Welcome to Week 4 of the MFRW blog challenge. Blogging is an opportunity for authors to connect with readers. Despite being fiction writers, blogging is an entirely different style of writing and often stumps us. Our challenge is designed to help our authors blog consistently, thoughtfully and with purpose. Anyone can join at any point in the challenge… FOLLOW THIS LINK TO LEARN MORE AND JOIN THE CHALLENGE.
This week’s prompt is “Sorry Editor! My Common Writing Mistakes”.
Hm, what are my common writing mistakes?
Well, one of them is using the same words and/or actions over and over and over. We have a running joke in my critique group about what the word of the week was, the one that appeared more often than needed.
Apparently, the word that is my favorite word. Even more than very. I can’t believe how many times I use that in a manuscript. Some can be easily deleted without changing the meaning of a sentence, but sometimes I find myself rewriting in hopes of finding another way to express myself that doesn’t involve a that or two.
Kissing couple –© bibacomua
I write pretty clean, so grammar and spelling isn’t much of an issue for me. I start with dialogue, and sometimes end up with a page of “talking heads” with lots of white space but not much action, emotion or inner thought interspersed. My critique group points out when I’ve rushed through a scene like that. (And there’s another that!)
To learn more about other common writing mistakes, click on the linky list below.
Linda
Hi Linda. “That” is my bugbear too. And I love the idea of a #blogchallenge. Happy blogging. 🙂
Glad I’m not the only “that” addict, Adite. I’m liking the blog challenge so far.
There are so many nuances to writing good fiction! Great post, Linda!
It is a lot harder than it seems!
Great post.
Thanks, Tina.
I agree with you on the kiss thing. It does get hard to come up with new and creative ways to describe that action. I’m the same with the breathing, sighing, forced exhales. The list could go on. 🙂
I hear you, Meka.
I had a copy editor come along and put “that” in my manuscript instead of taking out. LOL!
Sometimes editors and authors just don’t agree, esp. about words like that and the always controversial comma!
I’m glad someone else struggles with actions. My characters frown a lot and blow out their breath more than any person should!
You are definitely not the only one who struggles with that, Robin!