While some of us are pushing through the last week of Nanowrimo, noses to our keyboards, an editing-monster looms in our future, packing on problems like a glutton.
Kathy Wagoner wrote a great post clarifying three different writing terms that carry a lot of unwanted calories. These are often newbie problems, and I’ll confess that they gave my early writing serious indigestion. The good news is that after fixing them thousands of times (literally), I do a better job of avoiding them in the first place.
Are these important? Yes. All three of these can knock a reader out of the book or reduce a reader’s engagement by distancing them from the characters and story. For me, head-hopping will usually result in an unfinished read.
Even after years of vigilance, I still have to put my monster on the editing treadmill to trim away the fat and give my writing more muscle. Kathy did a thorough job of explaining the terms and providing examples. It’s worth clicking over for a look. 🙂
via 3 Fiction Writing Terms: Data Dump, Filter Word, Head Hopping
Myths of the Mirror 
So much to learn, Diana! Thanks for sharing – I left a comment on KL Wagner’s blog.
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Thanks, Molly. Kathy did a wonderful job of explaining and giving examples. Some important things to be aware of. 🙂
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So educational! I think about going back to college to study writing, but wonder if it would ruin things for me. Now that I’m 65 I can take courses for free at my local university. Are you self taught, Diana?
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I’m self taught, but I’ve been thinking about taking a class too – possibly in the fall. We don’t know what we don’t know, and I love learning new things and seeing my writing improve. 🙂 Never to old for school!
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My writing coach has opened my eyes to how much I need to learn. I am so grateful for her!
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Great reminders, Diana. Running back to my manuscript to recheck, which of the three sins I’ve committed. Writing a book is lots of work…*sigh* 😀
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It is a lot of work, but we keep doing it, don’t we? Thanks so much for the visit, Khaya. Happy Writing!
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I was aware of all three concepts , but I only knew Data dump by name/
Thanks for sharing this
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You’re welcome. These aren’t much of a problem with poetry, but in fiction they can be deadly. 🙂 Happy Writing!
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I’m going to win NaNo, but the thought of allllll the editing ahead of me is daunting. I’m giving myself at least a week off before diving in. Thanks for sharing this, Diana!
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I can relate to the editing groan, Teri. The clean-up is the major downside of vomit-writing… which NaNo seems to require. Ha ha. I usually edit as I go, so this process always feels incredibly messy. But YAY, you won, and that’s a lot of words! Enjoy the week and then start editing. 🙂
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Thanks so much for sharing, Diana! 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by, Natalie. Some tips that I think are good to keep in mind for fiction writers. 🙂 I wish you a wonderful December! Happy Writing.
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I wish someone had explained data dumping to Tolstoy. There’s so much nonsense about agriculture in there! We don’t care, Leo, get on with it!
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Ha ha ha. Yes! Poor Tolstoy would never get an agent these days. He’d be self-publishing and getting terrible reviews for his data dumps. Lol Thanks for the laugh. 🙂
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Hmmm, i just read Kathy’s post. Head hopping is something i’ve never heard before, but data dumping and filters… if only i could lose weight while i’m working them off.
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Head hopping in first person is really rare, so you’re good on that one, Jina. I enjoyed your books so much that I didn’t notice the other two, but it’s always good to be vigilant. I still have to scour my books for filter words. They are so sneaky! Thanks for stopping by. I hope you’re getting lots of writing done!
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Do you look for data dump and filters as a seperate process?
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To eliminate filter words I do an entire editing pass. I look every single one of them up in my document and see if I can delete them. If your interested here they are: knew, thought, suspected, remembered, believed, understood, imagined, doubted, supposed, realized, wondered, guessed, hoped, wished, watched, saw, observed, felt, smelled, tasted, heard… (Now you’re probably sorry you asked!) Ha ha. And, of course, we can’t get rid of all of them, but it’s good to cut down on them. 🙂 Happy Writing!
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UGH! I’m really sorry i asked. I’ll copy those so i don’t forget… or maybe i shouldn’t.
Thanks!
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I figured you’d be un-delighted. Ha ha. They’re good to be aware of, and even if you only cut a few here and there, you’re writing will improve. To be honest, Jina, I didn’t notice much of this in your writing, so don’t stress. 🙂
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Thanks! But i’d attribute that to the person who did the proofreading and editing…. i was horrified when i realized she had all the -ly words (and so many others) marked for delete. It’s perplexing when you believe your work is as best as you can make and then someone comes and points out so many mistakes. Still, once i was over my illeteracy,
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I can totally relate, Jina. And seeing our writing through an editor’s eyes is a great learning experience. Unless someone points out our weaknesses, we often don’t see them. It sounds like you had a wonderful editor. 🙂
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Yeah, these three are an unholy trifecta to plague early writing. I once had a guy instruct me to make sure I read all the way through his prologue (I couldn’t–I gave up after three pages of deadly dull infodump). And most people find head-hopping distracting–I do to the point that I close the book. And filters have their place (I use them to slowly zoom in and out on the main character), but it’s always worth checking to see if you’ll even miss a filter if it’s cut. 🙂
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Agree with your comment 100%, Cathleen. Sometimes filter words are necessary, but they’re worth taking a look at and cutting when we can. The rest… are deadly. I too have little tolerance for head hopping as it pops me right out of the story. And I was guilty of all three at the beginning. Live and learn. 🙂
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I first read about data-dumping back on June 17 of 1972, a cold and wet day in an otherwise hot, dry summer. It was the day, five men were arrested for breaking into the DNC headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington DC. Though those events have no bearing on this comment, I thought I would mention it anyway.
Let me tell you how all of that made me feel. It felt horrible.
I do not know what the burglars were thinking…but let’s try to suppose….
Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Kathy’s article was excellent and a great reminder to avoid bad habit that are easy to fall back into.
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I wasn’t old enough to understand what a horrible leader Nixon was. I’ve actually learned a lot more about that time based on what’s happening now. I guess it gives me hope that we’ll survive this one too. Yeah, the writer kind of data-dumping isn’t as bad as burglary, but it also much more boring. Better to limit our transgressions, or at least break them up and spread them around. 🙂
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Here is my favorite quote from Abraham Lincoln:
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There’s truth in that indeed. Great quote.
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This is a great post on those three gremlins! Great reminders of what to look for (those darn filter words!!). Now, back to the keyboard… have a great week, Diana!
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Thanks for stopping by, Julie. I’m with you on those filter words. The other two are pretty easy to avoid once we get a handle on them, but those filter words are another story! Ugh. They are so sneaky. You’re doing great btw with Nano. Keep it up!
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good tips, the newbies get carried away beyond redemption 🙂
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We are all newbies at some time, right? And even seasoned writers need to edit. And then there’s the fact that none of the “rules” apply all the time. Aah, perhaps that’s why writing is an art form as well as a craft. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by to take a peek. Happy Writing!
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I am still one and do get carried away 🙂 You on the other hand seem to be so wise.
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Ha! Not. Still learning, always learning. 🙂
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I am not going to hit the 50,000 word count. Other writing assignments have ended up taken priority over the novel that I’m writing for the challenge. What I’m excited about is that I have started a novel that I have wanted to start for awhile, and I have more words than I would if I wasn’t doing this challenge.
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You have a great attitude! And I think Nano is actually more about giving us a push to get writing than it is about word count. I do several self imposed Nano’s every year when the time is right. Keep up the work on your novel! Happy Writing!
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This is a great share, Diana! We all need these reminders and refreshers!
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I liked Kathy’s post because it was so clear, and the examples help to clarify the points. These steps are on a long checklist of editing to-do’s that I follow when I get to that point. Tedious work but worth it. Thanks for the visit, Jan, and Happy Writing!
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I really dislike head hopping. When I complain about it, the writer invariably says they’re using third person omniscient. Which always leaves me feeling like I’m standing near a crowd listening to their thoughts without being involved. Sigh.
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I have the same experience, Jacqui. Omniscient is very difficult to write well and creating distance between the reader and characters is risky. There are specific story structures where it’s appropriate, and I’ve read some great omniscient stories, but I wouldn’t attempt to write one. Thanks for sharing your experience, and Happy Writing!
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Thanks for sharing this, definitely something to add to my editing checklist as I work towards submitting my creative assignments 🙂
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In my experience, Louise, these will rear up and slap an editor in the face, so best kept to a minimum. I still battle routinely with filter words because they just love to sneak in there. I’m glad you found this helpful. Happy Writing!
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My bug bear: ‘just’. My least favourite four letter word yet it keeps sneaking into my writing. 😦
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Oh, I have a bunch of those, Andrea: just, only, that, even, now, still, rather… they go on and on. Ha ha. I edit almost all of them out when the time comes. Talk about tedious and time-consuming! Thanks for stopping by, my friend, and Happy Writing!
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-grin- so glad I’m not the only one!
As the late, great Robin Williams once said: ‘Nanonano!” 🙂
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Thanks, Diana for the thorough explanations of these writing problems and the remedies. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Thanks for visiting, Suzanne. Kathy really deserves the credit for this one. Her descriptions and examples were excellent. I just added my two cents and shared. I’m glad they were interesting! Happy Writing!
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Something interesting for me to read as I am considering more and more seriously writing a novel.
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Oh good for you, Dawn. These are good ones to keep in mind. And of course, there is a lot of valuable advice in blogland. Write your story in whatever way works for you and don’t worry to much about editing stuff until later. It’s important to get the story out, explore your own style, and find your unique voice as an author. The rest will come together. Thanks for the visit and Happy Writing!
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Yes, I’m aware of the need to let the story out. I participated in my first writing contest (well, second if you count the Halloween story!). A short story. The end goal was 3,000 signs. The story poured out of me, it had been brewing for a week. 5,500 signs. Almost twice what I was allowed. But it was interesting to have to cut it down to the bare minimum, to find what was necessary to the story, what was important to me. Now… a few weeks to wait to know the results. But participating already was a good start. It means I am starting to consider myself a writer, and that can only be a good thing!
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Having to whittle a story down to its essentials is great practice, Dawn. I’m so glad you’re giving it a go. You might find yourself coming down with the writing bug… then you won’t be able to stop. 🙂
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😊
I know!!
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Great share Diana. We live and hopefully learn. Head hopping drives me mad! 🙂 Peeves. lol. ❤
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Me too. Personally, head hopping, is very jarring to me. Yes, live and learn… so much of writing is nuanced too – based on the character’s voice and the story. These three are pretty good things to be aware of. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Debby! Have a great Sunday.
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Thanks Diana. Happy Sunday to you too. 🙂 x
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Thanks, Diana. 🙂 Happy writing, my friend!
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Thanks for this, Diana. Head hopping has the same effect on me. It has to be done carefully, and even then… not my favorite thing at all.
Data dump — I get what that would be, even though I am not used to seeing the term used in regard to writing. Yes, something else that has to be handled with care. But filter word… I need to click over and learn what that is.
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Now go and WriMo-mo-mo!
Hugs on the wing.
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Oh good. I’m glad there was something here to investigate. What’s great is that filter words are an easy peasy fix and getting rid of them makes writing so much more present to the reader. 😀 Happy Writing!
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Thanks, Diana! I needed this post reminder! Editing again now! Christine
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I have to incorporate these into every editing pass, Christine. They seem to make a big difference. Thanks for reading and Happy Editing. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and holiday season. 🙂
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Diana, the list goes on and on, doesn’t it? No passive words, show don’t tell, etc! I’m writing a historical fiction book and what a challenge to get the history in without it being an info dump! Happy Holidays to you too! Christine
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Oh, I can imagine! It’s probably similar to world building in speculative fiction. We have to smash it into small parts and slide it in here and there. And trust our readers to fill in the gaps too. Yes, the list goes on and on. And then the rules aren’t hard and fast either. There are always exceptions!
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Thanks for sharing
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Your welcome, Lynn. I don’t think you have to worry about any of these glitches in your writing. 🙂
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So kind xo
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Great post, Diana- those darn info dumps, lol.
Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving ❤
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Thanks for stopping by, Jacquie. I thought Kathy did a great job of summarizing the terms and giving examples. Yes, those data dumps can really bog down a story… especially when they open a book. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
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Great information here, Diana. Thanks so much for sharing. Good luck with the final NaNo push!
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I’m going to make the word count today, but will keep going for the week, Jill. Then the holiday season kicks into gear! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Happy Writing!
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Thank you for sharing Diana, great advice as always! Some great pointers too. ❤
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Thanks for stopping by, Holly. I’m still nose deep in Nano and have been watching all the editing challenges stack up in my wake. Ha ha. Never a dull moment. I hope you had a lovely holiday. 🙂
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It was very nice, hope yours was! I didn’t join into NaNo this year but enjoying the reads! 😊
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Thank you so much for sharing, Diana! I hope it’ll come in handy to all my NaNoWriMo friends 🙂 ❤
Glad to hear you don't have to deal with these so much anymore! That's what happens when you practice practice practice 😉
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So true, Sophie. The more I have to FIX things, the better I learn them. Ha ha. The story of my life, really. 🙂 I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. Have a great weekend and Happy Reading!
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Thank you, and to you my friend! ❤
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Thanks. Great info. U might also like a bk called, rivet your reader with intense point of view. I loved it. Quick short read.
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Thanks for the visit, CJ. Yes, a very succinct overview and yet really valuable information. 🙂 Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Writing!
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I like your “editing monster” and “unwanted calories”…recently I have read a badly edited book and can’t agree less with you Diana. Only a monster can edit well that’s why we need a professional one. Thanks for sharing this post. Happy writing dear friend.
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Yeah, self-editing is a real risk. We don’t know what we don’t know, right? Another set of eyes, especially constructively critical ones, are a necessity. Thanks for stopping by, Balroop. 🙂 I hope you have an amazing weekend!
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Thanks for sharing the informational post, Diana. I can’t forget editing and revising my first NaNoWriMo story before I knew what I was doing. I’ve since learned to draft my story correctly from the beginning, but others have to do what works for them. Happy NaNoWriMo writing.
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I’m usually an edit as I go gal, Mary, so Nano stretches me to just keep going and ignore the growing editing beast. Ha ha. I know I’m going to be breaking apart data dumps and killing filter words. *Sigh* I’m so glad you avoid these to begin with. It saves time with the hatchet later. Happy Writing!
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That doesn’t mean my draft is close to being ready to publish. Oh, no, no, no! 🙂
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Lol.
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Great advice here, Diana and thank you for sharing Kathy’s post (where she quoted you!) I find too much data deadens a book for me … often just as you’re getting into the story. You can understand the writer is keen to share their hard-learned research but they don’t seem to realise the fictional story becomes buried in the mass of mostly irrelevant information.
Hope the writing is going well- only a week to go … but guess you knew that! Happy Weekend! xx
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I can often tolerate little data dumps, though I might skim them, Annika. And I have given up on books that seem to be one long data dump. The world building might be amazing, but it can really bog down a story. And of course, I think these are great tips because I used to do them all! LOL. Happy Writing!
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I used to read a lot of political thrillers and by necessity there was a lot of background information, explanation but there is a fine line of becoming too dense!
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I’ve never heard of these terms, but will explore. Thanks for the share Diana.
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They’re really good ones, Brad, and they make a huge difference. When I started writing, I was a head-hopper, among other things. Publishers wouldn’t give me the time of day. I rewrote the entire book to get rid of it, and only then landed a contract. I hope you find these useful. 🙂 Happy Writing!
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I love your writing and admire your commitment to the craft Diana. 💜 I’m a casual writer with no aspirations beyond blogging at this time.
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😀 And you blog beautifully.
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Reblogged this on Kim's Author Support Blog.
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Thanks for sharing, Kim. Such important information for authors, and Kathy did a great job pulling it all together. 🙂
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Thank you for sharing!
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You’re welcome. 🙂 A great post, Kathy. Have a wonderful weekend!
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