My Tendencies as a Writer

I’m writing a short story, did you know that? It’s the first one I’ve ever written and the first fiction writing I’ve done for pay. It’s a scary prospect, but I’m enjoying it far more than I thought I would.

I want to talk today about my tendencies as a writer. Is it too soon to write about my tendencies? Not if they’re showing up, which they are. Why post it on the blog? Someone I admire (Tracy Barnett, if you’re wondering) uses an open process, and I don’t fear transparency.

Passive Voice

I didn’t expect this. I am a stickler about writer’s using passive voice. In my case, I add the word had to my verbs (double verbs). I thought I was doing this because of tense, but a friend pointed out that no, I’m using passive voice when I do this. I am endeavoring to destroy these before they make it to the page.

Tension - Payoff

Another tendency that I’m working on is the link between tension and payoff. If I ramp the tension up in a sentence, the second part of the sentence better bring the payoff. Without the payoff, I annoy my readers. That’s never a good thing.

Scene Framing

I think this is one that really bothers me. I need work on framing the scene. I tend to introduce pertinent details right when I need them instead of at the start of a scene. This confuses me readers and leaves them questioning what I’m telling them.