I beleive everyone is always an amateur (or something like that?) in their own way. Everyone can always improve.
The first step in improving is identifying what you wish to change. So there's no foul in labelling certain writing habits as amateurish.
That makes me thing the vampires and lycanthropes should team up--"I'll drink all the blood, and you can have the meat." "Yay! It's pre-drained!" Meh. It's a though. Aren't wolves occasionaly carrion-eaters, anyway? Oh yeah, another fun one I found (in a published book, no less!) : 'Severed limbs were scattered everywhere at random.' It took me a while to figure out why this bothered me. Then I realized: to say these limbs were 'at random' means that this randomness is an exception worthy of being mentioned. Which means that, somewhere in this world, severed limbs are being scattered deliberatly and methodically. If anyone finds a copy of 'The Fifth Sorceress' by Robert Newcomb, burn it. You'll spare the world much pain. And yeah, guys, I'm an amateur (sp, I know) too: part of the reason I started this topic is to hear what I can do myself to help polish my prose. I'm only angry at these mistakes if they're made in published fiction, and that if said fiction is highly praised (Fifth Sorceress was 'The Fantasy Epic of the Year!'). I hope no feelings are getting hurt...
Technically an amatuer is someone who isn't paid for something. So unless we're published writers, we're all amatuers.
Honestly? The word "smirk." I so wish I never had to see that word in print again. No one smirks! And especially, the use of the word "smirk" more than once or twice in a novel... Ugh, it burns, y'all.
Isn't the point of the thread to give some examples of what to try and avoid when writing fiction? I usually find stuff like this quite useful, along with the numerous 'fiction writing mistakes to avoid' articles you can find on the 'net.
Yeah, that's pretty much the point. I'm thinking of maybe making a list of what's said here and posting it somewhere, but I don't know where it would go. I think I smirk sometimes...it's when I quirk the side of my mouth in a nasty way. It's far from my best habit...
Japanese or Japanese-sounding names annoy the buhjeezus out of me. Unless, of course, the story takes place in Japan. Too bad a lot of amatuer writers who write about Japan have never been there. They just kinda copy things they see an anime and add random Japanese phrases into their dialogue. "No, baka! It's just a neko. Isn't it kawaii?" -headdesk-
exclamation points, bad grammar... One that really gets me is when people start or end sentences the same way over and over again. One reason why this gets me is that it's annoying. They do it over and over again. I'm sure everyone that's been in school recently has read Things Fall Apart. I HATE that book. Blah blah blah he said. Blah, she replied. Blah blah he said. Blah, blah blah blah, she replied. Christ. English is so rich with other things to do than say and reply....
Didn't read all the posts (though I agreed with what I did read) so forgive me if I'm repeating... A slow beginning with no hook Info dumps Unbalanced use of passive/active voice Awkward description ('His eyes roamed the room'...egads!) Repetition of the same word too many times in a paragraph.
I've thought about this for a bit and I have two major irks that get to me every time. First, the improper use of similar sounding words. For example, using continuous/ly when you mean continual/ly, or loose when you mean lose. Second, misuse and/or overuse of the word 'actually' (I've been guilty of that one >_<). As a lame example: "He looked like he was going to steal the chocolate bar, but he was actually going to pay for it." The 'actually' is actually redundant, because the sentence actually tells me what will actually happen without it. (Sorry, couldn't help it. ). In general, I am also bothered by obviously rushed, or skimmed over, segments of a story because they were not quite as exciting - or have as much interest - for the writer as the scene/s which most inspired them. If the information or scene is important enough to include in the story, it's worth giving equal time and consideration to.
We can argue about the semantics and connotations of the word "amateur", but that's really not the point here. If you prefer, forget the word amateur, and think instead of common writing flaws that speak of inexperience.
I suppose it might help if we write from our own experience in making beginning writer mistakes, that might spare delicate feelings. For instance, when I started to write fiction I could compose well but had difficulties with POV because I had no idea what it was or how to handle it. Friends in a critique group gently pointed me to an online fiction writing class that helped me to get the basics nailed down. I see POV head hopping a lot in beginning writers' work. Making basic mistakes over and over impedes one's progress. I've seen several things on this list that I still have to watch and edit in my own writing. Being aware of these errors and learning that they don't work, that they sound 'amateurish' is the first step to improving.
I know that one of the problems I still struggle with is switching tenses during a story. Often times I don't even recognise it, and it takes someone else to point it out to me before I can see where the problem is.
This probably makes me in the minority but I actually hate a book that "starts fast with a 'hook'". Especially starting a book with action since I really don't know who any of the people involved and don't give a **** whether they die or not... I mean, it's a book, I'm planning on dedicating a large chunk of my time to it anyway you can start out by introducing characters with fun quirks that make me want to know more about them as opposed to "ZOMGstuffexplodesdon'tyouwannaknowwhathappensnext?". I go to movies for that and really works better there. So unless you're writing a screenplay (or a comic book) save the explosions 'till I actually care.
Hmm... one of the things that comes to my mind is what Dianna Wynne Jones refers to as "Color Coding". Whether in clothing, hair, or eye color, there is a tendancy to make anything evil wear black, with dark hair, dark eyes, etc, and in the worst of the fantasy knockoffs they are usually wearing a humongous cloak or something. Anyone good is usually wearing light-colored, workable clothing, and the colors go on from there. Not to mention the fiery redheads, the dumb blondes... etc. Another, closely related, is the tendancy to allude to things overbearingly, especially in names... if your girl's a sweety, don't call her Angel! It's getting where I don't even like the ironic uses of these names... a sumo wrestler sized guy named Tiny, or the like. --Gonna quit before I get into one of my old arguments...--
I totally agree, Fedora. Most "hooks" have no subtlety. The good ones do things like introduce character quirks.
A hook should not be over the top. Its purpose is to tease the reader into continuing to read. But a hook can be descriptive, too. If a static scene has unusual features, put out just enough of those features that the reader gets curious. A bad opening is one that throws a myriad of details at the reader, about people and circumstances the reader knows nothing about. It's like walking into a party where everyone is gossiping about people you've never heard of - slumbertime!
Where did this notion evolve? Many, if not most, classics do not rely on a "hook" in the first three pages to attract readers. IMHO, the "hook" provides weak editors a way to sell books by providing literary "bait" to dangle in front of potential customers. It's "fast food restaurant" mentality, in literary form. Today, many writers pander to this notion, thinking that a lack of a "hook" will leave their MS deep in the slush pile. They may be right! Weak editors will do just that. The choice is ours! To hook, or not to hook: that is the question! Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of literary anonymity, or to take arms against a sea of weak editors, and by opposing, end hooks. To write: to compose no hooks; and by composing to say we end the absurdity of literary tripe and the thousand natural shocks that our egos are heir to; 'tis a consummation, devoutly to be wish'd! God I hate Shakespeare! LOL! .....NaCl
