!!!
In response to a thread that started like this:
I know that when we start writing furiously during November, it'll all be about the quantity rather than the quality (must...get...to...50k), but I recently came across a list of clichéd phrases by Claire Light. So if you're currently working on a story not related to Nano or if it happens to be after Nano that you're reading this and you're planning to edit your novel, this is a pretty good resource for helping you weed out all those tired, old expressions from your writing.
((Please do read the link.))
I wrote this:
I'm sorry but if the average person doesn't understand atop and save, that says very little for the human race. The beauty of writing and reading and the written word is that you CAN use words that may be dated. You CAN use an obscure reference.
If the person doesn't get the context clues, they'll put it from their mind or they will look it up and learn something. I don't know about you but *I* and many other readers I know *love* to learn new words from what we read.
If everyone catered to the common vernacular then every book would be dull and boring. Everything would sound and look the same. Writing needs to stand out and as writers we are supposed to be writing for our enjoyment as much as we are for the readers' enjoyment. If we write for ourselves, we're writing for the demographic that reads like we do. Is that bad.
I must say that I happen to use the over-used/clichés that she pointed out. If I'm pretentious so be it. I'm not trying to sound smart. It's how I speak. I've got a sizable vocabulary and I like to exercise it.
There are not cliché words...
I do try to avoid cliché phrases when I can but this woman is an idiot.
I know that when we start writing furiously during November, it'll all be about the quantity rather than the quality (must...get...to...50k), but I recently came across a list of clichéd phrases by Claire Light. So if you're currently working on a story not related to Nano or if it happens to be after Nano that you're reading this and you're planning to edit your novel, this is a pretty good resource for helping you weed out all those tired, old expressions from your writing.
((Please do read the link.))
I wrote this:
I'm sorry but if the average person doesn't understand atop and save, that says very little for the human race. The beauty of writing and reading and the written word is that you CAN use words that may be dated. You CAN use an obscure reference.
If the person doesn't get the context clues, they'll put it from their mind or they will look it up and learn something. I don't know about you but *I* and many other readers I know *love* to learn new words from what we read.
If everyone catered to the common vernacular then every book would be dull and boring. Everything would sound and look the same. Writing needs to stand out and as writers we are supposed to be writing for our enjoyment as much as we are for the readers' enjoyment. If we write for ourselves, we're writing for the demographic that reads like we do. Is that bad.
I must say that I happen to use the over-used/clichés that she pointed out. If I'm pretentious so be it. I'm not trying to sound smart. It's how I speak. I've got a sizable vocabulary and I like to exercise it.
There are not cliché words...
I do try to avoid cliché phrases when I can but this woman is an idiot.