I look
forward to the first Wednesday of every month, as that’s the time we write our
IWSG (Insecure Writers Support Group) posts. This online group of writers gives
me/us the chance to discuss everything related to writing, which would bore a
non-writer to tears. As most of the other writers are in the same boat as me:
going through writer’s blocks, facing rejection from agents, harassment from
our characters, seeing deadlines whoosh past, getting overwhelmed with edits or
first drafts, grumbling about the slow response or lack of response from
editors and agents, or low sales, it’s nice
to discuss it with people who will nod in understanding, maybe even add their
bit to it.
Credit for creating this amazing group goes to Ninja Captain Alex J Cavanaugh (author
of the Amazon Bestsellers: CassaStar, CassaStorm, CassaFire and Dragon of the
Stars). IWSG has gone from strength to strength. It has published few
anthologies, has a website full of amazing writing information and now finds its
place in Writer’s Digest 19 Annual 101 Best Webites for Writers and has hosted its
first twitter pitch contest on 27th July. Quite an amazing feat
for a group that has been around just for a couple of years.
The August IWSG question is: What are your pet peeves
when reading/writing/editing?
While
reading I hate it when a writer breaks the golden rule of show but don’t tell.
I reviewed a book a few days back and the author indulged in a lot of telling
throughout the book. Another pet peeve of mine is when a writer sticks to a
stereotypical plot where I have guessed what will happen next. This bugs me no
end. This too happened last week when I reviewed a book for the newspaper. And another
peeve is when the authors repeats the same thing again and again. This happened
in the book which I mentioned as having a stereotypical plot. I was just
waiting to finish that boring book, write my review and be done with it.
I am looking forward to reading what
your pet peeves are while reading/writing/editing are.
Thanks, Rachna!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you are reviewing all the wrong books.
Telling is something that we learn not to do - slowly. It's taken me a while to wean myself from it.
I think the problem is that sometimes we need to do some "telling" because not everything needs to be described, to be "shown." Figuring out that balance though can be tricky. :)
ReplyDeleteI admit repeats get on my nerves too. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
I don't like predictable plots either or ones that drag.
ReplyDeleteIf we know what's going to happen then there is no reason to read the story, right?
ReplyDeleteI'm always fighting the boring/being predictable side of writing. That is my number one drafting/editing goal. No one wants a cliche book to read. We want to be surprised. I like it when I surprise myself:)
ReplyDeleteSometimes, it hard for writers to see that they are telling. It took me a while to notice this.
ReplyDeleteI don't like predictable plots either. I like to be surprised. :)
Writing is not an easy task, and I know how much re-writing has to be done. I'd say the books you mention weren't given enough editing attention.
ReplyDeleteI like a few twists and turns in a plot or it does become too predictable. Hope your next read is a good one.
ReplyDeleteHi, Rachna,
ReplyDeleteI agree! If you can guess the tale of the story, why bother reading it. We all enjoy a good twist... and how we feel when these words escape our lips..."WOW! Never thought about that! or, WOW! I didn't see that coming!"
Repetition made my list of pet peeves too. Especially when it seems unintentional.
ReplyDeleteI don't like predictable stories, either. Twists are much more interesting.
ReplyDeleteI can't tell sometimes if the plot seems stereotypical or contrived just because I've read so many plots and know what to expect. =) It's definitely a hazard of the profession, eh?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Madeline - some telling is OK, but seems like you got a telling dump. Tedious reading for sure.
ReplyDeleteSounds like no fun at all. I hope your reading proves to be more fun than what you've shared here. Thanks for being a person who reviews. All readers should.
ReplyDeleteI've noticed more telling in lieu of showing in several books I've read recently, but in most cases, it worked for me. I kind of like it when writers break the "rules," especially when they do it well. :D
ReplyDeleteI think the more we write, the pickier we get with what we read (as well as TV shows and movies). I know I have! LOL!
ReplyDeleteYour peeves fit into mine regarding lazy writing. Check it over, get creative, and stop patting yourself on the back.
ReplyDeleteThe beauty of a book or story lies in making it look credible and should be able to surprise the reader till the end. Not able to find many compelling reads like this except for a handful of writers!
ReplyDeleteI can almost picture a cut and paste the author used for the repeats.
ReplyDeleteI don't really have "predictable plot" as a pet peeve, because as a writer, I'm trained to dismantle any plot, so I can very easily see where most of what I read is headed. :-)
ReplyDelete