Thread: Two questions about writing methods and style.

Hello. I am a newbie here. I have a couple questions I would like to ask everyone, just for fun.

The first question is:

When you write, do you like to scribble your thoughts madly, or do you do it slowly, editing yourself carefully even while you work on that first draft?

The second question is:

Which do you prefer:

A plain style of writing that reads almost as if someone is talking to you.

or

More elaborate, descriptive writing.

(Note: I am not asking these questions to spark debate on which of two choices is better. It is more of a "what music are you listening to?" sort of thing. Which of these do you tend more toward? If the answer is something like "both", or "depends on the situation", etc that is fine.)

Hi there BM

I am a maker of copious amounts of notes before writing a short story, so you can imagine the thickness of my note file for the novel I'm working on. I wrote the first ten thousand words of my novel in a scruffy, long hand scrawl with crossings out aplenty. Once each chapter was done I wrote it out again in a more readable hand, before eventually putting onto my laptop. So, by the time it appeared on the laptop, it had already been through two edits. I shan't be writing the rest of the novel in the same way as it is too time consuming. Any notes aren't really scribbled madly as I tend to develop the story and characters in my head before setting anything down, so come the time of writing it's all about getting the story out in the correct style, starting at the right point, sequencing the events correctly etc. etc.

Regarding the second question, I think there is a place for both. Naturally, the novel allows more for the descriptive writing, and the short story will tend to be tighter; in my opinion anyway.

Happy writing

Scott.

1) My Idea book is full of scribbles and notes-- you wouldn't understand it if you look at it.

2) I don't know, it's the feel of it according to the story you're telling. If I'm reading a thriller then I prefer language written as simple as it can. but if its fantasy or romance then I guess I prefer it written in beautiful prose. It depends really.

I plan out my story for some months before starting to write (anything). Then I just get into it. I write fairly methodically, so that editing the work wont take much effort. I occasionally have to pause to create a new character I didn't plan on, or write down some details of a house that I want to reuse (in different scenes) and don't want the continuity to be messed up.

Most of the expressive writing is done on the fly, but if I find myself overusing some words or stuck for a good way to describe something, I wont dwell on it. I don't want to get caught up thinking of the perfect word when I'm more interested in getting the story itself done. The first draft is to get the story down. The second draft is for continuity and effect on the reader. The first edit is for fixing up specific words and sentence structure. Second edit is for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.

After that, I'll wait a week or more before giving it a proper read through. If I'm happy, I'll show it to someone. They give feedback, I make changes and show it to someone else. Eventually, I'll pass it on to an agent or publisher.

I type up my work in microsoft word and usually have two documents for each story. I start off with an outline document that I use to get my ideas down on, which usually doesn't surpass two pages worth. Once I've got the basics of the world down, I jump straight into writing the story, taking my time and occasionally going into the outline document to put down a few more ideas. I constantly read back everything that I've already written, editing repeatedly. I tend to edit the outline document as well, deleting any ideas that have already been incorporated, or that I've decided to discard.

Not sure about the second question.

When you write, do you like to scribble your thoughts madly, or do you do it slowly, editing yourself carefully even while you work on that first draft?

I write knowing that the first draft will most likely never been seen by anyone. While I write it reasonably well I don't agonize over grammar or even spelling and I don't edit unless a particularly good wording occurs to me that I want to remember.

If the rough draft is the product of my very first ideas I think about whether these would be common ideas. For instance, in the Literary Maneuvers challenges here on WF, if I think it's the same as the first ideas that everyone else had, I'll pitch the whole thing, maybe mining out one solid pearl of an idea to work with. That is, I'll save that draft and open a brand new document. Once that junk is out of my head then I can get creative.

If I've been writing a lot I can more likely skip the junked-up rough draft, sometimes I started with an idea that I feel is actually different enough and I'll keep it. In that case I still have to go back and usually delete anywhere from my first paragraph to my whole first page. I tend to repeat all the same information later in a more interesting way so the key for me is to read through the beginning of my rough draft looking for the 'real' beginning...then be heartless enough to chop away everything that came before that.

Then the real work begins with editing the thing.

The second question is:

Which do you prefer: A plain style of writing that reads almost as if someone is talking to you or Flowery, descriptive writing.

I don't think that the writing should distract from the story unless there is a reason for it. I admire Dean Koontz's writing (not into all his books but a few) and sometimes stop to read a line simply because it's really beautiful or particularly witty. He has the talent to carry that off but I'm not sure that everyone can do it. Terry Pratchett is another author who uses the prose to kind of play with the reader, you stay in the story but you do have the feeling that you're being told the story by someone who can't resist the occasional aside to joke with you personally. These guys are kind of exceptions, though. Most authors who get too flowery and descriptive either lose my interest or I skip over the longer passages of imagery searching for where I can pick up the story again.

Originally Posted by Beginner's Mind

just for fun.

The first question is:

When you write, do you like to scribble your thoughts madly, or do you do it slowly, editing yourself carefully even while you work on that first draft?

Yes.

A more detailed answer: When I write with pen and paper I often will write madly, getting it out as fast as I can to keep up with my ideas. My page usually ends up looking very messy, with lines and arrows everywhere like football diagrams. If I'm writing poetry, I'll also usually rewrite the entire page 3 or 4 times before I get the verses and ideas in the order I want them in. This happens a lot when I'm planning my story before writing it also.

When I type, I usually go quickly as far as getting the ideas down, but I'll read and reread the same lines over and over, making small changes here and there. I also, during the first draft, never let spelling or grammar go unfixed. If there's a plot problem though, or something that doesn't make sense, anything that needs attention, I'll ignore it after making a note to myself (in bolded brackets so it's easy to find) to fix it in the next draft.

The second question is:

Which do you prefer:

A plain style of writing that reads almost as if someone is talking to you.
or
Flowery, descriptive writing.

Again, yes.

"Flowery," if we allow it to NOT mean disgustingly over-decorated in the Baroque style, has its place. Thunder should go along with sermons, manifestos and prophecies. Eloquence goes nicely with wisdom. If an author has the itch to write colloquially, to spit it out with slang, that can sound great too.

If an author knows the language he or she is working with (colloquial, academic, epic eloquence, etc.) then he/she can make it sound great, and I can love an author with any voice. As to personal writing preference, I'm pretty formal but have been actively trying to push myself toward the informal and colloquial lately.

I'm with Slug. Yes, and yes.

Get the ideas on paper--no matter the form and format. Editing is supposed to be part of the process.

Flowers and perfume? If the story/genre/theme demands it. Mickey Spillane was never accused of flowery writing. Stay true to the story you want to tell and the style should follow pretty naturally.

And one reason you'll find many responses to your question: We've all been there and had the same question!

Good luck and happy writing!

Thanks for all your responses, and keep them coming. A co

Maybe I should have chosen a better word than "flowery". I realize it has a taken on a negative connotation. "Flowery" is not just flowery, it's too flowery. Probably makes it sound as if I am already making a judgement on that style of writing, and insulting it, but really I'm not.

I will still stick with it flowery.

I think 'flowery' got the point across all right. Really, though, people's opinions on style probably don't matter quite as much as developing your own. You'll find tons of opinions all across the board and more styles than you can shake a stick at. Write till you find your voice and you find what works.

Originally Posted by Beginner's Mind

When you write, do you like to scribble your thoughts madly, or do you do it slowly, editing yourself carefully even while you work on that first draft?

A bit of both. I'm a self-confessed SPaG Nazi. Even when I'm texting someone I don't stand for mistakes or shortcuts. So there won't be many in the first draft, but since I can write as fast as I form the sentences in my head, I tend to write first and edit later. Having said that, it won't be 'mad' or nonsensical rambling. 95% of my first draft will make it into the second one.

Which do you prefer:

A plain style of writing that reads almost as if someone is talking to you.

or

Flowery, descriptive writing.

Descriptive writing is not necessarily 'flowery'. Good descriptive writing is like an art. It's only when you overdo it that it becomes 'flowery'. For instance:

Nigel lifted his Mont Blanc pen and held it in brief repose as he gazed past the conflagrative crackling of the fire in the hearth, through the triple-plate bay window, watching the incandescence of the twinkling stars like the detonation of a million flashbulbs, and the preponderance of frothy snowflakes blanketing the earth as creamily as marshmallow fluff, then, refreshed and inspired, he began to compose his annual Christmas form letter (http://www2.localaccess.com/suthed/writing.htm. Author: Linda Gauer).

All that malarkey to say that he's sitting by a fire, it's snowing outside, and he's getting ready to write a Christmas letter. There's somewhat of a belief among young and new writers that you have to use high-faluting language and fancy constructions in order to be an author. Sorry, I don't think it's true. In my opinion, the best (and arguably hardest to pull off) writing is simple writing. Take a look at the following few paragraphs:

Though he’d retired almost a decade earlier, Drake had retained most his speed and all his instincts. Even as he accelerated on to the street, darting between cars whose drivers honked in anger, his hand was already moving to his hip holster.

He yanked his Beretta from it, and as he reached the sidewalk his arms rose on instinct, extending in a perfect Weaver stance. Every piece of training came flooding back without being prompted.

He hit the sidewalk at a sprint; skidded to a stop beside the downed body. He could hear Boyd’s laboured breathing, but he concentrated on clearing the area first.

A van, all its doors opened, straddled the footpath. Its occupants were nowhere in sight. Drake checked the interior, discovering nothing inside. In the back, a sheet of cloth billowed in the wind, revealing the wooden floor it was supposed to be covering.

He dropped to a crouch and rounded the rear of the van. Counting to three, he pivoted hard to the left, coming around the opposite side, gun swinging left and right.

Clear.

He rushed back to the sheriff, dropping to his knees beside the portly man. Boyd’s hand was clamped around his thigh, his face ashen and dripping sweat. Around his body, blood pooled, despite the sheriff’s best efforts to staunch it. (sources: My own novel)

Forgive me if it seems pretentious to use a excerpt from my latest novel, but I couldn't find any excerpts on-line which suited my needs. My point is nevertheless a valid one. I'm not trying to impress anyone with that writing, and I'm not trying to 'sound' like a writer. I'm more interested in conveying a thrilling story. I dare say there isn't one word there the general population would not understand. It's simple, direct, and concise. In my genre, I don't want people stopping to pick up a dictionary to find out what 'conflagrative' or 'preponderance' means.

So, to answer your second question, simple writing is effective writing. There are genres suited to descriptive and, as you say, 'flowery' writing. But if your intended audience isn't going to understand what you're saying, why shoot yourself in the foot by trying to impress them with language they don't understand and which may frustrate them into firing your book in the trash?

Originally Posted by Sam W

Descriptive writing is not necessarily 'flowery'. Good descriptive writing is like an art. It's only when you overdo it that it becomes 'flowery'. For instance:

Of course. I will go back an edit the word flowery. I didn't mean it in the sense of being long and drawn out. But I should have known better.

What I got out of your question was two extremes and anywhere in between. You're worrying needlessly.

I do that a lot.

I haven't written much, but with the story I'm working on now, I've been gathering general ideas into a Word file. I have enough of an idea of where to start, so I'm going to begin writing and hope that more ideas will grow out of that to give the story more direction. Gather ideas, write a bit, gather more, write more, etc. I hope it works. As I learn more about the characters, I want to try to develop an outline for the entire story, and then fill in with the actual writing. I have a habit of over editing each paragraph to the point that I wear myself out and lose interest in the story. I hope to break that habit and write, write, write, until I get something finished. Then I can go edit.

I tend to write like I speak (and I often speak like I write, so the line is blurred). That may change as I gain experience, but for now, that's the kind of writing I enjoy reading, and that's how I'll write.