How to Write Better Reviewing My Own Bad Writing
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Oct 26, 2022 An author candidly examines his own flawed writing and the compromises that crept in. He unpacks publisher demands, genre confusion, and the limits of brief case studies. Tense and point of view choices get close attention through comparisons to a focused memoir. A free ebook is mentioned as a resource.
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Author Confesses To Compromised Book Structure
- Joshua Fields Milburn admits Love People Use Things contains publisher-driven compromises that he wouldn't have chosen.
- He added a recurring Packing Party case study and short participant blurbs that limited deep narrative exploration on page 99 and surrounding sections.
Avoid Smothering Memoir With Excess Research
- Avoid overloading a memoir with dense research and citations if you want visceral storytelling.
- Milburn says the nearly 293 citations and packed studies made the book feel less immersive to him.
Tense And POV Shape Reader Distance
- Changing tense and point of view alters reader immersion and distance from the author.
- Milburn contrasts his choice to shift a novel from first-person present to third-person past to create separation from himself.
