To Be Honest

In Today’s Journal

* Quote of the Day
* Steam Powered Typewriter!
* To Be Honest
* Mentorships Available
* Writers Write
* Of Interest
* The Numbers

Quote of the Day

“For 2025, I plan to use slow-growth strategies and steady, low budgets for advertising that lean on audience building. My goal is to spend no more than 30-60 minutes on ads per day.” Katie Cross (See the first item in Of Interest.)

Steam Powered Typewriter!

My endless thanks to my buddy Patrick D who provided the following link:

The Steam Typewriter

Thanks, Patrick. I knew I hadn’t mentally slipped around the bend quite yet. (grin)

To Be Honest (and Other Throw-Away Phrases)

This is another little blurb about the difference between you, the writer as the faithful Recorder, and you, the writer as Presenter.

One of the many ‘first rules’ of fiction is that characters say what characters say—and in unspoken thought or ‘internal monologue’, think what they think—and the writer shouldn’t ‘correct’ them.

Let your characters be who they are.

Even if dialogue tastes off-color to you or seems (to you) to be getting off the point, go with it as-is. Trust yourself and the characters who live within your creative subconscious. Or whom you access through your creative subconscious, as I do.

That’s your role as the faithful Recorder of your characters’ stories.

On the other hand, as the Presenter, you are the narrator (but remember, not of the character’s unspoken thoughts), even if you’re narrating through the senses of your POV character.

So that difference between you as Recorder and you as Presenter is the basis for the following:

To be honest, “to be honest” is an unnecessary, throw-away phrase. Unless a character utters it in dialogue to another character, you can always safely remove “to be honest” from any sentence you write in fiction.

I personally like introductory throw-away phrases, and I am plagued by them. I no longer begin a sentence of narrative with “To be honest,” but I often used it in my early fiction.

These days the phrase still crosses my mind occasionally as I’m writing, but I generally catch it before it makes it onto the page. In every case, the passage feels (and is) cleaner without it.

Also, every throw-away phrase is an author intrusion.

Every instance of a throw-away phrase is you the writer intruding on the characters’ story. Most often the throw-away phrase is a result of your own insecurity, thinking the reader won’t ‘get it.’

But if you’ve done your job grounding the reader, the reader’s in the story with the character. So the reader is witnessing first hand with his own eyes, ears, nose etc. whatever the character encounters.

Which is why you, the writer, don’t need to tell the reader what’s going on. Let the characters direct the reader. They, not you, are living the story.

Your only job as Recorder is to write the story down. Your only job as Presenter is to pass it along to the reader in the most enticing and presentable way. And ‘enticing and presentable’ never includes author intrusion.

Other more common throw-away phrases and clauses (subject + verb) that spring to mind include

  • “S/he/they I knew/believed that”
  • “S/he/they I was/were certain/sure/convinced that”
  • “S/he/they I thought”
  • “S/he/they I became convinced that”
  • “S/he/they I guessed/supposed”
  • “S/he/they I seemed certain/sure/convinced that” (This is nuanced. Note that the narrator might write that a character “seemed to search my eyes” as opposed to “looked at me.”
  • “In fact,”
  • “As a result,”
  • “The fact of the matter is, (or is that)”
  • “Truth be told,”

And there are many others. If you have a favorite introductory pet phrase that you slip into as you write and you aren’t sure whether to keep it or pitch it, leave a comment or email me. Be sure to provide context, and I’ll be glad to give you my opinion.

And yes, all of the above is valid whether you’re writing in first-person or third-person.

You will notice many of these during your cycling sessions. When you notice them, toss them out. Don’t try to reword or rephrase them.

The meat of the valid description of an action, character, or scene most often begins with the word after the throw-away phrase or clause.

A quick fix is to delete the phrase or clause, capitalize the next word, and keep reading (during cycling) or writing. You’ll find that deleting the phrase tightens the story.

Mentorships Available

As I mentioned a few days ago, I’m willing to mentor any writer, one on one and using their own work as the guide, on a month-by-month basis as needed on any writing topic.

While the mentorship is ongoing, we can talk about any writing topic as often as you like. If you’re interested, email me at harveystanbrough@gmail.com for details.

Writers Write

My buddy Big Philly Smith of The Rumored Land Back East handed me a great question in a comment:

“When it comes to bullshitting with people, I’m an awesome storyteller. … I can take an anecdote and crush its retelling. This makes me wonder whether I should write as I speak? In other words, watch the characters in my mind and write as if I’m emailing it to a buddy or telling it aloud at a party?”

My Response

Let me think: UM, YES, DO THAT.

But get your head straight. Write like your CHARACTERS speak. Remember, they, not you, are living the story you’re conveying. … Anytime you’re telling a story, it’s a character talking through your lips and teeth or through your fingertips. No difference.

And yes, it’s important to set that distinction in your mind. Give your characters their due.

Talk with you again soon.

Of Interest

How I’m Thinking Differently About Selling Books in 2025

Story #15 on Day #15 Maybe some insights on publishing challenges for you.

Writing Activities and Other Fun for School Visits

Annual Writing Competition Read the whole page. There are entry fees.

The Numbers

The Journal…………………………… 990

Writing of Blackwell Ops 35: Seldem Dunn

Day 1…… 3796 words. To date…… 3796
Day 2…… 3389 words. To date…… 7185
Day 3…… 4085 words. To date…… 11270
Day 4…… 4234 words. To date…… 15504

Fiction for January…………………… 64397
Fiction for 2025………………………. 64397
Nonfiction for January……………….. 17490
Nonfiction for 2025…………………… 17490
2025 consumable words…………….. 81887

Average Fiction WPD (January)……. 4025

2025 Novels to Date…………………….. 1
2025 Novellas to Date…………………… 0
2025 Short Stories to Date……………… 3
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………….. 105
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)…………… 10
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……… 274
Short story collections……………………. 29

Disclaimer: Whatever you believe, unreasoning fear and the myths that outlining, revising, and rewriting will make your work better are lies. They will always slow your progress as a writer or stop you cold. I will never teach the myths on this blog.

Writing fiction should never be something that stresses you out. It should be fun. On this blog I teach Writing Into the Dark and adherence to Heinlein’s Rules. Because of WITD and because I endeavor to follow those Rules I am a prolific professional fiction writer. You can be too.

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