When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you’ve done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These writer’s tips will come at you once a week, giving you plenty of time to go through your story and make the adjustments.
These tips are from Chuck Wendig, a thirty-something agented-novelist, screenwriter, short story writer, freelance penmonkey, game designer with a sense of humor. His writing is a tad rough–not the way I talk–but deep down inside the me that has been smoothed and shined by the world, there must be a bit of ‘Chuck’ in me because these tips speak to my writer side.
Whatever the reason, he has some great ideas about writing. Here are 25 of them from Chuck’s outstanding blog post, 25 Ways to Make Exposition Your B****:
- Like most easily-digestible protein-nuggets of writing advice, Show-Don’t-Tell is one that ends up confusing. After all, what we do is called storytelling, and then in the next breath we’re chided for telling and not showing. And yet, the advice remains true just the same. Exposition is often the biggest customer in terms of telling-above-showing, and it reeks of amateur hour karaoke. Here’s an example: consider the difference of you telling me “John is an assassin,” and you showing me the act of John stalking and killing a dude on the job. The former is dull: a narrative name-tag, a Facebook profile. The latter is engaging: action and example. This is the key to exposition always, always, always: stop telling, start showing.
- Leave yourself no room for exposition. Start the story as late into the plot as you can; extract yourself at first opportunity. You can’t eat ice cream that ain’t in the freezer. And by “ice cream” I mean “dead stripper.”
For more on exposition, check Ashley Almade’s discussion here (she includes an explanation of the term as well) and Arbitrary Nonsense’s three enemies of exposition.
More writing tips:
Writer’s Tip #34: Tell What Is, Not What Isn’t
Writer’s Tip #25: It Depends On the Definition of the Word ‘It’
Writers Tip #65: Thing? Really?
Jacqui Murray is the author of dozens of books (on technology in education) as well as the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is webmaster for six blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com and TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, monthly contributor to Today’s Author and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. In her free time, she is editor of technology training books for how to integrate technology in education. Currently, she’s editing a techno-thriller that should be out to publishers next summer.
Chuck doesn’t hold back, does he? But he sure nails the advice and is pretty darn funny as well. Thanks for sharing.
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I like a sense of humor. Like a spoon full of honey.
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This will help out so much on my writing! Thanks for the awesome advice(s) 😀
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So down to earth, too. Thanks for dropping by!
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Chuck has such an intriguing writing style – certainly made me pay attention!
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Good way of saying it!
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Number five, Im guilty and enjoyed all of this post Jacqui. Chuck has an amusing style all of his own.
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So agree, Kath. Quite down to earth.
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I’m off to read the link because I want to read more. Thank you for the info.
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He does that to you, doesn’t he? I did the same thing.
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Chuck Wendig is brilliant. He has a quick mind and just says what he thinks in a brilliant way. Thanks for sharing him.
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That’s how I felt. I was quite happy to stumble across him.
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I love this guy. I can’t help laughing while I read. Sometimes I wince–he’s so colorful–but I always learn a lot. My problem is using a little more exposition. Dang hard getting the right balance. Thanks for re-blogging this, Jacqui.
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Colorful–a euphemism for ***. It is dang hard. I find my self practicing every time I write–to make it ‘colorful’ and interesting and a bit humorous. I can no longer simply pen a response. Those were the good old days. ❤
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😀 😀 ❤
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OK, you really have those emoticons down. You are on fire! 🙂 😀
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Excellent title for this tip! I love the humour, it’s engaging and makes you read on, while actually learning something 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
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So true. That’s what got my attention first–the title–and second–the sense of humor. Good qualities all around.
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This is amazing! Some very helpful advice for a budding enthusiast in the field of writing. Will keep in mind. 🙂
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Thanks! Would you mind sharing your blog address so I can drop by and visit? I love seeing what readers are doing!
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Aw, that’s lovely!
Link – https://theconfettigirl.wordpress.com/
Hope you like what you read and if you are more interested in my poetry pieces, I would recommend to you to look at the oldest posts since I haven’t been posting poems of late due to a lack of inspiration. x
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Love the maxi! Calf-length is one of my favorites. You have pizzazz, Radhika. It’s OK about the poetry. I absolutely enjoy narrative just as much.
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