I mentioned in an earlier post that I look to other writers to get better at the craft of writing. Here are 3 resources that I’ve found helpful:
On Writing by Stephen King I’m not into the horror that Stephen King writes so I tend to shy away from his work. But can the man ever write! This book does not sit in my revolving stack of books to read. It has a place of honor inside the drawer of my nightstand. I find myself referring back to it often, reminding myself of the things I need to work on.
Sometimes I hear Stephen King’s voice in my head telling me that I shouldn’t be using adverbs. And then I argue with him that I know the rules, and this is one instance where I’m breaking them deliberately. And he tells me to quit being a lazy writer. And I tell him that I’m going to throw in extra adverbs just to spite him. And he goes on to roll around in his piles of author money, and I’m stuck with a page of stupid adverbs I have to get rid of.
Mostly I find Stephen King is right, and I shouldn’t argue with him.
Take Off Your Pants! by Libbie Hawker This is another one I refer to regularly. And no, it’s not a salacious read. And yes, I did have to explain to one of my boys why it was ok for Mom to be reading it. In the writing world, ‘pantsing’ is what a writer does when they simply sit down to write. Get it? Writing by the seat of your pants? ‘Pantsing’ is the antithesis of outlining.
The first time I came across the advice to outline I dismissed it with a, “Well that’s not how I write.” (Insert hair toss.)
Then I continued to see that advice over and over from experienced writers. My inner voice went from haughty to whiny.
“But I don’t know how to do that. I just want to write. Outlining sounds haaaard.”
If you’re anything like I was when I started my first draft, maybe you have no clue what the outlining process can look like. This book can fix that. I’m a reformed panster myself. And no, it doesn’t stifle my creativity. In fact, I find I’m more focused and productive when I take the time to outline.
Go Teen Writers This is a blog that I find helpful to peruse every so often. Don’t let the name fool you. There’s heaps of helpful advice for fiction writers of all skill levels. I like that it’s authored by more than one person, and I like that they address all aspects of the writing process.
What are some of your favorite craft books or blogs and why? I love recommendations!
So, ignorant as I am, I’m wondering what writing with adverbs looks like compare to writing without them. Any examples to share? By the way, the hair toss was great emphasis! Accompanied by a disdainful sniff, I’m pretty sure.
“She tossed her hair and sniffed disdainfully.”
“She tossed her hair and sniffed.”
I think the action of tossing the hair and sniffing gives the reader the idea that she’s already disdainful. It doesn’t have to be spelled out. A good writer should be able to give enough context clues that the reader already knows the attitude or feeling. Or so goes the argument. I love me some adverbs, which is why I’m always having to rethink how I’m using them!
And adverbs can be limiting too. What if my reader was reading more into the hair toss? Something I didn’t spell out? Depending on the context, that simple hair toss can tell my reader something about my character. That she is more dismissive than she is contemplative. Maybe the reader gets the sense that the character is willing to lie to herself to avoid confronting something hard. That idea that comes naturally to the reader is a more effective tool than me spelling things out with one word that may distract them from something deeper. The reader’s imagination is a powerful tool that should be used in storytelling. The trick as a writer is to know when to do the work and when to rely on the imagination of your readers. I totally don’t have that skill down so I don’t always know how to do it. Or when to do it. So you know, take that for what it’s worth!
Wait…adverbs are bad??!! Shoot.
I don’t subscribe to the all-adverbs-are-bad theory all the time. Everyone likes to quote Stephen King for saying, “The road to Hell is paved with adverbs.” But the truth is we all use them. Even Stephen King acknowledges using them. I think the trick to being effective is to use them sparingly. J.K Rowling is known for using adverbs. How many times does Harry say something angrily, or consolingly, or longingly? But her work is easy to read and I don’t think it’s distracting at all. So when I’m writing I try to catch the adverbs and rethink what I’m trying to say. Is there a more efficient way for me to say it? Can I be more specific? Am I being too general? This is one way I try to make my writing more concise. It almost always pays off. And the times when I’m like, “Nope…that’s what I want to say,” the adverb stays.
In J.K.Rowling’s case, it’s not that she uses adverbs. It’s how she uses them. That’s what I’m going with anyway!