I’ve been publishing blog posts as part of my Writers’ Questions series since 2019, covering a range of topics related to craft and the business of writing. But many of my most-asked questions really boil down to one that’s psychological, rather than artistic or technical, in nature: why is this writing thing so damn hard?!
Feeling down? Digest these tips and eat some ice cream...
First, I feel you—being a writer isn’t easy. Second, if you’re currently struggling with the emotional toll of writing, this blog post might help by digging into some of the potential reasons why…
You're realizing writing isn't for everyone. Literacy rates are very high in the countries where I and most of this blog’s readers live. That means that almost everyone can write and does write (emails, texts, ranting comments on the internet etc.) all the time. But don’t confuse that with thinking that everyone can write well. One thing that’s hard about pursuing this as a career path, or even a hobby, is that it’s very easy to start writing (unlike say, picking up a violin and starting to play), but, at some point, you’re going to hit an issue and understand your lack of experience. If this is where you’re at now, don’t fear! Recognizing where your writing could be better is vital for improving your craft, and thinking your prose is perfect as a beginner is a recipe for disappointment.
You’re not looking after your physical needs. There may be a certain appeal to the trope of the starving artist, but, if you’re tired, hungry, cold etc., trust me—you’re not going to be producing your best material. Get better at diagnosing what’s actually wrong when you’re feeling low and understanding what your mind and body needs and wants. It’s not virtuous to push yourself to breaking point. Great writing might be about suffering but should never require it.
You like the idea of writing. I hate to break it to you, but writers love the act of writing, not just having written. When you’re at your best (i.e., not tired, hungry etc. as I list above), can an hour slip away from you, unnoticed, as you type at your keyboard or scrawl in a notebook? If not, why on earth are you doing this to yourself? If you want someone to listen to you, consider therapy and/or get better friends. And if you want fame, fortune, and praise, there are much easier paths to take.
You’re playing an imitation game. Maybe you’re dissatisfied with your writing because you’re copying your literary heroes, rather than developing your own style. If you’re doing this, it’s unsurprising that you’ll always be underwhelmed by the result. Stop trying to be Tolkien. You’re never going to be Tolkien.
You’re writing the “wrong” thing. Or maybe it’s the type of writing you’re doing that’s the problem? You could be better suited to working in a format other than a novel e.g., penning a play, poem, screenplay, or short story. Perhaps secretly your heart is with another genre and you’re forcing yourself to write what you think you should be writing (e.g., following the market or writing literary fiction when you prefer to write genre). When in doubt, try mixing it up, and see if things get any easier.
Your inner critic is being too harsh. Self-editing is part of a writer’s job, but too much self-critique can be paralyzing. If you struggle with this, then try to operate in different modes (writer mode vs. editor mode). Then assign these versions of yourself to different shifts. When your inner editor is away, let your inner writer play and enjoy.
You're struggling with feelings of rejection. Lastly, maybe you’re unhappy right now because you’ve faced a spate of writerly rejection. “No” is a word we hear A LOT in this business. This is emotionally difficult—there are no two ways about it. And you’re allowed to wallow for a few minutes when you receive bad news. But don’t let rejection cramp your style or stop you writing. Instead, I recommend distracting yourself, while waiting for news or after receiving bad news. Start a new project. Indulge in some guilty pleasure writing that reminds you why you wanted to be a writer in the first place. No agent, editor, judge etc. can ever take that restoring feeling of the joy of creation away from you.
After tackling a few questions related to the business side of writing in the last few posts in my Writers’ Questions series, I’m back today with a more craft-focused blog. If you’re a writer, have you ever received feedback that a scene, chapter, or section was too fast or too slow? Or maybe you’ve just been told that the pacing feels a little “off.” This can be frustrating to hear, but if you’re not sure how to fix your pacing problems, never fear! Here are some strategies to employ.
Timeline out your book: If you wrote an outline when starting work on your novel, this is the moment to revisit it. If you didn’t write an outline, spend time mapping out each milestone in your book now. Then take your timeline/outline and write dates or other time markers beside each chapter/scene. This will help you look at the pacing of the novel on a macro-level.
Typically, we’d expect to see more major events happening close together near the end of your novel, as the story crescendos to a climax. There will usually be fewer big time jumps around the climax too, as skipping through months and years will dissipate all that lovely tension you’ve built up. And there may also be an effect where a short period of time will be spread across more scenes/chapters. Consider a stereotypical heist movie: the director may choose to include only a 5-10-minute montage of the months of the thieves’ training, but the hour spent on the daring escapade itself may be detailed minute-by-minute, making up half the film.
With these trends in mind, look at your timeline and try to diagnose your book’s issues. Are you dedicating too few pages to important moments? Did you rush to the finish line, rather than giving your ending room to breathe? Did you spend too long setting up your novel’s promises, but then underdeliver?
Cut the boring bits: Here’s a fix that works on pacing issues at both a book and chapter level: if there are scenes or parts of scenes that even you, the writer, think are boring, they’ve simply got to go. A good novel isn’t a few magical moments with dull filler content in between, and every scene you write is a chance for your storytelling prowess to sparkle.
What’s more, it’s easy to summarize action no one wants to read. It can take a sentence or even less. Boring scenes to consider cutting include journeys (just tell us your characters traveled somewhere), periods where your character is bored (if the point of view character is bored, readers will soon be bored too), and long waits for information (ask yourself: would you be tempted to skim ahead if you were reading your own book?). Of course, it’s entirely possible to write interesting scenes set during journeys, or which start with a character being bored/waiting, but you’re going to have to have other content to work with.
Pay attention to sentence length: If you’re happy with the big-picture view of your novel (with a timeline that makes sense and no boring bits), then it’s time to address pacing issues on a sentence level. And it’s a great idea to look to music for inspiration. Scenes you want to read as slower should be made up of longer, legato sentences. Short, staccato sentences are best to convey action.
If a beta reader tells you your romantic scene feels rushed, try using flowing sentences filled with sensual details. If a fight scene is complicated, dull, or difficult to follow, make your descriptions pithier and rely on strong verbs, without qualifying adverbs and adjectives.
Understand simultaneous vs. sequential action: While we’re on the subject of action…one mistake I see a lot of newbie writers making is packing too much information into single sentences in a misguided attempt to speed up their pacing. One result of this is that they write actions as simultaneous when they must be sequential. Let’s look at a worked example.
A writer may want to pick up the pace of a scene to retain reader interest. And so, she writes a sentence like this: “He walked into the hallway, opening the front door.” However, unless this character has incredibly long arms, it’s unlikely he walked into the hallway, while at the same time opening the front door. Instead, the sentence should be: “He walked into the hallway and opened the front door.” Alternatively, the writer could choose to use two sentences here to give more weight to each action: “He walked into the hallway. He opened the front door.”
So, there you have it! Here are a few fixes to consider when facing a pacing issue. I’d also love to hear yours—get in touch in the comments, via Instagram, via Facebook, or by tweeting @SVictorianist.
Since the sale of my debut novel, Bronte’s Mistress, I’ve been answering aspiring authors’ burning questions about writing and publishing as part of my Writers’ Questions series.
Today I’m tackling the biggest mistakes newbies make and the traps they can fall into when penning that first book (trust me, I’ve been there). This list isn’t exhaustive and it’s more focused on process than craft. Check out the rest of the series for more sentence-level insight and introductions to technical topics.
So, without further ado, let’s get into the mistakes…
Jumping the gun
You got there! You typed “The End” and the novel that’s taken you months, or even years, to write is finished. This is definitely a moment to celebrate. So treat yourself, pop a champagne cork, call up a friend. But, whatever you do, don’t immediately hit “send” and shop your manuscript to every agent and editor in the business. If you haven’t edited the novel, through several rounds of revisions, it’s not ready. If no one else (or only your parent or partner) has read it, it’s not ready. If you haven’t read it imaginary cover to imaginary cover again and again until you could almost recite the entire novel, it’s not ready. Sorry! You’ve achieved a lot, but there’s still work to be done.
Talking about your book too much
Writing doesn’t have to be a dirty secret. Plenty of authors now document their full drafting journeys via social media, and if that motivates you, I say, go for it! However, in my experience, talking in detail about the plot points of my work in progress even to just one friend is usually counterproductive. It deadens some of the urgency I feel to “tell” a story, making it harder to stay motivated, and it leaves me vulnerable to receiving feedback when I’m in a creative vs. an editing mode (i.e. not ready to hear it).
Getting stuck on just one thing
Vague, I know. But the biggest “things” I see early career writers getting stuck on include research (especially in historical fiction), world building (especially in science fiction and fantasy), and first chapters (this can happen to any of us). Are research and world building key parts of the writing process? Yes. Is it a problem when you’re so lost in them you’re not writing? Also, yes. At some point, you need to draw a line in the sand and start writing. You can “fix” details later. The same thing goes for first chapters. They’re really important, but if rewriting Chapter 1 ad nauseam is prohibiting you from working on Chapters 2-29, you have a problem.
Being too ritualistic about writing
Drinking a glass of lemon water, meditating for 20 minutes, and doing a yoga session to unlock my creative flow, before sitting down at an antique writing desk with a mug of tea to my right and a cat on my lap, sounds lovely, but this isn’t how books get written. Books get written by writers deciding to write whenever and however they can, even if that means in less than ideal circumstances. If you’re envisioning the author profile a journalist will write about your perfect writing nook but you haven’t passed 10k words, it might be time to reassess…
Being impatient
With yourself and with the industry. If writing a book was easy, everyone would do it. You have to put in the time to hone your skills and make your novel as good as it can be. There will be many hours of work, and, once you’re ready to try to find a publisher, there will be many more hours of waiting. If you know patience isn’t your strong suit (it’s definitely not mine!), experiment with the powers of distraction. Hint: the best form of distraction is always writing another book.
So that’s what I’ve got for you today—five big mistakes to avoid when starting out on your writing journey. I hope the blog post has been helpful and that you’ll consider reading my novel, Bronte’s Mistress, if you haven’t already. I’m always open to topic ideas for my Writers’ Questions series, so please contact me via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. And make sure you sign up to my monthly email newsletter below.
This was a tricky one to write, as, unlike some authors who have a structured editing process (e.g. doing different edits for character, plot, sentence-level etc.), I a) revise a lot as I go, and b) make all of these changes at once. Rather than a step-by-step guide then, think of this blog post as a list of things to watch out for, no matter when and how you choose to do your edits.
A final disclaimer is that I am a traditionally published writer. This article is assuming that you’re writing a book to submit to literary agents, rather than preparing to self-publish a manuscript. These tips are not designed to replace the need for a professional edit and copy-edit.
So, let’s get into it. In no particular order, here are just some of the things to watch out for when you’re reading your novel with fresh eyes.
Inconsistent details
Does your character have blue eyes in Chapter Four, but brown eyes by Chapter Seven? Is the sunset visible from the same window where your cast watched the sunrise just hours before? Sure, maybe only a few readers will pick up on these errors, but for those who do, this kind of sloppiness will negatively impact their immersion in your world. You know your book better than anyone (after all, you wrote it!), so get the details right.
Confused time/date/weather markers
I understand: things change as you write a novel, and sometimes the markers in your prose of how time is passing suffer as a result. Read your manuscript through this lens to see if you’re giving your readers enough info to understand where they are in time…and not inadvertently turning back the clocks or creating a crazy climate.
Point of view violations
I’ve written a whole blog post in this series on what point of view is and how important getting it right is to the success of a novel. In short, readers need to understand whose viewpoint we’re experiencing your story from, or, to borrow an analogy from filmmaking, where the camera is placed. Look for moments big and small where you’ve included information your point of view character couldn’t possibly know and cull them mercilessly. While you’re at it, also check you’re not employing filter words and distancing us from your chosen perspective.
Repeated words
Every writer has favourite words, but each time you inadvertently repeat one, it loses its power. Be aware of your writing habits and switch up your vocabulary where you can. Listening to your novel via text-to-speech applications can be particularly helpful here. That said, there is also a time and place for repetition. Check our this post I wrote eight years ago on how Charles Dickens employs repetition to great effect in one of his short stories.
Adverbs
This is another topic I’ve written about before, so you can read a full explanation here. TL/DR: adverbs are often a symptom of too much telling and not enough showing.
Telling
This leads us to telling in its many other forms. The most egregious to my mind is naming emotions to explain to readers how your character is feeling. Can you show us instead, through actions, body language, and dialogue? I’ve previously shared more thoughts on showing vs. telling here.
Lack of rhythmic variety
Having too many sentences in a row with the same number of words, words of the same number of syllables, repeated words beginning or ending the sentence, or identical sentence structures is the quickest way to put your readers to sleep, regardless of your book’s content. This is another area where listening to your work when editing is a godsend. Mix it up!
Excessive use of passive voice
Like rhythmic monotony, constant use of the passive vs. active voice acts as a soporific, while also robbing your characters of agency. I’ve written a detailed blog post if you want to get better at spotting and eradicating unnecessary passive (hot tip: if you can add “by zombies” to a clause, you’re using passive!).
Anachronism
As a historical novelist, I have to be eagle-eyed to ensure I’m not ruining the illusion of transporting my readers to the past. Part of this for me is spending a lot of time while editing looking at etymology and date of first usage for words to maintain historical accuracy even at a sentence level.
Incorrect formatting
There’s a standard way to format a novel manuscript and its constituent parts (e.g. dialogue). Learn the best practices and employ them in your edit, even if your first draft was written by hand or in a non-standard format that works for you.
Spelling and grammar errors
Oh yes, and you have to have perfect spelling and grammar too! Don’t just think “the copyeditor will fix this later.” It’s on you to make your novel as great as you can—alone.
So, there you have it—an incomplete list of ways to get started if you’re tackling an edit! It’s a lot of hard work, but just know that with every change you execute, you’re making your book more powerful.
What topic would you like to see me write about next as part of my Writers’ Questions series? Let me know—here, on Facebook, on Instagram, or by tweeting @SVictorianist. My novel Bronte’s Mistress is available for order now, and for monthly updates from me delivered direct to your inbox, sign up for my email newsletter below.
Welcome back! In my Writers’ Questions series, I’ve been answering questions other writers have been asking me since I first announced the publication of my debut novel. My historical novel, Bronte’s Mistress, will be released by Atria Books on August 4th, but, in the meantime, I’ve been working on a new project. This manuscript (also historical fiction) is currently with the all-important beta readers.
Counting down the days until Bronte's Mistress is published
What are beta readers?
Beta readers are early readers. They read a drafted novel from beginning to end, and give the writer feedback to make their novel stronger.
What are beta readers not?
Alpha Readers/Morale Boosters
Some writers have alpha readers—readers who act as their cheerleaders, reading chapters as they’re being produced. But beta readers are different. Their job isn’t to tell a writer “this is great” but to deliver tangible feedback and valid criticisms based on their reading experience.
Writers’ Groups
I am a member of two writers’ group (one historical fiction focused, one multi-genre), which give me chapter-by-chapter feedback. The valuable feedback I receive from these groups tends to be detail-oriented and technical (after all, I’m hearing from other writers here!). But it’s hard for these groups to comment on overall plot and character arcs since they’re only reading one (or half a) chapter every two weeks, and it’s nearly impossible for writers to put themselves in the shoes of non-writing readers.
Editors
It’s not the job of a beta reader to catch your spelling mistakes (and it’ll get really annoying if multiple people are telling you about the same typo!). Spell and grammar check your work yourself or hire a freelance editor if you need support.
How do I find beta readers?
My criteria for beta readers are very straightforward. Betas should…
1. Read fiction frequently (I don’t want people who don’t read or who only read non-fiction)
2. Be reliable (I’m working to personal deadlines so don’t have time to wait around for others)
3. Be honest (people may struggle to deliver harsh feedback and that’s okay, but you have to believe that their intention is to be as honest as possible—more on how to get the actual truth out of them later)
Generally speaking, I don’t want my beta readers to be other fiction writers. This is because writers tend to try to “fix” problems and tell you what they would have done vs. just pointing out their responses. However, I do make exceptions and think it depends how many betas you have. Of the eight people currently reading my next novel, one is a fellow novelist.
Among the others, there are non-writing expertise and experiences represented that I find helpful e.g. one of my betas is a historian, and others in the group have lived experiences that mirror those of some of my characters.
I ask people I know to beta read, ranging from close family members to acquaintances. There are also beta reading services and swaps online, none of which I’ve tried. With beta read swaps, you’re going to be getting feedback from other writers, which I find less helpful. With paid services, well, you’re going to have to pay! These options could be helpful though if you’re struggling to find people you know to ask.
How many beta readers should I have?
I typically recruit 7-10 beta readers, which is a lot, but I think the volume of responses really helps me. If I hear a piece of feedback from just one or two beta readers, I could chalk the response up to personal preference. If three or more people are saying the same thing, it forces me to listen.
Life is also complicated and messy. By having more beta readers, even if one or two of them have to drop out and/or have something obstructive happen in their lives in the next few weeks, I still have more than enough people giving me feedback.
Can you describe the beta reading process?
I know my 5-step process may seem a little intense, but I’ve gone through it three times and it works well for me.
Step 1: Beta Reader Recruitment
Ask people to beta read for you. It’s better to do this over text vs. face to face and to give them an easy out. For instance, this time around I mentioned that I knew people had a lot going on right now because of the pandemic. I told them I wouldn’t be upset if they said no, but I valued their opinion and would be delighted if they said yes.
The aim of recruitment isn’t just to get beta readers. It’s to get beta readers who genuinely want to beta read and didn’t feel pressured into saying yes.
Mistakes I’ve made in the past: asking people when we’re out drinking (drunk people say yes to anything), and asking people just because I was worried about offending them by not asking. Don’t do these things!
Step 2: Email Kick-Off
Here’s an anonymized version of the email I send to kick things off. Feel free to crib from it.
Hi BETA READER NAMES,
Thank you all so much for agreeing to be beta readers for my novel, TITLE (attached).
I've asked you for your help because I value your opinions and want to use your feedback to make the book better.
Reminders for everyone and rules of the road for new beta readers:
Try to finish the novel by DATE
Contact me as soon as you finish the novel (don't wait 'til DATE if you finish earlier)
Please read the manuscript like you would any other book. No need to take notes or sit with a red pen in hand
At a couple of points in the novel, there are pages asking you to pause your reading and answer a few quick questions. Please do that!
Don't copyedit
Be honest!
Don’t talk to the other beta readers about the book before giving me your feedback
Once you let me know you're finished, I will set up time to video interview you about the novel in depth
My promises to you:
I’m going to consider any feedback you give me seriously
I’m not going to check in on your progress before DATE
I’m not going to like you any less for anything you say about the novel
Thank you so much again for reading for me. Please confirm receipt of this email.Then I'll leave you to read in peace. J
Finola
Step 3: In-Manuscript Questions
As I mention in the email above, I include a few “pause” moments within the manuscript itself. These are pages in the PDF where I ask betas to jot down their answers to a few quick questions.
I didn’t do this the first time I had beta readers and wish I had (people will find it hard to remember their earlier reactions). The second time I used beta readers I inserted questions at the 1/3 and 2/3 marks, as well as at the end. This time I’m doing questions at 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and the end.
Here are the questions I’m including this time:
Q1 Questions
What do you think of the novel so far? [2-3 sentences]
Would you keep reading if you were reading this for fun/not as a beta reader. Why or why not?
Q2 Questions
Write down 2-3 sentences about how you are feeling at this point in the novel.
Who are your favourite and least favourite characters in the novel so far? Why?
Write down 2-3 predictions of things that will happen in the rest of the book.
Q3 Question
How do you think the novel might end?
Q4 Questions
Write a short paragraph on what you thought of the novel overall.
Send me answers to all the beta reading questions via email.
Step 4: Review Emailed Answers and Schedule Interviews
I then read and digest the emailed responses. If anyone has said something really negative (“I hated this book!”, “it sucked”), this gives me time to toughen up privately, rather than hearing this for the first time in person or during our interview.
I try to schedule interviews as soon as possible after someone has finished reading (people forget details quickly!).
Step 5: Interviews
This is the most important step. I interview each of my beta readers alone, asking them the same list of questions as each other using a discussion guide I create beforehand. This discussion guide is similar to what a qualitative researcher might use (something I learned about thanks to my advertising day job).
I don’t answer any questions the betas have for me until the end of the interview (something I tell them upfront). It’s my job to ask the questions and take notes on their answers—not to be drawn into discussion.
Generally speaking, if your beta readers know and like you, their overall comments will be complimentary (or at the very least they will soften their criticisms). But it’s hard for someone to be consistently dishonest when you’re asking them detailed questions. This is when the truth will come out.
Here’s an anonymized skeleton for the discussion guide, which may be of use to you.
Characters:
How would you describe PROTAGONIST’s character? Did you like this character? Why? Why not?
What does PROTAGONIST look like?
How did PROTAGONIST change over the course of the novel?
Who was your favourite character in the book? Why?
Who was your least favourite character in the book? Why?
Did you mix up/get confused between any of the characters in the novel? Which ones?
Pick one other character from the novel, whom you have a detailed picture of in your mind. Who are they? What do they look like?
Describe the relationship between CHARACTER A and CHARACTER B. [I have a few versions of this question for all main relationships in the novel]
Were there any characters you wish you’d learned more about in the course of the novel?
Did you identify with any of the characters in the novel in any way? Who and why?
Opening:
What did you think of the opening of the novel?
Did the novel grab your interest straight away?
[If you’re debating whether you need a prologue, ask about this here]
Plot:
Did you spot any plot holes in the novel? Is there anything in the plot that still confuses you?
Did you guess in advance anything that happened in the novel? What?
Were there any big surprises for you in the novel? What were they?
[If you have any specific plot concerns, ask specific questions about these here]
Ending:
What did your think of the ending?
Did the novel end as you expected?
How did the ending leave you feeling?
Was there anything about the ending that was unsatisfying and/or felt unfinished?
Reading experience:
Did the novel feel long or short to you?
How quickly did you read the novel?
How many chapters did you generally read at a go?
Were there any parts of the novel that felt rushed?
Were there any parts of the novel that felt slow/boring?
Setting:
When was the novel set? [especially important for historical fiction]
Did the novel seem realistic for the time period it was set in? Did anything strike you as unrealistic? [especially important for historical fiction]
Which specific locations mentioned in the novel can you picture most vividly (e.g. rooms, houses, streets etc.)? Can you describe one for me?
Sex and romance:
Which sex scenes can you recall in the novel?
What did you like about the sex scenes? What did you dislike about them?
Were any parts of the novel romantic?
[This section may not be relevant for your book, but insert sections on themes and topics that are]
Language:
How would you describe the language the novel was written in?
Was there anything you didn’t like about the language of the novel/the way it was written?
Were there any words/phrases/sentence structures that stood out as being over-used in the novel?
What did you think of the dialogue in the novel? Was there enough of it? Did it feel believable?
Do you have any comments on the imagery (similes, metaphors etc.) used in the novel?
Was there enough description in the novel?
[Most beta readers will have little to say in this section, but I ask the questions anyway]
Other people/books:
What genre is the novel?
How would you describe the novel to a stranger? Would you recommend it?
Who do you think would enjoy this novel?
Did the novel remind you of any other books you’ve read? Which ones? Why?
Finally:
How did the novel compare OTHER NOVELS OF YOURS THEY’VE BETA READ?
Do you have any questions for me about the novel?
Step 6: Review Feedback
When I’ve done all my interviews I then review the feedback as a whole. Importantly, I don’t go reader-by-reader, but question-by-question. This allows me to a) spot patterns and trends, and b) emotionally disconnect from the relationship I have with any particular reader.
By the end of my review I have a list of updates to make to the novel based on the feedback I’ve received.
I then thank my beta readers, verbally, with drinks/dinner and in my book acknowledgements. They dedicated a lot of time to helping you.
What are beta reading problems and what should I do about them?
Most beta reading problems boil down to two buckets:
“One beta reader was rude and unreliable or was unhelpful in their feedback"
Solution = Don’t ask that person to beta read again
“All my beta readers ghosted me”
Solution = There is probably something wrong with your book. Consider finding a writers’ group and/or class to learn more.
Writers, I’d love to hear about your experiences with beta readers and how your process compares to mine! Get in touch in the comments below, via Instagram, on Facebook or by tweeting @SVictorianist. If you’re interested in my forthcoming novel, Bronte’s Mistress, which is now available for pre-order, click this link or sign up for my email mailing list below. I just checked back. In total I had 15,000 words (!!) of beta reader feedback, which helped make that book as good as it needed to be to get published.
This week I’m diving into writing craft, with an opinionated, and definitely not scientific, list of the words I suggest deleting from your work in progress novel.
Some caveats before I dive in:
This blog post is informed by my personal taste—yours may vary.
I’m not saying I adhere to these guidelines 100% of the time, or that there aren’t successful writers who take a very different approach.
In my own writing, I don’t apply all of these ‘rules’ to dialogue. Why? Well, a character being vague, long-winded or bad at constructing sentences could be part of their personality. Because I write historical fiction, using more old-fashioned prose for dialogue than for narration can also give a more a period feel.
Thought Verbs:
I did a whole blog post on this topic already, so I’m not going to go into too much detail here, but if you’re writing in first person or a close third point of view, verbs like ‘think’, ‘realise’, ‘feel’, and ‘notice’ will weaken your prose and make readers feel more distant from your viewpoint character(s). Instead of ‘I noticed the door was open’, try just ‘the door was open’. It will put us inside your character’s head.
Suddenly:
Is there any word more detrimental to creating surprise and drama in fiction than ‘suddenly’? Adverbs overall have a bad reputation when it comes to modern tastes in creative writing, and for me ‘suddenly’ is the most egregious. Consider which is more striking: ‘the door flew open’ or ‘suddenly the door flew open’? I know which option I’d prefer.
Bit:
I’m not sure if this one is just me, but my writers’ groups have suffered through my rants about the word ‘bit’ and now you get to too! When used to describe a tangible object, the word ‘bit’ is abstract, and a noun that’s more concrete will do its job better. For instance, a ‘bit of fabric’ could be of any size or condition, but a ‘rag’ gives us a clearer picture. A ‘bit of rouge’ could be a ‘dab of rouge’, which conjures up the motion of a character applying the product to her cheeks.
‘Bit’ is also used in the construction ‘a bit [adjective]’ e.g. ‘a bit tired’ or ‘a bit angry’. Here, ‘bit’ is bad as it shows a lack of commitment to the idea from the writer, which could indicate a lack of narrative confidence, and because it is often a flag for telling vs. showing. Don’t tell me a character is a bit angry—show me the extent of her anger through her actions.
Weird Dialogue Tags:
Look, I’m a lover of Victorian literature. See the title and theme of this very blog! I grew up on a diet of books in which characters were always ‘admonishing’, ‘declaring’ and ‘ejaculating’ (no, not in that way). But tastes have shifted and using weird dialogue tags today reads as old-fashioned or, worse, patronising towards readers. The content of the dialogue should already give us a pretty good sense of how it is said. Personally, I try to stick to ‘said’ and ‘asked’, with the occasional ‘whispered’ and the even rarer ‘cried’.
If you’re also a writer, I’d love to hear which words get the cut when you’re editing your work. And if my suggestions have stirred up strong feelings, I’d love to hear your thoughts either way. Tweet me @SVictorianist, or let me know via Instagram or Facebook.
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