Old habits die hard

c.m.n. · Nov 3, 2011

Anyone with old or bad writing habits that just won't die or keep coming back?

My habit, I tend to lack description. I was always told my writing is good but I didn't have enough description. Also, on top of that, I end up writing every little step that happens (maybe it's me thinking that's how to add description). LOL

I'm trying desperately to break these habits but they're hard. It takes a lot of stopping and starting. And NaNo writing doesn't help at all.

Anyone else care to share?

Ari Meermans · Nov 3, 2011

Sure, why not. Passive writing is mine. I can't write a paragraph longer than five sentences without it rearing its sloppy, toothless grinning head.

Little Ming · Nov 3, 2011

c.m.n. said:
Anyone with old or bad writing habits that just won't die or keep coming back?

My habit, I tend to lack description. I was always told my writing is good but I didn't have enough description. Also, on top of that, I end up writing every little step that happens (maybe it's me thinking that's how to add description). LOL

I'm trying desperately to break these habits but they're hard. It takes a lot of stopping and starting. And NaNo writing doesn't help at all.

Anyone else care to share?

LOL. I have the same writing style!

I call them stage directions and I'm trying hard to break the habit. Instead of saying "MC got a drink of water," I end up with "MC stands up, walks across the room, goes into the kitchen, picks up a glass, turns on the tab, fills the glass with water and returns to the other room, sits down and drinks the water."

As for the description thing, I actually like my lack of descriptions. My characters and locations have little or no physical descriptions. I prefer to rely on dialogue and actions.

dangerousbill · Nov 3, 2011

c.m.n. said:
Anyone with old or bad writing habits that just won't die or keep coming back?

Numerous, but that's what rewriting and editing are for. Thanks again to Mss Browne and King for 'Self-Editing for Fiction Writers', my GPS in the editing thing.

BRDurkin · Nov 3, 2011

The major problems I seem to have are lots of verbs that end in "ing." Rather than finding more robust and active forms of the verbs, I tend to end up with the gerunds.

Another problem that's always plagued me is that I tend to forget to provide physical descriptions of my characters for the readers. I even know why that happens: I don't want to provide a paragraph of info dump on physical appearance when I'm introducing multiple characters, so I try to work it in throughout the text, but completely forget to do it. In the end, the readers are like, "I have no idea what any of them looks like!"

I think I was able to take care of the second problem in my latest WIP, but that issue with the gerunds is still slapping me in the face. At least I know I HAVE the problem, so I'm working on it. It's going to be a major focus for me when I get to the editing stage.

BotByte · Nov 3, 2011

Indenting, I don't do it. I want to fix this, but after 3 years of it, huh...

It's and Its. But I catch myself.

Passive voice.

Stopping at the point of no return. It's hard for me to take the leap.

MoLoLu · Nov 4, 2011

Lacking description. - like the OP I can't get over this one. W.o. edits this simply will not come naturally.

Simplistic word use. - Went, went, went, went. Damnit, there's gotta be a better way to say this after 500 uses of... went. I try to be creative. I am not.

seun · Nov 4, 2011

Stage direction, definitely.

Winterwind · Nov 4, 2011

I'm joining the group in the lack of description corner.

But for my current WIP I put a post-it on my computer: "Remember, it's a FIRST draft."

writerjohnb · Nov 4, 2011

BotByte said:
Indenting, I don't do it. I want to fix this, but after 3 years of it, huh...

As far as indenting, are you using MS Word? Indenting is automatic when you end a para with the enter key. To set indenting on an already written ms, select all, then go to formatting, paragraph, indentation, special, then first line and select how far to indent. If you're setting up a manuscript to start, do the above without select all.

As for old habits, I think I've drilled them out of myself by now. But as for style, I have a tendency to use the "Joe Friday" syndrome - just the facts. I don't use "emotion" in my writing, I try to convey it through my character's reactions, but I know I should try to use more "feeling."

Take care,

JohnB

Phaeal · Nov 4, 2011

Writing long. I've actually managed to conquer this in short stories, but my novels are typically a third longer in first draft than in the finished draft.

Hard to say if this is actually "bad," as it gives me plenty of material to work with in subsequent drafts. And I have developed the new (necessary) habit of cutting deep, so I guess it all works out.

Gilroy Cullen · Nov 4, 2011

Lots of old habits that I'm fighting to get ruid of before I get published.

Description - yeah, I fall here.

Gerunds - Yup, my problem too.

Flat Characters! - Oye, I am so anxious to get the plot on the page, I miss getting the characters "involved" emotionally, mentally.

SRHowen · Nov 4, 2011

passive voice

And a list of pet words I use again and again in first drafts even though I know they will be there.

utopianmonk · Nov 4, 2011

I have a tendency to reuse words right after one another. I'll use a word in one context, and it will still be in my head two sentences later and I'll write it again. Gah irritating.

I also lack a lot of physical description and use too much stage direction. Just my misinterpretation of showing rather than telling.

Penelope Finn · Nov 4, 2011

I frequently worry that I'm not being clear enough, so I over-write to compensate, to the point of rambling and useless descriptions (like the stage directions that others have mentioned). It doesn't help that I've always been an introspective person, always stuck in my head, and my writing and characters tend to reflect that with all their overthinking. You should see how long some of my paragraphs get. Then again...maybe not.

But ever since I realized how long-winded I can get, I've worked harder to become more succinct yet still descriptive. It helps to study authors who have accomplished this skill. Still, it's tough! This old habit is dying harder than any of my others. It's ferocious.

c.m.n. · Nov 4, 2011

utopianmonk said:
I have a tendency to reuse words right after one another. I'll use a word in one context, and it will still be in my head two sentences later and I'll write it again. Gah irritating.

Ah, yes, I do this too. Beta readers catch me on it all the time.

And passive voice. I'm getting slightly better at this but it's a toughy.

OnlyStones · Nov 4, 2011

Absolutely great thread!

MY PEOPLE! I have found where I belong.

I am one of you, I am all of you. :Hug2:

I am a passive voiced, gerunding, nondescript, affectphobic that loves to write.

LadyDae · Nov 5, 2011

Yeah... I'm a little heavy on the dialogue myself but I've gotten better with the description and detail. My problem... I tend to be wordy, not nearly as much as I used to, but sometimes it creeps up and I ask myself why I just didn't write something much simpler than I did.

Dr.Gonzo · Nov 5, 2011

I get talking heads in my first drafts. It's like my brain says, 'Right, time for people to talk--fuck everything else.' When I'm editing I don't so much have to add, I just have to mix things in a little more. It's fine. I don't even try to change that now as i'm writing. I've accepted and expected it. Plus, I find my dialogue is one of my strengths so I'm not going to change how I do it. Just. In. Case.

Gwendolyn · Nov 5, 2011

I use too many adverbs.

However, I always pare them down in edits.

Mara · Nov 5, 2011

I have a huge problem with describing every little step. I also feel frustrated with dialogue because it's always a bunch of people talking and there's only so many excuses I can find to have them have actions in their dialogue instead of "said."

Cryobob · Nov 5, 2011

I tend to use obscure referrences, assuming the reader would know what the heck I'm talking about. Then when I discover my flaw, I tend to be overly descriptive, assuming the reader knows too little. :Shrug:

backslashbaby · Nov 6, 2011

I still add in things that I think are interesting that make others go WTF? Fortunately, I have a ruthless alpha reader. I'm working on trying to be a bit less random

Do others find that their worst offenses live right beside their best parts, though? My random stuff is also often what folks like about my writing. I'm working on figuring out which kinds go over well and which bomb.

Dr.Gonzo · Nov 6, 2011

Mara said:
I have a huge problem with describing every little step.

That was probably the first thing I had to deal with when I started honing my craft. I want to show this and then this, but before he gets to that he's got to do this and this and this and probably will need to use the toilet before he does this. Sorted now, eventually.

backslashbaby said:
I still add in things that I think are interesting that make others go WTF? Fortunately, I have a ruthless alpha reader. I'm working on trying to be a bit less random

Do others find that their worst offenses live right beside their best parts, though? My random stuff is also often what folks like about my writing. I'm working on figuring out which kinds go over well and which bomb.

Absolutely. I think the old saying of 'fine line between genius and insanity' fits with this topic. It's easy to cross that line when you're getting the words down.

Old habits die hard

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