Lazy Writer
I'm always disappointed when an author debuts an incredible book, but subsequent books lack the intensity of the first. Or when I have a favorite show that gripped me for the first few seasons, but then suddenly the show's writers fall back on cliched scenarios and contrived conflict. That annoys me.
And I'm a hypocrite.
Alas, I have discovered to my horror that I, too, have become a lazy writer.
I studied when I was a newbie. I gulped down craft information for hours on end. But now, in my rush to write, some of these precious gems have fallen to the wayside. Thank goodness for a crit group.
So I "tell" a little too much in my writing. I was lazy and it was easy to do. Now I'm buckling down, ready to sweat out some "showing".
When you get lazy, what part of your writing is the first to get flubby?
And I'm a hypocrite.
Alas, I have discovered to my horror that I, too, have become a lazy writer.
I studied when I was a newbie. I gulped down craft information for hours on end. But now, in my rush to write, some of these precious gems have fallen to the wayside. Thank goodness for a crit group.
So I "tell" a little too much in my writing. I was lazy and it was easy to do. Now I'm buckling down, ready to sweat out some "showing".
When you get lazy, what part of your writing is the first to get flubby?
Comments
Even when the growing is painful, which it is for me. LOL
Okay. It's the editing part that I get lazy about. I just want to write it out on fast forward, bless it and send it out! But of course I know the real work begins after the first draft and there's so much of it, but thanks to my writer/blogger friends, I'm encouraged to get down to business and do the best job I can!
First, if I'm not super careful, I can OVERwrite to the point that my prose is WAY lush, so much it's almost purple prosey.
Then, sometimes, I get lazy and I want to go too sparse on the descriptions, because even though that's one of my strengths, it's also very hard work and sometimes I just DON'T want to do it. I find myself wrestling with this the most during setting up a new chapter / scene and trying to orient the reader where we are, etc...
Those sound like two opposite problems, but really, they are born of the same part of my style. I have to rein in my stream of conscious writing, but at the same time, have to force myself not to tighten the reins so much that I just skim over it, either.
Sheesh. Writing is HARD work. Good thing we love it so much! :-)
And this is only my FIRST novel.....
Also, "telling" is another part that I tend to do when I'm being lazy. With that and passive voice, it's quite a deadly duo :P
Passive verbs, huh? Don't you love those? Snort!
Well, you must've done well on the draft I read because I don't remember it being wordy. Thank goodness for revisions, right?
A deadly duo, that made me laugh. I'm not sure I slip into passive writing, but I sure do with telling. And sometimes they're definitely a duo, in that a sentence can be both telling and passive. The stinker.
Thanks for posting this as a reminder to us out there in internet land.
Thanks for reminding us not to fall back into old, lazy habits.
Let's see... I know I'm getting lazy when I write the same things I've said before in other articles. Or when I use the same word over agan, rather than looking up a better one. So, should I rather say I'm being indolent, or slothful?
Bless you, dear, for this diligent post!
Jen
Your writing is pretty polished. I saw no evidence of laziness there. :-)
Thanks for commenting Jen!
I also have been guilty of info dumps. I think these things aren't so bad to do in first drafts when you are just trying to get the story down, we just have to make sure we take the time to catch them when it's time to do revisions.
I'm editing a section, which resembles a ping-pong match. Gobs of dialogue with little setting to give it interest makes me fall asleep.
When I get lazy, setting is the first element to fall by the wayside.
Thanks, Jess. You're always in top form.
Blessings,
Susan :)
Yeah, in the rough draft I don't think an info dump is so bad, as long as you trim in edits. :-) Good luck with those sentences. LOL
It kind of is.
So when you slow down, do you find that you get a cleaner manuscript?
Thanks for the sweet compliment. My hubby, I think, would disagree. LOL
The good thing about setting is that you can add it in fairly painlessly. Good luck with that!
:-)
BUT- If you know it's creeping in, you are miles ahead of most- u can stop it and take back up the reigns :)
I don't know what I'd do without my critique group! We've been "together" for almost five years now and the feedback I get from them is invaluable!
Happy writing!
Genny
(That's a good thing. *grin*)
I think I'm laziest when I'm in a hurry - just want to get something written. But I'm rarely able to let it go...I keep mulling it over in my head, realizing something needs to change. And then I go back and re-work it.
So, the priciple I'm trying to teach my children about chores applies to writing, too: Being lazy really just makes you work more and longer!
As the show takes off, older, established writers talk the producers into hiring them to "help," then the scripts become stale once again. Sad, huh?
Next time you get tired of a show, look at the credits at the end and see who they've added to the writing staff!
Just thought I'd throw in that tidbit for good measure.
Blessings, Jen
Or maybe to myself? (thinking of the stack of laundry on my ironing board, lol)
Well, I wouldn't say I don't write either! Snort. I def. have my dry spells.