Lazy writing

[CharleneBarr]

Does anybody else on here get annoyed by slovenly writing, where the author substitutes numbers and abbreviations for the good old written word? I'm obviously thinking of things along the lines of
'she was 5'8" with a 36DD bust, while he was IQ67 but with a good 9"'
A story is not a phone message where you're limited in the number of characters you can use - I want to read a story, not an Argos Catalog!
btw (I can use 'btw' because this is a forum and not a literary masterpiece in the making...) I defy anyone without a tape-measure in his pocket to make those kinds of observations anyway - so the only exceptions are probably carpenters or undertakers who might come across a car crash on the way home and see a good opportunity...

 

[SamScribble]

Careful readers need careful writers - and vice versa. But when you see the high ratings and breathless comments attached to some of the appalling prose on this site (and others), you have to conclude that there aren't that many careful readers about. Oh, well.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

Does anybody else on here get annoyed by slovenly writing, where the author substitutes numbers and abbreviations for the good old written word? I'm obviously thinking of things along the lines of
'she was 5'8" with a 36DD bust, while he was IQ67 but with a good 9"'
A story is not a phone message where you're limited in the number of characters you can use - I want to read a story, not an Argos Catalog!
btw (I can use 'btw' because this is a forum and not a literary masterpiece in the making...) I defy anyone without a tape-measure in his pocket to make those kinds of observations anyway - so the only exceptions are probably carpenters or undertakers who might come across a car crash on the way home and see a good opportunity...

For the most part (51% or more) I would use words rather than numeric characters, but when the thing in question is usually designated by character rather than word...

Her stalker rifled through her garbage, finding his best prize yet: a discarded brassiere box marked thirty-six deedee.

 

[Hypoxia]

Narrative writing should hopefully flow a bit better than a scribbled note. But lazy numerics and abbreviations are most commonly seen in data dumps; the reader can absorb those quickly to build their mental image of the measured subject, then move on to the flawed plot (if any). I try to scatter full-text descriptions into the story and avoid hard numbers. That's supposedly a sign of better writing, right? But maybe I *want* to stick a color snapshot of the subject in front of the readers' jaded eyeballs.

Aha! There's the distinction! A careful writer paints a leisurely portrait; an impatient writer posts a snapshot. Hmmm, I'll have to try an experiment, with two nearly identical stories (with different people+place names), one written with alphanumeric data dumps, the other with interwoven full-text descriptions, and see which gets better responses.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

That's what we get for giving out children cell phones and allowing them to tweet on twitter, bad English. Abbreviations instead of words. Numbers instead of text.


Tio: I would have written the last part of the sentence as thirty-six double dee.

 

[soflabbwlvr]

In general, I also find the use of numbers as a poor substitute for inspired writing. This is especially true when the numbers are transmitted in the form of a police BOLO. But that doesn't mean that numbers are always a bad thing. People do make snap judgments about height, and it's usually in the form of numbers (he's about 6') (she's about six inches shorter than me, so I'd say around 5'6"). I can't think of any reason to mention a bra size, but I'm not offended if the cup size is mentioned. It's a quick, handy measure.

As much as I despise inches listed next to dick size, I can think of instances where they are helpful. I'm working on a story about a size queen, and you better believe she's interested in inches. I can think of more examples where numbers are useful, but I don't think it's necessary. Numbers can be useful, if used judiciously.

 

[sethp]

Does anybody else on here get annoyed by slovenly writing, where the author substitutes numbers and abbreviations for the good old written word? I'm obviously thinking of things along the lines of
'she was 5'8" with a 36DD bust, while he was IQ67 but with a good 9"'
A story is not a phone message where you're limited in the number of characters you can use - I want to read a story, not an Argos Catalog!
btw (I can use 'btw' because this is a forum and not a literary masterpiece in the making...) I defy anyone without a tape-measure in his pocket to make those kinds of observations anyway - so the only exceptions are probably carpenters or undertakers who might come across a car crash on the way home and see a good opportunity...

I used to try to describe every detail, now I don't, and it's better, easier to write and more well received. Instead of 38DDs, it's just she had enormous breasts that jutted out...That kind of thing, I don't get into eye color, only occasionally hair color, but generally not length, no dick length, the reader doesn't need that much information. without it, they internalize the story and characters and make it their own fantasy woman or man.

 

[sr71plt]

As far as rendering the numbers in Arabic, it's more uninformed about fiction writing than lazy, I think. It's only laziness if the writer has a reason to know better. Scientific writing uses the Arabic number system more than fiction writing does, and many reading/writing here have more of a scientific writing background than a fiction one.

As far as using measurements, we encounter this quite often here--always with one perspective trying to force its perspective down everyone else's throats. Some writers and readers do arousal visualize in specific measurements (even when not seeing the measurements themselves precisely). It's the relative measurement itself, not euphemisms, that arouses them. There are a good many of those types of readers on Literotica (as is obvious because it continues despite the twice-monthly objection to it here on the forum.)

If folks want to read/write from that perspective because of what arouses them, I'm happy to leave them to it. It's interesting that we don't seem to have any readers/writers who are aroused by measurements who complain on the forum about what others prefer.

 

[49greg]

That's what we get for giving out children cell phones and allowing them to tweet on twitter, bad English. Abbreviations instead of words. Numbers instead of text.


Tio: I would have written the last part of the sentence as thirty-six double dee.

I normally write out numbers, but in the example of a bra size, if I'm writing about someone reading the size off of the box or bra itself I would spell it as written on the label: 36 DD.

If I was describing a bra size, or a character was telling someone about it, I would spell it out, thirty six double D ( or perhaps double dee.)

I would use the same logic in the rest of my writing. If Greg was telling his paramour when he was born, I would put it as: "I was born in seventy-eight, during a blizzard they say, and Dad had to deliver me in the front of the pickup after he skidded into a snowdrift while driving Mom to the hospital."

If Joan was stalking Greg and looked up his birth certificate at the county records office, I would put it something like this: Joan found the correct binder and flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for. There it was, the official copy typewritten on the form: "Birth: Jan 10, 1978, Freeborn County MN".

At least that's the way I would do it, but I've never been good at the actual rules and regs. of proper grammar and spelling.

edited: I guess I should have written "rules and regulations" but in the army we usually spoke the abbreviations like Ay Ar, for Army Regulation (ARs), and actually used "rules and regs" in speech, and it stuck with me. Not that grammar has regulations, it's just a figure of speech.

 

[sr71plt]

I normally write out numbers, but in the example of a bra size, if I'm writing about someone reading the size off of the box or bra itself I would spell it as written on the label: 36 DD.

It depends. If the character specified he/she and the other character were reading numbers directly off the box ("Look there, it reads 36DD on the box"), then yes. But if it's not that specific--a direct eyeballing of the box--then no. Number rendering in fiction isn't easy or for those who can't be anal retentive about sometimes not-all-that logical authoritative guidance.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Does anybody else on here get annoyed by slovenly writing, where the author substitutes numbers and abbreviations for the good old written word? I'm obviously thinking of things along the lines of
'she was 5'8" with a 36DD bust, while he was IQ67 but with a good 9"'
A story is not a phone message where you're limited in the number of characters you can use - I want to read a story, not an Argos Catalog!
btw (I can use 'btw' because this is a forum and not a literary masterpiece in the making...) I defy anyone without a tape-measure in his pocket to make those kinds of observations anyway - so the only exceptions are probably carpenters or undertakers who might come across a car crash on the way home and see a good opportunity...

Excepting height, I'm not wild about including those measurements in the first place - if a writer is focusing on measurements, their story probably isn't for me - but I wouldn't have a problem with the style in your example. I'm from a technical background so I'm used to seeing numbers written as digits, and I find it more readable that way. I can't remember the last time I saw a bust size spelled out.

That said, I'd grumble at something like "he had 5 children".

 

[desertslave]

If I remember my college writing classes correctly, numbers less than ten should be spelled out, but it's perfectly acceptable to use numerals for 11 and higher. I would also, personally venture that 36DD is more readable that any other form; that's how sizes are labeled on the bra packages.

 

[lovecraft68]

Does anybody else on here get annoyed by slovenly writing, where the author substitutes numbers and abbreviations for the good old written word? I'm obviously thinking of things along the lines of
'she was 5'8" with a 36DD bust, while he was IQ67 but with a good 9"'
A story is not a phone message where you're limited in the number of characters you can use - I want to read a story, not an Argos Catalog!
btw (I can use 'btw' because this is a forum and not a literary masterpiece in the making...) I defy anyone without a tape-measure in his pocket to make those kinds of observations anyway - so the only exceptions are probably carpenters or undertakers who might come across a car crash on the way home and see a good opportunity...

You come here to this site and for free have access to tens of thousands of stories in every kink imaginable in every style imaginable.

But you want to gripe about lazy writers?

When you're paying to read the stories here you can demand professional quality.

In the meantime how about a thank you to people who entertain you for free rather than your whining snark?

 

[JKendallDane]

I finally pretty much broke myself of using numerals except for height, weight, and penis size (those three seem to be expected most of the time in GM), dates, and addresses and such.

The one question I do have yet, is at what point does writing out a number become ridiculous and numerals become both expected and acceptable? I've heard anything over fifty, everything from 101 up, and not until you hit four digits. Is there an actual rule about this?

 

[sr71plt]

I finally pretty much broke myself of using numerals except for height, weight, and penis size (those three seem to be expected most of the time in GM), dates, and addresses and such.

The one question I do have yet, is at what point does writing out a number become ridiculous and numerals become both expected and acceptable? I've heard anything over fifty, everything from 101 up, and not until you hit four digits. Is there an actual rule about this?

For fiction, if you're using Chicago Manual of Style guidance, specific numbers over 100 (CMS 9.2). There are a whole bunch of uses that call for Arabic numbers, though (e.g., dates, specific time, percentages, street addresses, page numbers, groups of numbers where one or more are over 100, etc.).

 

[soflabbwlvr]

I'm confused. Is the OP complaining about the use of numbers in descriptions, or the use of Arabic numerals in place of words? Or both?

If it's the former, then I'll stick with my original answer. If the latter, then I would defer to the CMS.

 

[lovecraft68]

This is an Amateur site. Many here are not "slovenly" many here just have no clue what they are or are not supposed to do. Some learn because they want to improve, some are fine with posting the way they do because they are having fun.


Pure and simple.

Personally, I'm not guilty of the slovenly writing called out by the OP.

Personally "statistics" give me that momentary eye roll as well.

But I chalk it up to...its a free site, so to repeat, if you want professional quality writing(and there is some here BTW-see I can say that because the OP did and she is an expert) then pay for it.

 

[JKendallDane]

There is one other time I tend to go with numerals instead of spelling things out:

When including a good mutual oral sex scene in a story. It just seems too appropriate to type 69 and provide a little visual, than using the completely boring "sixty-nine" version.

 

[sr71plt]

Then there's always the MYOB approach. It's fairly easy to see that measurements are being used in a story or not. If the use is going to intrude in your read to the point that you'd come to the forum to complain about them being used, you can just scan through stories before reading them to see if measurements pop out at you and not read the ones that upset you this way.

 

[49greg]

I like the idea of a number over which Arabic numerals are used. And I agree with the posters who mention it. I do remember something about it in school. I couldn't tell you what I was told though.

For me, writing a number with letters is easier, I touch type, but I'm mostly self taught with a Xerox of an old Gregg manual when I was in high school. I took typing class after that, but never got the hang of touch typing the numbers and symbols on the top row.

 

[lovecraft68]

To show, as with everything, people see things in a variety of ways I just copied this off of a blog of a lit author:

Hey ***** what are the exact bra sizes of the sisters?
Anonymous asked

I think I answered this once upon a time, but I’m not sure. **** is the smallest, so 32 B, ****is next with a 34 C, **** 36D, and *** 38DD

Again, just what is going on in my head. If you like picturing Beth with even bigger knockers, who am I to stop you.

So some people are into the 'slovenly' stats I guess.

But on that note I would love to challenge the author to pick those sizes out of a line up of women

I'll also note the series that once started as a fairly serious storyline devolved into pure stroke and I think the one handed read audience is the majority of the readers who do like to be told tit and cock size

So the point is there is a faction of people here who like it. I won't say lazy, for me I say "stroky"

So as a peeve, we all have them, but calling it out as 'lazy' is simply an opinion.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

That's what we get for giving out children cell phones and allowing them to tweet on twitter, bad English. Abbreviations instead of words. Numbers instead of text.


Tio: I would have written the last part of the sentence as thirty-six double dee.

That sentence was facetious. I've never seen a bra(ssiere) box with the size written out as words. The box would have read "36 DD," and that's how I would have written it since the character was reading it from the box he found My point was that some things should be written as Arabic (or other) numerals.

 

[legerdemer]

One author on here (forget who now) has a story, published on Amazon, where the main character has a bra size of 34G. It's a good thing I wasn't drinking coffee at the time 'cause I would have lost it and my iPad would have drowned. I mean, seriously! I guess that's what plastic surgery can do for you.... but wouldn't I be tipping over, dragged face-forward by my boobs? Seems rather precarious to say the least.

 

[lovecraft68]

One author on here (forget who now) has a story, published on Amazon, where the main character has a bra size of 34G. It's a good thing I wasn't drinking coffee at the time 'cause I would have lost it and my iPad would have drowned. I mean, seriously! I guess that's what plastic surgery can do for you.... but wouldn't I be tipping over, dragged face-forward by my boobs? Seems rather precarious to say the least.

Is G really a size? I suppose it is, but it sounds crazy

My wife was telling me her sister (RIP) in her early twenties was a triple E. She had two reductions because at 23 she was already suffering from back pain. Even after the surgeries she was close to a double d.

I'm one of those guys who find smaller breasts more attractive so those stories don't wind me up anyway(at least not that feature) I enjoy a nice set of perky little titties.

Which of course is why I married a woman with a pretty impressive pair. I won't give stats, that's slovenly.

 

[SamScribble]

Is G really a size? I suppose it is, but it sounds crazy

One of my early writing jobs was as the senior in-house copywriter for an international lingerie company. And, yes, G really is a size. And so is H. Or at least they were back then.