In a post on Writer Unboxed, Jeanne Kisacky makes suggestions for what not to write. We all written manuscripts that didn’t work out for some reason or other. Sometimes when we return to those stories later, the parts that need to be fixed jump right out at us. Wouldn’t it be great to skip all that unnecessary writing and put down only what matters?
Kisacky shares her top five list of bad writing habits that result in the parts of your story that didn’t need to be written:
- Too much non-resonating detail. You don’t need to describe every element of your characters’ world in detail. Food and walk-on characters are two massive word hogs. Instead, focus on what matters. “Details that provide a relevant piece of information are essential to understanding a story,” Kisacky says. “Trust the reader to know the basics, and give only the details that have significance to the story somewhere along the line.”
- Overuse of the same telling detail. Do you repeat certain details about a setting, character, or interaction? If you describe your hero hanging up a coat every time it happens, you may be guilty. Instead, describe this once – if the detail is important – and describe it a second time only if something changes.
- Having the characters over-explain. Characters often do something unreasonable, but they usually have a reason for it. However, they shouldn’t explain this to another character or the reader. Leave some space to spool out the information gradually and let the reader figure it out on their own.
- Backstory. Backstory is better conveyed in scenes that happen in the present, Kisacky says. Instead of writing flashbacks or separate scenes, incorporate the backstory into a present moment and have it directly influence the current action. This approach can also help you break up the backstory and present it piece by piece, rather than in a single drop.
- Repeating problems. “There’s a point where the reader gets frustrated when a character encounters the same problem again and again but repeats the same response,” Kisacky writes. If your hero has a phobia, you might be tempted to put them into many situations where they have to confront it. Don’t. This starts to feel ridiculous and if your hero never learns from the previous experiences, she may come across a bit dim.
In short, writers tend to add extra detail and repeat information that isn’t needed. “The author’s job is to present details and events in a way that lets the reader follow the story,” Kisacky says. “They don’t need a superhighway, or a bunch of flashing signs pointing them to the critical moment. They do need an interesting path along which to travel.”
