Over-coming that bad habit

EFCollins · Mar 27, 2009

I have a very bad habit of writing in old fashioned language. I've found many people that actually enjoy it and very few that don't. I did have one woman ask me why I wrote that way and I couldn't answer. I really don't know. I don't speak like that, so there's really no reason for me to write that way. Any suggestions on writing for more modern audiences? Even though I personally like the way I write, I understand that it may not, and probably won't, result in a published piece.

Snowstorm · Mar 27, 2009

I'm rather envious. Since you like how you write, do you write the articles/historical novels that your type of writing complements? Sounds like a win-win.

ETA: Sounds like one of my favorites books: Benjamin Franklin by Van Doren. He writes in an old style, and his book is fantastic.

EFCollins · Mar 27, 2009

No, I don't. That's the kicker. I write horror and speculative fiction... which by no means indicates that old fashioned language is wrong, per se, but I've been told by other writers (on another forum) and by a couple of agents that I need to "bring myself up to date". Someone mentioned that my writing might be influenced by what I read, which are mostly classics. I love old classics like Dracula and Frankenstein and Sherlock Holmes. I don't write quite that old fashioned, but the beauty of how things were said is unmatched in today's more straight up, no lace no frills writing. I don't go as far as purple prose, thankfully, but it's close at times (nothing revision won't fix, but still). I'm trying to kick the habit.

gothicangel · Mar 27, 2009

Would you say you write in a Gothic syntax? Angela Carter wrote like that and I love it; Gothic/horror is all about excess anyway. Maybe you would be better looking at publishers dealing with Gothic literary novels.

I never used to like the pared down style either; then I read Hemingway's The Killers and it turned everything upside down. I love an excessive gothic style as well as a uber pared down style too.

TheIT · Mar 27, 2009

Style happens. Write to your strengths.

Have you considered writing historicals? Maybe your style doesn't match a modern outlook, but it might fit if your story is set in a different time period. I just finished reading the Jonathan Barrett series by PN Elrod which is set the late 1700's. Old-fashioned style but it fit the narrator and the time period.

Danthia · Mar 27, 2009

Sounds like your voice is old-fashioned, and changing your voice can be tough. But voice is usually influenced by what we read and who we admire, so reading modern books in the genre you write in would be a good place to start.

ChaosTitan · Mar 27, 2009

EFCollins said:
No, I don't. That's the kicker. I write horror and speculative fiction... which by no means indicates that old fashioned language is wrong, per se, but I've been told by other writers (on another forum) and by a couple of agents that I need to "bring myself up to date". Someone mentioned that my writing might be influenced by what I read, which are mostly classics.

*emphasis mine

If you're writing modern stories, you need to read modern stories written in modern language. Many writers are sponges--we absorb the writing styles of the things we read. A more old-fashioned language works for some books (gothic novels, historicals, etc...), but not for all.

EFCollins · Mar 27, 2009

Perhaps a bit. I'm not very familiar with the term (comes from having just a tenth grade education), but gathering just from the term itself, probably. I don't know whether or not what I write qualifies as "literary" either. (Big can of worms there...) I've only just begun venturing into the publishing world. I'm reading and finding out information. I have to say, for the most part, publishing seems like a very daunting venture. I'm having fun learning the ropes (Such as I can. Some of the information out there is just bizarre.) and finding out how it all works.

I just write how I write. Don't know exactly what syntax it is. Gothic seems to be almost right, but not quite.

EFCollins · Mar 27, 2009

TheIT said:
Style happens. Write to your strengths.

Have you considered writing historicals? Maybe your style doesn't match a modern outlook, but it might fit if your story is set in a different time period. I just finished reading the Jonathan Barrett series by PN Elrod which is set the late 1700's. Old-fashioned style but it fit the narrator and the time period.

I've thought about it. One of my works, while set in the future, is almost in historical... kind of like that movie The Postman, where the world has reverted back to olden times because of certain events (in my book, the said event is the Nazi Regime winning WWII, but you know). Writing historical horror would be fun as heck, though.

TheIT · Mar 27, 2009

How about time travel? Style should fit the narrator, so if the narrator is from an earlier time period, an older style would fit.

I second ChaosTitan's suggestion to read modern stories. The style should also match the type and time period of the story being told.

EFCollins · Mar 27, 2009

I do read modern fiction.. especially horror. (For me, there is nothing quite like Stephen King at his best), but I don't want to be Stephen King... or another Nora Roberts... or another James Patterson, Douglas Preston etc. I like the unique way my writing comes out. But, I want to publish (despite fearing it, I still want it). I'm very open about why... I would like to make money from my hard work. Nothing wrong with wanting that, in my opinion. I want my name on that front cover, don't get me wrong, but I want to actually sell a book or two, not just have it looking pretty on store shelves, you know? Maybe my "niche" isn't exactly what I thought it was. I'm, what I like to call, stuck. I can't change how I write... I've tried. (enrolled in some college courses, though... that should help some)

EFCollins · Mar 27, 2009

TheIT said:
How about time travel? Style should fit the narrator, so if the narrator is from an earlier time period, an older style would fit.

I second ChaosTitan's suggestion to read modern stories. The style should also match the type and time period of the story being told.

Agreed. I want to match what I write. Most of what I write is modernish... but very general in time period so it could have been up to twenty or thirty years ago.

TheIT · Mar 27, 2009

Then embrace the style. Do you think readers are reacting to the style itself, or is there something not matching between the storytelling style and the story you're telling? A reader might not be able to articulate what "feels wrong".

You could always post a sample in the Share Your Work forum for critique to get more feedback.

ETA: Another thought. Are you writing first person POV or third? Any specific narrator/POV character? If you make the narration style an integral part of the narrator's personality, maybe that would help.

EFCollins · Mar 27, 2009

TheIT said:
Then embrace the style. Do you think readers are reacting to the style itself, or is there something not matching between the storytelling style and the story you're telling? A reader might not be able to articulate what "feels wrong".

You could always post a sample in the Share Your Work forum for critique to get more feedback.

ETA: Another thought. Are you writing first person POV or third? Any specific narrator/POV character? If you make the narration style an integral part of the narrator's personality, maybe that would help.

I'm thinking that with some cases, as in the speculative novel I wrote called The Spider, it works. Others, like The Seventh Sister and The Miner's Widow, it doesn't quite match, as you said. It's almost like a hit and miss problem... sometimes I hit it and sometimes I don't. I'd like to be able to write both ways. I write mostly in third person, with only occasional jaunts into first. I might give a sample in "share your work" just so you can see what I mean.

Sophia · Mar 27, 2009

Using that style is not necessarily a problem. One of my favourite books, Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang, is a compilation of his short stories, and the style of them varies from old-fashioned to a television journalism style. It depends on what best suits the story.

I think it's important that you are in control of your style. Are you writing this way because you choose to, or because you don't feel confident writing another way? If it is the latter, challenge yourself to experiment with as many different writing styles as you can, until there is no style that will phase you. You could take a prompt from one of the threads in the Writing Exercises section, or a Flash Fiction prompt from that board, and write a scene based on it to get you started on something new.

EFCollins · Mar 27, 2009

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3433560#post3433560 This one is supposed to be modern

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3433538#post3433538This one is supposed to be in the more old fashioned language.

Here are two examples of my writing, just so those who are giving me advice can give more informed tips and other things.

To ElaraSophia, I write that way because it's just how I write... I don't really try to, but I don't try not to, either. I like the style, (if I actually happen to have any) but the other forum I've posted on only gives me very general feedback. I like detailed discussion on how to move away from my "old fashioned voice".

Juliette Wade · Mar 27, 2009

I agree that it might be a successful approach to try to match your content to your voice, at least for things you plan to publish in the near future. On the other hand, I do think it's important to try to take control of voice. Extensive reading can help with that. College courses may help. My own background comes from linguistics, so I'm trained in breaking down text word by word and figuring out where the voice comes from - in my classes it was called discourse analysis.

You might potentially be interested in an article I wrote called "Point of View: Reading beyond the I's" that appeared in the Internet Review of Science Fiction in August 2006. It gives some hints about how critical word choices can influence the sense of being inside someone's head, and you can find it at link.

IROSF requires login, I think, but last time I looked, it was free.
I also have discussions on this kind of topic at my blog if you're interested. They're called "Ridiculously close looks," and Here's an example.

I hope this helps.

EFCollins · Mar 27, 2009

Ms. Wade, Thank you very much. I'll take a look at those links. I appreciate your posting them. I'm working very hard at broadening my "voice" so that there will be more than just one. I'd like to be able to write no matter what hat I'm wearing, so I think they'll be useful.

Polenth · Mar 27, 2009

Do you speak any informal dialects? When I need something more informal, I read the story out in another dialect and rewrite it to match.

EFCollins · Mar 27, 2009

Speak informal dialects? I always speak in an informal dialect.

I'm a country girl. That's part of my problem. I don't write like I speak... I write like I think (kind of... if I wrote exactly how I thought, it'd be half sentences and arguments with my inner mind, lol). My own personal dialect is odd enough as it is and my thoughts come across to me far more formal than they should be, I guess. I don't know, I'm just weird.

2Wheels · Mar 27, 2009

Look at different markets (I don't know what part of the world you're in, so this may be moot). A "classic" voice will probably be better received in the UK by agents and publishers, than in North America (IMHO). If you're a purple prosy person though, you still need to pay attention to eliminating/toning down at least some of it because that style won't win you favours just about anywhere these days.

EFCollins · Mar 27, 2009

Oh no. I'm not purple prosy... it just gets a little close at times, especially if I'm really into it. I do my best to edit out those moments of purple passion though.

Over-coming that bad habit

World Class Rambler

Baby plot bunneh sniffs out a clue

World Class Rambler

Toughen up.

Infuriatingly Theoretical

Danthia

Around

World Class Rambler

World Class Rambler

Infuriatingly Theoretical

World Class Rambler

World Class Rambler

Infuriatingly Theoretical

World Class Rambler

World Class Rambler

Interprets for aliens

World Class Rambler

Mushroom

World Class Rambler

Anachronista

World Class Rambler