Fiction Fundamentals

Today begins a new series: Breaking Bad Habits. Yes, we’re to write fast, edit slowly, but if we’re aware of habits as we write, the editing process will be much less painful. Since my own drafts are full of great “bad habit” examples, I’ll use excerpts from them throughout this series.

The first habit we’ll discuss is RUE–Resist the Urge to Explain. Readers are smart. They can figure out more than we give them credit. However, that tendency to babble, to explain the already explained, creeps into my writing often.

Here’s a recent example (caught by one of my uber-awesome critiquers!):

A roar from the crowd invades the entrance. The yells bounce off the walls and reverberate in my ears. I lean toward the security guard and state my name in a loud voice, competing against the commotion.

The phrase “competing against the commotion” is not necessary. It’s “fluff.” Yes, it has a nice alliteration with the two C’s clacking against each other, but it has to go. We must avoid weighing down our writing with excess baggage.

Examine your last scene. Have you resisted the urge to explain? If not, get out the scissors (a.k.a. “delete key”) and start snipping!

Until next time,

Happy writing!