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         Here are some off-site articles from the Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group, recently ranked in the top 101 writing websites in "Writers Digest" magazine.

http://www.csfwg.org/archives.htm

http://www.csfwg.org/resources/editing.htm