What writing advice have you received here that you think is worth sharing?

[ElectricBlue]

Do you still have it? Or do you, EB?

I'd not know when to find it. I've looked back at my correspondence with @stickygirl - it's been five years since she first helped me, and I have no idea when I'd have sent her the crib. It was in response to her "sparrows" - her irreverent commas in all the wrong places. And obviously, too many buttons. I'm afraid they're a weakness of mine.

 

[AG31]

If you have to explain dialogue, it's not good dialog

Do you mean explain outside the story, like respond to a reader's question? Or explain inside the story?

 

[WittyUserName]

@StillStunned suggested that I give the big moments more room to breathe. Another sentence, another paragraph, diving deeper into feelings. Keeping the reader in that heightened state just a little longer.

It really stuck with me and I’ve tried to apply it ever since.

How about you?

You can't please everyone, don't bother trying. Write what you would enjoy reading, and there will be an audience for it.

 

[Mastered_again]

Do you mean explain outside the story, like respond to a reader's question? Or explain inside the story?

Inside the story. You shouldn't need to clarify what was said. Tone of voice is one thing, explaining the words is another.

 

[AG31]

Inside the story. You shouldn't need to clarify what was said. Tone of voice is one thing, explaining the words is another.

That seems odd to me. What if the character is inarticulate? Or not self aware?

 

[Statius]

It still needs to be explained. As true to life as one may want to be, it's still a story intended for an outside audience. Even if in real life clarification and explanation are obviously not a given, in a story it needs clarification to hold the reader. It's LitE, not Steinbeck l, Vonnegut, Rushdie, et al.

 

[stickygirl]

Do you still have it? Or do you, EB?

I’ll dig it out in a day or two

…with or without buttons?

 

[onehitwanda]

…with or without buttons?

what a silly question.

 

[stickygirl]

You can't please everyone, don't bother trying. Write what you would enjoy reading, and there will be an audience for it.

But there’s always room for developing one’s technique and it’s satisfying when newly acquired skills become second nature.
Ultimately I write for myself but if people want to come along, so much the better

 

[stickygirl]

what a silly question.

You’re such a Velcro girl

 

[onehitwanda]

You’re such a Velcro girl

Laces, babe. It's all about the laces.

 

[Djmac1031]

I had a reader / self appointed story "reviewer" comment that some of my writing felt too "clinical."

While I didn't agree with some of their other critiques, I did take a look at the story in question and realize they had a point.

And so I have since strived to avoid over use of more clinical sexual terms in my writing and focus less on body parts and more on feelings and emotions.

 

[Djmac1031]

Nothing. In 2 1/2 years only 1 writer has taken the time to read 1 story of mine. She gave me a few vague pointers about commas and Grammer and Info dumping and getting into graphic details.

Well, the good news is you now have this thread to consult for all kinds of little tidbits of wisdom.

 

[RagnarHairyBreeches]

I had a reader / self appointed story "reviewer" comment that some of my writing felt too "clinical."

While I didn't agree with some of their other critiques, I did take a look at the story in question and realize they had a point.

And so I have since strived to avoid over use of more clinical sexual terms in my writing and focus less on body parts and more on feelings and emotions.

I dare say there's a balance between what you need to say/explain simply because you have a lot to get across vs. not boring the reader.

I have a similar problem. In another story I am writing, I went into detail about a particular aspect - a plant. A critique noted it was like reading a scientific journal article rather than a story. I could see that. But it was awkward for me because all the 'clinical' stuff I was detailing was important to the plot. If I were to leave it out the reader may not have understood what was happening. Getting the balance just right is difficult. I'm struggling.

In term of clinical terms I just go with what feels natural. I never refer to pussy. For me it's always vagina. Seldom tits. It's usually breast. And I tend to use the terms penis and dick equally. Whatever you do, someone will always find it wrong. So, it's probably best to simply please yourself in your writing style.

 

[_Lynn_]

I had a reader / self appointed story "reviewer" comment that some of my writing felt too "clinical."

While I didn't agree with some of their other critiques, I did take a look at the story in question and realize they had a point.

And so I have since strived to avoid over use of more clinical sexual terms in my writing and focus less on body parts and more on feelings and emotions.

Your post reminds me of a comment I received many years ago. Apparently anonymous thought I should use "bigger" words in my dialogue. Their list included esoteric, furtive, ephemeral, ubiquitous, cacophony, and more. I took some time to think about it but decided my characters just don't talk that way. I appreciated the feedback though.

 

[JenniferSmithJones]

I’ll dig it out in a day or two

…with or without buttons?

Could you please send me a copy, as well?
JSJ

 

[SimonDoom]

I was listening to the radio. A couple of women's experience travelling in South America. What you said here reminded me of the radio interview. Briefly...

Following an exhausting hike the two women eventually made it back to their hotel. One of them remained outside. The other went up to her room and flopped in her bed to rest. It's this one's experience that was being described. She was asleep, but woke to something strange. She couldn't understand why the bedside table was moving across the room. Moving my itself. Still dreaming? The bed was vibrating. The lamp fell off the table. That's weird. It shouldn't be happening. Just then her friend burst into the room. "Get up. Quickly. There's an earth quake. We have to get out."

This is interesting. It may be some people's experience, but it's very different from mine. One of my quibbles, having experienced a few earthquakes, including one big one, is that in a big earthquake the bed doesn't vibrate. It shakes back and forth. It feels like a giant has picked up your house and is shaking it from side to side. You hear the framework of your dwelling emit a weird cracking noise with each shake and you can't believe it will withstand the strain. Also, if it's strong enough that the bedside table is visibly sliding, then you know what it is immediately. You don't need to be told. Also, nobody who is outside a hotel at night is going to run back into the hotel during a big quake. If it's mild enough that you think you can get back to your room, then it won't last enough for the woman to get back to the room and warn the other woman. Big earthquakes feel like they go on forever but they rarely last more than thirty seconds. The one I experienced was less than that. The Japan earthquake from about a decade lasted several minutes, but that earthquake was so powerful that nobody would rush back into a hotel during something like that.

 

[XerXesXu]

This is interesting. It may be some people's experience, but it's very different from mine. One of my quibbles, having experienced a few earthquakes, including one big one, is that in a big earthquake the bed doesn't vibrate. It shakes back and forth. It feels like a giant has picked up your house and is shaking it from side to side. You hear the framework of your dwelling emit a weird cracking noise with each shake and you can't believe it will withstand the strain. Also, if it's strong enough that the bedside table is visibly sliding, then you know what it is immediately. You don't need to be told. Also, nobody who is outside a hotel at night is going to run back into the hotel during a big quake. If it's mild enough that you think you can get back to your room, then it won't last enough for the woman to get back to the room and warn the other woman. Big earthquakes feel like they go on forever but they rarely last more than thirty seconds. The one I experienced was less than that. The Japan earthquake from about a decade lasted several minutes, but that earthquake was so powerful that nobody would rush back into a hotel during something like that.

I've experienced only one, of 6.8. I couldn't stand up, my head was whipped back and forth, I couldn't visually focus on anything. Down on all fours, I could focus on the doorway and I could crawl. I crawled out into the street and lay down until the tremor ceased.

 

[SimonDoom]

I've experienced only one, of 6.8. I couldn't stand up, my head was whipped back and forth, I couldn't visually focus on anything. Down on all fours, I could focus on the doorway and I could crawl. I crawled out into the street and lay down until the tremor ceased.

That sounds very consistent with what I experienced, and the one I went through was of similar magnitude. There was no way I was going to try to walk down stairs to escape the building.

The Richter scale is misleading because it's logarithmic. The Japan earthquake of 2011 was 9.1. And it lasted six minutes. It's so hard to imagine that.

 

[RagnarHairyBreeches]

This is interesting. It may be some people's experience, but it's very different from mine. One of my quibbles, having experienced a few earthquakes, including one big one, is that in a big earthquake the bed doesn't vibrate. It shakes back and forth. It feels like a giant has picked up your house and is shaking it from side to side. You hear the framework of your dwelling emit a weird cracking noise with each shake and you can't believe it will withstand the strain. Also, if it's strong enough that the bedside table is visibly sliding, then you know what it is immediately. You don't need to be told. Also, nobody who is outside a hotel at night is going to run back into the hotel during a big quake. If it's mild enough that you think you can get back to your room, then it won't last enough for the woman to get back to the room and warn the other woman. Big earthquakes feel like they go on forever but they rarely last more than thirty seconds. The one I experienced was less than that. The Japan earthquake from about a decade lasted several minutes, but that earthquake was so powerful that nobody would rush back into a hotel during something like that.

I've never experienced an earthquake. Having studied physical geography I'm curious about it and wouldn't mind experiencing a little one. But that aside, I think you may have missed my point. It wasn't about describing the nature of an earthquake, but more of how the experience affected someone.

I was responding to a post where the advice was "don’t tell ... what the character is thinking, describe it." Good advice, and it reminded me of something I heard on the radio. That was maybe about 15 or 20 years ago. The radio interview had quite an impact on me because of the way this woman described it. I felt myself placed in the scene. (Show, don't tell.)

It's possible she experienced all of the things you mentioned. I can't recall, but I do remember the notion of a piece of furniture seeming to move by itself and that she thought she was dreaming, and the only thing that brought her back to reality was her friend getting her out of bed and rushing her to safety.

 

[SimonDoom]

I've never experienced an earthquake. Having studied physical geography I'm curious about it and wouldn't mind experiencing a little one. But that aside, I think you may have missed my point. It wasn't about describing the nature of an earthquake, but more of how the experience affected someone.

I was responding to a post where the advice was "don’t tell ... what the character is thinking, describe it." Good advice, and it reminded me of something I heard on the radio. That was maybe about 15 or 20 years ago. The radio interview had quite an impact on me because of the way this woman described it. I felt myself placed in the scene. (Show, don't tell.)

It's possible she experienced all of the things you mentioned. I can't recall, but I do remember the notion of a piece of furniture seeming to move by itself and that she thought she was dreaming, and the only thing that brought her back to reality was her friend getting her out of bed and rushing her to safety.

I didn't mean to suggest I didn't understand your meaning in posting it; I was just struck by how that account differed from my own experience.

I recall as a kid seeing the movie Earthquake, and it featured an audio feature called "Sensurround," which made the theater appear to be rumbling and vibrating. So I always assumed that was what an earthquake was like, until I actually experienced a real one and it was completely different.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I didn't mean to suggest I didn't understand your meaning in posting it; I was just struck by how that account differed from my own experience.

I recall as a kid seeing the movie Earthquake, and it featured an audio feature called "Sensurround," which made the theater appear to be rumbling and vibrating. So I always assumed that was what an earthquake was like, until I actually experienced a real one and it was completely different.

Where I live now is a city on a rift, and we get the occasional tremor, never huge, 3s or maybe 4s on the Richter scale. The last big one, I heard it coming for maybe five seconds like a huge distant rumble coming closer, the world's biggest train, or a fast moving thunder storm, then two massive movements of the house, back and forth, really fast, then the rumble went off in the other direction. Other times, windows rattled, but that was it. I can't imagine the whole earth shaking.

I remember Earthquake, seeing it in Sensurround in a Sydney theatre. That was pretty cool, but not as good as Ken Russell's Tommy, with quad speakers in each corner of the theatre and rock concert volumes. Well, The Who turned down to about 4, but the idea was there!

 

[SimonDoom]

I remember Earthquake, seeing it in Sensurround in a Sydney theatre. That was pretty cool, but not as good as Ken Russell's Tommy, with quad speakers in each corner of the theatre and rock concert volumes. Well, The Who turned down to about 4, but the idea was there!

I've seen The Who in concert. They were famously loud. The sound rumbled through your bones.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I've seen The Who in concert. They were famously loud. The sound rumbled through your bones.

Indeed! The show I saw had Pete getting very pissed off with his guitar amp sound guy, ranting at the end of each song until he got something right.

The band was off key in the first half - going into Won't get Fooled Again, Roger got about ten bars in, turned around to the band, saying "Fuck, you guys, we're starting that again. Fucking play in time!" Oops!

 

[Kumquatqueen]

This is interesting. It may be some people's experience, but it's very different from mine. One of my quibbles, having experienced a few earthquakes, including one big one, is that in a big earthquake the bed doesn't vibrate. It shakes back and forth. It feels like a giant has picked up your house and is shaking it from side to side. You hear the framework of your dwelling emit a weird cracking noise with each shake and you can't believe it will withstand the strain. Also, if it's strong enough that the bedside table is visibly sliding, then you know what it is immediately. You don't need to be told. Also, nobody who is outside a hotel at night is going to run back into the hotel during a big quake. If it's mild enough that you think you can get back to your room, then it won't last enough for the woman to get back to the room and warn the other woman. Big earthquakes feel like they go on forever but they rarely last more than thirty seconds. The one I experienced was less than that. The Japan earthquake from about a decade lasted several minutes, but that earthquake was so powerful that nobody would rush back into a hotel during something like that.

I've only experienced one noticeable earthquake.
I was asleep in a hotel in Japan. The mattress started shaking in a very familiar way. So I told the bloke, "Stop it."

"Stop what?" he said sleepily.

"You know what. Stop it." I clarified, seeing he had clearly shaken his brain out with tugging his cock, "Stop wanking. You're making the bed shake." Something fell off the bedside table to punctuate my complaint.

It took him a moment before he carefully pointed out that he was in a totally separate bed to me. Which I interpreted as him really going for it, and responded even more grumpily.

"KQ, it's not me. It's an earthquake. I can't do anything about it."

"Oh. Well, stop it anyway." I rolled over and went back to sleep. He's still touched that I think he has the power to stop earthquakes. He's a very patient man.

I have no idea what you're supposed to do in an earthquake, but being in a bed 15 floors up in a hotel seemed as good a place as any.