So, we've all seen the 'rules' that as writers we should follow. Write tight. Too much backstory is bad mmkay? If it's your first novel, don't go over 100K ( or 120 odd if it's SFF). Get inside the character's head. Avoid filter words. Get the plot moving and keep it moving. If it isn't essential to the plot, don't put it in. Avoid excessive description. Use your grammar: gerrund clauses are to be used sparingly. No run on sentences.
So I'm reading a book at the mo that breaks every single one.
Write tight? Often a dozen words are used when five would do.
Not too much backstory? Between each chapter is an often lengthy chunk of backstory and / or an authorial aside.
Don't have your word count too high? A debut novel, and a quick, and very conservative estimate would put this at least 180k - possibly as much as 200k.
Get inside the character's head? It's written in third, and while it isn't omni, we don't get inside their heads much either, so it's not limited. It's kind of ...third person vague.
Avoid filter words? If these were all cut, the book would proably be 5k shorter.
Get the plot moving? Well the end of the first act was about half way. Then the poop hit the fan for fifty pages. The next fifty pages have been....nothing much in the way of plot. The MC is planning, but I don't know what he's planning because of the POV vague thing. He's wearing a very nice ( and minutely described) jacket though.
If it isn't essential to the plot, don't put it in. Avoid excessive description? Well I know the exact ingredients of every meal the MC has eaten -- in fact I could probably write out the recipies. The clothes are described down to the last stitch. Everything is described. Each district of the city is laid out, whether the MC goes there or not -- and tbh I can't keep all the names straight in my head.
Use your grammar: gerrund clauses are to be used sparingly. No run on sentences. Gerrund clauses are sprinked over the page like hundreds and thousands. Comma / semi colon splicing is so common I'm beginning to wonder if the author's keyboard has an intermittent problem with the full stop key.
So, given all this, why the hell am I enjoying it so much?
So I'm reading a book at the mo that breaks every single one.
Write tight? Often a dozen words are used when five would do.
Not too much backstory? Between each chapter is an often lengthy chunk of backstory and / or an authorial aside.
Don't have your word count too high? A debut novel, and a quick, and very conservative estimate would put this at least 180k - possibly as much as 200k.
Get inside the character's head? It's written in third, and while it isn't omni, we don't get inside their heads much either, so it's not limited. It's kind of ...third person vague.
Avoid filter words? If these were all cut, the book would proably be 5k shorter.
Get the plot moving? Well the end of the first act was about half way. Then the poop hit the fan for fifty pages. The next fifty pages have been....nothing much in the way of plot. The MC is planning, but I don't know what he's planning because of the POV vague thing. He's wearing a very nice ( and minutely described) jacket though.
If it isn't essential to the plot, don't put it in. Avoid excessive description? Well I know the exact ingredients of every meal the MC has eaten -- in fact I could probably write out the recipies. The clothes are described down to the last stitch. Everything is described. Each district of the city is laid out, whether the MC goes there or not -- and tbh I can't keep all the names straight in my head.
Use your grammar: gerrund clauses are to be used sparingly. No run on sentences. Gerrund clauses are sprinked over the page like hundreds and thousands. Comma / semi colon splicing is so common I'm beginning to wonder if the author's keyboard has an intermittent problem with the full stop key.
So, given all this, why the hell am I enjoying it so much?
They've been lying all that time!
