A List of Proofreading Suggestions

 

Every writer knows that proofreading is important. Very few would dispute that. Just as important is the way in which you proofread. A quick glance over the piece is not going to give you the type of end product that you want--or that editors will deem acceptable. 

There are many parts to proofreading, lots of Do This or Don't Do This. I have listed some of those you should do below:

1. DO set your draft aside for a while before you begin. How long? I'd say a minimum of overnight, maybe even a few days. Don't wait 15 minutes after you write the final words of the draft and then start proofreading. Your mind is still into what you wrote in the draft; it's not ready to look for ways to improve it yet.
2. DO read aloud at least once in your proofreading process. Trouble spots you might pass over while reading silently will become easier to spot. Things like sentences that are too long, an overabundance of adjectives or adverbs, poor subject/verb tense, and more.
3. DO check punctuation. Some writers go through the entire piece checking only commas or only quote marks. You'd be surprised how often writers miss putting in commas where needed or quote marks on only one end of the quote. 
4. DO look for repetition of words and ideas. It's all too easy to repeat as we write. It's one thing you'll catch if you read aloud.
5. DO look at verbs. Are there too many passive verbs? See how many you can change to be active. Active verbs always make for more interesting reading.
6. DO check to see that your pronouns are clear as to who or what they are referring to. I often mark this problem in the work of others that I critique. The writer knows who or what, but the reader needs to have clarity. 
7. DO Check each paragraph to make sure it shows a single point. Mixing more than one thought for a paragraph is confusing. Make sure that each person speaking in a dialogue begins a new paragraph, even if all they say is "Sure." 
8. DO a spell check and check for words that are used too often, like 'was' or 'it' or 'that' with the tools given with your word processing program.
9. Do check for overly-long sentences. If a sentence goes on and on, the reader will easily lose the important thought in it. 
10. DO check for sentence fragments. Complete sentences are what we strive for, even though an occasional fragment works in what we're writing. Only occasionally, however.
11. DO check verb tenses. Don't bounce them around. Be consistent.
12. DO show more than tell. Your piece will be far more interesting if you do this.
13. DO check the dialogue sections carefully. Eliminate adverbs in the tags. Check the punctuation and quote marks carefully in dialogue.
14. DO be consistent with capitalizations with names and specific places. I often see a story I'm critiquing that uses caps in some places and not in others for the same word.
15. DO look for varying lengths of sentences. Mix up the long ones and the shorter. 

The list above is not complete, but it can help in checking what you want to proofread and how. 

Should you proofread more than once? I think it would be beneficial to do it at least twice or three times with time left between proofreading sessions. If you do two sessions back to back, you're very likely to miss the same mistakes. 

Three Traits Writers Need

 

Today's poster quote spells out the advice pretty plainly. Whether you're a writer, an artist, a sculptor or a football player, you don't reach the top in a hurry. It takes patience and perseverance. A whole lot of both those traits.

When you first started writing, you had dreams of being a successful writer, one who earned money for the words you put together day after day. To attain those dreams, you need to begin by setting some goals. Then, you must work toward those goals a little at a time. You won't get there in leaps and bounds but by small steps. 

Taking those many small steps fosters frustration at times. You climb a staircase one step at a time, and that's the same way you must climb in your writing journey. You can't skip learning about your craft. You can't overlook the advice received from friends or critique groups. You can't write a 500-page novel until you master the 2500 word short story. You won't be very successful if you don't keep up with the trends in the writing world. 

You must also persevere with all those steps. Each step brings you a little closer to the top. The depth of your passion for writing is important to your ability to persevere when things aren't going as you'd hoped. Remember those old punching bags for kids made in the form of a clown or some other personality? You hit it, and it went down but popped right back up. No matter how many times, the clown went down, he came back. That's how you, the writer, must be. 

The writers who give up are ones who don't have enough of the patience, perseverance, and passion in their tool kit. Do you have those traits as soon as you decide you'd like to be a writer? Of course not. You must develop them a little at a time just as you climb those steps to be a successful writer.

I write these words of encouragement as much for myself as for you. We're all in this writing game together. Every one of us needs 'patience, perseverance, and passion' as we move step by step on our writing journey.

Try Short Memoir or Family Story Writing

 

Wouldn't it be nice if we could go back in life to experience things twice? Would we choose to repeat only the happy times, or would we also repeat the difficult times we lived through in order to understand and learn from what occurred? 

That, of course, is an individual choice. We're all different people and would look at the possibility of feeling a few things twice in different ways. 

If you write short memoir pieces (or even a full book) and family stories, you are going back to experience things one more time. It's one very good reason to write in this genre. 

You can write about the simple things that made you happy. Sitting on a porch swing on a summer day reading a book. Swimming at the city pool with your best friends. Attending a theater production with your mom. Getting the dress of your dreams as a surprise gift. Walking through a meadow of wildflowers in sunshine and gentle breezes. Holiday visits to your grandparents' farm. Having your dad read a bedtime story. Winning a special award in high school or college. All of these are worth reliving by writing about them. 

What about the not so good happenings? Getting the only D you ever had on a Math test. Breaking up with your steady girl. Being totally embarrassed when the wind blew your skirt and everyone laughed. Your parents getting divorced. The loss of a good friend. Not making it into the fraternity you wanted. Not getting to go on a trip you had your heart set on. These things were hurtful, but writing about them now could help you see new facets of whatever happened. 

By writing about the good and the bad, you not only relive it, but you can allow your family to see what happened and the way you felt then and now. It can help them understand you and also learn from your experience.

Yes, reliving memories of both happy and sad times is worthwhile. You can see what happened at 25 with new eyes at the age of 60. Or even a 25-year-old looking back at an event they experienced at age 5. 

Many contests have memoir categories to enter. In fact, often the greatest number of entries will be memoir. Why? I think that people are interested in their roots, their family history, and want to tell others about it.

If you've never written a short memoir piece or a family story, there's no time like the present to do so.

Mastering Fine Sentences

 

I was reading the newspaper this morning when I ran across a phrase in an article about a new police academy. The journalist said '...but the pool of recruits is shallow.' Isn't that better than saying '...there are few recruits.' It made me stop and read that paragraph again.

We should work to put some life in our writing by using phrases that are a little more picturesque than merely stating a fact. Ones that help us see a scene very well.

From a James Patterson book:  'I fell asleep to the sound of his breathing and the rain falling softly on the garage roof.' He could have said something like 'I fell asleep to male breathing and rain.' When we see 'the sound of his breathing,' the word sound helps our mind 'hear' the man breathing. I love the second part..the rain falling softly on the roof.' That tells me it's not a big storm, just a gentle and steady rain and again, the sound comes through to me, the reader.

Look at our photo for today. You could say 'The sun came through the trees.' It's correct, but wouldn't it be more interesting to say 'The gold of the leaves were echoed by the gilded rays of the sun coming through the trees." or even "The golden leaves were echoed by the gilded rays peeking through the trees."

When we write, we want our readers to 'see'  and 'hear' and 'feel.' We do that by using descriptive phrases and words. If you're old enough to remember the old Dragnet tv show, you'll know the phrase the detective used over and over again--"Just the facts, ma'am. Just the facts." It fast became a catchphrase of the era.

When we read, we respond better to more than just the facts. We enjoy being brought into the scene by descriptive phrases, metaphors, and similes. You could say "She is a nice person." Or say "She is an angel." That metaphor speaks to you. The same with a simile. 'He was a messy eater." tells you something, but if you said, "He ate like a starving beast in the jungle." there is a very vivid picture in your mind. 

When you proofread/edit, look for places where you can write a better sentence. One that is more descriptive, more appealing, and more explicit. Do beware of using cliches when you attempt to write more colorful sentences. They're so easy to pluck from the air, but try to be original. 

When you hear a reader say that the book they're reading is filled with beautiful prose, you know that author has mastered writing fine sentences. Something we all should strive for.

A Fine Author Quote

 

Ernest Hemingway wrote some fine stories, but he also left us some advice in a series of quotes. Isn't it nice that someone kept track and saved so many? I wonder if we missed some real gems that no one thought to record. 

The poster quote today is worth looking at. Check that last part '...a craft where no one ever becomes a master.' The learning should never stop. No matter how good our writing becomes, it can always be better.

Yes, it can be better but only if we work at making that happen. And how do we do that?

1. by writing every day
2. by doing writing exercises on a regular basis
3. by reading voraciously about our craft
4. by attending writing conferences and absorbing all that they offer
5. by staying passionate about writing
6. by working toward achieving our goals in our writing world
7. by being patient
8. by persevering at all times
9. by paying close attention to the critiques from others
10. by not giving up when our writing world is not looking so great
11. 11. by being open-minded enough to accept suggestions

Do you have some favorite author quotes? Let us know in the comments section.

Helping Hands of Writer Friends

 

Our poster today depicts a sextet of hands. I like to think of them as 'helping hands.' One thing a writer needs is the hand of friendship from others in the field. 

There are several reasons that we should develop friendships with other writers:

1.  Who understands us better than another writer? We can discuss our writing life with a spouse, parents, kids, other friends, and they may listen and nod their heads. Even give a hug when they think it is needed. Writers listen in an altogether different way. They listen to our writing woes with empathy. They've been there, know how we're feeling. 

2.  If we have a group of writing friends, we can reach out to one or more when we need advice or when a sticky place in the story has us stumped. Another writer might be able to see the problem better than we do and can offer bits and pieces of advice. We aren't asking for them to rewrite the whole thing for us. All we want is a little push in the right direction. Individual writer friends can do this but so can a critique group. Yes, consider the members of a critique group as friends. They're willing to help you and hope you will return the favor. 

3.  We learn from writer friends. We watch how they handle the writing life, how they progress in seeking publication, and how they move down their writing path. We can learn from their successes, but we can also learn about things to avoid when we see them hit a roadblock. 

4.  The common bond of writing allows us to be friends with the many writers we encounter in critique groups, at conferences, and on social media. I've made myriad numbers of friends through my blog and the blogs and websites of others. These are people I've never met in person, but we've formed friendships through our love of writing. Our technological world has allowed us to connect with people all over the world who have the same love of writing that we do.

5. We can ask a close friend or family member to read and critique our writing, but they are more likely to give us high praise just because they ARE our friends. A friend who is also a writer will give us honest feedback and possibly point out things to change. For them, it's a 'been there, done that' situation. 

6.  Our writing world is usually separate from our other everyday world. When we slip into our writing mode, we are in a completely different place, and we need friends who are in the same place to listen to us, give us a shoulder to lean on, and commiserate at what they feel is the total unfairness of some editors. And more! 

7. Writer friends can help boost our self-confidence. They'll tell us when we need to change something in a story, but they'll also let us know when we've done a good job. And guess what? They are happy for us when we do well. I find praise from another writer to be cherished.

I received an email from a dear writer friend in Canada this morning. Part of the message was about how she noticed that I am Facebook friends with a writer whose books she has enjoyed and is promoting with a group she heads. She met our mutual friend through another writer who works at the same university as he does in Kansas. So you see, these friendships go round and round, overlapping, and bringing joy. 

Flex Your Writing Muscles

 

Life is full of choices. I think often of Robert Frost's poem that tells us of two roads diverging in a yellow wood, and the poet said he took the one less traveled by. But don't we always wonder if this choice would be better than that choice or another one? 

For a writing exercise today, look at the four photos. Each of them is somewhere you can walk. Two have water while the others are filled with green trees. What is your choice? Where would you prefer to walk? A, B, C or D? 

Choose one and write a paragraph or several paragraphs about the photo you liked best. Study the photo and ask yourself a few questions. What sounds are there? What is the weather like; air temp? Are you going to meet someone? Does a person appear coming toward you? Does the weather make a distinct change? Can you smell anything? Are you happy on this walk? Or are you despondent? Do you have a destination in mind? Or are you walking aimlessly? Are you hungry? Thirsty? Barefoot or wearing shoes? 

Think about all those questions before you begin to write. Hopefully, you'll end up with the beginning of a story, or even a piece of flash fiction. Or a bit of memoir. There is no limit to where you can go with this exercise. 

If you enjoyed one, try another with the same questions and see what happens. Remember that writing exercises allow you to flex your writing muscles in any way you like. Let your creativity flow.

Lessons Writers Learn

 

It's pretty easy to be grateful when all is going well. We feel like we're walking in sunshine and nothing can mar what life is at the moment. Yep, it's so easy that we often forget to be grateful. 

The second part of today's quote is what I want to focus on. ...When it's harsh, be grateful still. And find the lesson. 

Writers who procrastinate when they have a deadline often end up being rejected after they submit a hurried-up piece of writing to an editor. Hard as it might be, they should be grateful that the editor rejected their work if they also learned that delaying and submitting a piece of writing that was dashed off is not the way to be a published writer. 

Writers who think they don't have to be educated in the art of writing might also be the recipient of many rejections. A writer of this ilk would be most fortunate if an editor would point out that they needed to learn more about writing before submitting again. Sadly, most editors don't have time, or won't take time, to send a note to a struggling writer. Hopefully, they will figure it out on their own and decide to read all they can about the craft of writing, attend writing conferences, and make friends with other writers. All those things will be worthwhile lessons.

What about a situation where the editor likes the writer's submission, but he/she thinks it could be better. The editor returns the submission with a note telling the writer what might make the piece stronger, more poignant, or appealing. He/she will ask if the writer would like to work on it and resubmit. Once again, there's a lesson here. The writer who wants to be published will revise and edit his/her work and send it to the editor again. He/she won't cast it aside with the thought that it's too much work to revise and resend. 

What if a story is rejected time after time? Pretty hard to be grateful, especially if there is no note from the editors giving a reason. Even so, there's a lesson here. Perhaps the writer needs to study the market more carefully. Not every story is right for every magazine. Maybe the writer should seek the help of a writer friend or a critique group. Their eyes can pick up on places that need to be changed more easily than the writer's own eyes. Never feel bad about seeking the help of others to make your story stronger and better.

How about the writer who should be doing research before writing an article but wings it instead. He/she thinks winging it will work. An editor is going to catch that pretty quickly and send off a rejection in a hurry. Another lesson learned? Hopefully.

Yes, we do need to look for the lessons when our writing life becomes harsh. The lesson is not always evident, but it's there, and we should be grateful when finding it.

How To Create a Family Stories Book

 

Yesterday's post was an interview with Leo Lake, who wrote his family history and stories, one week at a time for a year. His stories and photos were then bound into a nice quality book in hardcover. Leo used a program called "Story Worth" to write his book. The company sent him one question, or prompt, each week for a year, and he wrote a chapter for each one. He added photos to what he had written.

This is an easy way to complete a project that you might have been considering for a long time but just could never get started. Those questions/prompts are great triggers to memories. The best part about a program like "Story Worth" is that you do the writing, and they do all the rest. 

There are other companies that use this same method to help you write your family stories and the history of your family. Use a search engine to find them.

Another company that aids you in your project is one called "Story Terrace" that works in a slightly different method. They connect you with a professional writer who helps you write your story. You give the facts through an interview, and they write in a professional way. These writers are often called Ghostwriters. 

Heirloom Books has a list of books that will help you write your family story. This one requires more work from you as you must read the book(s) and then transfer what you learned to your project. The website gives a detailed description of each of five books. 

My friend, Annette Gendler, published a book last year that is meant to help people write family stories titled "How to Write Compelling Stories from Family History."   It's a down-to-earth, sensible book to help you with this worthwhile project.

There's also the Do-it-Yourself method. This one gives you no help from an outside source. Instead, you write your family stories, one at a time, keep them together in a file until you have enough to create a book. Take it to a place that does printing and binding your stories into a book. The ones I've seen are softcover and spiral bound. Places like Staples, Office Depot and even FedEx offer this service. You can check your home area for these or similar places to help you finish your project into a book.

Another way to make up a Family Stories Book is to assemble all your stories into a 3-ring binder. The nice part about this method is that you can continue to add more stories as you write them. 

This is not an endorsement for any of the above but to show you some of the options you have. Like all things, there are pros and cons to each one. I do think that "Story Worth" would be very helpful in keeping a person on track because of the weekly questions. The idea is to write an answer to the question when you receive it and not let them pile up unanswered.

Like all projects, the key is to start, then keep working until you finish. 

Non-Writers Can Write A Family Stories Book

 

Many people think about writing a book filled with history and stories about their family and themselves, but not a lot grab the reins and gallop away on the project. Leo Lake is one person who now has a hardback copy of his life which is a treasure for his family. He had a bit of inspiration in the way of a gift. But let me move to an interview I had with Leo, a retired educator.

NJK:  What inspired you to write your book? 

LL:  My granddaughter had given me a small book to respond to some things about my life. I found it interesting, and then my daughter-in-law actually enrolled me with a company known as "Story Worth." It was well organized and lead me through the necessary process. 

NJK:  How long was it from the idea for a family book until it was a finished book?

LL:  "Story Worth" sent me a question each week for a year. After I had responded to those questions, I was given a period of a couple months to do any revisions, things I wanted to expand, change, etc. I then revised the order of chapters in the book to meet what appeared to me to be a better timeline. It was approximately 14 months from start to finish.

NJK:  Where did you begin?

LL:  Several questions sent to me revolved around my parents and my early childhood. Those questions came over a period of a year, but when completed, I wanted to start with my very early childhood.

NJK:  What kind of problems did you run into? Or did it go smoothly from start to finish?

LL:  "Story Worth" made it very easy all the way. There were a couple of questions ent to me that I chose not to respond to, and that was even suggested to be a possibility by the company. My biggest problem was separating what I actually remembered from what I'd been told over the years that had become a memory. Another problem for me was the possibility of repeating the information in different chapters. Editing, however, was easy to do and I made numerous corrections in the months following writing. The company suggested using pictures, and so it was easy to add to the storyline of each chapter.

NJK: Where did you have the book printed?

LL:  "Story Worth" handled all the printing. On the back of the book, "Copyright 2020 Leo Lake. Written and printed with "Story Worth." 

NJK:  How many books did you have printed?

LL:  This entire process was my wonderful daughter-in-law's gift, and she handled all the details with the company. She ordered copies of close family members.

NJK:  Did you enjoy writing the book, or was it a chore? 

LL:  It was a labor of love. It was refreshing to think back over my life and think about how my life was shaped, those who helped, etc. I looked forward to each week's new question. At the close of writing, the only chore came in editing what I had written. I went through the entire book several times making small changes, relocating pictures, erasing a few duplicates thoughts from one chapter to another, and, of course, trying to find any errors in grammar. 

NJK:  What advice to you have for others who might like to write their own book or one similar to the way you wrote yours?

LL:  Certainly, the "Story Worth" plan sets a stage for you to write your memoirs. What it had me realize is how much family members want to know about my life. I highly recommend anyone should start and any point in their life writing details about interesting happenings in their life. Keep a file, keep writing, and even if you never get a book published on your own, the notes you will have kept will be a wonderful gift to your family. Include the good life and the struggles.

NOTE:  IN TOMORROW'S POST, I'LL TAKE A LOOK AT PROGRAMS LIKE "STORY WORTH' SO DO COME BACK.

Writing's Not All Fun

 

If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.  An amusing quote for sure, but we can find some wisdom in it, too. 

If a writer hopes to be published, he/she keeps that dream front and center but sometimes becomes discouraged with all it takes to reach it. Things like: reading about the craft of writing, doing writing exercises, attending conferences and workshops, talking with other writers, editing and revising, and more. He/she also needs patience and perseverance. Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that these are my two keywords, ones I've kept foremost in my mind as I've moved along my writing journey.

So yes, there are many parts of writing that we must put up with in order to reach that glorious goal of being published. Somewhere! Anywhere! Regularly! Doing the practical parts like exercises and editing is not as exciting as finding a story idea and running with it. That's when we feel inspired. Keep in mind that it takes many parts to make a whole. You cannot do only the ones that you like and skip the others. You'll never reach that 'whole' by doing that. 

You also aren't going to be able to reach the rainbow unless you practice both patience and perseverance. It takes time to become a published writer, so be willing to invest a lot of that precious item. The perseverance part comes in when you get batted down with one rejection after another. That's when you must not give up, when you must keep working at being a better writer, and when you need to learn how to select a market that fits your writing. 

Sure, a lot of that 'rain' falls upon us as we work our way through the writing path we've chosen. If you keep working at it, you'll begin to find that rainbow that you've dreamed about for a long time. 

Share Your Heart and Soul When You Write

 

How do you achieve the last part of this quote? The act of writing is to share a part of your soul with the world. It's not easy for many writers. As humans, we tend to keep our deepest feelings within rather than share with others. 

If you want to reach your readers and let them react with emotion, you must write in the same manner. One elicits the other. You have to spring the trap door and let what you really feel emerge. Memoir writers must learn to share from the depths of their souls. If they don't, all they are doing is reporting, and their readers will not relate nearly as well.

If you're writing fiction and want to let your readers know that a woman is trying to change her life after a divorce which still left her feeling unsure of herself, angry, sad, and disappointed, you've got a big job ahead. To write a scene showing that (because you certainly do not want to tell the reader how she feels), you need to dig into your own experiences, or those of others, and into your soul to see how all those feelings affect the woman. Then, your job is to write the scene with some emotion, some deep feeling coming from your soul. It's the way you bring your character to life.

The greatest writers have the ability to make their readers feel what is happening in a story or the writer's experience told in a personal essay. They can do this because they dig deep down and let their own feelings direct the writing. A tv commercial for how to do this might shout: Let it out! Let it out! Let it out! 

Do an honest assessment. Do you tend to hide your true feelings when you write? If you can let those feelings surface, your writing will be stronger and more effective. If you answered yes about hiding your true feelings, be comforted in knowing that you have lots of company. 

Not only will your writing benefit if you learn to share part of your soul with your readers, but you may feel better with the release instead of keeping so much tamped down inside. Try to do this in small steps. The more you do it, the easier it will become. There's an old song titled Heart and Soul. Try using some of both when you write.

Q and A for Writers About Reading

 

Stephen King's quote is pretty direct. It's the kind that makes you sit up and pay attention. It also sounds like something your high school or college English teacher might tell you. 

A few questions and answers:

What's the big deal about reading if you want to be a writer? Are you supposed to read another writer's work, then try to be them? Absolutely not. Every writer should strive to be one of a kind. You don't want to sound like Danielle Steele or John Grisham or Charles Dickens. Your aim is to have your own voice, your own style of writing. Strive to be an individual in the writing world.

So, why push all that reading? Writers learn a great deal from reading the work of others. We find things we like and ones we don't. We see the mechanics of writing and absorb them as we read. We find the writers whose work appeals most to us, and then we should make an assessment as to why. Maybe it's the way the author brings emotion to the story or builds tension creating a page-turner. As you read, your subconscious notes many of these little things as well as your conscious mind. 

Should I read the same genre that I write? Yes, you should, but also read other kinds of books. If you write romance, try a sci-fi occasionally, or a murder mystery. If you write fantasy, give historical fiction a try now and then. Widen your horizons when it comes to the type of book or story you read.

What about nonfiction? Yes, read that, too. Read memoir and personal essays, articles on whatever subject interests you. Read educational books and magazines to learn, but also to expose yourself to this type of writing. 

I'm not crazy about poetry, so do I have to read that, too? Why not? You can learn about writing by reading poems as well as prose. As you read, note things like alliteration and metaphor. Do you see a story in the poem, or is it one filled with images? You can embrace the beauty of the words in some poetry and then use the techniques in your own writing. 

Should I read books about writing? A great big YES! Don't merely read them. Absorb them! Build your own personal library of books that teach you about your craft. 

Should I pay attention to what Stephen King tells me? He's a very successful writer, so I would heed his words. Not to write exactly like he does but to learn from someone who knows what he is talking about. I've suggested more than once that writers would benefit from reading King's book titled On Writing. I think it is one of the best on the subject. 

Is there any other reason I should read? Yes, you should also read for sheer pleasure. Some of us are born readers, taking to it like candy when we are children. Others must learn to be readers. Some read only what is totally necessary to get through life. Because I love to read, I feel they miss a great deal. Read to relax and get away from the everyday chores and routines and jobs we all have.

Try an Adventure in Writing

 

Say yes to new adventures. That's today's quote, used because it appealed to me, and I hope it will to you, as well. 

When we find the niche in the writing world that suits us best, it's a satisfying feeling. Writing well in one genre builds confidence, but it also can allow us to become complacent. You might think: Why try something new when I am doing just fine where I am? 

If all you ever write is poetry, try to write prose. You might start with a prose poem. It's written paragraph style but using poetic tools such as similes, metaphors, alliteration, and more. Next move on to full prose of different kinds. Try a short memoir piece or a personal essay or short fiction. You might find one type that appeals to you, or you could say that prose is not for you and scurry back into the world of poetry. 

If you do head back to your comfort zone of poetry, it's not a problem. The positive part is that you went on a new adventure by slipping into the prose world for a short time. You left the safety of what you know, and that's adventurous.

In reverse, prose writers should try something new to them once in a while. If they only write fiction, try some creative nonfiction. It requires the same techniques as fiction; the difference is that your story must be true. If you write nothing but memoir, why not give short fiction a try? Try poetry. There is no rule that says you must stay in the new slot. You can go back to what you like best in a heartbeat. 

The important thing is that you say yes to some new adventures in writing. Get a taste and a feel for a different kind of writing than you normally do. Don't be the writer who says "Oh, I can't do that." Give something new a try. Doing so could give you a real lift. Change is beneficial, even if it ends up that you don't like what you tried. 

Get out of that all-too-comfortable writing place you're in once in a while. Have an adventure!

Where Do You Write?

 

Writing Place

Do you have a special writing place? I usually write on my laptop in my home office, but occasionally, I'll write with pen and pad. I'm not one to go to a coffee shop to write, but many people do. 

I've often wondered if they find some inspiration among the others nearby. Or do they just like the feeling of having others around them? 

When I first started writing, I sat at my kitchen table and typed on an electric typewriter. The bad part about that was that I had to clear the table of all my papers and the typewriter before the next meal. Later, I set up a card table in one of the guest bedrooms which was a light, cheerful room. Maybe that helped my mood as I typed on my typewriter. 

Our next house had 4 bedrooms, so I deemed one 'the office' and shared it with my husband, although I used it far more than he did. By this time, I had graduated to writing on a computer. Now, we have a His and Hers desk in our home office which works well. 

I have friends who enjoy writing in a bookstore or coffee shop. With ipads and electronic notebooks, it's easy enough to do. Even with pen and spiral notebook as our photo for today shows. 

Some writers can write sitting in bed with pen and paper or on their phone etc. That doesn't appeal to me at all. The only time I ever write in bed is to jot down a note regarding a thought that comes to me or from a dream. 

What about writing outside? I have a feeling that people like Thoreau, who wrote about nature, wrote while sitting outdoors with the subject enveloping them on all sides. Inspiring? I think so. You might like to sit at a picnic table by a lake to write, or in a flower garden. When I visited Monet's house in Giverny, France, my first thought was how wonderful it would be to sit in his glorious garden and write. It's where he painted time and again.

Do people ever write on a bus or commute train? No doubt, some do. You might have a seatmate craning his neck to snoop a bit. When your stop comes up, you may be in the middle of a great section of writing, but you must quit or end up somewhere strange.

As a college student, I wrote some of my papers in longhand while in the university library. I had a lot of company as many other students were doing the same. I had to type the paper back at the dorm. The click-clack of the keys would not have been welcomed in the library. 

Those of you fortunate enough to have a front or back porch, or a screened-in porch have a lovely spot where you can write. For me, it might be too distracting with people walking by, birds and squirrels drawing my attention, neighborhood children playing. Pick the right time of day, and it might be quite nice. 

The important thing is to write where you feel comfortable and where you can produce best and fastest. Somewhere that you are not constantly distracted. Do you have a favorite place to write? Share in the Comments section.

5 Traits Writers Should Develop

 

Our poster today says:  Creativity takes courage. Remember the beginning days of your writing journey? You probably didn't feel confident about your writing at that point, but you had the passion within to want to be a writer. So, you worked up your courage and plunged into the deep pool of the writing world. If you're still writing today, you obviously kept being courageous and continued to write.

I think creativity also takes some other traits and tools. Consider these:

Imagination:  Yes, writers are people who have the ability to imagine. They are not daydreaming when they stare into space. Nope, they are using their imagination and creating something new to write. During my childhood, ages ago, little girls played with paper dolls. We had great fun dressing them in the clothes we'd cut out of the paper doll books and then imagining stories about them. My cousin and I spent hours and hours with our paper dolls and also imagining stories with our regular dolls. Boys played Cowboys and Indians with their cap pistols creating stories as they played. I wonder if some of that has been lost with all the electronic toys and games that 'do it for you.' 

Commitment:  To be a writer you need to make a commitment and, most of all, stay with it. If you commit to becoming a writer and toss it aside in a month, that's not a true commitment, is it? If it helps, commit to a year and perhaps renew that commitment each year thereafter. A year doesn't seem as overwhelming as a lifetime, does it? 

Goals:  Setting goals will help you move on your writing journey. Start out with small objectives. Don't start with the idea of writing a book right away. Set a goal to write a short story and put it through the submission process. Then set a goal of writing 5 stories or essays or poems. Then move on to bigger numbers and bigger projects. People who fail to achieve their goals may have set the bar too high.

Knowledge:  The more you learn about the craft of writing, the better writer you will become. There is no doubt that a writer has a lot to learn but also has many outlets to acquire knowledge about writing. There are myriad numbers of books on the subject, many written by successful authors. Conferences, workshops, local writer meetings--all of these will help you learn about writing and writers. You have search engines at your fingertips to look up questions about writing. All these are available but the writer must take advantage of them. They're no good to you if you bypass.

Enjoyment:  If you're a writer, you should like what you do. If there is little to no satisfaction, if it's just a chore that you do to make some money, then maybe writing isn't for you. If there is no passion within, your writing will show that.

Yes, creativity takes courage, but it also takes more. As writers, we should work on each of the traits mentioned in today's post. They don't come in a ribbon-bedecked box. It's up to you to work on each trait and to renew when you feel it slipping away. 

Build A Good Story

 

(Due to a washing machine disaster, today's post is a repeat, but I think it has some good points in it)

Prose is architecture, not interior decoration.– Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway and I attended the same high school in suburban Chicago--Oak Park and River Forest High School, pictured here. We both became writers. He attained fame. I did not. Still, I like to put myself in the same group of alums of our school, even though he was there quite some time before I entered its hallowed halls. There is another difference between the two of us. I got an A in freshman English and Mr. Hemingway flunked it. And yet, look where he traveled on his writing journey. Look at the goals he achieved and the awards he won.

I pay close attention to quotes by famous authors. These people did something right and I'd like to learn from them.

The author gives us fine direction in the simple six word quote above. An architect builds and so does a good writer. A good writer doesn't just sprinkle a lot of flowery language through a weak story so that it appeals to readers. A good writer builds his/her story from its foundation to the very top.

A building's foundation is of prime importance. So is the foundation of the story you are going to build. Know what it is before you begin. Then add one floor after another as you flesh out the story itself. The foundation has to be strong to hold what goes above it. I'd say this is a good argument for outlining your story, whether it is a short story or a novel.

Build your story with language that stays with the reader. Use sensory details to bring the place and the time and the action right to the reader. Show the reader the story; don't just simply tell it. You can do this if you build the story bit by bit upon that firm foundation.

Strong characterization, dialogue, tension, flow--all these and more are part of what makes a story memorable. It's what good authors like Hemingway become known for. These are the bricks on top of that foundation where your story begins.

So, the big question left today is How in the world did Ernest Hemingway flunk freshman English? Maybe he was so far beyond what was being taught that he just plain ignored it. Maybe he didn't like the teacher and had that snotty teen attitude of You can't make me do this. Perhaps he had poor study habits and neglected to finish the assignment or didn't turn in half of them. He could have been a late bloomer. We'll never know but take comfort in the fact that, even though he had to go home to parents who probably railed at him, he eventually learned how to build a darned good story.

October 8, 2020

The Girls on the Bus--A Family Story

 

I've written many times about the reasons for writing your Family Stories, but this morning I thought of one that I had not listed previously. We write them to honor our parents and grandparents, to show them our love. Of course, that's not the only reason, but it's a fine one. No matter what gripes and grudges we might have over past occurrences, our family is still ours. Even if there were conflicts, there were good times, too. 

No family is perfect. Not mine, not yours, or anybody else's family. Should you write about the difficult times as well as the ones that are fun or heartwarming? I think you should. Your Family Stories weave together to paint a family portrait. Braid the good with the troubling, and you still end up with family. 

As an example of the kind of story you might want to write for your family, I am sharing one that was published some years ago in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book titled To Mom With Love.

The Girls On The Bus

As I backed my car out of Mom’s driveway, I asked her a question. “Have you taken the senior bus yet?” I held my breath as I waited for her answer. 

Mom adjusted her seatbelt and stared straight ahead. Emphasizing each word, she said, “Oh-yes-I-did.” 

An uncomfortable silence descended, covering us like a shroud.

Finally, I asked, “How was it?” I said the words as cheerfully as I could manage, even though I sensed the answer was not going to be positive.

“Well,” she said, once again with emphasis, “I called the Senior Center and made the arrangements for the bus to take me to the grocery store. When they came to the house the next morning, I climbed on and looked down the aisle. And what do you think I saw? I’ll tell you what.” She clenched her hands. “I saw about thirteen depressing little old ladies and one depressing old man.”

Something clutched my stomach, and I didn’t know if it was sympathy for her plight or fear that she’d refuse to use this helpful transportation or anger that she put down what she suddenly needed desperately.

More silence. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that in her own mind she thought that now she was one of them. My dad passed away after six weeks in the hospital. He lay in a coma after surgery for an aortic aneurysm that burst while he was having an MRI. Technicians and nurses rushed him in for emergency surgery. The long hours of waiting and hoping all those weeks had taken a toll on my mother and the rest of the family, too.

Mom seemed to wear down a little more each day as she watched and waited in the hospital, but she got through the many decisions each time another crisis arose and finally agreed to disconnect life support. Then, surrounded by her children, their spouses and her grandchildren, she reigned graciously at the visitation and funeral even though fear and sorrow battled one another inwardly.

When the family left to go back to their own pathways of life, she was suddenly alone and frightened. For fifty-seven years, my dad walked by her side. He always told her, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.” 

Dad took an early retirement twenty years before his death. These were years my parents were always together. Mom never learned to drive, so Dad chauffeured her everywhere, on errands to the grocery store, to get her hair cut, or whatever she needed. Now, her wheels were gone, as one grandchild so aptly described her situation. 

I spent the week after the funeral helping Mom with paperwork and other chores, and I contacted the local Senior Center to inquire about transportation for her. I teased her, saying she could now see her tax dollars at work and get some real benefit from them. She agreed, although reluctantly, that she’d need to use the senior bus since I lived an hour and a half north of her.

Now, as we drove to the shopping center, I thought about what courage it had taken for her to call that first time and then to ride the bus with other seniors. As I wove in and out of traffic, Mom changed the subject. We didn’t discuss the bus again that day. 

The following weeks when I came to visit, she would mention the bus and often end by saying, “No one ever talks on that bus. They all sit there staring into space and looking sad.” Her mouth turned downward, and she heaved a great sigh. 

I thought to myself that surely couldn’t last too long, not with my mother on board. Mom grew up in a small coal mining town in Iowa where she knew everyone. She often waited for her father at the mine at the end of his shift and chattered constantly on the long walk home. Even as an adult, living in a large metropolitan area, she chatted to clerks in the stores or the mailman walking down the street as if she’d known them forever. I couldn’t imagine her sitting silently on the bus, but her life had changed so drastically, and she wasn’t the same person anymore. I so hoped to see a spark of life in her on one of my visits, but how to bring it about escaped me. 

I worried needlessly, for after several more weeks went by, I noticed that many of Mom’s sentences began with “The girls on the bus told me…” After hearing the same phrase on several visits, I dared to hope. 

One day, as she made tea for us, I asked, “So, they talk to you now?” 

 She smiled and there was a sparkle in her eye, the first real sign of life I’d seen in her for many months. She poured the steaming tea into my cup and picked up a cookie before she answered. “I decided one day that it was silly, all of us sitting there saying nothing. So I climbed on the bus one morning and greeted them all. Then I remarked on what a nice day it was. I think I scared them at first. It took a few tries, but little by little they began to respond. And now we have some good conversation, and it makes everyone’s life a little nicer.” 

She slid the plate of the homemade cookies to my side of the table, and in my great relief, I ate several.

My mother had little formal education and had done very little on her own while Dad was alive. Nevertheless, she held the key to open the hearts of the other lonely people on that bus. A smile and a friendly word or two is all it required. She sowed tiny seeds of happiness for herself and the girls on the bus.

(c)

Dialogue Tips for Writers

 

Dialogue is a part of writing fiction, even creative nonfiction. It gives a break from pure narrative, and it helps make your characters more realistic, more alive. Dialogue also helps get important information to the reader. Writers should learn to use dialogue effectively, not merely toss it in every few paragraphs.

A few tips when writing dialogue:

1. Don't be too formal. Write what your characters say as though you were having a conversation with a friend. If you and she tried a new flavor of coffee, you would probably not say to her, "I do not like the flavor of this coffee." Your remark would more likely be, "I don't like this coffee." When we speak, we use contractions. Use them when writing dialogue, too. Unless you're trying to convey a certain type of character who speaks very formally all the time. 
2. Make the characters sound different. You can convey character traits through the use of dialogue along with an action preceding or following the spoken words. Mary brushed her bangs aside. "I don't know why you persist in embarrassing me." Her hand moved back to her forehead, and she pushed at her bangs again. "I've about had it with you, Tom." Her action is a nervous habit. Her words let you know she's not happy with Tom. Now you can add what Tom says. Tom rubbed his thumb along his chin. "Dis ain't gonna work, Mary. We gotta split."  You can see by their dialogue that they are two different people. 
3. Watch for Info Dump. Don't use dialogue to convey a large amount of information that is not really pertinent to the story or is something you feel is needed information, but you're giving too much at one time. 
4. Do use dialogue to break up the narrative. Just as we should vary the lengths of our sentences, we should vary narrative and dialogue. It gives the reader a break and it also makes the story more interesting when the reader 'hears' the characters conversing.
5. Learn the punctuation rules. One of the most common errors writers make is punctuating dialogue. Punctuation goes inside the quote marks. Susan raised both arms to the sky. "I am crazy about days like this."  The period goes at the end of what she said but before the final quotation marks. If the sentence calls for an exclamation point or a question mark, it's the same. Inside the quotations marks. If you're using a quote within a quote, you use both single and double quote marks. Jimmy grabbed Tony's shirt. "Tom's the one who said 'I'll beat him to a pulp.' Not me."
6. Paragraph breaks in dialogue. Start a new paragraph each time a different person speaks. Even if it is a simple answer like "No." Move on to a new paragraph when the next person speaks. 
7. Tags in dialogue. When you're writing a lengthy bit of dialogue, the 'he said' 'she said' tags become boring. Use them when needed, but you can leave them off sometimes if it is obvious as to who is speaking. Don't be tempted to add an adverb like 'angrily, happily, moodily' as they are telling, not showing. The reader should be able to 'see' what the character's mood is by the action prior to the dialogue and the words they speak. 

It's fun to write dialogue, but it's also important to make it worthwhile. Make your characters sound like real people, not some wooden stick figure. 

Enter Writing Contests to Win

 

Yesterday, I learned the names of those who had placed in the Kansas Authors annual state contest. I'm happy to say that I had two third-place wins and one Honorable Mention. It's a nice feeling to land in the winners' circle. One was in the Story for Teens category, another in Flash Fiction, and the last one was writing to a theme for this year's convention. 

I've written here many times that you cannot win, or place, in a writing contest unless you enter. What are some reasons writers do not enter contests?

1. Fear
2. Lack of Self-confidence
3. Don't want to pay an entry fee.

All of these reasons can be overcome. The first two have to do with the way you feel about yourself as a writer. We've talked many times about getting rid of the negative thoughts and working on staying positive. Take the attitude that If others can enter this contest, so can I. We all have a chance to win. That doesn't mean that you're going to be a winner in every contest you enter. Realistically, you'll lose more than you win, but it's the same with submissions to an editor. 

How about #3? Lots of people don't want to pay an entry fee when they know the odds of winning are pretty slim. Money down the drain? Not necessarily. There are free to enter contests, but they usually have a much smaller prize pool. You could be like some who like to go to casinos to gamble. They allow themselves a set amount of money to play with, and when that's gone, they're done. Do the same with entering contests. Figure out what you're able or willing to spend and go for it. Your entry fee helps the contest organizers to award prize money. So think of it as contributing to a good cause. Most often,the greater the entry fee, the higher the award. If you really hate to spend the money on the entry fee, look for free-to-enter contests. There are plenty of them. 

I've heard writers ask where one finds information about writing contests. It's not difficult to put writing contests in a search engine and wait seconds for the list they'll send. You can refine your search by using keywords like writing contests with no fees or writing contests with cash prizes. I'm amazed at the number of people who don't take advantage of a search engine to help find whatever it is they are seeking. 

What are some reasons you should enter contests?

1. Gaining the experience of entering and waiting for the results (often a long wait)
2. The chance that you might win--a gamble perhaps but worth a try
3. To be honest, it's fun
4. If you place in a contest, then want to submit the piece for publication, it is a great positive to be able to tell an editor that 'this piece won second place in ______ contest.
5. If you're writing to a theme, it's excellent practice.

If you have ever submitted to an anthology, you're basically entering a contest. Chicken Soup for the Soul receives a few thousand entries for each book, but they only select 101 of the stories sent. Those 101 people have literally won a contest. It's the same for other popular anthologies. Some of the lesser-known ones allow you a better chance, but also less reward. 

Don't be afraid to enter a writing contest. You'll never win unless you do.

Develop Your Own Voice When Writing

 

The tv was on as I was clearing the breakfast dishes and filling the dishwasher this morning. Even with my back to the tv, I could tell who was speaking, the moderators of the news show as well as their oft-appearing guests. Every one of us has a distinctive voice. Just as our facial features are all different, so are our voices. 

I've written about our writer's voice many times. For those who aren't sure what that is:  a writer's voice is his/her style of writing. It's their own unique way of putting words together so that the readers hear it. 

It takes a while for a beginning writer to develop a true voice. It's then that new writers are trying out different ways of writing or trying to write like someone they admire. Your writing voice should not be like that of any other person. It's should be yours alone. Think of it as your trademark. 

Consider a handful of your favorite authors. When you read multiple books by an author, you know what his/her voice is like. You recognize the style of writing. The way he/she puts the words together. 

Think about your writing voice as coming from your personality traits. We all have different personal characteristics, and they will emerge as you write, too. 

If a writer always uses short, choppy sentences, he/she gets known for that. The same with those whose sentences are what feels like miles long. It's their way of writing. 

The freewrite exercise is a good one to allow your inner voice to be set free. When you freewrite, writing for ten or more minutes without stopping, letting your fingers fly over the keyboard without giving thought to what you're writing--that's a wonderful way to let your true voice come out. 

Don't try to be someone else when you write. No matter how much you admire that other writer, you're far better to develop your own way of writing. Let your writers know that it's you who is writing and no one else. 

Write About October Memories

 

Fall officially begins well into September, but for me, October truly feels like fall. The cool, crisp mornings and pleasantly warm afternoons are autumnal. In Kansas, the trees are showing more color by the day. A few leaves drift lazily to the ground. By the end of the month, homeowners will be raking those leaves into piles to leave lawns clean for the winter. 

Way back when, people burned piles of leaves in the gutter. No more of that. But kids still like to jump into a big pile of raked leaves. We'd roll out with a few leaves clinging to jackets and pants but laughing, ready to jump in again. Simple things entertained us in my growing-up years. 

You could write Family Stories about what life was like for you during your childhood in the month of October. Depending on what part of the country you lived in, your memories will be varied. Growing up in a Chicago suburb, I had little chance to see crops in the fields like corn or milo, or even pumpkins growing. I did enjoy seeing the trees change color and walking to school kicking at the leaves on the sidewalk. I liked smelling the smoky air on the weekends when dads burned piles of leaves. 

I knew the season had changed when my mother put another blanket on each bed and got out jackets and warmer clothes for us to wear. And undershirts!

Even some of the food we ate changed. Instead of summer salads, soups began to appear, and a fragrant pot of chili might be simmering when we got home from school. Pumpkin pies showed up in October. Ginger cookies were a fall specialty and many things made from apples--applesauce, pies, cobblers, crisps, breads, even cookies. Oatmeal and cream of wheat appeared some days on our breakfast table. 

I was a Brownie and Girl Scout for many years. Every fall our troop made a field trip to a nearby Forest Preserve. Once inside the dense thicket of trees and lanes, the sounds of the city evaporated. We took nature walks, learning to identify the leaves of various trees. A fire was built, and our lunch or supper was cooked in a kettle over the fire just like the pioneers of our country had done. Another lesson. My favorite thing to come from that big kettle was a dish called Bags of Gold. The name alone would be exciting to a child. What was it? Basically, tomato soup, probably Campbell's from a can, Dumplings made with a square of cheese in the middle were cooked in the soup. Other times we roasted hot dogs on a stick over the fire, charred and split, they were great. No Girl Scout fall outing went without making smores at the end of our meal. Roasted marshmallows on a stick, wedged between two graham crackers and a piece of chocolate. Gooey and scrumptious. I'm not especially fond of hot dogs, but when I eat one at a ball game, they taste wonderful, perhaps because of the memories they trigger of happy days with my scout friends ion the Forest Preserve. 

At school, art projects revolved around the season and, of course, Halloween which ends the month of October. Bulletin boards were decorated with fall pictures and cut out leaves. There were Halloween parties and school and costume parades. 

The farther into October we went, the cooler the weather. And yet, I also remember golden October afternoons when the sun ate up the morning chill and jackets were removed for a few precious hours. On the colder days, when my brothers and I played outside, we came in with our cheeks red and noses running but happy. That first whiff of whatever Mom was cooking or baking hit us the moment we walked in the back door. 

In October, the radiators in our apartment started hissing and spreading heat through the rooms. Our heat was furnished by coal in big furnaces on two sides of the large complex. Watching the coal trucks deliver was yet another October activity. The big dump truck had a chute that sent the coal straight into the window of the garden level basement where it landed in big piles. Again, it was the simple things that entertained us in the 40s and 50s. 

Write about your October memories and put the page in your Family Stories book. You might even find a story triggered by recording your memories in print. Talk about them? Yes. But write, too, so that future generations will know what life was like in your era.