Comments on: Pages to Paragraphs: conquering inflated word count http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/ musings, thoughts, and writings of Barbara W. Klaser Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:06:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.3-beta1 Comment on Pages to Paragraphs: conquering inflated word count by: Barbara http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5467 Sun, 21 Jan 2007 04:29:38 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5467 Susan --- You hit on one place I tend to be old-fashioned, and that's description. It used to be expected, now it's minimized to mere mention. My favorite authors, when I was young, painted pictures with words. Thomas Hardy did it, the Brontës, Jane Austen, Mary Stewart. Some people think Tolkien's descriptions were too long. I think they were just right. I could've stood more. All this seems to cross over into my writing. If poetry can help, it promises a delightful route to my goal. Georganna --- It's always something, isn't it? Maybe when you hit a perfect balance you achieve writer-enlightenment. Lots of good writers out there, not very many enlightened ones. Bev --- I'm so glad to hear from you. I didn't know that about Thomas Wolfe, and until I looked him up after seeing your comment, I didn't realize so many of his works were published after his death, and all with so much editing. Ken --- I like "assault eraser" better. :) Susan — You hit on one place I tend to be old-fashioned, and that’s description. It used to be expected, now it’s minimized to mere mention. My favorite authors, when I was young, painted pictures with words. Thomas Hardy did it, the Brontës, Jane Austen, Mary Stewart. Some people think Tolkien’s descriptions were too long. I think they were just right. I could’ve stood more. All this seems to cross over into my writing. If poetry can help, it promises a delightful route to my goal.

Georganna — It’s always something, isn’t it? Maybe when you hit a perfect balance you achieve writer-enlightenment. Lots of good writers out there, not very many enlightened ones.

Bev — I’m so glad to hear from you. I didn’t know that about Thomas Wolfe, and until I looked him up after seeing your comment, I didn’t realize so many of his works were published after his death, and all with so much editing.

Ken — I like “assault eraser” better. :)

]]> Comment on Pages to Paragraphs: conquering inflated word count by: Ken http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5459 Sat, 20 Jan 2007 22:31:51 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5459 "dialog that’s too cute to live?" Well, if it's too "cute", I'm guessing it has some emotional content. Perhaps not the intended kind? Where's that assault eraser when you need it? “dialog that’s too cute to live?”

Well, if it’s too “cute”, I’m guessing it has some emotional content.

Perhaps not the intended kind? Where’s that assault eraser when you need it?

]]> Comment on Pages to Paragraphs: conquering inflated word count by: Reenie http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5446 Fri, 19 Jan 2007 23:58:04 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5446 I use the everyday reader first and then engage the services of a professional with the eye blah blah blah. This works for me. I use the everyday reader first and then engage the services of a professional with the eye blah blah blah.

This works for me.

]]> Comment on Pages to Paragraphs: conquering inflated word count by: Beverly Jackson http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5443 Fri, 19 Jan 2007 22:29:49 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5443 great post and great suggestions. As a former editor, (oh woe) I can only tell you that editing is an art, and Thomas Wolfe owes his whole career to an editor. No, the 'everyday' reader isn't going to help your manuscript. You need a professional eye to tell you where to cut and where to expand. Using other (good) writers is the next best thing if you can't afford to pay someone to edit. My penny and a half. Hi Barb!! great post and great suggestions. As a former editor, (oh woe) I can only
tell you that editing is an art, and Thomas Wolfe owes his whole career to
an editor. No, the ‘everyday’ reader isn’t going to help your manuscript.
You need a professional eye to tell you where to cut and where to expand.
Using other (good) writers is the next best thing if you can’t afford to pay someone to edit. My penny and a half.

Hi Barb!!

]]> Comment on Pages to Paragraphs: conquering inflated word count by: Georganna Hancock http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5442 Fri, 19 Jan 2007 20:30:37 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5442 It really does help to have first written news pieces and other nonfiction, where the point is just to present the story, clearly and simply. Of course, then when we nonfiction writers try to write fiction, the problem is often to embellish and get the word count up. Is there any middle ground? It really does help to have first written news pieces and other nonfiction, where the point is just to present the story, clearly and simply. Of course, then when we nonfiction writers try to write fiction, the problem is often to embellish and get the word count up. Is there any middle ground?

]]> Comment on Pages to Paragraphs: conquering inflated word count by: susan http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5428 Thu, 18 Jan 2007 22:14:53 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5428 Excellent post, and too the comments. I would also say that your idea of getting into poetry worked extremely well for me in learning concise ways of drawing very vivid images. Description is often where we worst offend with too many words. Same thing with action where a line will do in poetry, yet we take a paragraph to say the same thing. Excellent post, and too the comments. I would also say that your idea of getting into poetry worked extremely well for me in learning concise ways of drawing very vivid images. Description is often where we worst offend with too many words. Same thing with action where a line will do in poetry, yet we take a paragraph to say the same thing.

]]> Comment on Pages to Paragraphs: conquering inflated word count by: Barbara http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5426 Thu, 18 Jan 2007 21:20:47 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5426 Bruce --- You blew me away with that response. You're right, and I think that is at the heart of a lot of my over-writing. It happens when I'm dancing around the heart of the story, or the character's feelings, or even a scene that's challenging for me to convey. Thank you for putting that in words. So . . . it's important to ensure that in my editing I find where that emotional core has been expressed, to do more work if it hasn't, and to ensure it doesn't get cut if it has. You've given me a lot to think about. That emotional core is the art of any piece of writing. Genre, literary, or a letter to a friend. Violetismycolor --- I think each of us has something important to express. Maybe that heart of the matter Bruce mentions is the reason any of us writes, or does artwork, or anything creative, and really the heart of the matter is the art of the matter. So it's something every person works toward, no matter what we're creating. I see it in what you share. Bruce — You blew me away with that response. You’re right, and I think that is at the heart of a lot of my over-writing. It happens when I’m dancing around the heart of the story, or the character’s feelings, or even a scene that’s challenging for me to convey. Thank you for putting that in words. So . . . it’s important to ensure that in my editing I find where that emotional core has been expressed, to do more work if it hasn’t, and to ensure it doesn’t get cut if it has. You’ve given me a lot to think about. That emotional core is the art of any piece of writing. Genre, literary, or a letter to a friend.

Violetismycolor — I think each of us has something important to express. Maybe that heart of the matter Bruce mentions is the reason any of us writes, or does artwork, or anything creative, and really the heart of the matter is the art of the matter. So it’s something every person works toward, no matter what we’re creating. I see it in what you share.

]]> Comment on Pages to Paragraphs: conquering inflated word count by: Bruce Black http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5425 Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:39:11 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5425 Writing "too long" can be a way for a writer to avoid the emotional issue at the heart of his or her character's problem... a way to write "around" a problem rather than diving into it. Writing "too short" can serve as a similar tactic, letting an author dance around a problem without facing it directly. In the end, Barbara, it won't matter whether you've written a 300 page novel or a 3 page short story if you haven't developed the emotional core of the story... and enabled your reader to "feel" that emotional current running through your words. Just cutting words isn't enough, I'm afraid, if a writer hasn't yet discovered the emotions driving his or her characters. That's the key, I think, to compelling fiction. I'd be willing to read a story of many pages or few pages if--and only if--the author is able to draw me into that fictional world and flesh out what the character is feeling... in a dramatic, compelling way... so that I can feel it, too. Hope this helps. Writing “too long” can be a way for a writer to avoid the emotional issue at the heart of his or her character’s problem… a way to write “around” a problem rather than diving into it.

Writing “too short” can serve as a similar tactic, letting an author dance around a problem without facing it directly.

In the end, Barbara, it won’t matter whether you’ve written a 300 page novel or a 3 page short story if you haven’t developed the emotional core of the story… and enabled your reader to “feel” that emotional current running through your words.

Just cutting words isn’t enough, I’m afraid, if a writer hasn’t yet discovered the emotions driving his or her characters. That’s the key, I think, to compelling fiction.

I’d be willing to read a story of many pages or few pages if–and only if–the author is able to draw me into that fictional world and flesh out what the character is feeling… in a dramatic, compelling way… so that I can feel it, too.

Hope this helps.

]]> Comment on Pages to Paragraphs: conquering inflated word count by: violetismycolor http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5415 Thu, 18 Jan 2007 03:28:46 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5415 I have the same problem, myself. Great ideas here.... I have the same problem, myself. Great ideas here….

]]> Comment on Pages to Paragraphs: conquering inflated word count by: Reenie http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5403 Wed, 17 Jan 2007 23:54:36 +0000 http://barbarawklaser.mysterynovelist.com/2007/01/16/pages-to-paragraphs-conquering-inflated-word-count/#comment-5403 Yup. Exactly. When I have another writer read my stuff, they get waaaay too analytical, which can be frustrating. I meant to mention earlier, too, that flash fiction is some of the toughest stuff around to write well. Talk about every word needing to matter - especially if the story is supposed to be 100 words. Sometimes I go to The Story Board, a writing group I joined (I need to put the link on my site, if you want to check it out) and look for exercises involving flash fiction. It's a great way to develop discipline. I also participated several times in a group where we were given 3 words each day for a month and were limited to 50 words each day. Not only was it a blast, but I chose my words with care and thought my short stories were some of my best. Oops. Babbling again. :) Yup. Exactly. When I have another writer read my stuff, they get waaaay too analytical, which can be frustrating.

I meant to mention earlier, too, that flash fiction is some of the toughest stuff around to write well. Talk about every word needing to matter - especially if the story is supposed to be 100 words. Sometimes I go to The Story Board, a writing group I joined (I need to put the link on my site, if you want to check it out) and look for exercises involving flash fiction. It’s a great way to develop discipline. I also participated several times in a group where we were given 3 words each day for a month and were limited to 50 words each day. Not only was it a blast, but I chose my words with care and thought my short stories were some of my best.

Oops. Babbling again. :)

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