I like the internet. It’s a pretty cool place despite it distracting me from my daily responsibilities every so often. However, I have made many valuable discoveries on the internet that have helped me, Apple Student Deals, Goodreads, Churchpop, Pintrest, etc. This article isn’t about those discovers. As much nice things nestled in the web there are some nasty things as well, especially bad writing advice. This can be even worse when many times this “advice” is treated as something good.
1. Said is Dead
Said’s not dead it’s surely alive, living on the inside roaring like a lion!
I used to be on board with this advice until about two years ago. I found this info graph on Pinterest when I was in high school. That infographic was consulted though many editing sessions, until I deleted it from my board. Why? Because I took a university level creative writing class where I learned “Said” is a fine word. The brain tends to ignore it, but that’s okay. The focus should be on the dialogue itself and the action surrounding it.
“Said is Dead” doesn’t have its roots in writing advice. It started as a way for primary school teaches to prepare their students’ vocabularies for standardized tests. Unique dialogue tags do not equal to good dialogue. Some of the examples of “fresh” words to use instead of said were very odd including, chortled, gurgled, babbled etc. It doesn't exactly make the dialogue itself pop. From my experiences, the best option is to mix dialogue with action, and then use said only where dialogue tags are needed.
(Dialogue with flashy tags)
“I am the best swordsman on this side of the continent,” David boasted.
“Which means, if I want the truly best swordsman, I’ll have to walk the thousand or so leagues.” Alexander teased.
David glared at his companion, “Why must you torment me so,” he lamented.
(Dialogue mixed with action)
David tossed his sword in the air, caught it in the opposite hand, “I am the best swordsman on this side of the continent.”
“Which means,” Alexander crossed his arms with a playful smile tracing his lips, “If I want the truly best swordsman, I’ll have to walk the thousand or so leagues.”
David glared at his companion as he threw his hand into the air, "Why must you torment me so?"
2. Don’t Write what you Know
Lately I have found that the internet has been bashing on this piece of advice, and frankly I do not know why. If I don’t know something then I cannot write about it. If I was given a pen and paper and told to write about the trade routes in the Byzantine Empire, I wouldn’t get a single word down because I know nothing about the trade routes of the Byzantine Empire. However, I can research and expand what I know about the Byzantine Empire. It’s impossible not to write what you know, but that doesn’t mean you have to only write about your personal experiences. (If that were the case then there would be no high fantasy stories). You can expand what you know by doing research or even going out and exploring.
3. Write the Villain/Antagonist First
The reader isn’t following the villain for the majority of the book. My favorite TV series, Avatar the Last Airbender, doesn’t even show us the main villain on screen until the final season.
Some stories doen’t even have villains. If I hate the villain, I can still love the book. If I hate the protagonist or whoever the POV character is, I cannot keep reading.
I know many of these could be considered personal preferences. That is probably true, but I still cannot get behind any of the above advice. However, I do understand people might disagree, and they are free to do so. If they weren't...then there would definitely be a problem there. :D
I know many of these could be considered personal preferences. That is probably true, but I still cannot get behind any of the above advice. However, I do understand people might disagree, and they are free to do so. If they weren't...then there would definitely be a problem there. :D
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