I feel much like an archaeologist myself. I’m still chopping vines and swatting bugs as I revise the jungle that is Waking Beauty. Right now, I find little beauty in the process. Underneath the detritus are good bones, but I really need my own spy satellite to unearth the best stuff. Sometimes I think it would have been easier to construct a brand new pyramid. *g*
It’s taken almost four weeks from the time I won the contest to where I am now—which is almost finished. There’s a ream of paper, a new ink cartridge and a priority mail envelope ready. Then we’ll see if WB is ready…or rejected.
Aside from adverbs, I forbid myself to ever type the word “blush” again. What’s your bad writing habit? What drives you crazy when you read?
I try to leave out the parts that people skip. ~Elmore Leonard
I don’t want to read the word inexorable again either. 🙂
I realLY honestLY have no earthLY idea what everyone’s issue is with all these loveLY adverbs….
Ummm–‘look’. My characters were ‘looking’ everywhere. Made me want to slap the lot of them.
Waking Beauty will rock! Can’t wait to see it on the shelves 🙂
Words like ‘blush’. 🙂
From the book I’m currently reading (2 or 3 pages at a time before I lose consciousness at bedtime)–the word “blatant” (sometimes found as “blatantLY,” LOL). (As in, “he stared at her blatantly,” or “his blatant desire”). Somehow it doesn’t read well for me–it doesn’t have the texture of a historical, much less a Scottish Highland historical!
I’m writing a British historical, and I find I rely on the words “rather,” “quite,” and “indeed” a shameful amount of the time. Rest assured those will probably all go away in revisions.
I can’t just type a direct verb. People are “going to” do something or she is “having to” say something. Why can’t they just do and say? I ask you?
And I throw the word “just” in everywhere. See, I even did it above!
My worst failing is the conviction that if I can say something in five words, I can say it better in ten. And description–I love writing about the music of water, the curve of flower petals, the caress of spring breezes. Ugh! Then I have to go back and cut two words for every one I keep.
I love all your flaws and foibles…and share QUITE a lot of them. For me though, it’s not the word JUST but ONLY. My characters LOOK, study and gaze a lot too. I am BLATANTLY BLUSHING at the unnecessary words that clutter everything up!
LOL Terrio, if you were from Texas like my mom you’d always be “fixing to” do something: “I’m fixing to go to the store” or “I’m fixing to make dinner.” Oh. Sorry. That would be fixin’. Hold the G.
Oh dear. I have so many adverbs, it’s not funny. Plenty of blushing, too. Quite, rather, indeed – check, check, check. Sheesh, I really should have read this post before I sent in my manuscript.
Well, there are always edits!
Rev – my daughter was born in Arkansas so she is always fixin’ to do things or she’s going to do them right quick. LOL! The only thing I picked up (other than this weird hybrid accent) is shoot far which tranlated means sh*t fire. LOL!
LOL, Maggie, I LOVE your quote!!
I’m gonna just cop to all of the above. I also seem to have a problem with wanting to think for the reader. I like to hold their hand and walk them very slowly and painfully through the whys of my H/H actions. Very, very bad. I keep repeating to myself… Show don’t tell!
I love how we’re all guilty of something…makes me feel so much better!
Et tu, shoulders, Maggie?
Cross his/her arms. Cobalt blue eyes.
Too many words/phrase to count.
LOL, Ely. The infamous shoulders! But cobalt blue eyes are better than sapphire blue or emerald green or ruby red lips….
Everyone breaths too much in a lot of what I’ve been reading lately. Sharp intakes. Rapid breaths.
Take deep breaths already!
My heroine seems to glisten quite a bit and my hero scowls so much I may have to sign him up for an anger management group.
Santa, I hope she’s glistening from the hero’s amorous attentions! Scowling is better than smirking—people never seem to use that word correctly—but then maybe I’m wrong.