How to write badly well

Doogs · Oct 31, 2009

Came upon this blog earlier today, and while it applies to pretty much every genre, I thought it particularly relevant to historical, as a lot of historicals I've read - even the good ones - fall into some of the "how to write badly well" traps ("presenting your research in the form of dialogue", anyone?).

http://writebadlywell.blogspot.com/

In any event, it's good for a laugh and a bit of grounding.

Tepelus · Nov 1, 2009

Very funny! Thanks for sharing.

Puma · Nov 1, 2009

Fun read, Doogs. Yep, I think we've seen them all at one time or another. Puma

Steam&Ink · Nov 1, 2009

Thanks Doogs, very funny.

‘Yes,’ confirmed Sally. ‘Who would have thought when we set off this morning for this remote Swiss village that we would end the day in possession of the very document which marked the birth of modern European statehood?’

Ellefire · Nov 1, 2009

That's hilarious.

CACTUSWENDY · Nov 1, 2009

There for a moment I was afraid I might see one of my own things posted.....lol Thanks for the link.

These are a riot. From the sound of several of them it sounds like English is not their first language. That is a shame.

angeliz2k · Nov 2, 2009

I'm sure we've all been guilty of some of these at one point. Hopefully they're a little milder than the examples in the article.

Doogs · Nov 2, 2009

angeliz2k said:
I'm sure we've all been guilty of some of these at one point.

I have no doubt of it!

Research as dialogue hit remarkably close to home...

Steam&Ink · Nov 2, 2009

Doogs said:
Research as dialogue hit remarkably close to home...

Really? Not for me....
**slinks off to rewrite several offending scenes**

BAY · Nov 2, 2009

Oh, man the laughing felt good. Thanks for posting a gem.

AZ_Dawn · Nov 3, 2009

Doogs said:
Came upon this blog earlier today, and while it applies to pretty much every genre, I thought it particularly relevant to historical, as a lot of historicals I've read - even the good ones - fall into some of the "how to write badly well" traps ("presenting your research in the form of dialogue", anyone?).

Emphasis mine.

That would be my sci-fi hero, Jules Verne. Infodumps as dialogue, infodumps as flavor text...heck, he's the king of the infodump. And yet I'll read those those infodumps over and over because they're part of the charm of his books.

Either I'm a freak, or Verne was one heck of a writer! (Or both.)

That said, I should avoid the infodump conversations if I can; I am not Jules Verne.

Doogs · Nov 3, 2009

I hear you, AZ_Dawn!

I'm currently slogging through Anathem by Neal Stephenson, and it's about as info-dump heavy as they come, but it's also one of the best novels I've consumed in a long time.

Of course, I'm certainly no Neal Stephenson, and am under no illusions I could get away with a quarter of what he does.

Carmy · Nov 11, 2009

Thanks for the link and the laugh, Doogs.

Steampunkette -- WAIT FOR ME!

How to write badly well

Doogs

Tepelus

And so...

Puma

Retired and loving it!

Steam&Ink

sekrit superhero

Ellefire

Citizen Of Planet Random

CACTUSWENDY

An old, sappy, and happy one.

angeliz2k

never mind the shorty

Doogs

Steam&Ink

sekrit superhero

BAY

AZ_Dawn

AW Addict

Doogs

Carmy