Things You’ve Noticed In Your Writing

  • The Master

    The Master (15)

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    I use a lot of fragments and adding in random things I've learnt about since they're floating around in my Working Memory.

    I see that mostly with my poetry:
    Heart/Head:
    Basal ganglia of my heart
    should not have been in vain
    Fear.:
    I can see her, the angel that the
    Priory spoke of. The end
    is nigh for so
    Human, After All:
    So, where to begin on our journey
    across the waters to Cruithne?
    I also somewhat babble and allude to Doctors and Masters a lot.
    March 10th, 2010 at 07:18pm
  • ThePiesEndure

    ThePiesEndure (115)

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    I switch tenses a lot more than I should...it's annoying, particularly if I switch p.o.v.s. In one story, I use present tense for first person [mostly] and past tense for third person. And then I accidentally switch half way...
    March 11th, 2010 at 05:09am
  • Audrey T

    Audrey T (6730)

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    Lack of physical description of my characters.

    I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. I can see it both ways. Bad, because some readers need that physical description to relate to the characters. Good, because the readers kind of get to "create" their perfect image of the character.
    March 11th, 2010 at 05:10am
  • ThePiesEndure

    ThePiesEndure (115)

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    ^Yeah, I try not to have too muc physical description, unless it's absolutely essential to the scene or story.

    I tend to not write about weather and settings...only lately have I tried to write the weather in, to help with setting a mood, but I'm inconsistent if I do.
    March 11th, 2010 at 05:12am
  • Audrey T

    Audrey T (6730)

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    ^ Same here, with the weather and setting. In most of my stuff, the setting isn't very clearly formed. It's just the way I write, I suppose, but I rarely describe the scenery. It's just not something that really appeals to me, when I write it, and so far it hasn't really been necessary.

    Up until recently, with Pete and Not Near, the weather hasn't been very important either. I don't think I've ever really played around with mentioning seasons either. But in Pete the season is kind of important to the stroy - it's summer and it's an intensely hot one, and it pushes the main character to certain places and into some encounters. And in Not Near the cold also happens to be really important...eventually.
    March 11th, 2010 at 05:20am
  • Audrey T

    Audrey T (6730)

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    Cheye13:
    I use a lot of the same synonyms Think

    ...and nearly all of my characters are idealized versions of me. Sad
    I sort of have the same problem, I've noticed. That sometimes I use similar descriptions in more than one story. I think that, depending on what you do, that doesn't have to be a bad thing. It's kind of like driving into the skid, if you play more into that, it might be something that becomes more of signature than a flaw.
    Jinxeh:
    I use the words "somewhat," "rather," and variations of "slight" way too much. It's a habit I try to break myself of, but I slip up like...a lot.

    Also, I abuse commas so badly; they're practically cowering in corners with black eyes, by now. Same with semicolons...
    Oh god, yes. I have a serious addiction to run on sentences, so I've worn down the "comma" key.
    March 11th, 2010 at 05:28am
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    Someone (a reader/reviewer) pointed out to me that I have a habit of writing a really long sentence and then writing a shorter sentence as if to balance everything out. Like, I wasn't aware of it until it was pointed out to me. tehe
    March 11th, 2010 at 05:33am
  • This.Useless.Heart.

    This.Useless.Heart. (115)

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    Kurious Kitty Kills:
    Lack of physical description of my characters.

    I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. I can see it both ways. Bad, because some readers need that physical description to relate to the characters. Good, because the readers kind of get to "create" their perfect image of the character.
    This. So much. It's part of my huge love affair with dialogue I think. If I describe a character in narration, I still largely describe their state of mind or emotions, rarely their physical appearance.

    I also don't describe scenery or setting very much (if at all.) It's a vicious cycle really. I don't do it so I've become not very skilled at it, and that lack of skill encourages me not to do it. Facepalm
    March 11th, 2010 at 09:13am
  • lozzieee who.

    lozzieee who. (610)

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    I tend to write fill in chapter for when I have no ideas; they end up being the best ones in the story. -facepalm-

    I tend to base every one of my characters on at least one friend. Or I put my friends in the story, because I fail at making OC's. I've only made two convincing ones in my life; and they were part of a fanfiction.

    Also, I've noticed that I over-punctuate.

    And lastly, I use a lot of musical references, especially to bands like Green Day and McFly; I sometimes even add full lyrics for padding in a chapter.
    March 11th, 2010 at 04:33pm
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    I don't tend to start with backstory or painting the scene. I usually just start with an action scene. This was another thing I didn't realize until it was pointed out to me.
    March 11th, 2010 at 05:08pm
  • summer girl.

    summer girl. (100)

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    I have a tendancy to not name my characters. I've noticed that in almost all of my one-shots, I haven't given the main characters names. It's something that always annoyed me in stories, yet I do it constantly.

    I'm also a comma whore. Since I like writing long descriptions, I find myself using lots of unnecessary commas. I've had it pointed out to me on numerous occasions. I just put a comma where I've paused in my head when writing. XD
    March 11th, 2010 at 09:09pm
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    pretty girl.:
    I'm also a comma whore. Since I like writing long descriptions, I find myself using lots of unnecessary commas. I've had it pointed out to me on numerous occasions. I just put a comma where I've paused in my head when writing. XD
    I'm a recovering comma splicer, myself. I still use them alot, but I used to not use them properly.
    March 11th, 2010 at 09:36pm
  • Siriano;

    Siriano; (100)

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    Dangling modifiers. Facepalm
    March 11th, 2010 at 09:47pm
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    Siriano;:
    Dangling modifiers. Facepalm
    I think I have a dirty mind. tehe

    ---

    I write a lot of stories with only two characters.
    March 11th, 2010 at 09:55pm
  • Siriano;

    Siriano; (100)

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    dru was always alice:
    I think I have a dirty mind. tehe
    lmfao

    ---
    Too many commas. Disgust
    March 11th, 2010 at 10:00pm
  • loverfayce.

    loverfayce. (105)

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    dru was always alice:
    Someone (a reader/reviewer) pointed out to me that I have a habit of writing a really long sentence and then writing a shorter sentence as if to balance everything out. Like, I wasn't aware of it until it was pointed out to me. tehe
    I do that too. I'll always write something like, "Word. Two words. Ridiculously long run on sentence, usually because the character is angry/sad/panicked or something or the sort, or it might just be my third person being a smartass and ridiculing the character because of how fucked up they think they are."
    …Yeah, that's exactly how it goes. XD
    pretty girl.:
    I have a tendancy to not name my characters. I've noticed that in almost all of my one-shots, I haven't given the main characters names. It's something that always annoyed me in stories, yet I do it constantly.
    My characters almost never have names in one shots. It's usually because my one-shots don't have much dialogue, and I just don't see a use to clog up the story with names when it reads perfectly fine without them.

    ---
    I tend to start stories with a rant, usually about another character or event.

    When I write in first person, it has that looking-back-on-things type of feel… I'm kind of trying to break that habit. It's good for the stories I'm writing now, but in the future I think it'll come back to haunt me.
    March 11th, 2010 at 10:42pm
  • waits.

    waits. (250)

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    Some of you are talking about like, not enough physical description. I'm the exact opposite. I have to describe EVERY single detail of my character. I think it's because I always envision my plots as movies, so I have to describe what I think it looks like.

    Facepalm
    March 11th, 2010 at 11:41pm
  • Siriano;

    Siriano; (100)

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    ^I do that. Facepalm Setting too.
    March 11th, 2010 at 11:47pm
  • dr. faustus

    dr. faustus (1070)

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    Siriano;:
    ^I do that. Facepalm Setting too.
    Me as well.
    I sometimes use the same phrases in my stories.
    March 12th, 2010 at 03:09am
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    I may not have used it in as many stories as I have posted, but I've used it a lot in stories I haven't posted as well. I always refer to "angles" when referring to body. Sharp angles or "angles and elbows" or something about the sharp angles of his hips. I'm kind of entranced with the idea of boys' bodies as being angles because they're not soft in that feminine way.

    Especially Mr. Ross. tehe
    March 12th, 2010 at 03:24am