I hope that's true...'cause I've been away from Twitter and Blogger for a while now. Sorry! :(
I don't like leaving the blogosphere for days at a time (which is why my last post was on a Saturday, even though I don't usually blog on the weekends), but things have been crazy-hectic for me lately. (That's a nice way of saying I was really, REALLY scatterbrained for a few days.)
I don't like leaving the blogosphere for days at a time (which is why my last post was on a Saturday, even though I don't usually blog on the weekends), but things have been crazy-hectic for me lately. (That's a nice way of saying I was really, REALLY scatterbrained for a few days.)
Annnnnyway...
There's a legend among writers that says Ernest Hemingway once bet a group of other writers he could pen an entire story--beginning, middle, and end--in only six words. The result?
For sale: baby's shoes. Never worn.
I'm not sure whether or not there's any truth to the legend, but it's awesome either way. Whoever wrote it is a freaking genius--be it Hemingway, or another writer whose name has been lost to time. My hat is off to you, Mr. (or Mrs.?) Mysterious Baby's Shoes Writer.
But what's all that got to do with today's post? Simple--today, I want to talk about word economy, a phrase I first heard back in February courtesy of a very helpful email from the wonderful Jodi Henry of Turning the Page.
Word economy refers to cutting away unnecessary words and phrases, leaving only those that add meaning and impact to the story. Baby's Shoes is the perfect example. Six words is one hell of a constriction--I know I probably couldn't write an entire story with only a handful of words. But Hemingway took six words and turned them into a very poignant story. (I had to explain to Travis why it was so moving. Hint hint, the baby most likely died.)
I think about that story a lot. Why? It helps me remember every word I write should mean something. If a word doesn't add anything, it needs to go. (The same can be said of sentences, paragraphs, and even entire scenes.)
So, what sort of things should you avoid?
--That
It was pounded into my head long ago to avoid "that" like it was a brain-eating alien from Neptune. Now, my skin crawls every time I see it pop up unnecessarily. (And it's not just in books. EVERY unneeded "that" gets to me.)
Example:
I didn't know that she was in town.
I didn't know she was in town.
--Very, Really, Totally, Slightly, and the likes
You can't see it, but I'm hiding my head in shame right now. (Man, those three years of keyboarding class are coming in handy.) I'm so guilty here.
Yeah, that's me right now. I throw these into my writing all the time, thinking it gives everything a nice, conversational tone, then end up thwacking myself in the face with my keyboard during editing. (For more on my editing antics: After A Moment, I Had A Little Bit Of A Headache -- Editing Hangover.)
Example:
She's really a great person.
She's a great person.
A slight blush rose to her face.
A blush rose to her face.
--Repetitive wording
Have you ever seen someone write "And also"?
I have. I nearly fell out of my chair.
I've also read "pale and white," "completely annihilate," and "crimson red." Pale and white are synonyms, as are red and crimson. To annihilate something means you've completely destroyed it. You only need one of those words to get your point across.
--Adverbs, Adjectives, and Modifiers
This ties in with "very," "really," and the likes, and let me tell you--I've pretty much (unnecessary wording alert!) withdrawn into my shirt like a turtle out of pure, unbridled shame. (See what I did there?) This is a sin I just can't seem to shake. They trick you into thinking they're helping your writing, when they're actually hurting it. They lend themselves to telling, and as we all know, telling is a writer's worst enemy.
Example:
She narrowed her eyes bitterly.
She narrowed her eyes.
He looked at her tenderly from across the room.
He gazed at her from across the room.
--Held in my hand/heartbeat in my chest
This is another thing I constantly have to remind myself not to do. "In my hand" and "in my chest" are empty phrases. The reader can assume if your character is holding something, they're doing so with their hands...unless your character was raised by monkeys and has been known to hold thing with their toes, or something weird like that.
--Just
I have a not-so-secret love affair with the word "just." I mean, look at my blog! I use it all over the place. I looked into it and I've got 260 mentions of the word "just" in DARK WATER. (Eek. Those are definitely getting cut in editing.) But it's usually an empty word. It doesn't do anything but laze around and take up space in your WIP.
Example:
Sarah just knew something wasn't right.
Sarah knew something wasn't right.
These things usually clutter up your writing. Sometimes, they're unavoidable, but more often than not, you can omit them, or better yet--replace them with something stronger.
Have you got anything I should add to the list?
HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!
*Don't worry about word economy if you're working on a first draft. All this comes into play during editing.
**Also, I'm not saying you have to strip your writing of all these things. Y'know how I rant a lot about "finding the right balance"? Yeah, that applies here.
For sale: baby's shoes. Never worn.
I'm not sure whether or not there's any truth to the legend, but it's awesome either way. Whoever wrote it is a freaking genius--be it Hemingway, or another writer whose name has been lost to time. My hat is off to you, Mr. (or Mrs.?) Mysterious Baby's Shoes Writer.
But what's all that got to do with today's post? Simple--today, I want to talk about word economy, a phrase I first heard back in February courtesy of a very helpful email from the wonderful Jodi Henry of Turning the Page.
Word economy refers to cutting away unnecessary words and phrases, leaving only those that add meaning and impact to the story. Baby's Shoes is the perfect example. Six words is one hell of a constriction--I know I probably couldn't write an entire story with only a handful of words. But Hemingway took six words and turned them into a very poignant story. (I had to explain to Travis why it was so moving. Hint hint, the baby most likely died.)
I think about that story a lot. Why? It helps me remember every word I write should mean something. If a word doesn't add anything, it needs to go. (The same can be said of sentences, paragraphs, and even entire scenes.)
So, what sort of things should you avoid?
--That
It was pounded into my head long ago to avoid "that" like it was a brain-eating alien from Neptune. Now, my skin crawls every time I see it pop up unnecessarily. (And it's not just in books. EVERY unneeded "that" gets to me.)
Example:
I didn't know that she was in town.
I didn't know she was in town.
--Very, Really, Totally, Slightly, and the likes
You can't see it, but I'm hiding my head in shame right now. (Man, those three years of keyboarding class are coming in handy.) I'm so guilty here.
Yeah, that's me right now. I throw these into my writing all the time, thinking it gives everything a nice, conversational tone, then end up thwacking myself in the face with my keyboard during editing. (For more on my editing antics: After A Moment, I Had A Little Bit Of A Headache -- Editing Hangover.)
Example:
She's really a great person.
She's a great person.
A slight blush rose to her face.
A blush rose to her face.
--Repetitive wording
Have you ever seen someone write "And also"?
I have. I nearly fell out of my chair.
I've also read "pale and white," "completely annihilate," and "crimson red." Pale and white are synonyms, as are red and crimson. To annihilate something means you've completely destroyed it. You only need one of those words to get your point across.
--Adverbs, Adjectives, and Modifiers
This ties in with "very," "really," and the likes, and let me tell you--I've pretty much (unnecessary wording alert!) withdrawn into my shirt like a turtle out of pure, unbridled shame. (See what I did there?) This is a sin I just can't seem to shake. They trick you into thinking they're helping your writing, when they're actually hurting it. They lend themselves to telling, and as we all know, telling is a writer's worst enemy.
Example:
She narrowed her eyes bitterly.
She narrowed her eyes.
He looked at her tenderly from across the room.
He gazed at her from across the room.
--Held in my hand/heartbeat in my chest
This is another thing I constantly have to remind myself not to do. "In my hand" and "in my chest" are empty phrases. The reader can assume if your character is holding something, they're doing so with their hands...unless your character was raised by monkeys and has been known to hold thing with their toes, or something weird like that.
--Just
I have a not-so-secret love affair with the word "just." I mean, look at my blog! I use it all over the place. I looked into it and I've got 260 mentions of the word "just" in DARK WATER. (Eek. Those are definitely getting cut in editing.) But it's usually an empty word. It doesn't do anything but laze around and take up space in your WIP.
Example:
Sarah just knew something wasn't right.
Sarah knew something wasn't right.
These things usually clutter up your writing. Sometimes, they're unavoidable, but more often than not, you can omit them, or better yet--replace them with something stronger.
Have you got anything I should add to the list?
HAPPY WRITING, LOVELIES!
*Don't worry about word economy if you're working on a first draft. All this comes into play during editing.
**Also, I'm not saying you have to strip your writing of all these things. Y'know how I rant a lot about "finding the right balance"? Yeah, that applies here.
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