Forum: Author Hangout

The It Girl

Paige Hawthorne 🚫

In the story I'm currently fiddling around with, I'm trying a new tactic. Every time I use the word 'it', I consider calling out what the 'it' is. One example:

"Yeah, it's so rare for an American, especially a woman."

"Yeah, the Masters of Wine award is so rare for an American, especially a woman."

Of course without some preceding context, the change in that sentence is fairly meaningless. But the process, the different way of thinking, is what interests me.

Now will this make the story any better? I dunno. Will any reader notice the change? Of course not. Do I drop every single 'it'? Nope, that would be awkward in many cases.

But the exercise is one way for me to apply a little more discipline to the writing process. Next, I may consider … oh, spelling, punctuation, stuff like that.

Paige

Replies: Switch Blayde JoeBobMack Mushroom Dominions Son Dicrostonyx Grey Wolf

Switch Blayde 🚫

@Paige Hawthorne

(1) Now will this make the story any better? I dunno. (2) Will any reader notice the change? Of course not. (3) Do I drop every single 'it'? Nope, that would be awkward in many cases.

I do it as well. I do it when I believe the pronoun wouldn't be crystal clear.

(1) Yes. Making it clearer always makes it better.

(2) No. But they won't notice most things the author does to make the story better.

(3) Agree. There's a place for pronouns.

JoeBobMack 🚫

@Paige Hawthorne

spelling, punctuation, stuff like that.

Let's not get all crazy here!

Mushroom 🚫

@Paige Hawthorne

About a century ago, "The It Girl" was actually a part of American and British slang, indicating a female that was highly attractive.

Most commonly in the era attributed to actress Clara Bow, who started in a movie called "It" in 1927.

Dominions Son 🚫

@Paige Hawthorne

The It Girl

And here I always thought Cousin It was male.

Replies: Ernest Bywater

Ernest Bywater 🚫

@Dominions Son

And here I always thought Cousin It was male.

Cousin It was male, but his sister was The It Girl.

Replies: richardshagrin

richardshagrin 🚫

@Ernest Bywater

IT is an abbreviation for information technology.

It is also a pronoun, a noun that gets paid, as opposed to an amateur noun.

Dicrostonyx 🚫

@Paige Hawthorne

Always using the appropriate noun rather than words like it, that, this, and so on is pretty much the default style in academic writing. If you ever take any post-secondary classes in the Humanities, especially anything like literature, criticism, professional writing, communications, etc. you really get the writing style driven in.

The style is less necessary in creative writing and can lead to a very dense style of prose if taken too far, but it may work for you. Moreover, the most important aspect of "good writing," whether academic or creative, is clarity, so if you were overusing pronouns previously then this exercise should certainly help.

Grey Wolf 🚫
Updated:

@Paige Hawthorne

Sometimes too much 'it' can cause much trouble:

"No, it is far from this place."

"Aaaaaaugh! Stop saying the word!!!!"

"OH, STOP IT!!"

"Ow! He said it again! [...] Wait! I said it! I said it! Oh! I've said it again! And there again...that's three hits!"

:)

On the original subject ... in my opinion, writing characters who are speaking informally requires a fair bit of 'it', but too much is a bad thing, like most things.

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Forum: Author Hangout

The It Girl

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