tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914201273665685983.post6687483006060689093..comments2023-11-14T22:51:08.859-05:00Comments on Writing The Hard Way: BloatMike Wilkersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00771502395254223219noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914201273665685983.post-578337617068601262010-01-09T14:23:48.520-05:002010-01-09T14:23:48.520-05:00The word "had" is something I've tri...The word "had" is something I've tried to get rid of. I read in "Techniques of the Selling Writer", that this particular word, jerks the reader back. Or something like that.Mike Wilkersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00771502395254223219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914201273665685983.post-66075037434545570992010-01-09T13:33:45.010-05:002010-01-09T13:33:45.010-05:00It is funny for me to read your thoughts on this n...It is funny for me to read your thoughts on this now. I recently followed an experiment that I think bears mentioning. I wrote a 2000 wd piece and tried to cut it in exactly half to maintain the story, feel, tone etc. A VERY painful experiment. I did it, wasn't happy about it, didn't like the story near as much but I learned something.One other tip I got that has been amazing is to word search for "that" and take out every single one, "had" is another - amazing how it tightens things up.Michael Solenderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01120045114297450520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914201273665685983.post-82825684510186676052010-01-08T13:25:00.079-05:002010-01-08T13:25:00.079-05:00Matt, were there some things that they wanted to c...Matt, were there some things that they wanted to cut, that you absolutely refused to go along with?Mike Wilkersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00771502395254223219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914201273665685983.post-46888971042199765792010-01-08T06:11:37.984-05:002010-01-08T06:11:37.984-05:00Hi Mike, I can sympathise with you there. As an ex...Hi Mike, I can sympathise with you there. As an example, my first book was 128,000 words long until the editor got at it and cut it to 94,000. Kind of shows you how much of 'me' was in there and needed culling. Nowadays I try to write without the bloat, the baggage, the introspection, to a point it feels pared to the bone. Then I add a little here and there so it doesn't sound like an instructional manual (LOL). Something I've never been accused of is being a 'nuanced' writer, yet, but I'll get there!Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12033131935968488175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914201273665685983.post-64646605341760172992010-01-07T09:36:01.909-05:002010-01-07T09:36:01.909-05:00Especially when you get attached to something you&...Especially when you get attached to something you've written. It sounds great to you, the author, and you want to keep it, at any cost, regardless of whether it works for the story or not. Again, yet another reason why unbiased reviewers are important. <br /><br />On the plus side, Lee, we're starting to notice the nuances in our writing, that we didn't see before.Mike Wilkersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00771502395254223219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-914201273665685983.post-9717249357767368292010-01-07T00:09:40.030-05:002010-01-07T00:09:40.030-05:00I know that feeling. One friend I had critique a p...I know that feeling. One friend I had critique a partial kept scribbling "How does this move the story on??" all over the place. You go, whoa, I really was just waffling. So that's something I'm very wary of now.Lee Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10625970674709103188noreply@blogger.com