Kris Spisak's Blog, page 40

Writing Tip #142: “Extract Revenge” vs. “Exact Revenge”

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure this owl is up to something. And I might be a little scared.

If you were a magical being and you were to “extract revenge” from some cauldron of calamity, maybe you’d be using your words correctly. However, for most writers plotting vengeance for their characters (or themselves?), the proper idiom is “to exact revenge.”

***insert menacing music here***

Revenge is a delicate subject. I could see how handling it properly seems like something you might do with a pipette and a beaker, but that’s just not the case.

To “exact revenge” calls back upon an old usage of the word “exact,” specifically to both demand and obtain, most commonly by force. Yikes. A bit more intimidating than pipettes, right?

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Wednesday Writing Tip #141: “Extract Revenge” vs. “Exact Revenge”

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure this owl is up to something. And I might be a little scared.

If you were a magical being and you were to “extract revenge” from some cauldron of calamity, maybe you’d be using your words correctly. However, for most writers plotting vengeance for their characters (or themselves?), the proper idiom is “to exact revenge.”

***insert menacing music here***

Revenge is a delicate subject. I could see how handling it properly seems like something you might do with a pipette and a beaker, but that’s just not the case.

To “exact revenge” calls back upon an old usage of the word “exact,” specifically to both demand and obtain, most commonly by force. Yikes. A bit more intimidating than pipettes, right?

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Wednesday Writing Tip #140: Wreak vs. Wreck Havoc

Okay, maybe we’re a month away from basketball season, but VCU fans, I can’t write this post without a shout-out to you.

Pronouncing this phrase, there isn’t often confusion, but when it comes to writing “wreak havoc,” fingers somehow tend to get confused as they type away on their keyboards. Has this happened to you? If so, here’s a gentle reminder:

To “wreak” means to inflict or create; thus, to “wreak havoc” means to create havoc or to create chaos or mayhem.
If you’re “wrecking havoc,” you’re truly a force to be reckoned with since you’re destroying chaos. Watch out for you. I know I will.

Watch your spelling, and make sure you know what you’re saying, folks. Throwing a hashtag in front of “havoc” isn’t enough to save you.

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Wednesday Writing Tip #139: “Hunger pangs” vs. “Hunger pains”

Growing pains are legit—especially when they star Kirk Cameron and young Leonardo DiCaprio—but “hunger pains” are less so. Have you been saying and writing this idiom correctly?

The proper phrase is “hunger pangs.” What is a “pang” you ask? Why a brief feeling of emotional or physical pain, of course. Confusing? Absolutely.

The muddle over the “hunger pangs” vs. hunger pains” is understandable, but when there’s a correct answer, you’ve got to go with it.

You might have back pains, growing pains, or pains in the neck, but you don’t have “hunger pains.” Unless there’s major malnourishment involved, “pang” is the word you need.

Happy writing and bon appetit!

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Wednesday Writing Tip #138: Doing a 180 (not a 360)

Be careful with your walking and your writing with this one.

When someone makes a drastic direction change, they are not turning in a full circle. If you miswrite this common phrase as “doing a 360” or “pulling a 360,” you would be metaphorically going 360 degrees around to face in the exact same direction—turning in a circle, which is 360 degrees.

To turn and go the opposite direction, either physically or metaphorically, you would turn 180 degrees.

Tap into those old geometry recollections and remember what you heard there—it was more than just the squeaky leather shoes of your teacher. Now let that basic math knowledge wash over your writing, and you’ll be all the better for it.

Happy writing, everyone!

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Wednesday Writing Tip #138: Cutting Sensory Verbs in Description

When we have a clear image of a place or a moment in our heads as writers and we want to convey this picture to our readers, multiple challenges arise. How long should our descriptions be? How do we make sure description doesn’t kill the momentum of the story? How much is too much?

What should we leave up to our readers’ imaginations?

Yet in all of the questions about description, one stylistic choice can dramatically improve the end result: cut the sensory verbs that introduce your description.

Let’s take a look at two examples to showcase my point.

Example 1: He saw the vulture fly over the woods and circle back, and he heard movement in the brush below. Johnny was still and waited, smelling the pine needs of the loblollies and feeling the wind with the cool hint of coming rain.

Sure, it’s not terrible. A scene is being shared with readers, and multiple senses are included, which always makes description more vivid. However, do you see a difference when we strike all of the sensory verbs (i.e., “saw,” “heard,” “smelling,” and “feeling”)?

Example 2: The vulture flew over the woods and circled back, and movement jarred the leaves in the brush below. Johnny was still and waited, surrounded by the smell of pine needles from the tall loblollies. The cool wind hinting of rain blew on his skin, giving him goosebumps.

Oftentimes, we use our characters as stand-ins, letting our readers imagine themselves in these different shoes. Yet when we always introduce our descriptions with these sensory verbs (he saw/heard/felt/smelled/tasted), the effect is weakened. We’re reminded of a character rather than the place we’re trying hard to describe. Momentum is slowed because of wordiness.

Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, examine your descriptions closely. Are you using sensory verbs as unnecessary filler? Why waste time on unnecessary introductions when you have the chance to simply make the story come alive?

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Wednesday Writing Tip #137: “Flare” vs. “Flair”

Katniss Everdeen might have costumes with “flare,” but unless flames are leaping from someone’s clothing, perhaps the word “flair” is what you might be looking for. Confused? Read on.

I’ve caught this typo a few times lately, so I wanted to pause and spend some time with it.

“Flare” can be a noun or a verb, most commonly referring to the display of fire, a sudden burst of flames, or the action of the erratic burning. It can also refer to a sudden burst of emotional heat or a spreading outward (e.g., flaring tempers or a flaring skirt).
“Flair” is a noun, referencing unique style or a natural talent.

You’ve got flair? Awesome. I really hope you don’t have flares. That’s not a good thing.

Be careful when writing with mood lighting, folks.

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Wednesday Writing Tip #136: Character Realizations

If you’re writing a story and the light bulb just flashed over your protagonist’s head, you really want to tell your readers all about it. “He suddenly realized…” you might write. But before you do, pause for a moment. Let’s talk about that realization and how you can show it to your readers.

Sure, we’ve talked about “showing versus telling” before, but the word “realized” deserves a conversation all to itself. There are a lot of words and phrases that writers over-use—another big one on this list is “suddenly,” for example—but becoming aware of how you use these words and why is the first step in bringing a story from okay to awesome.

Imagine the pieces of a puzzle are all set out for your character. You as the writer are allowing your readers to figure it out alongside her. “Then she realized what she needed to do,” you might write. But here’s a tip. You know what would be stronger? Showing the puzzle and then the action of putting it together, revealing the fumbles and successes, the struggle and drama of fitting the pieces together to take the place of the “realized.” Do you see how those details are what makes a story come alive?

This is true for big realizations (e.g., the name of the thief or that he loved her all along) or small ones (e.g., where she left her keys or how to untie the knot), but either way, allowing a reader to see the problem and watch how it is overcome can be stronger than the phrase “he/she/they realized.”

My challenge to you: search for “realiz” in your manuscript. (Note, my misspelling is intentional. Searching for “realiz” will catch “realize,” “realizing,” and other similar forms.) How many times do you use it? How many can you delete in favor of showing the realization in action or simply tightening the language of the sentence, erasing what is already clear? I bet you can cut 90% of them for a stronger result.

Does this seem really nit-picky? Indeed, it does. But these are the subtleties that can make a manuscript stand out from the millions of others on the shelves. And you want your book to stand out, don’t you?

Happy writing, everyone!

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Wednesday Writing Tip #135: “Tick” vs. “Tic”

My intention was to include a picture of a tick here–as in the insect variety–but have you seen how creepy those things look up close? I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Thus, I present to you… a ticking clock. Perhaps still stressful but not nightmare inducing.

When the exterminator comes around, you might have a “nervous tick,” but if you’re referring to a sudden muscle spasm, you need the word “tic.” There are a few definitions to be aware of with these homonyms actually.

Specifically, a “tick” (noun) can be:

a bloodsucking arachnid (related to spiders, who knew?),
a recurring beat or click (as in a clock),
a small dot or check (perhaps marking something off of a list), or
a movement in the price of a stock on the Stock Exchange.

On the other hand, a “tic” (noun) can be:

a sudden muscle contraction (as noted above) or
a personal quirk.

I know this seems complicated. Clocks “tick-tock,” and you can play “tic-tac-toe”; where Rikki-Tikki-Tavi falls in the midst of this, I don’t know.

One little letter can make all the difference. Make sure you know what you’re doing.

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Wednesday Writing Tip #134: Recur vs. Reoccur

Do you have a reoccurring or recurring fear of heights? Does it happen at random or every Sunday when you hike in the mountains?

A reoccurring confusion appears over “recur” vs. “reoccur.” Sometimes it’s a matter of which one to use when. Sometimes it’s a matter of realizing that these are in fact two different words.

“Recurring” means that something happens regularly (on a schedule). A weekly meeting is a recurring meeting; a monthly bill is a recurring bill; my recurring writing tips are posted every Wednesday.
“Reoccurring” means that something will happen again, but it’s a bit more random or less scheduled. The springtime can have reoccurring thunderstorms; one might have reoccurring typos; your reoccurring reference to my new grammar book might improve your writing skills. (Alright? Not All Right: 100 Writing Tips for the Curious or Confused is now on sale!)

This word choice comes up a lot in corporate communications. I say, impress your supervisors, and teach your team all about it. Shouldn’t savvy language use be one more tactic to get ahead?

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