  Noticing Newbies
This week: The Cluttered Path Edited by: esprit  
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Quote
Writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things we can keep out of it that shouldn't be there.
William Knowlton Zinsser - 2006 - Language Arts & Disciplines
The Cluttered Path
Fiction is a most difficult form of writing. It's born of pure imagination, unlike articles or technical writing where facts can be researched or experienced and placed on paper to be read by others. Non-fiction requires knowledge of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and expert knowledge of the subject. I'm not taking anything away from the importance of non-fiction, because it leaves no room for error, even the creative kind. But it requires little in the way of pure imagination.
The fiction writer has to know the basic rules plus all of the hidden elements that non-fiction does not include. Most of these hidden elements cannot be taught; they must be learned in the best manner for the individual writer.
Fiction writers absolutely must have an active imagination. They have to first imagine an idea and then choose the exact words to produce a brand-new world and a variety of people to inhabit it. They have to be able to bring that world and people to life in such vivid detail that readers believe it exists. It takes practice to stretch the imagination to its limit and then stretch it some more. It requires good feedback to know if they're succeeding or not.
Write the story while it's fresh in your imagination. Keep writing as long as the imagination is doing its job, but realize there are going to be many extra words included at this stage. The descriptions are going to be vivid, but too much will slow the action. You will have a story littered with clutter. Only put it up for reviews after you've fixed the errors and made the changes you found necessary. Be willing to accept the help you ask for, asking questions of the reviewer if you don't understand what they meant.
Accusing a reader/reviewer of being too dumb or lazy to 'get' the writers train of thought is foolish and self-defeating to the process of learning. And a sure way of not receiving the help you need. Of course, there are degrees of readers too, and some don't try to 'get' it, but we're talking of the responsibility of the writer here.
My reason for bolding phrases in a review, instead of crossing them out and rewriting, is to avoid violating the sentence. I want to leave it intact for the writer to analyze. I'm saying, "I may be wrong, but I think this can be deleted and the meaning won't be affected at all. But you decide: read the sentence without the bolded material and see if it works."
I expect the writer to know how to take an honest, objective look to try to see 'why' the bolded word or phrase caused a bump, especially if it is one the writer intended to use. I hope the writer can see for themselves what the problem might be from my comments, and learn to avoid it in future writes. Before changing anything, understand why you're doing it. If you don't understand or don't agree with the change, ask questions.
The worse thing you can do is to change your words verbatim to match the suggestions in the review, and then present it back to the reviewer for a higher rate. That isn't the way learning works and a sure way to make the same mistakes over and over. The piece you end with is not your own, it's a collaboration, and it will take you longer to reach the next level.
Be willing to rip your work to bits. Be willing to delete, delete, and delete some more. Don't fall in love with your words. Be flexible. And when someone tells you that something isn't working, and you know it isn't working, get rid of it. And then write it better.
William Knowlton Zinsser - 2006 - Language Arts & Disciplines
The reason a reader becomes lost is because clutter is strewn across the path so thick he is forced to backtrack, step over, or hack his way through to reach the point. Clutter is verbiage that serves no purpose except to add to the word count. Wordiness. It causes a sentence to be so badly constructed that it can be read in different ways, requiring the reader to guess which path to take. Punctuation errors can change the meaning of a sentence. These are simple things writers need to know. A part of the rules. Using words incorrectly by not taking the time to look them up is a common mistake. The reader can only infer what the writer is trying to say by reading the words actually on the page. They cannot look into the writer's mind to find the words he saw, but left out, and they don't know for certain what he meant to say.
A reader is tenacious though. At first he'll blame himself for obviously missing something. He goes back over the mystifying sentence, or the paragraph, or even back to the beginning to piece it together. He makes guesses and reads on. He won't do this for long however, the writer is making him work too hard and he'll look for another who is better at the craft.
Reviewer/readers find the same obstacles and go through the same steps, but instead of remaining silent, they will shine a light on those things that clutter the path. They want to help you learn the basics, but accepting, learning and applying that help is up to the writer.
Fiction is the most difficult form of writing, but it's also the most satisfying.
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Remember to read your neighbor's work too!
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Comments on "Invalid Entry"
Submitted By: flex
Submitted Comment: Thank you for another newsletter full of good advice, esprit. I particularly enjoyed edgework's quote
Thank you. Edgework's reviews are lessons all by themselves, everyone should read them. He knows what he's talking about. 
Submitted By: Ilana Shayn
Submitted Comment: I really liked the newsletter, and thank you so much for featuring my story!
Thanks! I hope you receive lots of readers.
Submitted By: northernwrites
Submitted Comment: Good observations about the differences in the various roles we take on, and the associated responsibilities that go with them.
Thanks for including my piece in the Helpful Links!
Thank you. Your port contains so much good advice, it's hard to choose just one. 
Submitted By: NickiD89 
Submitted Comment: Thank you for explaining the role of the reviewer on WDC. When writers understand the reviewer's comments are made in the spirit of writers helping writers improve their craft, they are less likely to feel criticized and more willing to reevaluate their work. WDC is, to me, a wonderful community of members working together toward a common goal, and nothing gets us all there quicker than reviewing each others work. Great NL, thanks!
Thank you!
We always appreciate the feedback, thanks!
Editors:
Cubby 
laurencia
Your host this week is esprit |
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Noticing Newbies: March 11, 2009 Issue [#2930]
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