Kurt Vonnegut provides a set of eight rules for writing a short story in his book, Bagombo Snuff Box: Uncollected Short Fiction. I've been using the fourth rule to do quick edits of my evolving WIP. The rule is:
"Every sentence must do one of two things—reveal character or advance the action."
I've found this to be an extremely potent rule for expunging superfluous content from my first drafts.
How about you? Do you have any useful quick-and-dirty editing devices for improving first drafts?
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That's a great rule Mohamed. I have numerous rules and I find as I become comfortable with them they become second nature.
ReplyDeleteNancy
N. R. Williams, fantasy author
Patience.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting Vonnegut's tip.
Love this rule. Another one I like, though I don't remember where I heard it from: Precise and spare.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Nancy. And once you internalize them, they become part of your writing style.
ReplyDeleteMunk - I like your rule; very Zen.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Valerie. I like "precise and spare." Maybe that's from Hemmingway, or King? Either way, it's a good rule.
ReplyDeleteThat is such a wonderful rule, and Vonnegut is such a fantastic writer. I still have fond memories of discovering him for the first time in high school. Very glad you shared this. Useful advice indeed!
ReplyDeleteGood one, Mohamed. A teacher of mine once said that every chapter should reveal character AND advance the action. Some writers make the mistake of revealing character over and over and over again, so the end result is repetition, and there is no real character development. So a good rule of thumb is: check for repetition, and weed it out.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Samuel! It's always nice to get validation from a published professor of literature.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Robyn. I like your amendment to the rule. BTW, I saw Rabbi Kennard's opinion of "Dancing in the Dark." That's just what it is: an opinion. Keep writing!
ReplyDeletethat is a great rule but easier said than done:) So far I think the thing that's helped me the most is editing the pages out of order. It really helped me hone in on whether every page had tension, action, overused words,etc...
ReplyDeleteCreepy Query Girl - that's in interesting, slipstream approach to editing...making sure that each page stands on its own. I'll give it a shot!
ReplyDeleteVonnegut is one of my favorites. Thanks for reminding me of his advice. I tend to forget it.
ReplyDeleteHere's some advice from Ernest Hemingway:
“I write one page of masterpiece to ninety-one pages of shit. I try to put the shit in the wastebasket.”
I like to think my shit ratio is less than his. I'm sure yours is too:)
Thanks, Terry. About the ratio: since I have zero pages of masterpiece (and since you really can't divide by zero), my "ratio" devolves to a limit equation where N approaches infinity...an infinity of you-know-what :)
ReplyDeleteLOl! Now that you mention it, I don't have any masterpiece pages either:)
ReplyDeleteI love Vonnegut, and this rule really works, helps kill those darlings :)
ReplyDeleteAfter NaNo, I'll be diving into my very first editing process. Mind you, I've done it with my poetry and stories for class. But never a whole book. I've found I already need to completely revamp my timeline and rearrange several passages. I both dread it and look forward to it. I'm thinking I might need to get that book. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteI have never thought about this...
ReplyDeleteI think very important rule...
Wow, every sentence? I'm jotting that down on a sticky note for when I'm ready to slash up the creation I'm composing. I like that.
ReplyDeleteI look at scenes and ask, "Is there enough conflict?" and "What does each character want and what are they willing to sacrifice?"
Great rule. I take forever to edit, so perhaps I shall use this.
ReplyDeleteMedeia - forever? No way. I know you've got published books out there, so you must finish your editing one way or another :)
ReplyDeleteAmanda - I like your two editing tools!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amin!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Words Crafter. As for the dread of editing, I have a perverse confession...I actually enjoy the editing phase!
ReplyDeleteThanks! That's insightful. I'm going to try to make each one of my sentences count in my short stories.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sofia. I think editing (and writing) short stories might be tougher than novels; you've got a limited number of words to create your characters and storyline.
ReplyDelete