A Quiz For Writers

 It's Fall in our half of the hemisphere but the beauty of the season has a down side to it. Falling leaves! Which means a big job for he or she who must gather and dispose of them. I'm sure you'd rather concentrate on writing today instead of raking the crisp leaves decorating your yard.

Some things to consider today before you begin to work on a writing project. Consider it a Writer's Quiz.

• Is my writing entertaining?
• Is my writing informative?
• Is my writing error-free?
• Do I use too many cliches?
• Do I tend to repeat words rather than find another word?
• Do I allow emotion to come to the surface when I write?
• Do I include sensory details?
• Do I hurry through a writng project or give it ample time?
• Do I set my work aside and then look at it a few days later?
• Do I do an edit or even several edits?
• Am I willing to make revisions if an editor asks? 
• Do I submit as often as I should? Or could?
• Do I aim for active verbs rather than passive?
• Is my writing filled with too many adjectives?
• Do I check spelling?
• Can I take constructive criticism from others?
• Do I read about the craft of writing?

Answer the questions honestly and you'll have a pretty good idea of the places where you shine and those that need improvement. We want to grow as writers on a continual basis. I know that I am a better writer today than I was ten or twenty years ago and I imagine you are, too. But we shouldn't stop learning and growing.