10 Things Newbie Writers do that Flag them as Newbies

[Old_Man_Steve2016]

As I am editing my first novel now, I am glad that I managed to avoid the worst 3 traits of the Mary Sue character set. I doubt I avoided the other problems on the list, but I think I got past the worst ones.

 

[Brian G Turner]

As I am editing my first novel now, I am glad that I managed to avoid the worst 3 traits of the Mary Sue character set. I doubt I avoided the other problems on the list, but I think I got past the worst ones.

Welcome to the chrons forums, and good luck with the writing.

 

[Wrenn Flint]

Hi, new here! I'm working on a novel in which the mc is going to a new planet, and has a chance to spend time with some of the inhabitants before they launch and go to their new home. Of course, she's learning as much as she can about the people, culture, manners, etc. I'm trying REALLY hard not to info dump, but she's intelligent and curious, so there's lots of conversation with her handler. She feels safer knowing as much as she can about where she's going. I mean, who wouldn't?

I'm trying hard to strike a balance between too much info and not enough. Too much dialogue, not enough. Trying to show personality through actions instead of lots and lots of talking, and then trimming the dialogue even further because my characters have laryngitis. Blah de blah, blah, blah.

Writings r hard, but I wouldn't do if I didn't love it.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Writings r hard, but I wouldn't do if I didn't love it.

Welcome to chronicles, Wrenn Flint.

 

[Wrenn Flint]

Gah! You quoted my typo.

 

[Brian G Turner]

You can qoute mine.

 

[DrMclony]

"Rule two" fails to understand the difference between "head hopping" (shudder), and third person omniscient POV. You see, in my experience, the argument around third person omniscient is based on a falsehood. Beginning writers, in my experience, are almost to a head drawn to first person. I was a teacher of creative writing for a while in schools, and I tell you, I was so sick of first person by the end of it, I still do not like to read a novel written in it. So many terribly written first person stories! The amount of work to show some of them how to bring them up to scratch was hideous.

Besides, I have never been confused by omni. How a 'target' reader could be confused by omni, is beyond me. You would have to be below "the reading age" for that to be an issue, and in that case, you aren't the target audience for the work. So it's irrelevant. As is this "rule two."

I believe based on the head hopping statement, the blogger is posting that "poor structure" is an issue, but that is true of any POV, and not limited to omniscient third. If you write poorly, you will always write poorly, and first person will not save you. Practice, and lots of hard work is what will save you. Do that, until you no longer write poorly. But don't think a POV will make you write better.

 

[DrMclony]

Hi, new here! I'm working on a novel in which the mc is going to a new planet, and has a chance to spend time with some of the inhabitants before they launch and go to their new home. Of course, she's learning as much as she can about the people, culture, manners, etc. I'm trying REALLY hard not to info dump, but she's intelligent and curious, so there's lots of conversation with her handler. She feels safer knowing as much as she can about where she's going. I mean, who wouldn't?

I'm trying hard to strike a balance between too much info and not enough. Too much dialogue, not enough. Trying to show personality through actions instead of lots and lots of talking, and then trimming the dialogue even further because my characters have laryngitis. Blah de blah, blah, blah.

Writings r hard, but I wouldn't do if I didn't love it.

Welcome to the Chrons, and welcome to writing! The balance is sometimes hard, but have faith in yourself to make it flow. So long as you know and understand everything about your world, let your characters do their thing, and a surprising amount of that knowledge will come out naturally as they experience it. If it is drawn out slowly through this natural immersion of the characters, then the reader gets to experience the same immersion - if you ever experienced old school 80s gaming, the way the screens were drawn in golf games are a great visual representation. You start with ground, then add some grass, then trees, one at a time, and finally clouds, the sand, the ball,and you have a rich and beautiful tapestry, but you started with nothing, and the reader is aware of all that detail, but they got there without even realising they were absorbing it all. Everybody has their own way of coping with info-handling in their stories, and you will find the way which works for you.

With your particular story, can you have the character bring out some of her pre-existing knowledge through action a few chapters in? You can make clear that she studied hard, without necessarily telling the reader everything she learned, until it becomes necessary to show it through action. Still be careful, you don't want to be giving the impression of "making it up as you go", but this kind of strategy can help reduce the info dumpiness of the start, allowing you to put in more action to grab your reader early.

 

[Loren]

Once again, Brian, you are a fountain of valuable information.

Thank you for your contributions!

 

[Loren]

Hi, new here! I'm working on a novel in which the mc is going to a new planet, and has a chance to spend time with some of the inhabitants before they launch and go to their new home. Of course, she's learning as much as she can about the people, culture, manners, etc. I'm trying REALLY hard not to info dump, but she's intelligent and curious, so there's lots of conversation with her handler. She feels safer knowing as much as she can about where she's going. I mean, who wouldn't?

I'm trying hard to strike a balance between too much info and not enough. Too much dialogue, not enough. Trying to show personality through actions instead of lots and lots of talking, and then trimming the dialogue even further because my characters have laryngitis. Blah de blah, blah, blah.

Writings r hard, but I wouldn't do if I didn't love it.

Welcome, Wrenn (cool first name, by the way. I could see that doing well on the front cover of a book.)!

What I do is go and write it out, even if it is too much. Then go back with the literary scissors and savagely cut out what doesn't promote the story's plot.

My rational is that the extra writing is good experimental practice and it's not a bad thing to learn how to build a habit of leaning out your work afterword.

I'm trying to develop that critical eye that asks, "Does this passage, scene, chapter further my story?" Or, "Does the reader need to know this or do they even care?"

If it doesn't, I cut it out. Since I do copious backups I always have those cuts in an archive to use somewhere else at a later time should I want/need them.

The extra writing may seem wasteful at first, but for me I really need the practice as a novice and I am sure as my skills improve the amount of cuts will diminish over time. So, I like to experiment.

 

[Droflet]

I agree with Loren. The first ms for my book topped out at 203K. I spent years learning my craft and the finished product got published at 109k. So, for a a first effort write all you want. It's part of the learning process.

 

[Wrenn Flint]

Wrenn Flint happens to be my nom de plume. I only wish I were that cool in real life. I put my real name in an anagram generator and picked one I liked. I live in a small town, and my writing may be somewhat....salacious. Not that I really care. I'm old enough to be all out of f*cks to give, but I'm not about the notoriety. Even if I never publish, it needs to be out of my head and on paper, real or virtual.

I feel like this is the one. I've been practice writing for years and have the equivalent of reams of paper on my computer. I may be able to use some of it in my current project with a few tweaks. I used to journal and write poetry when I was a maudlin teenager, and fortunately/unfortunately I burned all that stuff when I moved out of my parents' house.

Anything and everything is going on the page and I'll cut the later.