Is it just me? It’s probably just me, isn’t it?
Speak up if you feel the same, though, I’d like to know I’m not the only one. But here it is, (one of) my pet peeve(s):
Using comparatives as character descriptors in writing. Grrrr!! Argh! *smashes things* (I’ll give an example…
I don’t mind it once or twice, but more than that and it becomes *incredibly* nails on a chalkboard.
But it’s really difficult. It can easily become confusing who’s doing or saying what to whom, and using names over and over becomes monotonous. I try to only use names or descriptors when I need to make it clearer who’s doing what.
These are the little things that can make or break a piece…and the most frustrating part is, when you do it right no one will even notice you did anything at all.
“when you do it right no one will even notice you did anything at all.”
writing makes me want to jump off of tall buildings.
i’ve been doing this thing with my fan fics where i’ve just so clearly given up. seriously, i think i say “john” like four times in a sentence sometimes. and it actually surprisingly works sometimes! especially when i write john POV i tend to do a lot of stream of consciousness bits and the repeated names tend to actually flow a lot with the feel of the piece. it honestly makes me feel like i’ve discovered some kind of cheat code for life when i can make that work.
Speaking of writing frustrations…aaargh, I get so annoyed trying to come up with variations of “says”. John says, Sherlock says, John says, blah blah blah. Boring and repetitive. So they mutter, murmur, snap, growl, sigh. but then those sound annoying to me. ESPECIALLY sex scenes. I read back a scene and realize everyone is sighing, panting and moaning over and over again. I want more verbs to describe ways of vocalizing, please. Grrrr.
oh my god the says curse! i’m with you, i tried to do all those variations for so long and after a while it just becomes so obvious that all you’re doing is trying not to say “says” that it might as well be “says” for all the good it does. now what i’ve started doing is just inserting actions instead. like this, i just wrote this for a the chapter i’m working on right now:
“You know, it’s almost a shame to separate you. You should die together. I can see that that’s proper. I’m not blind.” Moran’s eyes leave John, whose own gaze is fixed on Sherlock and hasn’t moved. “But I like this, too,” he says.
i know i put a “says” in there too. but you know what i mean, right? like instead of saying things angrily note how the characters fists clench or something instead. it doesn’t always work and it can get too clunky, but it helps to alleviate the “says”ing and also breaks up dialogue streams a bit too in scenes where there’s a lot of talking.
My downfall is “thought”
In my stories they think things, they consider things, they ponder things, and then it sort of cycles through again.
This is literally why I take forever to get updates out. I write the whole thing and then I go back and scour the chapters and I’m like, oops, you used the same word like two sentences apart, better spend half an hour thinking of a different/better word.
Oh my God, This. I get so OCD over using the same word again within three or four sentences.
I also have a bad habit of having a pet phrase that I use every time a character is in a scene. For example, my Lestrade is *always* scratching the back of his head. Whole lotta scratching. He should probably check for lice.
I feel that. John spends so much time clenching his hand in mine he probably has carpal tunnel
John furrows a lot. And grins. And purses his lips. Basically he pulls faces constantly. And Sherlock does a lot of nuzzling, curling, and snuggling.
We need to all get together and have a word exchange. Trade up for some new ones.
I don’t know what anyone is doing ever when I write. I just throw pronouns, adjectives, and basically just shit, in the air hope they attach to the proper noun.
I want to throw something that you’re throwing words in the air and coming up with gold while I’m over her carefully assembling words like jigsaw puzzles and getting god knows what.
Stop being so talented already, ffs.
If I wasn’t on my mobile I would have an aquaman gif and somehow it’d be relevant And cure everyone of their writing peeves and all illness in general.
I can offer up this gif:
