Let's Play in the Mud! Cleaning Up Messy Writing

First drafts can be messy. That's okay, right? Everyone says they're supposed to be messy!


But eventually, we have to face that mess, and it might not necessarily be simple adverb searches or grammar fixes... it might be one of those Cat in the Hat messes, the kind that's so big and so deep and so tall, it seems there's no way to fix it it, no way at all.


In other words...


It might be that we need to fix the actual writing.


Daunting. Such a feat leaves some writers *cough cough* longing to start a new story. But revising is important; I'm determined to follow through with my manuscript. The other day while revising procrastinating taking a break on Twitter, I noticed my friend Andrew Turner, @snowppl (a talented writer and all-around wonderful person), talking about revisions, and I confessed that I felt like my wip is a mess. He said we should “play in the mud,” and so began a back-and-forth of common, muddy problems found as we revised our manuscripts. 

Clearly, we write like pigs.


In an effort to clean up this mess, I researched problem areas and assembled a list for you-- yes a list! I'm fond of lists. Andrew and I had way too much fun making mudpies from overwritten melodrama, building bad dialogue mud castles, and tracking muddy footprints of excessive introspection... now it's time to clean it up!

Overwriting

What it is: 

Overuse of adjectives, metaphors-- heavy description that slows down the action. Instead of enhancing the story and creating a world, it just bogs the whole thing down.

What to do: 

Edit! Find those overwritten passages and carve it down to find the beauty beneath. Here’s a great link from award-winning author Nicola Morgan, with everything you need to know about identifying-- and getting rid of-- overwritten narrative.

Melodrama

What it is:

Soap opera reactions; it’s the stuff I roll my eyes at in movies, and cringe at in my own writing. The difference between drama and melodrama isn’t always as obvious as one would think. I think this quote by film director Frank Capra sums it up: “I made mistakes in drama. I thought drama was when actors cried. But drama is when the audience cries.”

What to do:

Editing, apparently, is the solution as well. Again, here’s a link from another award winning author, Rukhsana K’han, detailing melodrama and ways to spot it in our own writing.

Bad Dialogue

What it is:

Unrealistic, stilted, unnatural... when our characters speak, it should matter. What are they saying?

What to do:

I’m sure you can guess... we must edit. There’s no other way to get rid of it! If this is one of your problem areas, check out this link on Seven Keys to Writing Good Dialogue from writing rock star and former agent Nathan Bransford. 

Excessive Introspection

What it is:

Those inner thoughts that go on and on; rather than giving the reader insight into our character, it slows down the action and we LOSE our reader! They might skim... or even stop reading altogether.

What to do:

Yup, edit the excess away. I had trouble finding a link that explained introspection in detail, but then I came across a forum thread in which a few published authors (including Carrie Ryan) answered this question: How Much Introspection is Too Much Introspection? 

As I read about these big picture issues, "less is more" was a common theme... so, when in doubt, leave it out? What if you're always in doubt? The only thing I'm sure of is, cleaning up these kinds of problems is not an easy job. Critique partners are invaluable, but ultimately it's up to each of us, as the authors of our own stories, to decide what's working and what needs to be cut. 

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Diana Paz is a web content writer and aspiring YA author. She grew up on Miami Beach, moved to Los Angeles in high school, and went to college in San Diego. Basically, she's a beach bum, but she did graduate from California State University, San Marcos with a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Arts. She loves old movies, epic fantasy, all kinds of music, and heading to the beach with a good book. Preferably sipping a caramel frappuccino. Find her at her blog: dianapazblog.blogspot.com or on Twitter @dianapazwrites