(no subject)

[erastes]

ARGH!

Change of First Person Voice. I'd been writing my suburban stockbroker for a few months now and then I paused to write something in a very wordy Regency style - also first person. Now I've decided to go back and started to write the stockbroker again... he's coming out with overrunning convoluted fancy schmancy sentences.

GO AWAY, GEOFFREY YOU WORDY BUGGER, YOU'VE HAD YOUR TIME IN THE SACK!

I suppose the best way to exorcise him would be to re-read everything I've written on the novel so far? Anyone else had this problem?

Comments

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. Everything I write comes out sounding vaguely Victorian, even if it's got a contemporary setting. I think most of how I work round it is by deliberately shortening chopping up sentences until the Victorian-voice gives up...

[vashtan.livejournal.com]

Yes. Re-read what you did. Read an issue of Financial Times. Think money thoughts. Drink too much coffee. :)

[dgcandace.livejournal.com]

I have a big problem with this, especially if both characters share a common trait. Their voices can bleed together after I switch from one to another. I try to concentrate on what makes them different, distill it down to a few key characteristics, then write myself a little note to remind myself of those characteristics.

I have two snarky first-person guys. I had to remember that one was snarky>insecure>reactive>a slob, and the other was snarky>smug>proactive>prissy.

If I wasn't careful, though, the snarky really made them sound alike. Especially since it was probably the main trait of each of them.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Ah but your work sounding Victorian could just mean you write consistently well. I took your advice and started clipping the sentences and it's working. I'm not there yet, Geoffrey is still waving his gold frogging at me annoyingly, but I'm getting there...

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Hee! That's a really good idea! Thank you! It's sort of what I did to get into his head in the first place - how stupid of me to forget.

Thanks!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

oh dear lord... *laughs*

I'm such a magpie I'll end up with 120,000 words describing the chase of the young man who eventually gets eaten.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I guess in a snark fest, specially with two guys who know each other well, it's excusable if they bleed into each other a lot, sounds good though!

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

Ah but your work sounding Victorian could just mean you write consistently well.

Oh, thank you! I think a lot of it has to do with my first major project (which has existed for nearly eight years now without being finished, dear God) having a Victorian/Edwardian setting. I did manage to write a Regency piece once, but the jump wasn't nearly as large as trying to make my style sound contemporary.

Geoffrey is still waving his gold frogging at me annoyingly

Ah, characters who believe they're being neglected. I don't think there's enough attention in the world for them.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I know what you mean. Part of me writing gay historical is that I don't think I could write contemporary fiction convincingly. I've done a few short stories in the now, but they are PWP's and don't really have any connection with the world.

I'm trying to tell him that he's not just neglected, he's FINISHED. His story is done. But he's annoying.

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

Heh. Even better when you're finished with them and they keep trying to sneak into whatever you're writing afterward.

I've done a few short stories in the now, but they are PWP's and don't really have any connection with the world.

Both of the contemporary pieces I've written are so deeply within the narrator's POV that there's barely any connection outside of musical references and occasional geographical landmarks. I think my love of reading historical fiction really bleeds into my writing.

[nagasvoice.livejournal.com]

And there's a problem with eating the young --erm, I beg your pardon.
Now, where *were* those articles on ysterday's NASDAQ crash, anyway??