WIP challenge: day 22 check-in!

[littlebutfierce]

How's it going today, folks? Seems like it's a bit of a rough period for folks -- out of those of us who answered the poll yesterday, everyone said that they hadn't written a single word! Of course I know some people were editing or doing other things, but still, rather striking!

Poll #8826

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 8

View Respondents

How's the fic going today?

View Answers

Great!
2 (25.0%)

All right
3 (37.5%)

Ehhhhh
2 (25.0%)

Terrible
1 (12.5%)

What did you do today on your fic?

View Answers

Wrote
5 (62.5%)

Edited
0 (0.0%)

Sent to beta
0 (0.0%)

Posted
1 (12.5%)

Researched
0 (0.0%)

Nothing (deliberately so)
1 (12.5%)

Nothing (unintentionally so)
1 (12.5%)

& how do you feel about that?

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I'm recycling another discussion topic today, but we tend to get different combinations of people answering, so there's always new things to say. Plus, last time we did this, everyone's answers cracked me up (because I could empathize with so many of them, I should say!):

What words or phrases do you overuse in your fic? What do phrases you think you should be barred from ever using again?

Comments

[littlebutfierce]

Started another possible fill for eastasianfandomgiftbag. Here's hoping I actually follow through w/all of these & get them posted... -_-;;

In my fic, people nod a LOT. (Last time I remember someone said their characters do a lot of nodding & smiling. ME TOO OMG.) Also I think I've fallen into the rut of saying someone's lips twitch when they're trying not to smile or laugh. I also think people tend to just... touch each other on the shoulders a lot, ruffle each other's hair, etc. in my fic. Also they just SMILE a lot. I'm sure if other people comment w/their own overused phrases I'll remember more of mine too.

[lea_hazel]

I have no idea what phrases I overuse. I would actually love it if someone else noticed and pointed it out.

[krait]

This is why I love those word cloud maker things! I stuff whatever I've written into them, and they spit out a graphic where SUDDENLY is five times larger than all the other words; then I facepalm and start up the Find/Replace feature. :D

[littlebutfierce]

Totally! I always thought Wordle was just for amusement until someone mentioned they did that. Super useful!

[littlebutfierce]

Maybe you could find a beta that has an ear for that sort of thing? I am really picky & notice that kind of thing loads w/other people's works. I am... less skilled at doing it on my own fic (hence my own betas :D ).

[jagnikjen]

I posted a fic I wrote to go with art I received in an exchange. I'm very excited about it.

I tend to say "pressed a kiss" A LOT.

[littlebutfierce]

Woooooo, yay for posting! Especially to go along w/art you received -- that must be extra-exciting!!

I think in those kinds of situations I say "dropped a kiss" tonnnnnnns. Maybe I should alternate w/pressing the kisses instead. ;)

[xpaperplanex]

345 really creepy words so far. OMG, character, you're really twisted. I actually did a lot of writing yesterday, too. So much that I apparently forgot to post.

My characters are smiling, nodding, frowning, and pressing kisses to foreheads like there's no tomorrow. But I find my worst repetitive thing is the beginnings of sentences. I try to mix it up, but more often than not, it ends up being "Character A did this..." "Character B did that..."

[krait]

Ahhhh, someone else who obsesses over sentence starts!

I do this SO MUCH that it even bleeds over into my reading sometimes, but I thought I was the only one!

[xpaperplanex]

Oh, I notice it when I'm reading too! It's one of those things that, once you notice it, you notice it everywhere. I get REALLY self-concious about it.

[lacygrey]

smiling, nodding, frowning, and pressing kisses to foreheads

They sound sweet!

[littlebutfierce]

Hee for creepiness! & yay for words on both days!

Ahahahaha, my characters do the same sorts of unvarying facial expressions too (I cannot find a substitute for nodding -- sometimes I can have someone dip their head quickly [like in embarrassment], but too often I can't think of anything else).

I think I break sentences w/dialogue the same way a lot: "Yes," said Character A, "that's very blahblah." "I agree," said character B, "it's blahblah." I'm good at noticing when other people do this... just not me.

[pinstripefedora]

I managed about 100 words today, but they feel... wrong. I don't know. Everything seemed to be so dull and clinical. I think it might be because it's been about a week since I've written anything; maybe I just have to get back in the habit. Or it could be my new job - I've been paranoid it might impact my ability to write. The only thing to do is to keep at it, I guess.

My characters tend to smirk and frown and raise their eyebrows an awful lot. Also, everything always seems to happen suddenly. It's such a long-standing issue of mine that I usually catch it relatively early, but... since I'm more aware of it now, everything is starting to happen soon instead. Argh. Also, like some people above me, the way that I start sentences is an issue. I'm always having to go back and reread every few lines to make sure it's not too repetitive. I'm sure there's more, but that's all I've got right now.

[littlebutfierce]

I'm sorry you're not happy w/the words -- but yay for eking them out, anyway, & working past the awkward feeling. Even if you end up discarding them, at least you were exercising your writing-brain!! (But oooh, I hear you on new job stuff -- I feel like new jobs take up so much brainspace & energy, way out of proportion to the actual time spent at work.)

& yes OMG the smirking, my characters do it a lot too. ^^;;;

[lacygrey]

I wrote a whole ficlet, which I'm quite proud of but can't do anything with for the moment. Seasonal madness has started at home and there's an ever increasing likelihood of someone young and impressionable or at least readily shockable reading something highly inappropriate over my shoulder. So I'm still generating but still not looking back though or editing. This month has already produced at least six fics that are all now at this stage :(

My favorite 'crutch' word of the moment is 'feel' second only to the pronouns and names of the characters.

[littlebutfierce]

Yay for your ficlet!! But eeeek on having to guard the screen from someone. ^^;;;

Also, I can see producing lots of WIPs might be stressful, but look at it this way, you managed to churn out all those words, & in relation to separate ideas! Hopefully at least some of which will end up as finished fics.

Edit: Heh, the flamingo understands your pain. :D

[lacygrey]

LOL! Thanks for that^^

[linaewen]

I'm doing very poorly with writing -- the only thing I seem to be able to manage is looking at the calendar and thinking, "Oh my gosh, I only have week left to write my Yule fic!" Things like that. ;-) There's no point in fretting now, though, until next week when things will be a bit settled again. Then we'll see how much fic I can crank out!

I believe my characters say "Indeed!" quite often. Other than that, I can't think of anything off hand. Probably because I haven't spent time with my fic lately....

My main pet peeve is when authors define and refer to their characters by hair color. Bar this practice!

[littlebutfierce]

Sometimes I feel like my characters make the same exclamations over & over (though I can't remember them right now, of course...). It's tricky!! If only one character did it, it could be considered developing the character's voice. But if they all do it...

& oh yes, the hair color epithets! I don't think of my friends as "the dark-haired woman," why would a viewpoint character in fic? The only time I could think of that I would feel okay w/that is if they are trying to pick someone out of a crowd & say that they catch a glimpse of blonde spiky hair or whatever, & a second later their friend emerges.

Good luck getting back to the fic next week!!

[bay_alexison]

Late, but bleh. D:

Yesterday I was able to rewrite the ending of the eight chapter, which I quite a bit (though I'll need to expand it later). I then wrote a small ficlet as I got inspired by a prompt. 260 words, but need to cut down to 250 words as it's for a weekly writing contest at LJ. XD Gonna do that soon.

Hm, I tend to have my characters smile, frown, and nod a lot too. Also I would always use expressions like "a content expression crossed their features" or something similar, ugh.

[littlebutfierce]

Woooo, yay for the rewriting & the ficlet!!!