Horrible Things You Do Anyway While Writing

[Salis]

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]

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]

... 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]

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]

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]

That, that, that, that...

I whack them in the second draft.

[Caramia]

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]

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]

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. :P

[KTC]

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]

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]

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]

*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]

:):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori!
:):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori!
:):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori!
:):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori!
:):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori!

[NeuroFizz]

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]

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]

[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]

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]

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]

[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]

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

[Margo_U]

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

[sleepsheep]

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]

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]

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

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 (http://navywifeadventures.blogspot.com/2009/06/why-i-have-first-draft-beta-readers.html).) 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!!!

[thethinker42]

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

Wait...that's a bad thing? Uh oh...

[icerose]

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

I cry foul! Misa stole my list! Well other than the edit. :D I only do that some of the time.

[Leah J. Utas]

Jerry Phoenix you are not alone. My characters do that too. It's like they can't see anything without turning first.
I describe some characters a bit when they first show up, and others not so much. When the editing day of reckoning comes it will be a busy one.
I abuse adverbs. There. I've said it.

[thethinker42]

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

Don't you think you're being just a LITTLE melodramatic about it? I mean, c'mon. Explode?

[NeuroFizz]

I am the most wishy-washy writer around. I use any technique that gets me to finish my stories. That means on a background of writing mostly organically, I can throw a little outlining in on chapter twelve to get over a sticky point. It means I choose exceptions to writing "conventions" when they best serve the story, but not just because I can (and other writers do it). And as pure heresy to organic writing, I think a scene through before I sit down to write it--I come to the keyboard prepared to write that scene. Then I turn around and betray that organization by letting the scene find it's own path within and even beyond that original framwork. I am both this and that, and everything in between. I am whole-brained (not right or left). And I am unashamed of my vacillating ways because my goal is to finish the stories, not to get all tied up about how I finish them.

I had to push the edit button to edit this message, to add that I edit as I go (!), even though such an editing practice seems to be some sort of poison-tipped arrow around here.

[Aggy B.]

I use adjectives instead of adverbs.

Sentence fragments. (Which also leads to semi-colon abuse.)

Lack of dialogue tags. (Replace 'em with action descriptors as much as possible.)

And I make up words like nobody's business.

[SylviaPeters]

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

Me three. I do that one. I blame a scatty brain, and by christ, I've just deleted two errant that's when trying to reply to this post, and THEN procrastinated in hitting reply in case I change my mind. :crazy:

:flag:

Kath who edits as she writes, uses that far too much and procrastinates.

[firedrake]

run-on sentences.
My Beta reader once counted 52 words in one sentence...I'm channeling Marcel Proust.

Commas, bless 'em, I'm addicted.

Adverbs, although I'm slowly weaning myself off them.

[bettielee]

I just want you all to know, I am silently judging you...

[SPMiller]

According to nearly all the critters I've had, I don't use enough commas.

[Bubastes]

1. I edit as I go, mostly in my head. Thankfully, I've learned to lay off the Delete key once I've typed the words in.

2. I use "just," "that," and adverbs too much.

3. I start the next paragraph before I finish the one I'm working on. I tend to skip ahead one or two paragraphs, never more than that, then go backward. If my writing progress were a piece of yarn, it would be crocheted.

4. I'm compulsive about updating my word count in my sig (like every 50 words).

[MrWrite]

*deep breath*

*stands up*

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

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


Hi Lori. Don't worry, you're not alone!

[Salis]

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.

Haha no, the comic book thing was a joke to show how passive-aggressive I--nevermind. Apparently it sucked. :|

[jgold]

I edit it as I go too. I can't help it.

I'm also addicted to sentence fragments.

I start too many sentences with "And" and "But." Pages delights in telling me that this is INFORMAL. And WRONG.

Pages is wrong.

[Salis]

I use and and (and and and) but quite a bit myself. Having read lots of books that sold millions of copies while doing the same thing makes me stubborn.

[vox]

*deep breath*

*stands up*

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

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


Um, yeah. Big time. So...

:):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori!
:):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori!
:):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori!
:):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori!
:):):):):):):):):):):):):):)
Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori, Hi Lori!
(BTW, thanks for doing all the hard work on these, Ken!)

[Jennasis]

I finish a chapter and then go back and edit it before moving on. Only once though...I promise!

I totally use adverbs. (sticks out tongue). I'll fix 'em in post!

I use italics like they're going out of style.

The elipse is my friend...

So, when can I expect my flogging?

[Chasing the Horizon]

I write completely out of order. I've been known to not just jump from chapter to chapter within a single book, but also to jump from book to book within a single writing session.

I also edit as I write. Why not? Saves me work later.

I frequently describe characters when I introduce them. Nothing else makes sense.

I have one book that opens with dialogue.

I sometimes use more than one POV in a single scene.

I seem to use more description than most people on AW say I should, and yet my writing is sparser than 90% of the published fantasy authors I read.

[Salis]

I write completely out of order. I've been known to not just jump from chapter to chapter within a single book, but also to jump from book to book within a single writing session.


Michael Moorcock wrote two of his novels simultaneously--one in the morning, one in the evening.

He also wrote 15,000 words a day, so he can just go kill himself as far as I'm concerned. >:(

[Phaeal]

I annoy my betas by being perfect in the first draft.

;)

[vox]

He also wrote 15,000 words a day, so he can just go kill himself as far as I'm concerned. >:(


You almost made me spit coffee all over my monitor! I'm still laughing as I type this. :roll:

[Polenth]

I use exclamation marks!!

[SilverPhoenix]

I make grammar errors, even though I know all the rules etc.

I write my fast-paced action scenes in streams of run-on sentences and no paragraphs and sometimes not even spaces between the damn words because I get caught up in them (which is a pain to fix later).

[icerose]

Michael Moorcock wrote two of his novels simultaneously--one in the morning, one in the evening.

He also wrote 15,000 words a day, so he can just go kill himself as far as I'm concerned. >:(

Now that's something to aspire to, I only average about 5,000 words a day when I write. I think once I don't have little kids at home all day long and if I didn't cook and had about 4 solid hours to write I could probably do it, but not yet. Someday. :D

[Salis]

Now that's something to aspire to, I only average about 5,000 words a day when I write. I think once I don't have little kids at home all day long and if I didn't cook and had about 4 solid hours to write I could probably do it, but not yet. Someday. :D

Wow, I must suck. I pretty much have as much time as I want, but I still only average about 2,000 a day. Maybe I'm just too picky.

[IdiotsRUs]

COmma abuse, sentence fragments, starting sentences with And or But ( although they sometimes stay in anyway. :tongue)

Oh yeah, and I R Dramaqueen. A purple Dramaqueen.

[Barrett]

"See, I thought a lack of dialogue tags was okay."

"So did I. God knows I've read enough stuff that was lean on tags--decent stuff, too."

"So you wouldn't worry about it?"

"Nah."

"Cool. I'll let it go." He slid the mouse up to the Refresh button.

[Salis]

The only time dialogue tags are really necessary is when you're establishing who is talking. So if you keep going back and forth between two people it isn't necessary at all, but if one person says two different quotations in a row, or there's a third person, you'll be using more tags. You also probably already know this.

[Tallent]

Drink whiskey while I write. I usually end up throwing the last ten pages out.

[Leah J. Utas]

I, too, abuse commas. Fragment writer. Seems to work. Then it doesn't.

[dgrintalis]

Comma splices. I've broken my that addiction and I don't overuse adverbs, but comma splices? I love them. I know I shouldn't, but I do. Thank goodness they are easy to edit.

[icerose]

Wow, I must suck. I pretty much have as much time as I want, but I still only average about 2,000 a day. Maybe I'm just too picky.

Well I type at 60 wpm, I rarely make typing mistakes so I don't have to go back and fix things as I type, very little backspacing, and the words flow fairly in tact from my head to the keyboard. In other words I think very well through my fingers. I can type up five pages without stopping to think, then I stop, gather my wits again, and go the next five pages. Today was a nice day, I managed 10,000 words today because I knew exactly what was going to happen in two different stories I'm working on so the pages flew by.

[roonil_wazlib]

Well I type at 60 wpm, I rarely make typing mistakes so I don't have to go back and fix things as I type, very little backspacing, and the words flow fairly in tact from my head to the keyboard. In other words I think very well through my fingers. I can type up five pages without stopping to think, then I stop, gather my wits again, and go the next five pages. Today was a nice day, I managed 10,000 words today because I knew exactly what was going to happen in two different stories I'm working on so the pages flew by.

I type between 90 and 100wpm and I still can't average more than 2k a day.

Then again, I do tend to do most of my typing at work . . . .

Either way, :tongue, icerose, :tongue.

:D

[scarletpeaches]

5k a day? Pfft. Amateur. :tongue

[bettielee]

Haha no, the comic book thing was a joke to show how passive-aggressive I--nevermind. Apparently it sucked. :|

strokes Salis on the head, silently judging all the while

[Rain Likely]

I procrastinate every day by editing and re-reading everything I've written so far. Also, I usually only have one scene in me per day, then I have to go do something else, like work in my garden or run errands.

I can't imagine writing 2,000 words a day, let alone 10,000 or more. I write, like about 100 if I'm lucky.

[batgirl]

As another 'edit while you go' person, (and one who skips around) may I quote a bit from Kit Reed's book, Revision?

1. Draft writing, draft revision. The draft writer gets out a first draft without stopping to look back and make changes. Revision comes in subsequent drafts.
2. Block construction, or; revising as you go. The writer using block construction revises sentence by sentence, progressing slowly through a story or novel to what is essentally a polished version.
Add to these first two major types of revision, a third. This one takes place after the story or novel exists in more or less complete form. It is:
3. Revision to strengthen structure and story. ... This third type of revision comes after you think you're finished.

So it's okay. We're just 'block constructors' rather than 'draft writers'. I futilely hope that this isn't another clash of faiths like outliners vs. pantsers.

-Barbara

[Blackest_Nite]

That, that, that, that...

I whack them in the second draft.

I do the same, but sometimes those are hard to dig out - the little buggers!

[Salis]

Well I type at 60 wpm, I rarely make typing mistakes so I don't have to go back and fix things as I type, very little backspacing, and the words flow fairly in tact from my head to the keyboard. In other words I think very well through my fingers. I can type up five pages without stopping to think, then I stop, gather my wits again, and go the next five pages. Today was a nice day, I managed 10,000 words today because I knew exactly what was going to happen in two different stories I'm working on so the pages flew by.

See, this is why I'm so embarassed. I type at 80-90 wpm, it just very, very rarely flows for long periods of time.

[The Lonely One]

I keep AW open on the taskbar.

No wonder I never get any writing done.

[Salis]

I keep AW open on the taskbar.

No wonder I never get any writing done.

I blame the internet, honestly. There are way too many interesting things. If it's not forums, it's music.

[Smish]

I also edit as I go along. Sigh. I can't help it.

I also use too many dialogue tags. I stick with "said" most of the time, but generally, no tag at all is necessary.

[Repartee]

I rarely use dialogue tags. And my novel is at least 50% dialogue.
I start a lot of sentences with 'and' too.

I'm giggling because I just realized I started a sentence with and in this post.

[Acoustic]

Most of my sentences start with "and."

I'm incapable of creating a paragraph that is longer than 3 sentences. I give sentences I like their own paragraphs :(

[keekum]

i'm also guilty of editing as i go, but i'm not as bad about it as i used to be.

i read somewhere that writers tend to over-use eye descriptions. in other words, every time you want to convey an emotion, you describe the eyes. i am definitely guilty of that as well. but i can't help it!

i also noticed that i make my characters sigh a lot.

[motormind]

I use "-ing" words quite a bit. I also introduce conflict into anything I write, even if it's only about how to properly cook eggs.

[Oddsocks]

I under-describe things physically. I use way too much dialogue - If I'm not paying very careful attention, scenes fall into being conversations.

[Ardellis]

I underdescribe settings. And I venture into melodrama far too often. And I spend too much time on research and worldbuilding. And I start lots and lots of sentences with conjunctions. :tongue

[OpheliaRevived]

I'm a teller. I'm also "guilty" of forcing the reader to endure paragraphs inside of my MC head without there being any action. *Sits down to spend hours in her own head.*

[Fox The Cave]

Masturbate.

Oh you mean in the actual writing...?

I over-describe. I always do it. It gets to the point of just plain ridiculous.

...same can be said of my previous confession, actually.

[Team 2012]

When to we get to the horrible things?

[motormind]

When to we get to the horrible things?

Well, I didn't want to mention the kittens I smack all over the place whenever I make a typo.

[SarahMacManus]

Sometimes I write reflection before action.
And I begin sentences with "And". Sentence fragments, too.
Sometimes, I completely forget to describe my characters' appearance altogether.

[not_HarryS]

I have this terrible habit, at times, of interrupting my sentences --as if all these little asides were necessary-- with the excessive use of commas, dashes, and other various useful, albeit completely unnecessary, gimmicks.

And when I'm done I don't even know what the fuck I wrote.

[Salis]

I have this terrible habit, at times, of interrupting my sentences --as if all these little asides were necessary-- with the excessive use of commas, dashes, and other various useful, albeit completely unnecessary, gimmicks.

And when I'm done I don't even know what the fuck I wrote.

I do this, but I don't think it's unnecessary, if anything I think it's useful, it conveys the dynamism you usually see in two people who are used to talking with each other. No one talks like this in real life if they're close friends:

"How are you, Bob?"

"Oh, I'm okay. Have you seen that new movie?"

"Oh, yes. It was <insert rambling paragraph about the artistic merits of movie>."

People interrupt each other, finish each other's thoughts, interrupt themselves as a new thought occurs to them, etc. If you mean in prose without dialogue, yeah, you have to watch that, but it just serves the same purpose as a semi-colon or parentheses, if you need an aside you need an aside.

[Pagey's_Girl]

... 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."

:-(

It's not a flaw, it's an undocumented feature!

What? If it works for software developers....(I got that from a good pal who is a developer.)

My horrible thing? I use adverbs. Frequently.

ETA - I do the excessive asides bit in dialogue, too. My characters are all as incapable of maintaining a linear conversation as I am.

[ccarver30]

I TRY not to write in the passive voice, but it is hard. :(
I have ended sentences (dialogue) with a preposition.

[Salis]

There is nothing wrong with dialogue using improper grammar or violating no-nos of writing: remember, dialogue is people talking. How many people do you know in real life who speak perfectly?

Not even politicians do.

[The Lonely One]

not writing. Seriously.

Or, not drafting and sending to mags. I have several short stories waiting for some TLC.

[motormind]

... 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."


I usually juts make a note of it and continue writing, planning to fix it during the next revision.

[AuburnAssassin]

I eat cheetos and get orange powder on and in between the computer keys. But that's probably not what you meant...

[RunawayScribe]

Edit while I write. All the time. I have no remorse and no intention of stopping.

[Samantha's_Song]

Psst... Whispers, behind my hand, into Lori's ear. So do I.

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

[Gatita]

I always write at least three opening paragraphs. And use them all. It takes an editor to point that out to me, because I don't ever see it.

Fear of commitment, I guess...

[sunday morning]

Sometimes I write reflection before action.
And I begin sentences with "And". Sentence fragments, too.


I do all this too, but the reflection before action thing...I didn't know that was wrong. Is it that big of a deal to do?

Well, maybe I'd heard it and forgotten it. I guess that's how you'd put what I'm thinking of, anyway...

[chicklitreview]

I find any and everything in the world to do while I'm writing...like do laundry, clean the bathrooom, wash the dishes, etc. I don't know why I do that.

And like so many others, I tend to edit while writing (and I'm also very guilty of starting many sentences with "And"). I think my editing while writing (and becoming distracted with household chores) can explain while my writing projects seem to linger on and on.

[MrWrite]

I've just realised something. My characters are way too fond of saying "okay". When the first draft is finished I'm going to have to go on a search and destroy for okay. Anyone else tend to overuse that word?

[Salis]

Okay!

[MrWrite]

Well that's okay then :D

[Wicked]

What horrible things do I do while writing?
Probably all of them.

I'm a sentence fragment addict. And I love starting sentences with and, or but.

[dragonkid]

I’ve probably done all the things you’re not supposed to do at least once. But I don’t think any horrible convention is really horrible unless it’s overused – in my opinion, anything done deliberately and in moderation can work well in prose. Sometimes it’s easier and more satisfying to edit as you go, sometimes a few carefully placed adverbs can improve a scene, sometimes a sentence flows best when it starts with “and”. I’m sure most (if not all) of you are already well aware of that, but I used to spend many long nights worrying about all the nonnegotiable rules I had broken.

[Dark Angel]

Horrible things - well the most annoying thing I do whilst writing my novel (if ever!) is to think about it, think about it, think about it and think about it some more - occasionaly open a word document and type in a few words and then I start to think about it all over again.

God, my spelling is atrocious

[Admiral Snuggles]

I find any and everything in the world to do while I'm writing...like do laundry, clean the bathrooom, wash the dishes, etc. I don't know why I do that.


Come write at my house.

[gonovelgo]

I'll recognize that I'm using a word way too often and then keep using it. The three I'm the worst about are 'realized', 'relief' and 'quickly'. My characters are forever realizing, relieved, that they're doing something quickly enough.

I also switch randomly between British and American spelling conventions, but the ol' spell checker catches those for me.

[wannawrite]

I struggle with POV. I know I should never, ever fluctuate, but I come very close to head-hopping, in almost every scene I write.

[Ruth2]

The worst thing is when I mess up my typing and start muttering at the computer. "Poop.. shit.. crap.. oh dammit.. " I'm not dyslexic but my fingers are. (I had five.. count 'em--five!.. typos in previous sentence.) And starting sentences with "And". Using "just" 'way too much. Using passive because, dammit, it flows better that way. As if prose is a river....

(Walks away muttering...)

[Shara]

I have a bad habit of info-dumping in the first chapter (sounds painful, I know). Try to correct for second draft, though.

If I'm writing a first-person novel my MC will pass a mirror in the first few pages and reflect on their appearance so I can describe them.

A bad habit I have when it comes to the act of writing is to keep email open on my PC while I write, so that every time a new email arrives I get distracted by it and stop writing.

Shara

[Dermit]

I edit as I go. Religiously. Like, to the extent where my every tenth keystroke is a backspace.

"But Dermit!" you cry, "Forward progress is everything on a first draft!"

Hogwash. If I go back to yesterday's effort and see it as nothing more than unmitigated word vomit, I won't move forward at all. I'll lose all enthusiasm and go do something else. Like minesweeper. I'm good at minesweeper.

When working on an actual manuscript, it's almost unheard for me to write a sentence and simply...leave it. I cannot abide my own mistakes.

Whatever works for you, after all. To hell with all these writing "rules".

[john barnes on toast]

Last edited by Dermit : Today at 10:56 PM.

priceless.

[Salis]

For everything else, there's Mastercard.

[N.L. LeBlanc]

I go on the Internet while writing. That is the best way to slow progress I've ever seen.

I also do not indent, and I write in Times New Roman 11. Sue me. :P