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NancyBrooke
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Joined: 11 May 2003
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 Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 5:08 pm Post subject: Dribble Drabble Dribble Drabble Dribble Drabble Drum |
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DRABBLING IS KILLING MY PROSE!!!!
After writing so many drabbles I feel like every word in my prose must be critically important and do the work of two - must not have anything superflous.
  
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NB Duchess of WHY TF Cant'chu Punctuate, First Duchess of F*&(ing &*ll yur comma placement sux!
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SpaceWeavil
Joined: 27 May 2004
Posts: 23
Location: Looking at shiny things
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| Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 5:19 pm Post subject: Re: Dribble Drabble Dribble Drabble Dribble Drabble Drum |
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| NancyBrooke wrote: | DRABBLING IS KILLING MY PROSE!!!!
After writing so many drabbles I feel like every word in my prose must be critically important and do the work of two - must not have anything superflous.
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I've found it really useful in getting my mind to think of alternatives to long phrases. For instance I've written two essays today, one which had to be 750 words, the other 3000, and both were over the limit, so I used drabbling technique to cut them both down. And it came really naturally from all the practice. So in a way they are good.
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Rhapsody
Joined: 11 Apr 2004
Posts: 1153
Location: Maglor's Lap
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| Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 5:24 pm Post subject: Re: Dribble Drabble Dribble Drabble Dribble Drabble Drum |
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| NancyBrooke wrote: | DRABBLING IS KILLING MY PROSE!!!!
After writing so many drabbles I feel like every word in my prose must be critically important and do the work of two - must not have anything superflous.
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Well it never hurts to have a close eye on redundancy while writing... using one strong verb instead of two weaks ones... cutting back on adjectives for the same reason... But we can put you in rehab if you want to 
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Alatariel
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Posts: 23
Location: wearing raincoats, standing solo, in the sun
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| Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 6:29 pm Post subject: Re: Dribble Drabble Dribble Drabble Dribble Drabble Drum |
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| SpaceWeavil wrote: | | NancyBrooke wrote: | DRABBLING IS KILLING MY PROSE!!!!
After writing so many drabbles I feel like every word in my prose must be critically important and do the work of two - must not have anything superflous.
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I've found it really useful in getting my mind to think of alternatives to long phrases. For instance I've written two essays today, one which had to be 750 words, the other 3000, and both were over the limit, so I used drabbling technique to cut them both down. And it came really naturally from all the practice. So in a way they are good. |
I agree Space - I was in the same essay situation early. I can see how drabbling would make the cut-backs that much easier. |
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SpaceWeavil
Joined: 27 May 2004
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| Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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It actually also helps you notice things you tend to use a lot that are kind of superfluous. For instance I have a tendency to overuse 'as' clauses, and drabbling helped me go through and spot where I'd started sentences, 'as he was such and such' and get rid of 90% of them.
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Sulriel
Joined: 06 Jan 2004
Posts: 286
Location: Imladris (or maybe Texas ...)
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| Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:14 pm Post subject: Re: Dribble Drabble Dribble Drabble Dribble Drabble Drum |
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| NancyBrooke wrote: | DRABBLING IS KILLING MY PROSE!!!!
After writing so many drabbles I feel like every word in my prose must be critically important and do the work of two - must not have anything superflous.
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but for the most part, don't you think that's true? That the words should each be needed regardless of the total length of the work?
Flavor and nuance adds to the background and emotion, - but it's still added specifically for purpose. ... - to set the mood and emotion, to tell something about the character that arranged the room or what challenges the characters will be facing from the landscape.
I can't drabble worth a durn, but I use a drabble kind of mindset when I'm having trouble with a passage - is this line, this word *needed*? What does it tell the reader about the character or the plot, what does it make the reader feel?
but all that said - Nancy, I've never felt your work is especially wordy, if I remember, I've read quite a few of yours and really enjoyed them. - sounds like you're going through some growing pains! (I'll be watching to see what they produce )
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Alatariel
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
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Location: wearing raincoats, standing solo, in the sun
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| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 12:23 am Post subject: Re: Dribble Drabble Dribble Drabble Dribble Drabble Drum |
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| Sulriel wrote: | | NancyBrooke wrote: | DRABBLING IS KILLING MY PROSE!!!!
After writing so many drabbles I feel like every word in my prose must be critically important and do the work of two - must not have anything superflous.
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but for the most part, don't you think that's true? That the words should each be needed regardless of the total length of the work?
Flavor and nuance adds to the background and emotion, - but it's still added specifically for purpose. ... - to set the mood and emotion, to tell something about the character that arranged the room or what challenges the characters will be facing from the landscape.
I can't drabble worth a durn, but I use a drabble kind of mindset when I'm having trouble with a passage - is this line, this word *needed*? What does it tell the reader about the character or the plot, what does it make the reader feel?
but all that said - Nancy, I've never felt your work is especially wordy, if I remember, I've read quite a few of yours and really enjoyed them. - sounds like you're going through some growing pains! (I'll be watching to see what they produce ) |
I agree Sulriel - sometimes you need that extra background. It's nice to have the space to write as much as you can. But it really is amazing when you stumble upon a single word that can describe the same thing you were trying to get across with five. I had that experience with the word 'wanton' the other day. Language can be so far reaching with just a few words, don't you think? |
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Sulriel
Joined: 06 Jan 2004
Posts: 286
Location: Imladris (or maybe Texas ...)
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| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:02 am Post subject: Dribble Drabble Dribble Drabble Dribble Drabble |
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oh yes! wanton is a wonderful, visual word - it gives you almost an entire character. - it's a case where wordy vs tight prose isn't so much about about simply cutting words(thoughts) as it about making specific word choices.
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Rhapsody
Joined: 11 Apr 2004
Posts: 1153
Location: Maglor's Lap
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| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:09 am Post subject: Re: Dribble Drabble Dribble Drabble Dribble Drabble |
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| Sulriel wrote: | | oh yes! wanton is a wonderful, visual word - it gives you almost an entire character. - it's a case where wordy vs tight prose isn't so much about about simply cutting words(thoughts) as it about making specific word choices. |
Actually I find myself on the road of discovery of new words to learn every day. Sometimes while reading work of others I come across a word and sometimes I can derive the meaning a bit from the place in the sentence or context, but a dictionary or a thesaurus opens up a world to you. There is a downside sometimes as well, I have the perfect word or meaning in Dutch and it doesn't translate at all to English. So most often things are lost to me as well. Ah well, a journey full of discoveries 
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Icon made by Carnage in c minor. |
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NancyBrooke
Challenge Admin
Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 160
Location: In a motel 6 by the airport
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| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 1:57 pm Post subject: Re: Dribble Drabble Dribble Drabble Dribble Drabble Drum |
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| Rhapsody wrote: | | NancyBrooke wrote: | DRABBLING IS KILLING MY PROSE!!!!
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we can put you in rehab if you want to |
Yes! I need that ... I'm sweating every word lately and it's making me crazy - should it be 'flickering' or 'crackling'?  Cannot just get the goram thing on paper!! 
thank you for listening
btw, I think you all are taking this thread way too seriously
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NB Duchess of WHY TF Cant'chu Punctuate, First Duchess of F*&(ing &*ll yur comma placement sux!
Nazgul #3 in charge of ducking & sniggering
Garo golf a conu ned i eneth aran an ir ho delitha ad |
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