tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545724276587519907.post3791491357445115784..comments2024-01-02T03:39:28.812+00:00Comments on All Write - Fiction Advice: Why Being Wordy Isn't a SinAllWriteFictionAdvicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03381125356850555606noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545724276587519907.post-12295101663806582182014-09-07T09:19:33.169+01:002014-09-07T09:19:33.169+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545724276587519907.post-58075947301026330792014-02-09T07:10:58.186+00:002014-02-09T07:10:58.186+00:00Great :) I hope you enjoy my work. As I said, from...Great :) I hope you enjoy my work. As I said, from what I've read on your blog, I think you will. It's been getting great reviews so far (fingers crossed for more). Have a lovely day!<br />Jon Hemmingshttp://www.jonmh.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545724276587519907.post-81282488314688477332014-02-09T01:20:47.278+00:002014-02-09T01:20:47.278+00:00Hi Jon,
Got your message. I have your email and d...Hi Jon,<br /><br />Got your message. I have your email and deleted the details as requested. I will be in touch.AllWriteFictionAdvicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03381125356850555606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545724276587519907.post-26586754417004748012014-02-08T21:15:55.773+00:002014-02-08T21:15:55.773+00:00Hi Jon,
I agree with you on this subject 100%. I ...Hi Jon,<br /><br />I agree with you on this subject 100%. I advocate all writers to be themselves, to have their own writing style and voice. That's what makes us unique. I am not a fan of simple, sparse fiction, simply because it gives me nothing; there is no depth. A lot of it smacks of 'telling' rather than 'showing' and that really doesn't impress me. I want my senses tickled by everything the writer can throw at me, and my style of writing is about that, letting the reader in on every level. It just makes for a better, deeper read.AllWriteFictionAdvicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03381125356850555606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545724276587519907.post-31237407434452900942014-02-08T20:50:22.728+00:002014-02-08T20:50:22.728+00:00Thank you so much for this perspective, AJ. I'...Thank you so much for this perspective, AJ. I'm a writer who is very much inspired by the classic literary greats of the earlier half of the twentieth century; writers like Steinbeck, Golding, Conrad and Gabriel Garcia Marquez (latter half of the 20th C). I've been in love with the depth with which they describe scenes, places and characters since I started writing - and this comes out in my own writing. <br /><br />I've recently self-published a novel which was extremely well-received by those who bought print copies. It was unanimously praised by those who read it; people were especially complementary about my style, as well as the pacing, plot and characters.<br /><br />A few days ago I posted some of the content on a well-populated writer's forum. Many people enjoyed the sample, but two big wigs were quick to stomp all over it with the usual "this is wordy, which is a major problem. Cut half of it out." <br /><br />The problem is, as you've stated so wonderfully in this piece, is that this is how I express myself. I don't write the way I do because I'm trying to impress anyone; it's just *how* I write, based on what has inspired me for years. I've learned to cut down on excessive wordiness over the years, as it seems to be seen as a dire sin by the big boys, but I maintain that there is room for deep and vivid use of language. I dislike the current vogue for "sparse is everything, annihilate any word that isn't 100% essential" prose, and I get great joy from reading a beautifully-wrought, intricate description such as those done so often by my literary heroes. <br /><br />Thanks again for this post! Jon Hemmingshttp://www.jonmh.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545724276587519907.post-9728896079792715952011-09-27T23:39:59.573+01:002011-09-27T23:39:59.573+01:00Thanks for the comments Holly. I wish writers woul...Thanks for the comments Holly. I wish writers would go for it and be expressive, the writing would be amazing.<br /><br />Thanks for popping in and commenting, Rosalie.AllWriteFictionAdvicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03381125356850555606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545724276587519907.post-35752756406647512472011-09-27T16:27:54.719+01:002011-09-27T16:27:54.719+01:00Hurray! I agree - there is a time to be wordy, flo...Hurray! I agree - there is a time to be wordy, flowery - however you like to put it. And there's a time not to be. The hard part is knowing the difference. Good article.Rosalie Warrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10790708661647164052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545724276587519907.post-58286998579423191352011-09-26T21:12:42.289+01:002011-09-26T21:12:42.289+01:00You make a very good point. I can see a difference...You make a very good point. I can see a difference in your examples and how wordiness does work in certain points of a story. I think if you're trying to describe something romantic, beautiful or emotional flowery words work great. It makes the writer feel more moved by what he is seeing in his/her story. I just googled 'wordiness in writing' to see what I could find on wordiness and everything was about CUTTING and EDITING out flowery, "unnessacary" words but virtually nothing on how wordiness is good. It's a shame that some publishers feel that wordiness is that out-dated. I'd love to see more books where writers had let themselves go and let their writing flow out of them in big beautiful flowery words rather then feeling so restricted that they must be so simple. Here's too all of us freeing those chains and expressing ourselves with our enormous words!Holly Nicolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10860691439331425729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545724276587519907.post-83292775002714875042011-09-25T13:31:20.400+01:002011-09-25T13:31:20.400+01:00Thanks for the comment, Curmudgeon.
And thanks ...Thanks for the comment, Curmudgeon. <br /><br />And thanks Polly, glad I'm not the only one disappointed by what's on the bookshelves.<br /><br />@anonymous<br /><br />I do critiques, have done so for the last decade. <br /><br />You state an interesting point about being wrapped in all the technical stuff. Writing is subjective, so at the end of the day, writers can do as they please. It's just common sense to learn all one can about the craft in order to get on the path to publication, and that includes the technical stuff. Knowledge of it is no guarantee of becoming published, but it helps if you know a little than nothing at all. Publication is never guaranteed either; not everything we write will become published, no matter how experienced we are.AllWriteFictionAdvicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03381125356850555606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545724276587519907.post-70691578194270315642011-09-24T21:24:13.543+01:002011-09-24T21:24:13.543+01:00"I despair at some of the MSS I receive for c..."I despair at some of the MSS I receive for critique"<br /><br />Do you offer this service?<br /><br /><br />Surely if we get wrapped in all this technical stuff we can lose the essence of a good story. Do we need to know this to be published? Does knowing it ensure we will be?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545724276587519907.post-85622532592059703452011-09-24T17:44:57.600+01:002011-09-24T17:44:57.600+01:00I much prefer the expressive way of writing. Plain...I much prefer the expressive way of writing. Plain English is more for college essays, in my opinion. All my favourite books are written in "wordy" ways; I find the more straightforward way just "slips down", the equivalent of literary McDonalds, leaving me unsatisfied. I'm just learning how to write, so this was a very interesting post for me.PollyBurns2 @ caughtwriting.co.ukhttp://www.caughtwriting.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7545724276587519907.post-35173016808071177772011-09-24T16:49:18.743+01:002011-09-24T16:49:18.743+01:00I recently read an article about Paul McCartney th...I recently read an article about Paul McCartney that annoyed me to no end. He was redundant and sounded like a precocious child trying too hard with descriptive words I'll bet he uses in all his other articles. What you sited didn't sound like that at all. I'd like to get a handle on that without sounding like him. I am guilty of being nondescript in my efforts to sound real. This was a great observation and helped me. I'll work on that. thanksgrinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03916101406698502578noreply@blogger.com