Words for Writers is all about craft this month!

 

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, you will find that your narrative is only as strong as the writing techniques that underlie it—what we might call craft—for story is built on a foundation of solid writing skills. If your foundation isn’t solid, if you haven’t honed these techniques, your work will suffer from weak sentences and flat words.

 

For instance, if your writing is bloated with unnecessary words, sentences will become a slog to read and pace will lag. Readers will toss aside boring writing and look for writing that engages them. We must write tight. Last month, I discussed techniques for writing tight in Write Tight, Part 1. This month, I discuss more tips in Write Tight, Part 2.

 

Likewise, if we aren’t showing in our writing, we risk having readers toss our work aside in favor of writing that engages their mind, senses, and emotions. For fiction writers, showing is one of the most important techniques to master. You can craft a stellar plot, but if you don’t show it well, it won’t hold readers’ attention.

 

Because learning to show is so important, I’ve created a FREE masterclass: “Let the Show Begin: When and How to Show in Fiction.” Learn more below.

 

Let’s continue honing our craft. Always.

Tight writing is clear, concise and well-paced. In Write Tight, Part 1, we focused on the overuse of adjectives and provided examples of how to tighten sentences. In Part 2, we revisit Bob, the charmer headed for another blind date, and look at purple prose, weasel words, and repetitions.

 

Purple prose is flowery, elaborate, or emotional writing. When used sparingly and intentionally, it can lend a lovely and engaging quality to the text. But too much detracts from the point or story. Purple prose may also include a self-conscious quality, as though the author is attempting to impress readers. Take a look at this example:

Bob’s heart swelled as he gazed upon Amberly, whose waves of auburn locks irradiated like the sheen on the highly polished floors under the florescent lights of the bowling alley. He turned toward the lanes and strode deftly to the ball return.

And this:

The aromas of hotdogs, popcorn, and rental shoes comingled and wafted as Bob poked his fingers into his 16-pound, high-performance, chartreuse bowling ball. He lifted the ball and clutched it to his chest as though it were his ladylove. He inbreathed, intent on imprinting the memory of the moment on his mind for all eternity. 

Rather than enhancing the story, such writing stands out as overdone. Resist the temptation to wax poetic.

 

Weasel words are wishy-washy words or vague qualifiers that allow us to hedge or waffle, weighing our sentence down with indirect, uncertain, or untrustworthy language. When we are reluctant to take a stand on a topic or we are uncertain about the accuracy of a statement, we can weasel out of commitment by letting these words weasel into our writing! Such words include qualifiers such as probably, usually, fairly, seemingly, in a sense, likely, basically, often.

 

Is there ever a place for vague qualifiers in our writing? Yes. For example, if you’re writing about inconclusive research, the qualifying word seemingly or the phrase it seems are appropriate. And some things do happen often, while other things are likely.

 

Another appropriate use of weasel words is when showing something about a character through dialogue or inner thought. For example:

“What do I do?” Bob squared his shoulders and smiled at Amberly, “Well, doll, I basically sell used luxury vehicles at a discount. Or, seemingly so, anyway.” He chuckled.

Oh, Bob. 

The bottom line: When editing your work, search for qualifiers to ensure they are pulling their weight. If they are not, delete them.

 

Finally, to keep your writing tight, cut all unnecessary repetition in your text.

 

When I edit, I often call attention to unnecessarily repeated information or words. For example:

After eating his third hotdog, Bob flicked a few crumbs from his plaid pants, then unbuckled his white vinyl belt and undid the button of his plaid pants.

Once you’ve told readers Bob’s pants are plaid, they won’t forget that image. You can safely delete the second use of plaid. Readers are adept at filing away important information and recalling it when necessary.

 

While unnecessary repetition annoys and distracts readers, there are times when repeating information is helpful. For example, in nonfiction, if information in Chapter 9 touches on a related topic in Chapter 1, it may be helpful to briefly summarize the earlier content to connect the points. Likewise, in fiction, you may want to recall something that happened in an earlier scene to make sense of a later scene. Have a purpose for any repetition, and remember that brevity is key.

 

Tight writing is concise, purposeful, and well-paced. It holds the reader’s attention and takes care to avoid unnecessary, distracting words and phrases.  

 

Honing our craft involves learning and practicing writing skills. It also involves reading widely to develop an intuitive sense about what works well for each project we write. It’s as simple and as challenging as that.

 

(This event was previously scheduled for January 17th and 19th, 2023. Please note the new dates.)

 

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