Young Writers Society

Okay. I wrote this as a blog entry a year ago, but... well... it got hidden up. Because I love my bloggie!

So yeah. Some people wonder, what is it like when I'm critical? What do I look for? What do I zero in on? Good question! Here is a list...


1) Every word must count.

If I find even one single needless word, it's out. Gone. Disappeared. Deleted. Sent away. Whatever. If it's not strong enough, I change it. If it's too abstract, I change it. If it's too definite, I change it. If it seems to have a dual meaning, I think about the two meanings it has and then change it. I go through the story, reading and rereading the way the words fit together.

"Does this word fit with this one?"

"What does this word make me think of?"

I look at the words, individually and then together in a sentence and then individually again. Then I look at in a paragraph. Then the sentence. Then the words. I go backwards and forwards, finally reading how the paragraphs connect with each other. If I don't like it, I change it.

Obsessive? Damn straight.

2) The dialogue must be perfect.

Some writers are under the impression that dialogue is easy to write. One writer, who I critiqued, looked over one of my stories and then scoffed at me. Who was I to comment on his story? His story was full of description -- the hardest thing to write! My story was just dialogue. Of course mine was superiorly better.

Ha. Ha.

Dialogue is by far the hardest thing to write. If you think I was obsessive over the paragraphs and words, you should see me with dialogue. I say it over and over again in my head. I mimic the speaker's voice and then say it again in a flat monotone. Does it have the effect I want? I look over each word that the character says and dissect it. What does this tell about the character? Is he educated or not? What kind of circumstances was he born under? What kind of character does he have? What emotions is he feeling? Then I read it again.

How do the other characters react to him? How do their voices differ? How are they the same? Why are they the same?

How am I supporting the dialogue? Am I giving significant description? Are the characters' bodies moving in the proper way. My eyebrows twitch, my body shifts, and I note that all as I write. My characters are essentially me, but they are not tied up to a computer chair. What would they be doing? I daydream about my character, and as I do, I note how am I reacting to these daydreams. What am I doing?

I also analyze my own feelings. How do I feel about this? Embarrassed? Ashamed? Pleased? Estastic? Excited? Lonely? Tearful? Why? Would my character feel these emotions? Would anyone else experience the emotions? How much do I need to tell the readers about the emotional involvement, or do I just need to tell them simply so I can rip their hearts out. I look over the words again. Am I describing it properly?

How does the dialogue move the story, or does it stagnate it? Can I tell the dialogue in a quicker way? Is it needed?

Are the characters' voices in character? Does the freak sound like a Harvard graduate? What do they communicate about the characters' inner lives? Anything?

Does it sound easy? Can you imagine someone saying it?

Would silence be better?

3) Descriptions must be perfect.

Descriptions... many writers hate to write them. They're not sure what to describe. The weather? The way the hair bounces off her shoulder?

Here's a quick guide. Seventy-five percent of all description must, in some way, describes the characters. Twenty-five percent of all description must highlight the connection between the setting and the characters.

Wow... that's a lot. But you must realize, the characters are the reason for the story. To keep the story moving, you must continually moving the story.

With these descriptions, am I portraying the characters in the right light? What do the descriptions make me think of them? What do the descriptions make others think?

When I post up stories on YWS, what I am posting it for is not because I'm worried about the grammar. I am wondering about your impressions of the characters. Of course nobody seems to answer that, but...

Do the other descriptions support the characters? Is the symbolism thought up? Is it relevent to the story? Does it make it better?

Am I using too many adjectives or adverbs? Too little?

I go through the descriptions and, every little word gets mulled over. Then, when I'm mostly satisfied, I do it again.

4) The transitions must be smooth and seamless.

I look through each paragraph and see that it connects smoothly. I pay special attention to the ends and beginnings of each chapter. Are the beginnings riveting? Do they pull you in? How? Does it make writing seem easy? Are the word choices perfect? Am I missing anything? Can I add anything? Is there something strange about the story? Why?

Are the endings breathtaking? Do they make you want to read more? Do they hook you? How? Why? Can I offer a stronger hook?

Do the ends of chapters and beginnings of chapters mesh properly? Are the word choices and structures similar?

Is the ordering correct? Should one event be before the other? Why? Would that make it pleasing to the artist or storyteller. How much would I have to change? How long should each chapter? Am I taking too long to describe a certain event? How can I shorten it?



So yeah... I can be intensely critical. When I'm not completely lazy, of course. But that's another story...

So I hope you enjoy this. Who knows? Maybe you'll be asking similar questions of your work soon. ^_^

Wow, deja vu?

*maniacal grins*

Egads, I took me forever to get anywhere with dialogue.

YAY descriptions.

And last but not least, a writer's best tool is a pair of scissors, or a pair of metaphorical scissors in the shape of a backspace button or white out pen.

Great tips, Snoink.

If I find even one single needless word, it's out. Gone. Disappeared. Deleted. Sent away. Whatever. If it's not strong enough, I change it. If it's too abstract, I change it. If it's too definite, I change it. If it seems to have a dual meaning, I think about the two meanings it has and then change it. I go through the story, reading and rereading the way the words fit together.

This is exactly what I do to keep a pace with most things I write.

Some writers are under the impression that dialogue is easy to write.

I hate writing dialogue *stabs paper* It isn't easy to write because I have to say the write things without losing track of what it meant to happen.

When I post up stories on YWS, what I am posting it for is not because I'm worried about the grammar. I am wondering about your impressions of the characters. Of course nobody seems to answer that, but...

Right... I'll try and answer that next time I critique your work.

When I post up stories on YWS, what I am posting it for is not because I'm worried about the grammar. I am wondering about your impressions of the characters. Of course nobody seems to answer that, but...

Mmm. Lately I've been trying to focus more on the actual story than the mechanics, but let me tell you, that grammar freak in me dies hard.

Nice tips, Snoinkus...

I've always had a hard time with dialogue, too. I'm always afraid that my dialogue sounds stilted and that no one will want to read it. Description I'm pretty cool with-heck, I've always been known for wordiness.

I'm also my own worst critic. Sometimes I just can't help going back and rereading all that I've written and then changing a word here, a comma there, a phrase somewhere. What I usually do is say to myself and then actually follow through on that, "Okay-I'll get to this point (ex. end of scene) and then I'll edit." Sometimes my inner critic just can't help herself though.

What you mention about dialogue is extremely true.

As a reader I crave nothing more than dialogue and sometimes often skip over a paragraph of description as soon as my eyes catch a glimpse of some quotation marks.

However, as a writer, I find nothing more difficult than writing dialogue, and I often feel uneasy about any of it that I have written.

You bring up some very impressive points. Good job.

Coming from a person bent on actually finishing a novel and revising the crap out of it so that it may be semi-publishable when I am done, this is an amazing article, and much more exact and specific than most things like this. Anyway, I like this.

Oh this so true. Also I kind of hate when I get nitpick reviews because then people usually don't tell me how I did on all these aspects. Especially the dialog, I hate dialogue. I am a perfectionist and I happen to, like you, mull over each word a million times over.

Descriptions I don't try so hard on the first initial try, but I do read and re-read them over and over in the editing process.

Actually transitions are one of my favorite parts of writing just because once you get them perfect they are so, perfect. You try and try and when you finally succeed in getting one exactly how you want it down to the last letter and sound as it rolls of your tongue it is so fulfilling! That is one reason storybooks annoy me, because I just don't have time to do all that when no one cares.

Thanks for writing this,

A. S.