Last week, I started a new feature here on It's a Mystery, Wee Writing Wisdoms. Of course, if you're going to have Wisdoms, then you have to be honest and have Whoops.
Therefore, welcome to Wee Writing Whoops - wherein we can confess a writing mistake. Here's one of mine (and I've got a million at least)
I once wrote the same scene three times. No, not three times trying to perfect the gosh-darned thing, the same scene in three different places in the manuscript. Discovering this scene the second time was bad; the third time was...shall I say....colourful.
Now, 'fess up! Share one of your writing whoops.
Please don't leave me standing here all alone.
I once wrote the same scene three times. No, not three times trying to perfect the gosh-darned thing, the same scene in three different places in the manuscript. Discovering this scene the second time was bad; the third time was...shall I say....colourful.
Now, 'fess up! Share one of your writing whoops.
Please don't leave me standing here all alone.
In My first 'real' full length story, I had some new plot ideas (a lot of them). As a fast drafter, I don't edit anything first go round, I rely on the separate notes I make. On paper. Which I lost for this one. I read it once and honestly, it's as though somebody cut up seven books and randomly stuck pages together.
ReplyDeleteI had two Tuesdays in the same manuscript. With different things happening on each one. The ending had to occur on a specific day, and the start day was somewhat specific, but thankfully loose enough I could work the important things in. But it took a while.
ReplyDeleteSarah; I don't edit much first go round either; I'm far more concerned with getting the gosh-darned words onto the page. Reading that draft must have been an experience!
ReplyDeleteCarol; That must have taken a great deal of work to straighten out. It IS tricky when the plot demands a definite start and end date. I admire you for finding a way through your two Tuesdays.
I'm glad I'm not the only one! I've written a scene twice, too. And had some characters change names in the course of the story. :) Thank goodness for editors!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was first starting out writing I was reading a lot too. After about 4 drafts of my first chapter I noticed a disturbing trend - I was coping the voice of the author I was reading when I wrote the draft. There was one draft that was really Tolkien-esk (although I did not pull it off that well).
ReplyDeleteI remember reading through the drafts and thinking - this is not me. I had to stop reading all together until I found my voice and settle into it.
I've experienced every mistake the above posters have mentioned- honestly. Changing names of characters half way through, mixing up days, repeating scenes- that is me through and through. I am the Queen of Whoops. But the best is a short story I wrote about terrorism where a school was taken over by some terrorists. I sent the story out to a lit mag with my terrorist wearing baklava on their heads. Yep. I did it. :(
ReplyDeleteElspeth - I've "whoopsed" so often! One that I did was to give the same character three different names. Really. And what's worst is that I didn't even catch the mistake :-(. One of my beta readers did. For shame!
ReplyDeleteElizabeth - Thank goodness, indeed! I'm relieved even someone has organized as you can have a wee whoops!
ReplyDeleteKrista; Good for you that you were able to recognize that you weren't writing in your own voice. That's impressive.
Lauri; Thank you SO MUCH for sharing that. I don't suppose the lit mag thought you were being brilliantly symbolic in an ironic way?
Margot; Ah, but at least it was caught! What would we do without those beta readers! I do understand how you must have felt, though. It's humbling.
I don't think so, Elspeth, I got a rejection.
ReplyDeleteAs I am a planner, that would hardly happen to me. If we forget about my first, ridiculous work that only my mother loved, I suppose it was setting out to create a protagonist who was a bit like me, just more stupid, careful and inactive. It took YEARS to knock the dust out of her :D
ReplyDeleteWould you believe 3 characters named Henry/Hank? And the editor didn't catch it. I found them when I got rights back and was re-editing What's In A Name? First version was before I used my character name spreadsheet, a mistake now rectified for any book I'm writing.
ReplyDeleteTerry
Terry's Place
Romance with a Twist--of Mystery
Dorte; Thanks for sharing - and yes, planning does help to avoid *most* of the whoops.
ReplyDeleteTerry; Oh NO!! Retroactive embarrassment is the worst. I do a similar spreadsheet - which I learned to do after I realized I have a habit of naming several characters with names starting with the same letter.