Learn Writing with Uncle Jim, Volume 1

thanks, Jim

Trapped in amber said:

Thank you.
I have lists of things like this when I'm editing. I have my own pet words that I overuse, and a list of phrases and types of words that weaken my writing. I use find and replace to zap them if they can't justify their existance.

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Me too, TIA. Here's a list I found on a blog recently (with a slight edit):

Orwell's Rules
Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
Never use a long word where a short one will do.
If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
Never use the passive where you can use the active.
Never use a foreign phrase, scientific word, or jargon if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

Orwell's Questions
What am I trying to say?
What words will express it?
What image or idiom will make it clearer?
Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?
Could I put it more shortly?
Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly?

Strunk and White: Principles Of Composition
Choose a suitable design
Use the active voice
Put statements in positive form
Use definite, specific, concrete language
Omit needless words
Place yourself in the background
Write naturally
Write with nouns and verbs
Revise and rewrite
Do not overwrite
Avoid qualifiers
Do not affect a breezy manner
Use orthodox spelling
Do not explain too much
Do not construct awkward adverbs
Avoid fancy words
Avoid dialect
Avoid mixing languages
Prefer the standard to the offbeat

Evil Passive Verbs:
is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been, I'm,
it's, he's, here's, she's, that's, there's, they're,
we're, what's, who's, you're

Heinlein's Rules
You Must Write
Finish What You Start
You Must Refrain From Rewriting, Except to Editorial Order
You Must Put Your Story on the Market
You Must Keep it on the Market until it has Sold
Start Working on Something Else

Evil Metaphors and Phrases
on steroids
think outside the box
longpole in the tent
stove pipe
the long and short of it is
the fact (of the matter) is
reinvent the wheel
open a can of worms
talk off line
herding cats
same sheet of music
at the end of the day
to be honest with you
on a weekly basis
touch base
building bridges
teach how to fish
keep the plates spinning
run it up the flag pole
sooner rather than later
lessons learned
synergy
zero tolerance
self licking ice cream cone
not ready for prime time
showstopper
barking up the wrong tree
holding feet to the fire
the cart before the horse
goat rope
ground truth
devil is in the details
break down barriers
food fight
bear fruit
sense of urgency
dog in the fight
with all due respect
utilize (prefer use)
low hanging fruit
slippery slope
straw man
work in a vacuum
grease the skids
let a thousand flowers bloom
red herring
leaning forward in the saddle
ahead of the curve
crawl, walk, run
cookie cutter

I am suddenly filled with the desire to write a story that incorporates every one of those evil metaphors and phrases. This could be particulalry amusing if at least one word in each phrase was being used in a different way than usual. "Dog" as a verb. "Pole" as a gentleman from Poland. And so on.

James D. Macdonald said:

I am suddenly filled with the desire to write a story that incorporates every one of those evil metaphors and phrases. .

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Please do (as a demo for us), but with everything in the story in the same sequence as in the post.

oooooooh...a challenge! Uncle Jim, puh-leeeeeeeeeeease? ::bats eyes:: we'll be good for ever and ever if you do!!!

::sigh:: sorry about the earlier post. It is the result of spending the entire day listening to my brothers- one who is two, the other who's six. You all get the picture, I'm sure.

Now, UJ, I have a question. I know it's been covered before on this forum- I actually did a search. However, the results that showed up were so diverse I'm not sure which is the "right" answer. So, I'm going to ask you.

How long is an average YA novel? I've gotten answers that range from 20,000 to 110,000. I agree that the story should take as long as it needs to, but I am wondering what the standard is, from a "I really want to know what the publishers prefer generally" viewpoint. Any ideas? (This question isn't just for UJ by the way, all of you feel free to chime in! lol, not that you wouldn't anyway.) thanks so much!

The average YA novel?

Beats heck out of me. Probably 40K-60K.

Check the particular publisher's guidelines.

SeanDSchaffer said:

I am afraid to try to finish this work, because I don't know if readers will want to read it.

My question: Should I finish it anyway and send it out?

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One never knows whether readers will want a particular story. Having started it when young is no reason to decide against it. If you feel that your younger self wasn't competent to work without adult supervision, have your older (i.e., current) self revise it. If you don't trust him, either, you can put a sliver in Share Your Work to collect opinions from the rest of us. We're all expert judges who can predict readers' tastes much better than you can. (No, even I don't believe that last bit.)

alanna said:

How long is an average YA novel? I've gotten answers that range from 20,000 to 110,000. I agree that the story should take as long as it needs to, but I am wondering what the standard is, from a "I really want to know what the publishers prefer generally" viewpoint. Any ideas? (This question isn't just for UJ by the way, all of you feel free to chime in! lol, not that you wouldn't anyway.) thanks so much!

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Flipping though my 2005 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market, I found the ranges varied from 30,000 to 65,000 with 40,000 a rough average. Of course, a good story trumps all.

If you don't have the Market guide, I'd recommend buying one. While you're at it, you should also check out the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) website www.scbwi.org which has some great information.

Ted

40-60K is the average word count, and you should probably try to stick to it for a first novel. Aim for 50. I think Talisman (see below) comes in at like 49 or something, but it's a middle grade book.

Children are reading longer and longer books these days, especially girls (this from my aunt who is a media specialist). And YA is really ages 13-17, so there's a pretty wide range. If you're aiming for the 13-15 crowd, your book might be a little shorter than if for the 16-17/18 crowd.

Do you follow that?? LOL. Write the story, see how long it is.

SeanDSchaffer said:

It's an older project than my original book that took me 17 years to complete.
I am afraid to try to finish this work, because I don't know if readers will want to read it.

My question: Should I finish it anyway and send it out?

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17 years?! Aye, Carumba.

I'd suggest letting your readers decide if they want to read it or not. But if you're unsure of its merits, finish it and get a handful of beta readers to take a look at it. Make changes as you see fit, and then send it out. The "machine" will do the rest while you're working on your next book.

Sean, finish it. After that, while you're starting your next book, you can decide whether it belongs in your closet or the mailbox.

I'm a believer in finishing works. How else do you learn how to write endings?

Can't say I agree with this of Heinlein's rules:

You Must Refrain From Rewriting, Except to Editorial Order

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aruna said:

Can't say I agree with this of Heinlein's rules:

You Must Refrain From Rewriting, Except to Editorial Order

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He's talking about after you send it out. How many times have you run into people who rewrite a piece every time they get a rejection slip? Too many times, right?

After you've sent out a work, forget it. Every time it comes back, send it out again the same day. The only time you should rewrite is if someone says "I'll buy this if you make the following changes...." Otherwise work on your next book.

Thanks you guys! I'm at about 40k right now, and I think the novel will probably wrap up itself at 55-60 k, so knowing that I'm in the right range really makes me feel a lot better.

James D. Macdonald said:

He's talking about after you send it out. How many times have you run into people who rewrite a piece every time they get a rejection slip? Too many times, right?

After you've sent out a work, forget it. Every time it comes back, send it out again the same day. The only time you should rewrite is if someone says "I'll buy this if you make the following changes...." Otherwise work on your next book.

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I usually follow this advice, but one editor rejected my book with the comment that the protagonist was too passive and reactive. He suggested I make him more dynamic and proactive (but did not offer to re-read it if I did). I looked the story over, decided it was true and made some changes. For the better, I think.

An agent suggested that adding a girl character might make the YA novel have wider appeal. I looked the story over, decide one male character could be substituted with a female character, so I did. (I actually substituted a different character that was female rather than just making my male character female. That wouldn't have worked in the context of the book.)

On the other hand, a different agent rejected it because he couldn't tell what the main conflict was by page 50 (the "all important" page 50, he said). I decided that having thus-and-so happen by a certain page was too formulaic and didn't change it.

I guess what I'm saying is that if you get specific suggestions, you should weigh the advice and at least consider re-writing.

I figure that if they aren't willing to back up their suggestions with their checkbook that they're just one more opinion and my opinion trumps theirs.

James D. Macdonald said:

I figure that if they aren't willing to back up their suggestions with their checkbook that they're just one more opinion and my opinion trumps theirs.

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I don't doubt that in your case that's true. You've proven you're publishable. I have not, as yet, and I'm not confident enough in my writing ability to simply dismiss an editor's comment. Although, I do weigh the opinion and make my own decision.

One editor: one opinion. One writer: one opinion. It's up to you who wins the stalemate.

I'd really ease up on the post-submission changes, though, if it were me. By the time the sixth or seventh agent/editor/publisher gets a crack at it, they won't even be reading the same story/book.

My view is, if you get ten responses, and seven of them say "don't start your story with It was a dark and stormy night", then MAYBE you should listen. Ideally, your changes were made through your beta readers before you sent it out for the first time.

scribbler1382 said:

Me too, TIA. Here's a list I found on a blog recently (with a slight edit):

Orwell's Rules
Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

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I suppose I'm the dunce in the class but I didn't understand this one.

It's open to interpretation, but I took it as meaning be aware of your time and context.

JMO, but I thought it meant be true to what your story needed. If the rules need to be broken, then break them, rather than write something that doesn't stay true to the story. Or, break them if there is no other way to convey what you mean. Just don't break them for every little thing. I think what Scribbler said is valid as well.

J. Y. Moore said:

I suppose I'm the dunce in the class but I didn't understand this one.

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My take was, just because there is a rule that says not to end a sentence with a preposition, you should break that rule rather than write something that sounds terrible. For instance, you wouldn't change that's something I won't put up with to that is something up with which I will not put. (My thanks to Winston Churchill for the example.)

Kris

DreamWeaver said:

My take was, just because there is a rule that says not to end a sentence with a preposition, you should break that rule rather than write something that sounds terrible. For instance, you wouldn't change that's something I won't put up with to that is something up with which I will not put. (My thanks to Winston Churchill for the example.)

Kris

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Nice Yoda impression.

And I think we've proved that Orwell's sixth rule should have listened to his second rule.