Category: Writing Page 12 of 24

I’m Sure There’s A Word That I Could Remove From This Title

On 26/01/2009

In Link, Personal, Uncategorized, Writing

I was re-reading Bill Martell’s ’16 Steps To Better Descriptions’ today, courtesy of a reminder link on Lucy’s site.

It’s a good solid chunk of advice, and I heartily recommend it to you. One line in particular caught my attention :

“The easiest two words to trim out of a sentence are AND and BUT. Usually these words are completely unnecessary. Cut them.”

I agree completely, but I’m actually acutely aware that (as well as lengthy sentences with excessive sub-clauses), one of my writing habits is the overuse of the word ‘that’. Not as a pronoun, but rather as a linking word, when a lot of the time it’s superfluous – as in ‘I know [that] you’ve got the treasure map, now hand it over’, to quote a line I said just this morning (don’t ask).

So, in the spirit of sharing and confession, which words or phrases – if any – are you aware you overuse? Are there certain words which you have to keep an eye out for in re-reading, and invariably find yourself removing as unnecessary? Do share, I’d feel better if I wasn’t the only one who’s openly flawed.

Not that there’s anything wrong with being aware of this sort of thing, of course – after all, Arthur Conan Doyle uses the word ‘singular’ repeatedly in describing Holmes’s cases (which strikes me as a bit of a paradox), and Damon Runyon used the phrase ‘more than somewhat’ so often that it became almost a catchphrase, and eventually the title of one of his books.

So, no shame in it – which is to say: go on, ‘fess up!

Trapped In The Office, As Our Kelly Almost Put It

By John

On 15/01/2009

In BBC, Link, Uncategorized, Writing

Am trapped at work so won’t be able to get to the BBC writersroom bash which starts in half an hour. Pah!

Still, if you go, hope you enjoy it – and report back, eh ?

Belfast Isn’t Just A Track By The Popular Beat Combo ‘Orbital’, You Know

By John

On 13/01/2009

In Link, Uncategorized, Writing

Another BBC Writersroom roadshow has been announced, this time in Belfast. It’s between 5:30 and 7:00pm on Thursday 29 January, at Studio One, Broadcasting House, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast.

As with previous roadshows, they don’t want any old loonies just coming in off the street, so if you want to be one of the select loonies who’s on the guest list, email your full name in the body of an email with the subject heading “Belfast Roadshow” to writersroom.events@bbc.co.uk.

Full details are available here, though the above pretty much covers it.

If you live nearby, why not go along and hand in your script in person? Given yesterday’s rant about postal inefficiency, it sounds like a good way to avoid the vagaries of the postal service, and save money at the same time…

Of Life Riley?

By John

On 09/01/2009

In Link, TV, Uncategorized, Writing

Does anyone know if the episode of new BBC sitcom Life of Riley which was on last night was, in fact, the first episode?

There were various jokes from the kids in the first five minutes or so about the dad’s previous girlfriends, but it didn’t seem to establish beforehand that Caroline Quentin’s character was their new Mum or whatever. And they appeared to be moving into a new home, but I didn’t know why… granted, I got a bit confused and wondered if I’d missed something vital, and didn’t stick around much beyond the 8min stage, but was this information there and I missed it, or not?

I’m genuinely not having a go at the writer – she’s a known name in comedy, with a pedigree going back to Spitting Image – so I’m more inclined to think that, for some reason, the BBC might have decided to play ep2 instead of a scene-setting opening episode. Maybe it was just me not paying attention, but if anyone can put me stright, I’m sincerely open to correction on this.

BBC Writersroom – Coming To A Town Near Me!

By John

On 07/01/2009

In Link, London, Uncategorized, Writing

… which is my typically inane way of saying that the BBC Writersroom are holding one of their Roadshows in London.

It’s next week – Thursday 15 January, from 5:30pm to 7pm, and it’s at the Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square. As with all the swankiest of events, your name has to be on the guest list, which means e-mailing your name, with the subject heading “London Roadshow” to writersroom.events@bbc.co.uk.

That pretty much covers it, but full details are available here.

I don’t intend to hand any of my work in to the BBC folks in person at the event (as it’s possible to do), but I’ve applied to attend – anyone else going? Let me know if you are, it’d be good to say hello to some fellow scribblers (or, as the case may be, typers).

No, It’s Not Paypal – This Is Something That Could Help You Earn Money (Though It’s Probably Pronounced Much The Same)

By John

On 06/01/2009

In Link, Uncategorized, Writing

I’ve written before about my love of notebooks, and how insanely useful they can be when writing, but even I would admit there are some occasions when pen and paper aren’t quite the right tool for the job.

One such time, I find, is when I’m trying to do something ‘bigger than writing notes’ – by which I mean trying to create a representation of character relationships, a timeline, a structure plan, breaking a story, creating a ‘beat sheet’, or what have you; the sort of times I need to be able to move my notes around as if they’re tiles on a Scrabble board.

The professional way to do this is, of course, to use a wipeboard, or a big noticeboard and post-it notes or postcards, but that’s not always possible when you’re not at home or you’re on a train or something like that.

To this end, I’ve recently been making pretty productive use of Papel, a free bit of software which allows you, to some extent, to create little notes to yourself, and save them all as part of a bigger ‘project’ file. I’ve so far used it as a repository for a bundle of notes on a novel and a TV feature, both of which I’m still shaping up, and it felt useful to get the various disparate scribbles in one place on the laptop. If nothing else, getting it all on the screen at one time showed me how much material I currently have, and whether I’m lacking beats in the second act or whatever.

Anyway, I’ve only been tinkering with it for a couple of days, but I’ve found it quite useful – if nothing else, it means that the various scribbled notes I’ve made to myself are rendered legible, which can only count as progress. As I say, it’s free to download (though I’m not sure if non-Windows users will be able to run it), and whilst I’m not going to pretend it’ll revolutionise your writing methods, it might be worth a look, to see if you find it useful.

To Semi-Paraphrase Goldfinger: Two Writers Saying It Could Be Chalked Up To Coincidence, But Three? One Should Perhaps Pay Attention.

By John

On 05/01/2009

In Link, Uncategorized, Writing

In chronological order, three quotes from writers of note which I’ve recently come across:

“The artist should never try to be popular. Rather the public should be more artistic.”
– Oscar Wilde

“Don’t give people what they want, give them what they need. What they want is for Sam and Diane to get together. Don’t give it to them.”
– Joss Whedon

“Creating something is not a democracy. The people have no say. The artist does. It doesn’t matter what the people witter on about; they and their response come after. They’re not there for the creation.”
– Russell T Davies

Is the underlying theme there, I wonder, the mandate from my betters I need to become even more of a puffed-up self-confident fool? Let’s hope not, or I’ll become even more unbearable.

Still, something to think about there, perhaps…

And The Unsurprising Moral Of The Story Is : You Actually Have To Care About The Story And Characters

By John

On 02/01/2009

In Link, TV, Uncategorized, Writing

Browsing through my new-ish copy of Writer’s Market the other day (no, I really was), I noticed that Mills and Boon publish 600 of their romance-oriented titles every year. That, a quick calculation reveals, is about 12 books every week – which kind of surprised me; I knew they published a lot of books, but almost two a day? Crikey.

Anyway, I idly started thinking about submitting something to them, and wondering if any of the stories knocking around the attic of my mind might be dusted off and polished to a Mills and Boon-y shine. Of course, in the way the universe has of making events converge, last night on BBC4 there was a programme called How To Write A Mills and Boon – the BBC iPlayer link is here.

It’s worth a watch – regardless of whether you’re thinking of sending stuff to them – as the novelist Stella Duffy has a go at writing a book for them, and despite having had about a dozen novels published, she finds that it’s not actually as easy as you might think; like writing for comics or soap operas, it shouldn’t be looked on as something that’s easy or somehow beneath one’s dignity. Writing within any confines is, after all, a challenge.

Welcome To 2009. Would You Like A Cup Of Tea?

By John

On 01/01/2009

In Personal, Uncategorized, Wedding, Writing

Well then, another year gone, and a new one started. Oh 2008, we hardly knew ye.

I’ll spare you a full run-down of which of my semi-resolutions I fulfilled, though paradoxically I got a whole load of things which weren’t on my list done (and I mean writing stuff, not things like, say, getting married). Ah well.

But rather than pick over the bones of 2008, I shall instead redouble my efforts – by this time next year (clenches fist, raises it to a thundering sky), YOU ALL SHALL KNOW MY NAME!

(For nice reasons, I mean, nothing bad.)

But, to each and every one of you, a very happy 2009, and may the year bring you everything you could ask for – as well as a few surprises.

From Hull

By John

On 20/12/2008

In Link, London, Uncategorized, Writing

Once again, the good people from the BBC Writersroom are holding a roadshow – this time in Hull on Wednesday 7 January 2009.

As with all the finest gatherings, you need to be on the list to get in, but it’s free to attend – full details of the how, when and where can be found here.

And, though no details are given, a roadshow session in London is promised for 2009. I’m very unlikely to attend the Hull event, but London… well, that’s my manor, innit?