Thread by @awesome_john

In this morning's thread ...

Not so much a thread as it is a pile of stuff that doesn't fit anywhere else.

So I present to you: ASSORTED THOUGHTS, vol. 6.

PUTTING DESCRIPTION ON THE PAGE ONLY SACRIFICES PACING IF THE LEVEL OF DETAIL OUTWEIGHS THE UTILITY OF WHY YOU'RE DESCRIBING THINGS.

Describe something because it matters. Because knowing something new about a thing matters. Stop fearing that it takes time to do so.

IT IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD IF YOUR CHAPTERS ARE NOT THE SAME SIZE.

You're telling a story, not mass producing widgets. Irregularity is okay.

OUTSIDE OF DIALOGUE, REPEATING THE SAME WORD WHEN NOT EMPHASIZED SITUATIONALLY IS GOING TO READ WEIRD.

as in "Ideally the ideal situation..."

If you want assonance or alliteration, build the sentence for it.

NO YOU DO NOT NEED IMMEDIATELY BREAK OR PAUSE THE SCENE TO DESCRIBE SOMEONE THE SECOND THEY MAKE THEIR FIRST APPEARANCE IN TEXT.

A little description can go a long way, and sometimes even then you don't need to do it right that second.

SUBPLOTS ARE NOT LIMITED TO CHARACTERS FALLING IN LOVE.

Just because that is *A* common subplot does not mean it's the only subplot to use.

AND NO, NOT ALL CHARACTERS NEED TO END UP TOGETHER.

A CLIMAX IS MORE THAN ONE ACTION TAKEN BY ONE CHARACTER.

It's the sum of all actions, reactions, initial consequences, expectations, reactions out of the characters' hands, and whatever comes next.

NO ONE EXPECTS A PERFECT EARLY DRAFT AND YOU SHOULDN'T EITHER.

Stop pressuring yourself to be perfect. There's no additional reward for it. There's no competition for "perfection" except the one you've created to validate yourself.

You're good enough, keep going.

IN A SCENE WHERE 3+ PEOPLE ARE SPEAKING, YOU NEED TO REFERENCE AT LEAST ONE SPEAKER BY NAME AND DIALOGUE TAG (USUALLY) TO GIVE THE READER A SENSE OF THE LOGISTICS.

"He's right," said Bob.
"Is he?"
"Afraid so, Alice," said Tom.

TRAGIC BACKSTORY DOES NOT IMMEDIATELY MEAN "INTERESTING CHARACTER"

It means you've boringly set up the expectation that the character's arc is redemptive, regardless of whether or not it's self-directed. (meaning they do it intentionally, or someone else comes along to help)

OF COURSE YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR STORY AND YOUR LORE THAN THE READER.

Your job is to broadcast that story from your brain to the page in a way that someone else who knows WAY LESS than you can read it and get it in their brain close to how you meant it to be pictured.

SHOW AND TELL ARE NOT COMPETING AGAINST ONE ANOTHER IN YOUR MANUSCRIPT.

This is not the Showcase Showdown.

They need to work together to get your idea across to the reader. Please stop making them mortal enemies that are also somehow measures of your "good writerness"

ANY ACTION A CHARACTER TAKES HAS THE POTENTIAL TO:

a) reveal something about who they are
b) advance their arc(s)
c) advance the plot(s) they're involved in
d) describe something about the world previously unknown
e) at least 2 of the above
f) all of the above

KNOWING YOUR GENRE SETS UP READER EXPECTATIONS. WHAT YOU DO PAST THAT IS UP TO YOU.

If you say your story is a YA fantasy, I know it likely won't also be erotic cyberpunk political drama.

But the label is only going to take me so far. Let it go, and go past it.

NO, YOUR QUERY LETTER SHOULD NOT BE SEVEN PAGES.

IT IS STILL NOT A SUMMARY.

It's one page of a few paragraphs to make someone interested in getting to the MS. It's provocative and leading.

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT NOT HAVING YOUR PROTAGONIST BE "EDGY" OR "SNARKY" OR A SMARTASS SO THAT YOU STOP BORING THE READER TO TEARS AS YOU BLUDGEON THAT DECEASED EQUINE WHILE THINKING YOU'RE BEING DIFFERENT THAN EVERYONE ELSE?

IMMORTAL IS NOT INVINCIBLE.

THOSE ARE NOT SYNONYMS.

Not dying is not the same as not hurting.

VARY YOUR SENTENCE LENGTH AND COMPLEXITY TO AFFECT HOW THE READER PERCEIVES THEIR RELATIONSHIP AND DISTANCE TO WHAT YOU'RE GIVING THEM.

Yes, fragments are okay. No, not all paragraphs are 4 sentences. Yes, one line and one word could be a paragraph.

STOP BURYING DIALOGUE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARAGRAPH.

You're supposed to be making it easier for the reader to follow along and be swept up in the story.

THREE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO ASTRONOMICALLY HELP YOUR WRITING CAREER

1. Answer your emails in a timely and complete fashion.
2. Write thank you notes where possible and appropriate.
3. Do what the fuck you say you're gonna do.

THERE IS NO SHAME IN SEEKING HELP FOR YOUR WRITING OR FOR LEARNING NEW TECHNIQUES OR METHODS.

It's completely unrealistic to expect that you're supposed to know this all AND that you need to do it perfectly in order to be "good enough."

That's not how this works.

PLEASE SPELLCHECK ANY DOCUMENT OR EMAIL YOU SEND.

I don't care who the recipient is. You can take the extra seconds to make sure you've spelled things correctly.

HEY WHAT IF YOU KNOW LIKE JUST THE ONE TIME YOU DIDN'T WRITE A PROPHECY TO JUSTIFY THE WORLD BUILDING YOU'VE DONE?

What if that was just how things are, rather than stapling unnecessary "Told you so" structure to things?

IF THE FIRST VERB OF THE SENTENCE IS IN THE PAST TENSE, AND THEN THERE'S A COMMA, THAT NEXT VERB IS USUALLY GOING TO BE A GERUND.

Usually.

SAID IS NOT YOUR ENEMY, IT'S A VERB IN THE PAST TENSE. THAT'S ALL. STOP PROJECTING OTHER SHIT ONTO IT.

He said.

Okay, time to get to work.

If you're new to these threads, yes I really do try to do them every morning, and throughout the day.

Please please PLEASE if you're not already, follow this account.

I want to help you make your creativity happen.