Ms. Picky Persnickity...That's Me by Kathryn Magendie
I seem to be getting pickier and pickier—but believe me, I’m just as hard on myself as I am on the manuscripts and stories I edit. When did I become Ms. Picky Persnickity? But our writing becomes lyrical and strong when we pay attention to the little things. There is breaking the rules, which I love to see writers do and I do myself, and then there is what bugs me—um, well, just because. Here are a few:
Trying to pull a “surprise” ending that only makes your reader feel cheated, as if they were along for the ride only to be left by the side of the road before they reach their destination. Surprise endings are great, if the writer is good at them—if you are not good at surprise endings, or endings meant to “shock” the reader, then don’t write those kinds of endings. How do you know if you are good at those endings? I wish I could tell you. I can say, however, that a good ending will just feel right—there is that satisfied ‘ahhhh’ at the end, that feeling of completion, that smile that spreads, that “Yes!” An “eye-rolling-heavenward” ending is one you stick on the end because you are in a hurry to finish the story, or you just can’t figure out how to get out of the mess your character(s) made, or you are bored, or you are ready to move on to another story, or—you get the idea.
Watch those descriptions of characters where they look into mirrors and then describe themselves. For example: “Betty looked into the bathroom mirror and studied her strong chin, her curly red hair that framed a pale face, the freckles across her nose.” Who does that? Who thinks about themselves in that way when they look into a mirror? Perhaps more realistic is how we notice something like messed-up hair or smudged lipstick or a cut on the cheek, etc. Just be careful that your character looking into the mirror isn't an easy way out to physically describe your character—there are many ways to give a physical description, if that’s what you want to do—but looking into the mirror is turning into a big over-used cliché.
This is my own personal pet peeve, but watch phrases where something floods a character’s mind or body or whatever, as in “Relief flooded Betty’s body,” or “Anger flooded her veins.” “Lust flooded her loins.” . . . eek!
Snuck is sneaked. No, really, it is!
Lately something that never bothered me is “starting to bother me.” When we write, for example, “She started driving down the road.” Well, is she driving or is she not? If she is in the car and the car is rolling, she is driving. Picky, huh? So, why not simply write “She drove down the road.” Or, “Bob started running across the parking lot.” Isn’t he running when he’s running? Why not: “Bob ran across the parking lot.” Oh, I know! I am being completely picky, but sometimes a character is simply doing what she is doing instead of starting to do it.
Now. I wonder after I post this, how many picky things I will find within my own text to angst over. Woe. Oh, woe.
(PS - yes, I recognize I should maybe have written: Ms. Picky Persnickity -that's is I!)
Kathryn Magendie is Co-Editor/Publisher of Rose & Thorn Journal. Her novels include: "The Graces Series:" Tender Graces and Secret Graces (the third Graces to be released 2011); and Sweetie to be released fall 2010. Visit her website or her blog and follow her on Twitter or Facebook .
Oh woe is the editor with the picky radar always on...even when said editor doesn't want it to be. (Have you noticed yet that this propensity also invades reading novels for pleasure, watching the news, seeing movies on the big screen?) Gark!
Enjoyed your pickety persnickety thoughts.
Reply to this
Exactly. Started to read this, then I did. While I was starting to eat lunch. Relief flooded my body that someone else thinks like I do.
Do, just don't talk about doing. Good one Kat.
Reply to this
Kat - Very good post - I am trying to break my "started to ..." or "began ..." habit. It's such a silly verbal tic - i'm starting to work on it ... i mean, I am working on it
Reply to this
Amen to everything here! When I look in the mirror, especially in the morning, I just think, "Lawd!" (Well, wouldn't actually use that word, it would be more like "Jesus!" but wanted to impress you, Kat with my knowledge of mountain vernacular.
And your example of "lust flooded her loins" made me spit out my wine. Didn't start to spit it out. SPAT it out!
Reply to this
*laughing* LAWD all ya'llses is making me larf!
Reply to this
Good stuff here Kat--as I go reading along I am often stopped by just such errors--I reread two or three times to see if I am missing some great literary achievment--then when I realize it is just not right I am quite indignant--how dare the writer interrupt my reading enjoyment with junk--m
Reply to this
M! *laugh* - you know, I'm more likely to "forgive" another writer than I am myself - esp as I acknowledge my pickity persnikity-ness
Reply to this
She started to drink copious quantities of vodka; alcohol flooded her veins after too many sessions in front of the mirror, her bow-shaped lips still numb from the latest plumper treatment. Sorry. Reading Lohan's memoir aloud.
Anyway--agree with the above. May we please add "incandescent with rage" to the list, a phrase which is too memorable to be used more than once in any manuscript, and even at that level of self-monitoring is likely still an also-ran of word choice?
This week's personal annoyance is "fit of peak" and "it picked/peeked/peaked my interest." I think the defendant would hear "case dismissed" in the matter of the charges of double homicide perpetrated against both the author and his editor. It was a mercy killing.
//karen
Reply to this
Well Miss Persnickity, I for one loathe how the non-word snuck has sneaked into our vernacular, and I applaud you for having awakened your readership to the misuse of woken, another non-word. Is non-word a non-word?
Reply to this