The Collected Wisdom of AAR Writing

**Radzeer** · April 08, 2012, 11:14 AM

Updated to CQ 32.

**Shankbot de Bodemloze** · April 08, 2012, 12:29 PM

The 'AAR Writing - a Technical Study' was particularly helpful, well done robinzx and thanks Radzeer for adding it here

**Liberator** · June 26, 2012, 02:30 PM

As someone who is new to the Total War community (though has been playing Total War games since Shogun 1) and completely new by this form of storytelling, I must say this is a very useful, collected, and above all, helpful guide. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this!

**Shankbot de Bodemloze** · June 26, 2012, 03:07 PM

Sadly I haven't, but I'm sure the authors appreciate your words.

But more importantly, welcome to the forums!

This is extra special because you have entered the Writers' Study, a place filled with the greatest TWC has to offer... (or so we like to think

)

Can I suggest you check out the Creative Writing forum, it is home to some excellent pieces of writing - and you can see some fo the advice here put into action.

We're a friendly bunch, who don't bite, and the others/authors will love your comments.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask me, I'd be more then happy to help you out.

**Shankbot de Bodemloze** · July 18, 2012, 01:42 PM

Update?

Radzeer, there is no escape.

**Radzeer** · July 18, 2012, 04:10 PM

It's on the list of things I need to do today. Usually I wait a few days before I copy stuff here from the CQ, but I may be behind with the previous issue too.

**Shankbot de Bodemloze** · July 18, 2012, 04:12 PM

How do you fit everything in?

**Radzeer** · July 18, 2012, 04:35 PM

I have a pretty flexible job and some days I can spend a lot of time here.

I'm usually behind with a few things though and when staff tasks heat up here it puts me back in writing. Nowadays I spend more time on staff issues than on writing, not to mention actually playing the game.

**Shankbot de Bodemloze** · July 18, 2012, 04:53 PM

I never get round to playing the game, or updating it seems.

You work me to hard that is the problem.

And sorry about those Staff problems.

**Radzeer** · July 18, 2012, 05:27 PM

Tips and thoughts III.

How to use Speech in Writing by Shankbot12 (Critic's Quill #33)

I have recently been reading 'The Elements of Style' by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White. It is a great book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in improving on their grammar etc. This brings me on to writing this article. I'll be the first to admit not always using speech properly, for many years I was confused with the whole process - either due to being taught incorrectly, or not being taught at all! So I will be bringing in some of Strunk's 'rules' in this article, and I hope it helps you when you next write.

First and foremost is punctuating speech, it is the foundation for any effective use of speech - and by using it correctly your writing will improve massively. Use a comma or period between the dialogue and the tag line (the words used to identify the speaker: "he said/she said"):

"I really want to go to the beach this afternoon," she said as they exited the car.

Periods and commas go inside the quotation marks, but remember if you use a period to end a dialogue then the first letter of the tag line must be capitalised, as in any normal sentence.

Wrong: "I really want to go to the beach this afternoon." she said as they exited the car.

Correct: "I really want to go to the beach this afternoon." She said as they exited the car."

Other punctuation - semicolons, question marks, dashes, and exclamation points - go outside the speech marks unless it is actually part of the dialogue.

Bob was wondering what Jane had said, was it, "I love cake!"?

In this case Bob is asking the question, Jane didn't use it when she spoke. On the other hand:

Bob had heard Jane fine. She had said, "Can I have some cake?"

Jane asked the question when she was speaking, so it goes inside the speech marks. Also note that sentences end with only one mark of punctuation. Don't use double punctuation marks, but go with the 'stronger' punctuation. (Question marks and exclamation points are 'stronger' than commas and periods.)

When a tag line interrupts the dialogue, it should be set off by commas. Note that the first letter of the second half of the dialogue is in lower case, as in this example:

"That is," Bob said, "we are both having some cake."

Make sure that your tag lines don't awkwardly interrupt the sentence, instead place them where the 'break' would appear naturally if someone was speaking. The best way to check this is read the sentence out loud and see where it fits the best e.g.:

"Once more do you," Bob continued, "like cake?" This doesn't read well, but:

"Once more," Bob continued, "do you like cake?" This flows much better, and the interruption appears where it feels natural

To signal a quotation within dialogue, use single quotes: "Have you read 'The Critics Quill' yet?" he asked Shankbot12.

Next is the layout of speech in writing. Always start a new paragraph each time the speaker changes within the dialogue. If there is action involved with a speaking character, keep the description of the action within the same paragraph as the person who is speaking. This is important because it makes it easier for the reader to follow who is speaking, and generally makes the story easier to read. For example:

"Hi Jack," said Gill as she walked up the hill. "How are you?" "I'm fine thanks Gill, yourself?" Jack replied. "I've been better actually." "Oh, what's the matter?" Jack questioned.

As you can see, this is quite difficult to follow. Something like the following would be much better:
"Hi Jack, How are you?" said Gill as she walked up the hill.

"I'm fine thanks Gill, yourself?" Jack replied.

"I've been better actually."

"Oh, what's the matter?" Jack questioned.

When writing in conversations like this it is important to remember:

Do not use dialogue simply to convey information. It should set the scene, advance action, give insight into characterization, remind the reader, and foreshadow.
Keep the character's voice in mind, but there must be a balance between realistic speech and readability. Don't use too much colloquialism or misspelling in order to create a character's voice. Also remember to use speech as a tool to develop characters. Word choice tells a reader a lot about a person such as appearance.
Tension, sometimes saying nothing, or the opposite of what we know a character feels, is the best way to create tension.

This example is not only easier to read, but flows a lot better and will make noticing speech in large blocks of text easier. The bit in red is still on the same line as the same person is speaking, it doesn't matter that an action has separated it, before it was difficult to make out who was speaking then, this way it is clear and easy to follow. . You could also put the speech in to italics which again makes it easier for the reader to see who is speaking.

Finally we have the mysterious surrounding the use of 'said.' Strunk writes on the subject of whether to use said or not:

Originally Posted by Strunk
"They [inexperienced writers] do this, apparently, in the belief that the word said is always in need of support, or because they have been told to do it by experts in the art of bad writing."

This, I find, is right on the mark. I remember always being told not to use said, replace it with something that describes it better. This is complete cobblers, speech is about, as is all form of fiction writing, 'showing, not telling' - let the dialogue tell the reader how the speaker feels, good writers will imply what the emotions are. Don't use tags to convey emotion or action, For example:

"But I don't want to go to school yet," she moaned.

Here a good writer would conjure up a scene of a moaning girl:

She stood by the front door with her hands balled into little fists, flailing about in the air. Her red, tear-filled eyes glared up at her father. "But I don't want to go to school yet."

This greatly improves the description of the sentence, and clearly creates an image in the readers head. This couldn't be achieved by using adverbs alongside said. However, descriptive tags are necessary at sometimes, but they should only be used sparingly.

I hope this article has helped you as much as it has helped me. Safe to say from now on I'll be checking how I write dialogue. If you remember everything here you'll be writing like [INSERT ANY AUTHOR YOU LIKE HERE] in no time. If you take one thing away from this make sure it's Strunk's golden rule on dialogue:

Originally Posted by Strunk
It is a total loss unless you indicate who the speaker is.

By Shankbot12

A newbie's guide to AARtistry by m_1512 (Critic's Quill #28)

Greetings everyone, here is a small piece about AARs for beginners. This article is written from what I have learned about writing AARs.

OK, we are about to start an AAR. You would think it to be quite easy. *Spoil sport alert* sadly, no, an AAR, or rather a successful AAR is much more than what meets the eye. In this article, we shall see what could be a better approach for an AAR, and how you could spice one up.

These few points ought to help you to attain the basic flow you would need to get a good AAR under your belt.

Six simple points to remember:

1.) what makes you tick?
As the heading suggests, the first thing to do is to find out what impresses you. The sheer variety of Medieval 2 Total War, or the awe inspiring graphics of Napoleon Total War and Shogun 2 Total War, or the nostalgic atmosphere of Antiquity in Rome Total War. Selection of the game should be easy. The game you pick should be comfortable for you, and also fresh and interesting.

Now, half of the "tick" question is over. The second is which faction you should take.

The answer is simple, the faction you like. One thing to note, pick a faction you would not get bored with halfway through the game.

2.) Mods and addons
Mods are quite good for using, but not a dire necessity.

It is all up to you. If you are confident to deliver a good narrative in vanilla itself, go for it. If you like to use mods, find a mod that would suit your story adequately.

3.) Settings and Console
There is a concept, quite popular among gamers. The harder the difficulty of the game, the more interesting it is. It would give a good game experience, but would not help your AAR much. You would not want this to happen in you AAR. In a chapter, there are plans for building an empire. In the game, the enemy is thundering towards your capital, your last remaining stronghold.

In the AAR, during certain moments, it would do to put a map for your readers to get the complete picture. During those times, it is all right to use the console command to reveal the map.

4.) Type of AAR: Game driven vs. Plot driven
Which of the below two categories would your AAR fit in? In simple words, game driven is twisting the story to fit the game, and plot driven is twisting or rather tweaking the game to fit your story. Here are some examples.

Consider the example of an AAR “The Scourge” as game driven. In this AAR, I wrote the narrative following the events of the game. As the game would run its course, I would make a suitable narration for it.

In another AAR “Exodus, and a New Beginning”, I first got the idea of that plot. Then I went with the usual process of coming to a definite plot. There were some aspects, which I wanted changed in the mod. Therefore, I became a modder and modified the mod to suit my plot.

You could follow any of these methods.

5.) Gamer vs. Writer
In AARtistry, there is no such thing as a Cheater, or Good gamer, or bad gamer. There is only a writer, with a good or average (not bad) AAR. You are not in a gaming contest, how you play the game is completely your discretion. What matters is the story.

6.) Writer’s Technique
There is something called as X-factor, which every writer has or develops. Equally important is Flexibility, in the case of AARs. Flexibility will help the writer mould his tale from a plain AAR into a gripping and interesting one.

Not everyone plans his or her AAR from the beginning and right to the end. Flexibility will help you get to the end, developing adequate twists to keep the readers enthralled. Flexibility is a thing that is not learned, it actually develops in the writer naturally.

NOTE As writers, particularly me, learn it the hard way, it is actually a good idea to make backup copies of your save files. This is to ensure that despite whatever problems come your way, you can continue your AAR.
That's all my friends, see you next time. I might write another article, but till then, keep writing. Best wishes for your AARs.
By m_1512

How to Write a Battle by Shankbot12 (Critic's Quill #34)

Writing a battle? (I hear you ask.) Why would we need to know how to do that? Well, whether you're writing an AAR or a piece of historical fiction, writing a battle is usually a key component, especially for the former, and some people find it the most difficult 'scene' to write about. So this is what the article's aim is, to help you write a battle. I plan to cover some different techniques, and to describe situations they are useful in.

When writing a battle you first need to ask yourself; do I want to compromise information for intensity, or vice versa? The techniques you should choose will depend on your answer and of course, how you use them. You can always decide to go your own way, perhaps to deliver a particular emotional effect, but it is still important to know the rules you are breaking so that you can do it deliberately as part of your overall plan. There is always a third option, which is to find a balance between information and intensity - and whilst this often, but not always, yields good results, it can be difficult to pull off effectively. This technique will be covered towards the end of the article.

Choosing which path to follow will depend on several situations, though mainly the setting of the story so far, and your personal preference. Alongside each example I will provide a list of suitable uses for the technique in question, these will by no means be set in stone - but will be what I think are good situations to use them. To make comparisons between the different techniques easier I will use the same 'background' for each example, this will be information that usually the reader will have previously gained from the story so far.

Background Information example:
Quote:

The battle will be written from an English perspective.
England v France on a plain somewhere in Normandy.
The weather is good, but heavy rain the night before.
The English are commanded by Lord Eustace Radcliffe.
The French are commanded by Roi Philippe Capet.
A young man, Robin, is newly part of Eustace's personal guard.
A old veteran called Edward is fighting as a part of the infantry.

If you want to write an intense, emotion-filled battle description then writing in first-person will be the easiest way to get across such feelings and emotions. Writing from the perspective of a common solider is a good place to start, as it allows you to get down to the nitty gritty details of the fighting, and in the case of AARs, what happens doesn't have to tie in with the game, because the game doesn't focus on the front-line man, the common peasant so to speak. You can recount the battle in a number of different ways, if your story has been focusing on that man it could be a description of what is happening 'now' . If not, then it could be him recounting it back to someone, of course who he is speaking to may affect how he says it! You can still write in 'the now' in the latter case if you wish, just 'switch' to what is happening.

1st Person example:
Quote:
I charged towards the French, the blood-lust finally taking over. Letting out a mighty roar I hurled myself towards the lines of awaiting spearmen, crashing into an unexpected enemy. The momentum helped drive my sword straight through his arm, his warm blood spraying all over me, as he tried to put up a feeble resistance. I saw another spear being swung towards me, ducking, I thrust my shield out and heard the resounding crack as it smashed into his skull, shortly followed by his body crumpling to the ground.

I recovered my balance from the blow, panting as I wiped the blood off my face. Looking around I saw two more of the enemy approach me, their eyes filled with fear. "Come on then you mothers!" I heckled at them. "Do any of you have the balls to face me?"

This got the reaction I wanted as they both charged towards me. I turned and the faced the one on my left, and as he approached I stepped back, swinging my sword at him. But before contact was made I felt the whack of a shield as it collided into my ribs, and then my nose. My vision blurred as I let out a cry of agony and spat the blood out of my mouth. The pain was excruciating, and before I could recover my poise the enemy that I had let passed stabbed his spear into my gut, with a grin on his face. I looked down and saw the rush of dark blood gushing out of my stomach, I tried to swing my sword, but a final smash on my head brought to the floor with a cry...

Using this technique allows you to get an intense, limited view of the action - and I feel it can create a more emotive reading experience. Similarly you could write the same type of description in 3rd person. To be honest there isn't much difference between the two, the main factor affecting your choice will most likely be personal preference.

3rd Person example:
Quote:
Edward charged towards the French, the blood-lust inside him taking over. Letting out a mighty roar he hurled himself towards the line of awaiting spearmen, crashing into the unsuspecting enemy. The momentum helping him to drive his sword straight through one of the French, even as he was trying to put up a feeble resistance. Edward ducked as he saw an oncoming blow, and thrust his shield out, hearing the resounding crack as it smashed into the enemies skull, which followed with the body crumpling onto the floor.

Edward recovered his balance from the blow, panting as he wiped the blood off his face. Looking around he saw two more of the enemy approach him, their eyes filled with fear. "Come on then you mothers!" Edward heckled at them. "Do any of you have the balls to face me?"

This got the reaction he wanted as they both charged towards him. Edward turned and the faced the one on his left, and as the man approached he stepped back, swinging his sword at the man. But before contact was made Edward felt the whack of a shield as it collided into his ribs, and then his nose. His vision blurred as he let out a cry of agony and spat the blood out of his mouth. The pain was excruciating, and before Edward could recover his poise the enemy that he had let passed stabbed his spear into Edward's gut, with a grin on his face. Looking down Edward saw the rush of dark blood gushing out of his stomach, trying to swing his sword, but a final smash on his head brought him to the floor with a cry...

I apologise for the above example, third person isn't my strong suit. Another benefit of third person (not shown above) is you can utilize the narrator as a way to give more information to the reader. However, doing this may also lose some of the intensity of the above examples. A quick word on tenses, although both of the above are writing about what is happening at the moment, a lot of the time the past tense is used. The reason for this, I think, is because as the author you are writing about someone who is reciting what is happening to the audience, thus an element of present tense is present, because you're not writing to about something that is happening to the reader, rather something that is happening to someone the reader is following. This probably doesn't make sense, and honestly, I don't really know why it happens - I'm just theorising.

Now, Shankbot12, what happens if my AAR isn't focused on this one particular person, how do I get the intensity of what you've just shown across then? I hear you ask. Fear not, this is where recounting events back to someone comes in. You can do it through a letter to a loved one, reporting to a superior etc. The possibilities are endless. By doing it this way you can include some extra information that would be gained from hindsight (which really is a wonderful thing) and also get across the intensity of the battle via the person describing what has happened. The example below will be of an officer reporting, as one of the few survivors, to a superior about an ambush on there force by the French. I won't include a third person example as well, because they are pretty similar, and also I'm no good at writing in the third person anyway.

Verbal Reporting example:
Quote:
We... we were part of the scout party sent out by Lord Eustace, sir, to try and catch the French napping, but it things went astray and it was us who were caught with our backs turned. Sir, they sprung upon us out of nowhere, the bastards. We were marching down the valley road, struggling with the mounts, you see sir the rain last night had been horrendous. This w-was why our outriders had been called in. We needed every man available, I know now that was a mistake.

They rushed out of the trees, charging down the slopes, spears flailing about. Sir, b-b-before we could react they were upon us, and a score of the men were already dead. I wheeled my mount around charged towards the nearest group of enemy, trying to breakthrough. These men followed me, sir, and we drove through the spearmen. One of the mounts got skewered and the rider toppled off. So I wheeled back and swung my sword down at the enclosing enemy bastards, slashing off one of their heads, his the blood spraying everywhere, determined not to leave anyone behind.

Sir, I tried to get him, but we were too few and they too many. I couldn't do anything...

You get the idea, it is not a very good example. Basically, you are allowing the reader to gain information on what lead up to the battle. the battle, and its consequences. Note how the officer is speaking, this is because he is addressing a superior and is shaken, angry even at what has happened. This is a major thing to watch out for when using the above technique, trying to write authentically will give your piece a more immersed feel. The beauty of this technique is your story doesn't have to be about the person the battle is in, which allows a lot of freedom on what to write about. Of course, you can always use the first technique and simply switch to a different character if your AAR is focused one one person - which is what I did for one of my AAR battles. Another good use for this particular technique is for those AARs that focus on a faction as a whole as it allows you to report multiple battles in detail, without your character actually having to be there.

Now onto those of you want to achieve a more informative view. This technique, whilst far less intense and personal, is useful for certain situations such as an account from a book, a neutral report, a report filed by the commander to the faction leader etc. (Skantarios made effective use of the latter in his first AAR) etc. Although this may well be your least used method, in the right situations it can be as good, if not better, then the more personal ones. The example below will be a written report filed by Eustace to his superiors in London.

Written Reporting example:
Quote:
Sir,

We met the enemy about ten miles south of Mont Saint-Michel, they had positioned themselves along a ridge with a defensive line of Spearmen blocking our passage towards Paris. Roi Philippe was present in person, alongside him was his personal retinue of Knights, squires and the likes. Thankfully, there was heavy rainfall last night so the ground wasn't easily traversable, negating the power of their Knights.

I ordered our men-at-arms to form up opposite their spearmen with our long-bowmen behind then. My token force of cavalry were on the flanks, ready to cover any form advance or retreat, whilst the Serjants had been placed at the rear, ready to fill in any holes. The French had placed their crossbowmen on the flanks, and a handful of dismounted knights were located in the centre. The core of their army, the cavalry, were located into groups on both flanks.

At about ten in the morning I had ordered the advance, and our men-at-arms began the march forward, under the covering fire of our archers...

*Sorry for any geographical accuracies

This was my first time trying that technique, and I quite enjoyed it. It gives a lot of information for the reader, but lacks in any form of emotion, quite useful if getting emotion across isn't your strong suit. Again the example is in first person, that can be changed depending on your preferred style.

Now, onto the finale, for those madmen amongst you who want both information and intensity, do not fear - there is hope. Hope in the form of writing as the general, the King even. This way you can get across some of the extra information as tactics are discussed, and then when the general makes that heroic charge to save the day, that is when you get get across your emotion and intensity. In this example I'll be writing in the first person from the point-of-view of Eustace Radcliffe. This technique really is the best of both worlds. Although there isn't as much added detail as the previous one, there is some - which coupled with the intensity of the latter part, allows for quite a lot of leeway in terms of what you write about.

Putting it all together:
Quote:
"What's their strength Robert?" I asked the scout.

"It is hard to tell, sir. They've got a line of spearmen along the ridge, and crossbowmen on the flanks, sir," he replied. "The King is in the centre, with his entourage of Knights spread out along the flanks. A company of what seems dismounted Knights are also positioned in the centre."

I sighed. "Thank-you. Now leave us."

"Ye sir," he bowed, retreating out of the tent.

I turned to the assembled captains behind me. "Gentlemen, our options seem clear. We'll have the men at arms placed opposite to their spearmen, and our archers behind, at least they'll be protected from the frogs horse. Any questions?"

"Yes sir," questioned one man from the back.

"Ahh, Stuart, go ahead." I prompted, the commander of our cavalry always had questions.

"What of the Cavalry, sir?"

"What of them?"

"What shall we do with them?"

"Well considering they only consists of my bodyguard, and the few remaining scouts we have they can go on the flanks. Hopefully they'll be able to counteract someone of the French's mass of horse"

etc.

* * * *

I looked down and saw our men at the gate were getting the full works. Oil was being poured onto them causing blood-curdling screams to rip through the air. That was it! Bloody Frenchmen using oil to kill our men. "Cowards!" I roared charging into the enemy's shield wall, causing the fighting - which had been stopped by the screams - to resume.

Some of them must've of grown a pair because this time the resistance was stiff. They weren't cowering away from my hack and slash like they had done. I picked up a few scratches here and then, each one sending me into another fit of rage. I launched myself into them, but this time they stood their ground. I thrust my sword out at one of them and swung my shield round to his head. There was a resounding crack, as his skull broke from the blow and he collapsed onto the floor. In the corner of my eye I saw another one stab out towards my chest. I parried and feinted left, my opponent fell for it so I swung my shield around again. This time though my opponent blocks the blow with his own shield, the impact reeling me backwards. He brings his spear and stabs out at me before I can recover; I go to block the blow with my sword, but move to slow and his spear stabs into my thigh. I howl in anguish as the pain shoots down my leg, I fall down onto one knee, and I see the little grin on my opponents face as he withdraws the spear, that's all I needed. With one last effort I lift up my blade and plunge it into his gut. The grin forms into an 'O' as his faces changes from triumph to shock. He spasms and falls to the ground.

I manage to pull myself up and retreat back a few paces, away from the fighting. Panting I look around and see some of our men have gotten off the wall and down onto the streets.

(taken from my AAR)

Gentleman, and any of the fairer sex amongst you, that brings us to the end of my battle article. You'll notice not all the background information at the start was used, it doesn't have to be - as long as your reader generally knows what is happening it is fine. I hope you have learnt something, even if it is just not to ready any of my articles again. If this is the case, your comments would still be much appreciated. If you take away anything from this let it be: At the end of the day, pick whichever technique you prefer, or fits the scenario you're writing it in.

You could always write out a few examples...

By Shankbot12

The importance of editing by Absalom, Absalom (Critic's Quill #34)

Before proceeding with the article, I have a question to pose for our loyal readers: Have you ever, either in your creative or intellectual writing endeavors, not been satisfied by a certain turn of phrase, individual words, the way your character or thesis is being developed, et cetera? Well you aren’t alone. No one has ever produced a perfect piece of art without substantial self-editing, which is why I posit here that the most important stage in any writing process is the editing stage; and outlined below are some strategies, reasoning, and the odd-anecdote as to why editing your work is quintessential to producing quality fiction (or nonfiction).

To begin editing, it is prudent to have something already written, something that, you know, needs to be edited. I point out the obvious here for one major reason: many people have a tendency to edit as they write, and this is often unproductive. Think about it this way: there is something different about you every time you write (hormonal balances, mood, perception, etc.); and with you at the time of first writing is a set of ideas and feelings that cannot be replicated again, reconceptualized perhaps, but never truly regained. While this may sound a little depressing to you, really, you should feel the exact opposite. After you commit, say, a short story to paper (without editing along the way), and begin to make corrections, you will find things you did that may not have been effective, and new ideas will form as to how to correct them and create a better piece of fiction. It is in this light (the light of hindsight) that many of the best works of fictions were edited by their authors and eventually submitted for publication.

One of the most effective strategies for editing one’s work is to read your work aloud (I’m reading this aloud as I write). I realize this will probably make little sense to most people because, when they read, they (as I do) read in their heads. While you don’t need to change this (except perhaps on that off sentence that sounds strange in your head, but actually fits), I advocate reading your own work aloud for the simple reason that it allows you to identify word and sentence patterns that may or may not fit (or ones you may not have noticed), which, later (I sometimes read my work aloud when I write. You don’t have to do this) you can change in order to create a more cohesive narrative. The cohesiveness of a narrative, it’s poetic flow, is (and this is my opinion) the most important component in producing great art, and it can only be achieved through severe editing.

If you are anything like me (god help you), every word of every sentence makes all the difference; the number of syllables in the word, the sound of the word, especially in consideration of those surrounding it, all concern you. I’m not sure how many of you are familiar with Gustave Flaubert, but he was, in many ways, the most important novelist of the 19th century. An obsessive stylist, he followed the principle of ‘le mote juste’ (the right word) and would spend days, weeks, years, editing (Madame Bovary, his most well-known work, took him approximately four years to write). This compulsion to perfect their work is what every writer should, more or less, possess. A more relevant example to Americans (and the British) would be the poet T.S. Eliot, who, in comparison to many of the poets of his time (and before) published far fewer poems, though, arguably, his were of greater quality. Now, I’m not saying go and spend 10 years writing and editing a novel. As with all things, writing becomes easier with experience. Just keep at it.

By this time, many of you have probably already posited questions or statements like this: ‘What’s the point of editors in publishing houses if not to edit? If I provide the next big idea, they can just edit my work,’ and in some ways this is true. If you are interested in writing novels like The Hunger Games, and publishers see a way to make money off of it, then, yes, they will edit it to death. And I want to add that, despite what people will tell you, there is nothing wrong with writing novels like Collins’, if that is your wish. Is it great art? No, not by a long shot. Do the ideas in some genre fiction have merit and, by a talented writer, can be made into great art? You bet. But that’s for a different article. The importance of editing your work to the fullest, agonizing over every word of every sentence of every paragraph of every page of every chapter, is your integrity as an artist. To paraphrase Hemingway: your gifts as a writer are by the standards you set and meet, not an editor’s. And while literature is in many ways a collaborative process, I find myself agreeing with Hemingway, not for the sake of honor, but because to write (as he would put it) one true sentence is essentially the mark of, not merely a writer, but an artist. And what all great writers seek is to create art.

While many advocate this (including contemporary novelists like Brian Evenson), I cannot attest to its effectiveness; but I give it to you anyway: when you stop writing for the night, you should end in the middle of a sentence, so that you when you write next, you will always have something to continue. And the advice is actually quite logical. But for some reason, and I’m speaking from experience, I feel the need to close ideas neatly at the end of my writing sessions, to end a thought so that another may begin the next day. I’ve often found myself wondering what other people’s thoughts are on the matter; and since we started this article with a question, I think it poetic that I close this piece with another: how many of our readers can attest to ending their sessions mid-sentence? Does it affect your ability to write the next day? Feedback on both of these questions is appreciated below, or, if you prefer, in a PM or VM to me. Until next time –

By Absalom, Absalom!