A place to discuss the craft of writing: tricks, philosophies, styles

[BobbyBrandt]

There's also always a balance between the two.

Not that I saw anything wrong with your more detailed version. At all. It's very well written.

I always believed that it is the relevance of the details that determines their worth. Whether they are about the characters, the setting, or other elements within the tale, details should always hold relevance, for the readers more than the writer.

 

[StillStunned]

There's no substitute for being able to ask one's story "what do you need here?" and listening for the answer.

That's probably one of the most important skills for a writer to possess. Coupled with the discipline to make sure the story is heading in the right direction at all times.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

That's probably one of the most important skills for a writer to possess. Coupled with the discipline to make sure the story is heading in the right direction at all times.

Always moving toward the climax, right?

 

[crookedletter]

Always moving toward the climax, right?

Climaxes, hopefully.

 

[StillStunned]

Always moving toward the climax, right?

Excelsior!

 

[ElectricBlue]

Definitely. But at least we can try to learn from him and from other great poets.

I'd planned to add a line about how poetry is probably a better source than prose is for studying how sounds enhance meaning, but it seems to have been lost in the thought process.

Copy this, absolutely. That's the thing I take the greatest care over, during edit - getting the prose to flow like poetry. As I call it, the cadence and cascade of the prose. Seems to work, judging by comments like, "almost poetic", "flows like a slow moving river".

A great compliment received from one person here:

I had to re-read it aloud because I wanted to hear the words fall from my lips as poetry, beautiful and liquid, like water itself! Absolutely wonderful!!!

 

[iwatchus]

Climaxes, hopefully.

It was another thread that was talking about being bound by reality

 

[AG31]

For all the caterwauling coming out of another thread

Have you ever used "caterwauling" before? It's one of those words I see but never use.... I see a thread coming on....

 

[iwatchus]

Have you ever used "caterwauling" before? It's one of those words I see but never use.... I see a thread coming on....

I actually use it occasionally in normal conversation

 

[StillStunned]

Copy this, absolutely. That's the thing I take the greatest care over, during edit - getting the prose to flow like poetry. As I call it, the cadence and cascade of the prose. Seems to work, judging by comments like, "almost poetic", "flows like a slow moving river".

It's one of the things I enjoy most about the editing stage.

 

[StillStunned]

Taken from another thread, because it's part of my philosophy of writing:

I'm my own biggest fan. Simply because I write exactly what I want to read. And I reread most of my own stories quite regularly. And you know what? Usually I'm quite impressed.

If other people enjoy my stories too, that's great. If they hate them, good for them. I know my style isn't everyone's favourite flavour. If they point out things that I can improve, that's great too, but I don't let that stand in the way of writing what I think works best.

Why would you write and publish something you don't love? Why would you expect other people to read it? If you're not proud of your work, you should change what you're doing, or how you're doing it, or do it better.

 

[MelissaBaby]

Taken from another thread, because it's part of my philosophy of writing:

I'm my own biggest fan. Simply because I write exactly what I want to read. And I reread most of my own stories quite regularly. And you know what? Usually I'm quite impressed.

If other people enjoy my stories too, that's great. If they hate them, good for them. I know my style isn't everyone's favourite flavour. If they point out things that I can improve, that's great too, but I don't let that stand in the way of writing what I think works best.

Why would you write and publish something you don't love? Why would you expect other people to read it? If you're not proud of your work, you should change what you're doing, or how you're doing it, or do it better.

This is how I responded in that thread:

I think that is a false dichotomy, at least for me. I am a very harsh critic of my own work, which is one of the reasons I am a fairly slow writer. I attempt to hold myself to a very high standard and am very disappointed in myself when I fail to meet it. But when I have met it, I love my own writing and take great pride in it.

That seems natural to me, the harsher standards you set for yourself, the more satisfied you'll be when you've reached them.

 

[Voboy]

Lol. Since we're all quoting some of the good advice we've given in the stacnash thread...

I don't write for myself in the sense that I somehow need to get it out, like for catharsis. I write for myself in the sense that my intended audience is a reader just like me.

I'm perpetually gobsmacked when commenters post stuff that I could have written. I get a lot of satisfaction knowing that I'm providing something that pleases a reader looking for the same things I look for when I read

 

[MelissaBaby]

Lol. Since we're all quoting some of the good advice we've given in the stacnash thread...

It's probably a good idea, because sooner or later someone is going to get the Stacnash thread nuked.

 

[Voboy]

It's probably a good idea, because sooner or later someone is going to get the Stacnash thread nuked.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Erozetta]

Why would you write and publish something you don't love? Why would you expect other people to read it? If you're not proud of your work, you should change what you're doing, or how you're doing it, or do it better.

Simply put: my opinion isn't the only that exists and I want to to know when the consensus points to whether I'm right or wrong about a thing I've written. My view of my self and my work is distorted and I'm aware of that and I'm trying to figure out how deep those distortions go as well as how to combat those thoughts.

If I had to love every story I posted, I'd never post any of my writing, which would've set me back significantly in personal growth and acceptance that my opinion rarely meshes with popular opinion.

I never expect others to read my work. I'm always surprised when I find out anyone has read my stuff and then I'm hit with "Why?" Because I struggle to understand any interest in what I write.

Pride in my work isn't as important as trying to work out the line between my view and opinion of my work and that of others. Based on comments and scores, people seem to like what I do more than hate it, even if I'm baffled by that idea.

So, basically, why would I accept my opinion as the only one that matters?

 

[StillStunned]

Simply put: my opinion isn't the only that exists and I want to to know when the consensus points to whether I'm right or wrong about a thing I've written. My view of my self and my work is distorted and I'm aware of that and I'm trying to figure out how deep those distortions go as well as how to combat those thoughts.

If I had to love every story I posted, I'd never post any of my writing, which would've set me back significantly in personal growth and acceptance that my opinion rarely meshes with popular opinion.

I never expect others to read my work. I'm always surprised when I find out anyone has read my stuff and then I'm hit with "Why?" Because I struggle to understand any interest in what I write.

Pride in my work isn't as important as trying to work out the line between my view and opinion of my work and that of others. Based on comments and scores, people seem to like what I do more than hate it, even if I'm baffled by that idea.

So, basically, why would I accept my opinion as the only one that matters?

Fair enough. I suppose I don't write for personal growth, or really for any reason besides the enjoyment of writing what I want to read and what my wife likes me to read to her. And from that perspective, those are the only opinions that matter.

I'll admit that it's a bit more complicated when it comes to reasons for publishing.

 

[SinclairGroupLLP]

Why would you write and publish something you don't love? Why would you expect other people to read it? If you're not proud of your work, you should change what you're doing, or how you're doing it, or do it better.

100% this. I go back and reread my stories all the time.

Hell, I hit publish and try to forget about them, so that when they go live on the site, I wake up at 5 am and read it through fresh. It's part of my routine now.

It always weirds me out, the actors who don't watch the movies they make, or the writers who never go back and read what they wrote. If I'm not a fan of my stuff, why should anybody else be?

 

[iwatchus]

It always weirds me out, the actors who don't watch the movies they make, or the writers who never go back and read what they wrote. If I'm not a fan of my stuff, why should anybody else be?

I can;t read my writing sometimes if it is too fresh, because I ignore the story and just critique my writing. Why did I use that word? That sentence would have been better structured this way.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Taken from another thread, because it's part of my philosophy of writing:

I'm my own biggest fan. Simply because I write exactly what I want to read. And I reread most of my own stories quite regularly. And you know what? Usually I'm quite impressed.

If other people enjoy my stories too, that's great. If they hate them, good for them. I know my style isn't everyone's favourite flavour. If they point out things that I can improve, that's great too, but I don't let that stand in the way of writing what I think works best.

Why would you write and publish something you don't love? Why would you expect other people to read it? If you're not proud of your work, you should change what you're doing, or how you're doing it, or do it better.

I agree with almost all of this, and I, like you, go back and read my stories al the time. I'm probably less impressed than you, though.

As for publishing things you don't 'love', well, I got a request from another author that I respect and enjoy reading. She wanted something on the fringe of what I write, and I acquiesced. The story is too maudlin for my usual taste, and the ratings show that; my fans expect a Harlequinesque ending, and this one did not satisfy. Having said that, i think it's one of my better written stories, and the comments support that. So there, you are. I don't love it, but I think I did a good job, and the feedback supports that, sort of.

Having said that, i won't do it again.

 

[StillStunned]

I agree with almost all of this, and I, like you, go back and read my stories al the time. I'm probably less impressed than you, though.

I'm very easily impressed.

And before anyone else says it: yes, so is my wife.

 

[crookedletter]

Taken from another thread, because it's part of my philosophy of writing:

I'm my own biggest fan. Simply because I write exactly what I want to read. And I reread most of my own stories quite regularly. And you know what? Usually I'm quite impressed.

If other people enjoy my stories too, that's great. If they hate them, good for them. I know my style isn't everyone's favourite flavour. If they point out things that I can improve, that's great too, but I don't let that stand in the way of writing what I think works best.

Why would you write and publish something you don't love? Why would you expect other people to read it? If you're not proud of your work, you should change what you're doing, or how you're doing it, or do it better.

I've never thought of it in precisely these terms -- being my own fan, etc. -- but this resonates with me. And it's something I have to remind myself. I do my best writing, I think, when I do it unselfconsciously. When I'm just writing what I want to write and what I'd want to read. I only really start second-guessing myself when I start wondering how someone else might respond to what I'm doing. To get the most out of my writing -- both for the enjoyment of the process itself and, I think, for the best end result -- I try to shut those questions down.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

I'm very easily impressed.

And before anyone else says it: yes, so is my wife.

As Deadpool implied, as long as your crazies match.

 

[ChloeTzang]

......the craft of writing.....

Speaking of craft, I find some agent's websites have quite suseful content - the blog for Steve Laube for example, had some pretty informative content

Steve Laube Agency - Blog

 

[AG31]

I'm my own biggest fan. Simply because I write exactly what I want to read. And I reread most of my own stories quite regularly. And you know what? Usually I'm quite impressed.

I write for myself in the sense that my intended audience is a reader just like me.

Ditto and ditto again.

Simply put: my opinion isn't the only that exists and I want to to know when the consensus points to whether I'm right or wrong about a thing I've written. My view of my self and my work is distorted and I'm aware of that and I'm trying to figure out how deep those distortions go as well as how to combat those thoughts.

When you say "whether I'm right or wrong," are you talking about your style? Did you get your point across? Or are you talking about more fundamental things, like how we best understand our human experience?