tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post3047209311083320129..comments2023-09-25T02:24:22.087-07:00Comments on Anne R. Allen's Blog: Should You Eliminate "Was" From Your Writing? Why Sometimes "the Rules" are Wrong.Anne R. Allenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-85148604145070315312015-08-12T14:31:44.530-07:002015-08-12T14:31:44.530-07:00Darkocean--It makes me cringe when people say ther...Darkocean--It makes me cringe when people say there's something wrong with writing in the past tense. MOST novels are written in the past tense. Present is best for YA or certain kinds of thrillers. Past tense should be the default mode. <br /><br />I also totally agree that "show don't tell" can lead to slow, boring storytelling. Don't tell us the man wore black boots, covered in soot, a helmet with a brim longer in the back than the front, and he kept up his pants with red suspenders. Tell us he's a fireman, already! Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-40765834508398146772015-08-12T13:44:49.471-07:002015-08-12T13:44:49.471-07:00I agree with with you Anne. When working on my wip...I agree with with you Anne. When working on my wip I read each sentence carefully, take out any past tenses and see if the sentences falls apart. If it does I try revising it. If it's still bad I put it back the way it was as that's the way it has to be. More often then not though it can be revised into something stronger. Now how about debunking the myth that using a narration voice (occasionally) is always bad? (I occasionally use it to condense a necessary but long winded bunch of paragraphs into one quick sentence. I think writers need to know when not to show and when not to always be in deep pov, as it can get exhausting for the reader. I think that when it fits that point and time in the book it's okay to pull back a little. Thank you for this posting Those squirrel are funny. xDAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-35040742371691664162014-08-25T08:49:11.168-07:002014-08-25T08:49:11.168-07:00Rebecca--Remember they're all just "guide...Rebecca--Remember they're all just "guidelines" not ironclad rules, and your own intuition probably knows best. :-) Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-3982652632621435062014-08-25T06:15:38.793-07:002014-08-25T06:15:38.793-07:00Love it... and, it makes my head hurt :)Love it... and, it makes my head hurt :)Rebecca E. Granthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08484899867384114165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-43762536917744782522014-04-20T11:33:54.340-07:002014-04-20T11:33:54.340-07:00Nowick--Thanks for commenting!
"Was" is...Nowick--Thanks for commenting!<br /><br />"Was" isn't always weak either. "I was sitting down to tea when the tornado hit" is not weaker than "I sat down to tea when the tornado hit". It has an entirely different meaning. (And the character sounds like a moron.) The important point I'm trying to make here is that the verb "to be" is used to make the progressive tense as well as the passive voice. There's nothing weak or passive about the progressive tense. Some languages don't have it, but we do in English and we should embrace the clarity it brings. <br /><br />And anybody who thinks "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times" is a weak opener doesn't know much about literature. :-)Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-89937276192899448832014-04-20T10:54:20.673-07:002014-04-20T10:54:20.673-07:00I started reading this post with some trepidation,...I started reading this post with some trepidation, since my award-winning critique partner had convinced me to prune the was's ruthlessly from two novels. Would I now have to go back and put them in? Actually along the way I was amused/puzzled to see such bestselling writers as Ken Follett and even more literary types use "was" liberally, as much as a dozen times in the all-important first page. What gives?<br />So I *was* pleased to see how you broke down the issue, first defusing that "passive" rationale, and more importantly, showing how prose can actually be strengthened by pruning those was's in favor of active verbs. In conclusion, I think the operative word for the fault is not so much "passive" as "weak." <br />Thanks for your attention to this key issue!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13297050577578931637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-85458950505276201842012-09-10T11:55:47.330-07:002012-09-10T11:55:47.330-07:00Laura--I'm so glad I helped. Nothing is more a...Laura--I'm so glad I helped. Nothing is more annoying to a reader than a bunch of "had had"s gumming up the prose. This is the problem with academic proofreaders or local college English majors setting themselves up as editors for fiction. They can be great for catching typos, but it's awfully hard for somebody who hasn't done a lot of work with fiction to edit it. A novel that reads like a college English paper is going to be snoozerific to the reader. Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-19786525564446861222012-09-10T11:26:48.798-07:002012-09-10T11:26:48.798-07:00Wonderful post. And I'm so thankful for the &q...Wonderful post. And I'm so thankful for the "Another note on past tenses" section.<br /><br />My manuscript returned from the editor with the flashbacks, in my opinion, 'had-ed' to death. As a reader, this has long been a pet peeve of mine. I just can't think of any good reason to repeat ANY word 3-4 times in every... single... sentence. Paragraph after paragraph.<br /><br />"Yes... this happened to they character last week! We get that already!!!"<br /><br />My editor is real big on consistency. But, I think it chokes the flow of the story. Soooo, after reading your take on things, I'm going to give those sections the once over again, and I might just smite a few hads in the process.<br /><br />Heck, you have me feeling so giddy, I could even throw in a was or two just for the fun of it!<br /><br />Thanks! :)Laura Ritchiehttp://lauraritchie.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-75551017214883202682012-09-02T05:52:09.991-07:002012-09-02T05:52:09.991-07:00As I write in first person I find it vital to use ...As I write in first person I find it vital to use the word 'was' when I'm writing a paragraph of narration in the past tense. I try to avoid it though when I'm writing action scenes that are happening in the present moment as it does slow the writing down. Like everything else the word 'was' is good in moderation.LK Wattshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09366991733427612418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-23139686207044643262012-08-27T18:49:18.975-07:002012-08-27T18:49:18.975-07:00Caitlin--thanks! If you still have your old gramm...Caitlin--thanks! If you still have your old grammar book, it may have all this stuff, but only if you're getting on in years like me. I don't think there's much grammar taught in grammar school any more. Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-37096469613987118532012-08-27T18:35:36.324-07:002012-08-27T18:35:36.324-07:00Bookmarking this for later use! Wow, this was real...Bookmarking this for later use! Wow, this was really thorough. Hm, perhaps I need to return to my elementary English class. Thank you for sharing this.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12146136846875431598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-21770913293433899622012-08-23T10:01:47.428-07:002012-08-23T10:01:47.428-07:00Steven--Thanks so much for this link! I don't ...Steven--Thanks so much for this link! I don't know how I missed this great article from the Chronicle of Higher Education. I had no idea that Strunk and White were responsible for this--and so many other iron-clad writing "rules." In general, their guidelines are useful, but it's important to know their grammar was shaky and sometimes they were actually wrong. Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-74271364171203338582012-08-23T07:18:31.553-07:002012-08-23T07:18:31.553-07:00Great post. It brought to mind this piece from a c...Great post. It brought to mind this piece from a couple of years back, which puts the blame for so many grammar misconceptions fairly squarely on 'The Elements of Style'!<br /><br />http://chronicle.com/article/50-Years-of-Stupid-Grammar/25497/Steven Miscandlonhttp://www.mlwritingservices.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-67585646013354527032012-08-22T09:14:25.138-07:002012-08-22T09:14:25.138-07:00wosushi--If I can help you keep from stripping you...wosushi--If I can help you keep from stripping your writing of nuanced meaning, then I've done my job. Great to know the post was serendipitous. <br /><br />DMS--"Information" is the key, isn't it? If people knew why "was" can be the enemy, they'd know when NOT to listen to the advice. Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-80471485051755284122012-08-21T11:56:16.983-07:002012-08-21T11:56:16.983-07:00I found this post to be so helpful. This was one o...I found this post to be so helpful. This was one of the rules that needed a little more information behind it. I think the way you explained it makes perfect sense (now, if I can just remember your wise words when I am writing). :) <br /><br />Thanks!<br />~JessDMShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04202502753961748992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-91372357804670683602012-08-21T10:58:40.189-07:002012-08-21T10:58:40.189-07:00Perfect timing. I am working with my first complet...Perfect timing. I am working with my first completed draft and keep bristling at the "remove ALL the was/to be" from your writing advice.<br /><br />This post is perfect!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-4885153399951359012012-08-21T09:29:23.916-07:002012-08-21T09:29:23.916-07:00Kassandra, I've got to admit I love me some ad...Kassandra, I've got to admit I love me some adverbs. I write in the voice of a very polite sleuth. Polite people tend to use adverbs. So I use them. I don't think every character in fiction should talk like Ernest Hemingway.<br /><br />Deborah--That's so true. It's more direct to say "the squirrel was abused" than to say "A person or persons who are unknown to us abused the squirrel." <br /><br />Graywave--VERY important point. That's probably a whole blogpost unto itself. People are constantly saying "get an editor" but nobody's saying "make sure it's a good editor." Maybe we need a questionnaire. "Do you know the basics of grammar, or do you simply follow a bunch of rules you don't understand?" might be a good start.<br /><br />Meghan- I'd never heard that rule about titles. But you've got a perfect example. I'm kind of skeptical of all the anti-gerund rules. Yes, people mis-use them, but they're also essential to some constructions. Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-45080615232985335522012-08-21T07:14:32.192-07:002012-08-21T07:14:32.192-07:00I always try to avoid "There was" at the...I always try to avoid "There was" at the beginning of a sentence. Your revision of "There was a squirrel" was perfect: "A squirrel sat." I also try to use present tense instead of gerunds (present and past progressive) when possible: "I hate" instead of "I was eating," but, as you pointed out, sometimes the past progressive works better. Lastly, I've heard you should avoid gerunds in titles. And yet, "Writing Down the Bones" was a great title, and I'm sure there are hundreds of others that use gerunds as well. Thanks for the grammar lesson!Meghan Wardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12773598501857799104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-7061308781238724162012-08-21T03:38:05.202-07:002012-08-21T03:38:05.202-07:00Thank you! You would not believe the number of edi...Thank you! You would not believe the number of editors who blindly follow this "rule". Now that I have a link to your post in my favourites, the next one to try it can argue with you about it. Honestly, there ought to be some kind of minimal qualification before you can call yourself an editor.graywavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11609426782409481706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-17346831634258806942012-08-20T23:34:32.222-07:002012-08-20T23:34:32.222-07:00Great grammar lesson, and so needed.
I think also...Great grammar lesson, and so needed.<br /><br />I think also there are times when the passive voice IS needed, to show distance and actual passivity on the part of a character. It just has to be used with intention, for the right reason.Deborah Braskethttp://deborahbrasket.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-11643993002488781892012-08-20T19:48:39.735-07:002012-08-20T19:48:39.735-07:00Having flashbacks to high school English class.
T...Having flashbacks to high school English class.<br /><br />Thanks for this, Anne. I get kind of tired of being told about "the rules" and often they are being applied much too strigently. Personally I want to know what's so wrong with adverbs, too.Kassandra Lambhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12868883056262771642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-48124674256497862542012-08-20T16:14:17.522-07:002012-08-20T16:14:17.522-07:00Alicia--Thanks. I had fun with this one.
Cathryn-...Alicia--Thanks. I had fun with this one.<br /><br />Cathryn--Thanks Kermit ;-) This is definitely why studying a second language is so important. You don't just get to understand people when you travel, you get the pluperfect. What would you have done without it?<br /><br />L.D. Thanks. I did get the added help of having two language professors for parents. They wouldn't let me forget.Anne R. Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02420000168356370825noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-47450614351725573642012-08-20T14:04:11.494-07:002012-08-20T14:04:11.494-07:00This was excellent. I'm old enough to have st...This was excellent. I'm old enough to have studied grammar in school but those pesky past tenses can still give me a bad moment. I'm bookmarking this post, too. LD Mastersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01202135756299574972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-6567341238256531232012-08-20T12:22:21.106-07:002012-08-20T12:22:21.106-07:00Grammar Lesson! *Dances* - yeah I think I'm on...Grammar Lesson! *Dances* - yeah I think I'm one of the first people to have somehow missed grammer in primary school - it got eaten when we moved from Mississippi to Mass. (That's my theory and I"m sticking to it.)<br /><br />Thank you so much for the lesson. I'm also one that didn't get grammar until Spanish class and looked at the teacher like he was crazy when he said Plupurfect.<br /><br />Now to squirrle this away under bookmarks *giggles*<br /><br />And Paper Back E-Age! YEAH! *Kermit the Frog introduction impression* :}Cathryn Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14816869021658935999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385052143211121638.post-61285934887249258552012-08-20T12:04:14.749-07:002012-08-20T12:04:14.749-07:00Wonderful post as usual, Anne. And your answers to...Wonderful post as usual, Anne. And your answers to some of the comments are priceless!Alicia Streethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04567763218709103021noreply@blogger.com