Does your character have wandering body parts?

lynnmosher

lynnmosher

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It's been ages since we discussed body parts acting on their own. Here's an article from a former member C. S. Lakin. Even though it's old, it still hold true...

"This month our editors are tackling Fatal Flaw #10 – Description Deficiencies. Too many manuscripts are lacking essential description–of characters, setting, time or day and year, how much time has passed from scene to scene. These make for weak scenes and weak novels. Today, editor Christy Distler addresses a fun but serious topic–improper description of body parts. See if your writing contains this fatal flaw!

We’re covering description deficiencies this month, and today I’m going to talk about “floating body parts,” or FBPs. If you’ve been writing fiction for some time, chances are you’ve seen editors and other authors discourage their use." Finish here.

Here's another one that's by former member K. M. Weiland.

Here's another, older and still true as well.

Sooo...what are your thoughts? Have any flying body parts in your MS? ;)
 
I don't consider them all "fatal". Then again, I'm not aiming at traditional publishing.

My crit partners and I laugh when we point them out. Sometimes I change them. Sometimes I don't.
 
In the Bible, there are very few descriptions of anyone's physical appearance. I don't know if any description of Jesus is in any of the Gospels. However, I think there are more paintings of Jesus, than anyone else, and they all look very much the same.
The Bible says that we're all made in the image of God. So, if we want to know what God looks like, should we all look in a mirror?
 
I'm sorry, William. I don't understand the connection to the subject. ???
 
Great article, thanks Lynn!

Funny story related to the topic: a few years back, I had my friends read a funny scene from my novel, and they discovered a typo I'd missed, and it was so unintentionally hilarious that it ended up being one I still get teased about from time to time.

Instead of writing, "Joanna leaned on Jack's arm and giggled," I had accidentally typed, "Joanna leaned and Jack's arm giggled."

Talk about body parts doing things of their own volition! 🤣
 
I understand what you're talking about with body parts seeming to act on their own, but I've noticed that sometimes it does happen. For instance, I'm thinking, "No, I'm not going to take another bite," but my hand reaches down with the fork and puts more food into my mouth." Or "I don't need the light on to see what I'm doing," but my hand reaches out and turns on the light. Am I the only one who does things like this? Is this Alzheimers setting in?
 
As kids, we were much more easily amused than now (remember when we thought knock-knock jokes were funny?) In that vein, I remember reading something that had me howling. I was not then learning to be a writer, and didn't know how we might want to avoid mixing figurative & literal statements in the same thought. So, it just struck me as hilarious when I read something like, "She sat with her head in her hands and her eyes on the floor..."

I suspect they were breaking-in a new editor, right about then...
 
LOL Oh, that is too funny! Thanks for that great big giggle! 😂
 
lynnmosher said:
It's been ages since we discussed body parts acting on their own.

Sooo...what are your thoughts? Have any flying body parts in your MS? ;)
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No... but now that you've OPENED that can of worms, I expect to incorporate that in one of the 5 robot books I'm drafting to continue my Rexx & Jester series. After all, it wouldn't be unheard of for a body part on a robot to act independently. The Iron Giant is a great example of that. I have excellent cause for that to occur in this new 5-book set, so I'm going to do just that!
 
carolinamtne said:
I understand what you're talking about with body parts seeming to act on their own, but I've noticed that sometimes it does happen. For instance, I'm thinking, "No, I'm not going to take another bite," but my hand reaches down with the fork and puts more food into my mouth." Or "I don't need the light on to see what I'm doing," but my hand reaches out and turns on the light. Am I the only one who does things like this? Is this Alzheimers setting in?
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I've recently read a three-book series where the author employed that technique with his main character quite a bit (he found his hand lighting a cigarette in his mouth he didn't know he had put there, etc.); It was different enough to be noticeable, but obviously intentional. I found I liked it, and it endeared me to the character. We've all been there, haven't we? I'm driving and suddenly I've arrived at my destination but don't recall the trip ... lol
 
LeighaWrites said:
I've recently read a three-book series where the author employed that technique with his main character quite a bit (he found his hand lighting a cigarette in his mouth he didn't know he had put there, etc.); It was different enough to be noticeable, but obviously intentional. I found I liked it, and it endeared me to the character. We've all been there, haven't we? I'm driving and suddenly I've arrived at my destination but don't recall the trip ... lol
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Yeah, or you're running around looking for your glasses until someone points out that they are already on your head...
 
I'm currently sitting here wondering how many of these I have violated and I am just getting started.
 
HopeScribed said:
I'm currently sitting here wondering how many of these I have violated and I am just getting started.
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and that's why we have proof readers, editors, and beta readers to help reduce that stuff as much as possible, lol. Hopefully not TOO many hilarious or embarrassing mistakes make it into the published work...
 
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