Some people love collecting clutter *nudges basement door shut with foot*, but for photographers and writers, this is usually a big no-no.
When taking a photo, check the view finder or LCD screen to make sure everything in the picture is there for a reason. If it distracts from the subject, then remove the unwanted object, or move to a different location or angle so the object is no longer visible. You can also adjust the depth of field (aperture) so everything behind the subject is blurry.
During WriteOnCon in August, an editor* shared two questions to ask yourself to ensure your writing is clutter free. You ask these questions for each sentence, paragraph, scene, and chapter:
1. Why are you telling me this? (relevance)
2. Why are you telling me this now? (placement)
Also, go through your manuscript word by word, and ask yourself if the word is necessary, if it can be cut, or if it should be changed to a stronger word that will establish voice. For example, by changing ‘ran fast’ to ‘sprinted’, you’ve replaced two weaker words with a strong one. By changing the words to dashed or bolted, you’ve tweaked the voice.
How are you when it comes to clutter? Do you have any other suggestions for keeping your photos or writing clutter free?
*sorry, I went back to find the session, but couldn’t find the one I wanted. The one I think it was, isn’t linked to the schedule anymore.
<<<3
Since I have tons to do before my upcoming trip (like finish beta reading a project I’m in love with), today is my last post until my return to the blogosphere on November 21st. I miss you all already.
XOX
65 comments:
Have fun and I'm learning how to de-clutter. :)
Please come to my house and make my daughter and husband declutter. Please.
I agree about words. I cut my word count a ton by focusing on that in one or two revisions. Have a good few weeks and a fun trip.
It's such a great feeling - to declutter. Both my house and my writing! I have to be careful not to go to far b/c somethings in a story are fun to have, part of the story, character and voice, and belong there.
And have a great vacation! We'll miss you. :)
House-wise, I'm a clutter free person. If there's clutter, I can't think to write. But I do have one area of clutter weakness (although I keep if contained in bags) and that's bills. I hate filing them.
YES!!! I love replacing those verbs!! I'll miss you *sniff* Have a GREAT time!
Hmmm, I've never connected the idea from photography to writing. Now I want to look at other photography principles and apply them to my writing!
Yeah I de-clutter after I'm done, don't worry about it as I go through.
Thanks for this reminder. I was told last week that I over write sometimes- my sentences are too clunky and this is the reason why! You are so right with decluttering! Actually, I"m going through this now with my house...trying to get it ready to sell and I realized how much stuff I keep!
I like to keep things de-cluttered. I find it too distracting to my writing. And I'm the same when taking pictures, preferring to really focus in on certain details rather than the big, cluttered picture!
We'll miss you! And I remember that discussion. Thank you for the reminder as I'm currently revising. I can use all the help I can get. (And Save the Cat has been priceless!)
Such similar questions yet so different. Great stuff and very pertinent.
Have a blast on your getaway. The hubs and I are heading away next week to celebrate out anniversary, so I'll be gone too.
Take care!
Yes, I do like the slash and burn process of edits - get rid of those unnecessary words asap! Thanks for the tips too though - great questions to ask as I cut, cut, cut! Take care
x
Love it. So timely for me. I'm doing this right now!
Super advice Stina. I am guilty of not going through and evaluating each document word for word. It is tough, but readers sure do appreciate the final product.
Enjoy your time away Stina.
Ha, you haven't been to my house have you?
I tend to remove the clutter in my ms. during revisions, and then tweak during the final edit.
I'll miss you too. Have a great time on your tirp.
Oh, dear--I've got no problem with clutter in my house--but my writing is a little cluttered sometimes. This is excellent advice!
~JD
This is so perfectly simply. Love it!
Unfortunately I come across too many novels with a ton of "filler", with no good answer for those two questions. But yet there they are. *sigh*
Have a nice trip. Be safe!! :)
Have a great trip!
Great analogy with photography! As someone who loves photography, that really clicked for me. If there's too much clutter in a photo or scene, we risk the chance the viewer/reader will not see what we really want them to see.
I find it cathartic to go through what I have written and whittle out the extraneous blather.
I hate clutter. And now that you've pointed out it's relevance to photography I realize why I take pics like I do LOL. Everything has to be just right...I know what I want in the photo and what I don't want in the photo. If it's not right...I crop it. As for my writing? When I get to that final editing phase I will most definitely check every single word. It just makes things better, cleaner overall. Have fun on your trip!! Great post :)
Enjoy your trip! I am a verbose writer to say the least, so word clutter is definitely an issue for me. However, I'm not big on descriptions (I haaaate scenery), so I at least avoid inflation when it comes to three paragraphs to describe a house :).
This is a great post! I am going to print out those two sentences and put them up right in front of my face in every room in the house (okay maybe not every room but at least near the coffee maker...that area gets the most traffic...)
thanks for this!
~bru
You do not want to see my house :) And the clutter carries over to my overly long-winded novel writing. What simple questions these are, and how perfect! I think I'd better tape them over my desk :)
Have a great trip!
Those two questions are so simple, but I can see how they'd make all the difference. I'll definitely be using them. Thanks, Stina! Have an amazing trip!
LOVE this!! Thanks, Stina! :-)
Have a good time away, Stina. And thanks for the advice. It's so very important!
I. Love. This. Post. So simple and yet so profound. It'll stick in my head as I revise. THANKS!!!!
Have a great break. :)
I remember that WriteOnCon session! I wrote down those two questions in my notebook. (I think it was actually during one of the live Q&A sessions, which is probably why you can't find the article). I'm asking myself these questions as I revise my WIP.
Have a great trip!
Have a wonderful trip, Stina!
I love those two questions. I will be using them in my revisions, for sure.
Amy
Enjoy your trip. Great post.
My first drafts are always so cluttered that I cringe as I write, but tell myself to worry about it later. It's when I come to the editing stage that I get out my hack n slash hat and start taking out the trash. I like the questions to ask ourselves.
Great post.
Have a great trip. Removing clutter from life and writing is a good tip!
Oh man! I'll miss you. :P I tend to have the opposite problem. I have to fill out detail and info as I revise.
What great advice! We'll miss you too :)
I hate clutter. I hate clutter everywhere. I find it distracting!
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Twitter: @GlamKitten88
Great advice, Stina, as always! Love how you meld photography and writing.
Have a wonderful trip.
I love those questions. I've written them out :-)
See you when you get back!
Great post, Stina!! Unfortunately, clutter rules my life. Lol. Need to get stuff organized I know, but so little time. You're right about the same in a manuscript though. Learning how to do this more and more. Have fun on your trip and good luck on edits!!
Have a great break! My first drafts are filled with clutter, but I slash pretty ruthlessly during edits.
Thanks for this post, Stina. I'm a big fan of the clutter when it comes to words, which is why revising is SO hard because I have to whittle chapters down! But it's like ripping off a bandaid and then I realize that the story flows so much better without those extra words. Have a nice break!
Those are great questions to ask yourself as you write. Like Susan said, my first drafts are full of clutter, I'll have to do a big cleaning out once I finish this novel.
I deal with clutter every once in a while - in life and in writing - but not too bad, thankfully. Have fun on your trip. :)
That's some great advice. I would love to see a list of common weak words and combos like ran fast. Maybe a good idea for a post?
Wow...I like those questions, Stina! Will have them close when I am ready to revise. Thanks!
Great post with wonderful advice! I hate clutter, yet I find it in my house and in my writing. Luckily, since I hate it, there is great joy in getting rid of it.
Have a wonderful trip!
yeah, I think I tend to be too clean. I'm always having to go back and add more clutter. Or decor? What would that be? :D But a great post. These are always good questions to ask. ((hugs))
I'm going to keep those two questions in mind.
I dislike clutter. I'm really good at throwing out and organizing physical objects, but I need to work harder de-cluttering my writing.
We'll miss you!!!
And awesome post. Apparently I have to work on uncluttering my ms of the word "just!" I JUST seem to LOVE that word and I JUST can't live without it! lol
Good luck with your work, and enjoy your trip! Look forward to reading you again when you get back.
Those are awesome questions. Have fun on your trip.
OMG, I clean up the house whenever I'm taking pics. Sometimes I move all the crap just out of the frame view...but it works
We miss you already too! I love these tips on clutter from WriteOnCon. I'm writing those Q's down!
I love that idea of placement - why now? So many of us choose to write in chronological order, revealing the facts as they happen - rather than as the main character unravels things.
Have you been talking to my husband? I'm under stick instructions to declutter our house.
I know what you mean. I've had to cut so much clutter from my stories and some of it was really nice clutter but it just didn't add anything :(
Xoxo
When I was slashing my word count, I found too many instances where I was able to take out a whole phrase and replace it with a word or two. The amount of stuff that manages to slip by me is crazy. Great tips -- I usually have to go through and check for these things several times.
When I moved to France, I became clutter free – only taking with me what was essential. I hope this applies to my writing, too, but I'm sure there are things that just need to be thrown out!
Have a great trip! :)
Oh so much clutter. After Christmas I'm going to be staging our house in preparation for putting it on the market and I will be the clutters worst nightmare. Can't wait. Kind of.
I find that I go in "clutter phases." I'll go back and read sections in horror when I see all the literary dust bunnies. Love the two questions.
Two excellent observations. I think that is really great advice. Placement is key in a book and sometimes that can be the most difficult element. When to devulge the information to bring the reader the most tension.
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