Hold That Thought - Placeholders While You Write

I am notorious (well notorious only to myself) for putting placeholders in manuscripts when I can't think of the right words.

Maybe I need to schedule a brain massage?
photo by Julia Freeman-Woolpert via sxc.hu

I allow myself thirty seconds to come up with the perfect phrase. If I don't succeed I leave stage directions to follow later.

Stopping for too long causes a break in my flow which leads to picking my nose, eating a few donuts, changing the laundry, and then remembering I was writing several hours later.

My current selection of placeholders includes:

"in the hallway something frickin' hilarious ensues"

"name that is sweet and rascally"

"funny sound an orange would make"

"eats something grosser than a caterpillar, but not as gross as a tarantula."

"mom gives her incentive so she has to win"

"The octopus' arm falls off or some other very bad thing happens"

"XXX" (I am trying not to use this anymore, because I kept inserting kissing scenes which was awkward in a picture book)

Smart writer type people say to write your best idea down in the moment, even if you know it needs to change. There are times the best I can do is gobbley gook, so the placeholder has to do the job. (Hey, would you read a story about gobbley gook that took over the world? Hmm. Where's the donuts?)

HELP NEEDED! In the comments won't you please help me replace my placeholders with something better? What sound would an orange make? What is something bad which would happen to an octopus?

18 Comments

Lara BrittOctober 18, 2012 at 9:08 PM
Oranges are famous for their onomatopoeiac utterings like smplatch and squirauch. As for octopi, they are rather smart and strangely affectionate critters but oh so shy. They love to play pranks and then run and hide. I would imagine it quite horrifying if one ventured out of hiding and then couldn't disappear...even running out of ink in a pinch.
mooderinoOctober 19, 2012 at 3:40 AM
I use placeholders too. Good way to keep the momentum going.

What about slugs for something between caterpillar and spider?

mood
Moody Writing
Veronica RothOctober 19, 2012 at 11:06 AM
Lol Lauri, I must be as green as I'm cabbage looking because I've never thought of place holders, but I love the idea. I like the thought of an orange who takes a self-improvment course to bounce like his hero, a tennis ball, and an octopus who trips over his arms and inks himself.
Kasie WhitenerOctober 22, 2012 at 7:51 AM
Hi, Lauri,

I love placeholders. I usually make mine ALL CAPS so they stand out. Here are a couple for you:
name that is sweet and rascally: try Puck (the impish nymph in A Midsummer Night's Dream), or for a girl, Dixie (a la the Confederacy). Both have some spunk (in my opinion).
mom gives incentive: something she wants to have: her sister's room, her brother's bike,
or maybe keeping something she has already: she won't have to give her favorite teddy (who's kind of babyish) to the church charity, she can keep him without admitting she still needs him,
or maybe something that is going to happen anyway like "done with third grade forever!"

Thanks for the a.m. brainstorming session! Always glad to see you!
David P. KingOctober 22, 2012 at 10:16 AM
And here I thought I was the only one who did this (albeit a bit different than how you handle it, but it's the same issue nonetheless). Great post!.

I left you a Shout-Out on my blog today, just so you know. :)
AnonymousOctober 22, 2012 at 10:20 AM
An orange noise might be "sqoosha" (if it's being squeezed). If it, say, falls off the counter unpeeled, then "kadunka-dun."

My mom's words of inspiration often were "Don't be a candy ass."

You're welcome!
ChantelOctober 22, 2012 at 11:38 AM
I totally love "slug" (shudder) and the ultimate incentive is having a sibling do all your chores for a weeek/month. The taste of revenge and leisure is a heady combination! :)
AMelodyPearsonOctober 29, 2012 at 11:58 AM
Very fun read, Lauri. I love the dancing octopus idea. I too make notes, usually in parenthesis, in places where I have trouble finding the right phrase or word. I hadn't thought of using the XXX for searching purposes. (Maybe because I haven't gotten much past that 1000 word place.) ;-)