TIMIDITY IS THE ENEMY OF A WRITER. DON'T USE TWO PARAGRAPHS
TO CLEAR YOUR THROAT. PHLEGM IS NOT FUN TO READ.
(Susan DeBow)
I read these lines in an article awhile back and loved them so much, I copied them onto an index card and pinned the card to my bulletin board.
I do think there's a time and a place for easing your reader into your work but there's a definite difference between that and taking five or more pages to get to the point. When we take those five pages, are we just unsure of how to say what we want to say? Are we feeling our way through a dark room, looking for the door or a light switch? Or are we really anxious or scared to come right out and say what we want to say, to be bold, to declare "this is what my story is about!"?
And now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go clear my throat all over my NaNo novel. It might as well be a giant hanky for all the phlegm it's caught so far.
I like that quote, too, Madeline. Although now I'll be clearing my throat all morning. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd P.S. I really like Larry and Mrs. Larry's new pic. They look totally engrossed in that story!
(Hope Nano's going well for you!)
My NaNo novel is stinking up a storm - phlegm all over the place. Yuck. How's yours?
ReplyDeleteMrs. Larry is really the reader in the family but Larry enjoys a good story, too.
Better to have a chunk of work to de-phlegm than a blank page, right? :)
ReplyDeleteYou can do it, Madeline! Go! Go! Go!
Hmm, how exactly do you de-phlegm something? I don't think I want to know... :)
ReplyDeleteAnd you keep going, too, Stacy. I saw your word count - you're rocking it! :)
Great quote. There is a throat-clearer in our critique group who takes seven pages to write what could be written much better in three.
ReplyDeleteDonna
I hear you, Donna. I do a lot of throat clearing myself but that's usually in first drafts. I would try reeaalllly hard not bring any phlegm filled pages to a crit group. :)
ReplyDelete