One Step in Editing Your Writing

 One step in editing

Editing is a many-step process. One step is reading aloud. 

Once you've done the bulk of your proofreading and editing, read your story, chapter, essay, or poem out loud. You may be quite surprised to find that errors you never noticed before will pop out. 

You'll be able to see the flow and rhythm of what you've written much better than when you read it silently umpteen times. This shows up, especially in poems. 

You'll find words that you might stumble on when you read them. If you have a little trouble saying the words, your reader is likely to have a problem reading them. Finding them now gives you a chance to fix it before you submit to an editor. 

You'll discover sentences that are too long. If you can't read the full sentence out loud without stopping to take a breath, it's very likely the sentence is too long. Like the one that I just wrote.

You'll hear the dialogue you wrote in a different manner than when you merely read it silently. 

I would suggest you read aloud in a private spot, away from your family's activities. Rooms have doors. Use it to give yourself a quiet place. 

Many writers don't take this valuable step in the editing process. It's their loss if they don't try it. 

When I critique submissions in my online writing group, I often read sections aloud or a full poem. It helps me see what needs to be worked on, and also the parts that sing. When you critique always comment on the things you liked as well as suggesting changes. 

One small step that can reap benefits. Give it a try.

Writers and Word Choice

 

Our poster today highlights 'words to use more often.' That boils down to the topic of word choice. 

You've probably seen book reviews that say 'the prose was almost poetic.' Or 'beautiful prose.' Authors who earn those compliments are not ones who use plain, everyday, ordinary words throughout. Instead, those authors choose words that are descriptive, lilting, and present an image.

Let's look at a few of the words the poster lists. Plump is a better word than fat. I like the word embrace rather than hug. Sorrowful says more than sad. Gruesome says more than awful, doesn't it? I like the image of cleave rather than hold. Isn't squabble more unique than argue? Mimic says more than the word copy. 

For a quick exercise, go through the list and find another word for each one listed that means the same but perhaps is a bit more mundane. 

As you write, work on using more interesting words. Think of the way they sound, even the way each one looks in print. When you edit, consider replacing some of your plainer words with ones that are more interesting. 

Many writers get into the bad habit of using a word like there to begin a sentence. It's the easy way out. Consider these two sentences: 

A. There were six rabbits nibbling in the farmer's garden.

 B. Six rabbits nibbled in the farmer's garden.

In Sentence A. beginning with 'there' means you also use a passive verb--were. In B. 'there' is completely eliminated and we have an active verb. Avoid beginning sentences with 'there' as it becomes a habit and you might end up with a paragraph filled with 'there' beginnings. You can almost always rework the sentence to eliminate that word.

Word choices can also help a writer use sensory details. For example:

A.  The herb blend left a tingling on my tongue. 

B.  The aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls wafted across the room.

C.  Bells pealed across the village square drowning all other sounds.

Do you have certain words that you especially like? Do you find yourself using them frequently as you write? It's fine as long as you don't overdo it. 

Word choice can leave your writing at a standstill or enhance it and make what you've written more appealing to the reader. 

I know a young man who spent a few minutes adding one new word each day to his vocabulary. He didn't become a writer, but if he had, I think his word choices would be excellent. No matter what our age, we can acquire new words in our vocabulary. 

Rejections Offer Lessons for Writers

 

Good advice in today's poster. Never a failure, always a lesson. I believe that's true, and I have written on this topic more than once. 

When we fail, which to us writers means a rejection, we need to look for a reason that we failed. We must find the lesson. There is almost always a lesson to be found. 

The bigger problem is when we don't look for a lesson to be learned or when we see the lesson but don't heed it. It's another of those 'it's up to you' situations. 

This month, I have received three rejections out of six submitted. Still waiting for answers on the other three, and it will be quite some time as the anthology doesn't answer quickly. I did ask myself why the rejections came for the other three. 

On one, I think I aimed too high. The publication takes only the very, very best. But I decided to give it a try anyway. I wasn't surprised when the rejection arrived. I suppose the lesson here is to not try to submit to publications far above my writing level. Definitely something to consider, and I often pass right by the ones I don't think will give my work a chance. Another lesson here might be to go ahead and try submitting to an elite publication. There's always a slim chance they might like what I send. 

On a second one, I felt my story fit the magazine guidelines quite well. They did not, even though they have published another story I had sent a while ago. When I reread my story, I realized that the emphasis was not on the person it should have been to fit the guidelines of this magazine related to disabilities. Definitely a lesson learned.

The third rejection was a poem with slight political overtones, and perhaps the publication shied away from poetry of that kind. Or perhaps the editor had a totally different opinion on the topic. I think my lesson here is to either research the editor and publication more carefully to see which way they lean or to avoid sending anything with a political inference. 

There are lessons to be found in all our rejections, but we have to look for them. I would suggest you not start that search immediately after receiving the word that your submission didn't make it. Give it a couple days, then start seeking some answers for what the lesson might be. 

Do remember that rejection is a very big part of the writing world. The acceptances serve to soothe our ruffled feathers over the ones that didn't make it. Whatever happens, don't stop submitting. 

Trouble in Writing

 

Today's quote is: "Every writer I know has trouble writing." Maybe the writers of the world would be the people who nod their heads in agreement. They are the ones who have first-hand knowledge of the writing world.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could sit down, zip off a story, and call it ready to submit? Sadly, that's not the way it works. There's a process writers go through that looks something like : 

• get an idea
• write first draft
• let it sit for several days
• proofread
• edit and revise
• let it sit a bit longer
• check for further editing or revision
• possible total rewrite on some pieces

Doing all the above is not a seamless process. Writers often run into trouble along the way. They grumble and worry, walk away, grumble some more. Then, they come back and see what kind of fix they can make. 

There are times when characters who are so vivid in your mind land with a dull thud on the printed page. A problem that needs addressing. Writers present a problem in the story, then can't come up with a solution. That might call for some rethinking of the problem to see if it should be changed, or even eliminated. 

Writers know that the road to publication is a bumpy one. It's the love of writing that propels them forward time after time. Because they love to write, they'll put up with the troubles that pop up on a regular basis. Architects, engineers, and fashion designers meet obstacles in their projects, too. We writers are not the lone group that faces problems as they work. 

When you meet trouble in your writing face to face, don't give up. Remember that you are not alone. Far from it. We meet each hurdle as we come to it. 

Photo Prompt Writing Exercise

 

The photo is a very simple one. A basket of apples. Use it to do a photo prompt exercise. It might tax your creativity a bit. There are no people, no buildings, no trees or flowers. No sky to indicate the weather. 

You'll need to be creative, to use your imagination What intrigues you about the apples? Who picked them? What are they destined for? 

Maybe the basket will inspire you. Where did it come from? Who made it? What does it feel like? Does it have a scent? 

Do the apples have an aroma? What do they feel like? What do you feel like when you bite into one? 

A simple basket of apples. Write a story. Write a descriptive paragraph. Write a poem. Your choice. Or try all three. 

Many artists paint still life. Something very simple. They must see something in the subject to make them want to reproduce it in a painting. See what you can do with the basket of apples--another still life. 

A Writer's Well of Experience

 

There are writers who are twenty years old, and some of them do very well. There are also writers who are 75 and also do well. 

I think that the older the writer is, the more he/she can draw from lifetime experiences to enhance his/her writing. The younger writer can, too, but the well is not as deep as the one the older writer uses. In your forties, you know more than you did in your twenties, and in your sixties, you're filled with more experiences than in your forties. There's no right or wrong; it's the way life is. 

Our poster for today tells us that nothing that happens to a writer is ever wasted. Whether it is joyful or tragic, we keep it with us forever, and we draw on those experiences for our stories, memoirs, personal essays, and more. 

It's much easier to write about something if you have lived it. You know not only the building blocks but also the emotions involved, as well. You know the reactions of others to what occurred. All this makes transferring what happened into print easier.

What if you had the opportunity to be a Peace Corps worker in your post-college years? Off you went to a foreign land seeing and doing things you never would have in your own country. All those experiences are filed away in your mind to perhaps be used later in your writing. 

Whatever happens to you in life, the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, all create the person you are. If you are a writer, all those things will help you as you write. 

Some writers jot notes in a small notebook when something they see or do impresses them. Many story ideas come from what happens to us, what we perceive in others, and more.

The longer a writer lives, the deeper the well of experience. And the more he/she can write about. 

Finishing Writing Projects

 

Our poster today is one more version of the old Keep Calm posters the UK used extensively during WWII. So can 'karma,' which means destiny or fate, finish your writing project? If only!

You are the only one who can start it, keep working on it, and finish it. Does that feel like a burden? It shouldn't if you have a passion for writing. Maybe during a moment here or there, but overall, writing should not feel like a heavy load to carry. If it begins to feel that way frequently, then it's time to take a step back and do some reassessing. 

I was raised in the generation when parents told us 'you started it, you finish it.' My husband and I carried it through when raising our children. If they signed up for a sport or a group, we insisted they see it through til the end of the season. At that point, they could decide to quit or stay with it. I still think it was a good lesson despite the sour looks we got at times or the tears that flowed now and then. 

How many unfinished stories, essays, articles, or poems are gathering dust in your files? Consider working on them again. Finish what you started. It's probably more fun to begin an entirely new writing project, but there is also satisfaction in finishing those others.

You're probably thinking that the reason those unfinished pieces are in the files being ignored is because you ran into a problem in trying to finish. I've got a middle-grade children's story that I've pulled out more than a couple times, but I cannot get it to gel the way I see it in my mind. Someday, I AM going to finish it and will feel mighty good when I do. 

My friends can't complete that story for me. My family can't either. It's me who must find the solution and finish the story. 

I do like the first part of the poster quote which says 'Keep calm.' Being a nervous wreck over getting a story right doesn't help. Staying calm, cool, and collected will get you much farther. I'd change today's quote to 'Keep calm and finish what you began.' 

Writers and Silence

Today's posters urge us to listen to the silence so that we can hear more clearly. Listen to the silence? Does that seem strange? Not if you give it some quiet thought.

I used to walk for exercise. There was a lovely walking path in our neighborhood with wooded backyards bordering each side. School children used the path as a shortcut to the nearest elementary school. I avoided the hours when the path would be noisy with the shouts and laughter of children. Instead, I aimed for the quiet times of the day.

As I walked and viewed the vegetation and the sky, my mind centered many times on a story idea I'd had earlier. As I listened to the quiet, the bones of the story or essay began to form in my mind. There were no distractions like I had at home. No telephone ringing. No tv that a family member was watching. No doorbell announcing a friend or neighbor. 

On that curving walkway, all alone, I could think and allow the seeds of a story to take root and grow. When I returned home, I jotted notes to remind me of what I'd written mentally while walking. There were times when I could hardly wait to shed a jacket before sitting in front of my computer to begin writing.

A silent place can be pregnant with promise. Your mind is free to wander and find new possibilities. Be quiet. Be still. Be thoughtful. Listen! 

Move away from the harsh glare of the screens in your life--tv. computer, ipad, cellphone. Be quiet and listen to messages that come from the soft, silent world around you. 

When you're having a problem with whatever you're writing, pay heed to what Albert Einstein says in one of our posters today. '...I stop thinking, swim in silence, and the truth comes to me.' The next time you are wrestling with a writing problem, give it the silent treatment. It might help. 

Heed the adage that says 'Silence is golden.' There is a time and a place for crowds and music and laughter with others, but we must also use the hushed and still moments to our advantage. Listen carefully to the quiet.

                                                               

Satisfaction--The Other Side of the Coin

 

(This is a revised version of a post from 2011.)  

We read a lot about the frustrations in the writing life. There are plenty of them to face on a regular basis. Books on writing tend to concentrate more on the frustrations than the other side of the coin--satisfaction. A few of my thoughts on that subject follows.

One of the best parts of being a writer comes with the publication of your work. It’s comparable to a gift placed in a golden box and tied with a silver bow, your name on top. Here’s where the satisfaction side of the coin shows up. No matter how many times your work is published, it’s a pleasure. It definitely erases some of that frustration, which never disappears completely but can diminish and become of less importance with each success.

Sometimes satisfaction comes from the fulfillment in achieving a completed story, novel, article, or essay. Many writers begin a project and never finish. I’m willing to guess that most writers have folders with half-done projects. But it’s those completed pieces that allow satisfaction to enfold us like a soft, silken shawl. Revel in it when it occurs.

What joy there is when inspiration hits while we’re doing a mundane household task, or driving a carpool. Maybe a character begins to form in your mind when waiting for a bus, or a word you’ve sought reveals itself during a conversation with a friend.

Another form of satisfaction comes when an editor assigns a project and he/she manages to return it completed with all points covered. Writing on speculation is much easier than writing to a specified set of objectives. For assigned articles, a writer must do the research, write the first draft, revise and edit his/her work, then check to see if he/she’s covered everything asked for. Including all points needed requires good concentration and writing skill, so any satisfaction at the end is well-earned.

Escaping into another world while writing is one more form of satisfaction. While writing, we create a place of refuge, creativity, and personal meditation that can prove emotionally fulfilling.

Plan to keep the satisfaction side of the coin face up. It’s a lot more fun than the frustration side and is bound to make you a more productive, more creative writer.

Our poster today gives good advice. 'Never allow yourself to feel guilty for being happy.' In most cases, you've earned it. Scratch the guilt and savor the satisfaction.  

New Writers Want to Write a Book, But...

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I am amazed at the number of people on some of the writing groups on Facebook that have posts that say something like "I've never written anything before, but I have a story to share with the world, so I am writing a memoir." 

The idea is fine, but if the person has never written before, it's equivalent to a nonswimmer diving into the deep end of the pool.  

Have you heard people say they are going to write a book? Write a memoir? Write family history? Write family stories? The last two are quite possible for someone who is a novice writer. The first two could be overwhelming. Even those who want to write a family history or family stories would benefit from some learning about the art of writing.

Maybe nonwriters can write a book or a memoir. The question is what kind of book will it be? Will it be:

• organized
• written with proper grammar
• full of spelling errors
• punctuated correctly
• interesting
• repeating words too often
• repeating thoughts 
• filled with sensory details
• using a theme
• able to engage the reader
• written with proper tenses throughout
• a rambling mess
• filled with dialogue difficult to read
• full of unnecessary words
• full of unnecessary details
• publishable
• written from an outline or write-as-you-go

Writing a full-length book or memoir is a huge project. Our poster today tells us that big things often have small beginnings. I'm a firm believer in starting small and working your way up to a big job like writing a book. 

Why start small? Because with each small piece you write, you learn and you (hopefully) improve as a writer. You must also give yourself opportunities to learn the craft of writing by reading books on the topic, joining critique groups, attending conferences, and talking with other writers one on one. Their are tools to this trade that you should acquire.

If you want to write a full-length memoir, start with snippets of what might be in the book later. Write about one small incident and rewrite until you're satisfied. Or have someone else read it and give you feedback. We are often blind to our own errors when we write. Others can read your work with objectivity. Continue writing those small happenings that will eventually fit together like a jigsaw puzzle and become your memoir book. 

If you, as a new writer, start to write a full-length memoir all in one swoop, you're going to meet frustration time and again. You're going to wonder why isn't it going together in print the way you saw it in your mind. That happens to all writers, not just the new ones. Even so, it's unsettling.

Do writing exercises as a warm-up each day before you get to the serious writing. Find them in reference books on writing or use a search engine to find them. Stretch your writing muscles.

Start with small pieces of writing and work your way up the ladder until you feel ready to write that book or memoir. 

 

Watch Verb Tenses When You Write

 

Verb tenses. Seems so simple, doesn't it? If you're writing about something that happened before today, you use past tense verbs. Happening now? Use present tense verbs. In the future? Make the verbs future tense. 

It's not quite as easy as it sounds. There have been myriad times when I've been critiquing someone's work and found mixed tenses throughout the piece of writing. Or perhaps just one slip, maybe two. Whichever situation, the writer needs to correct the problem areas.

Do not shift verb tenses if the time frame stays the same. If your time frame changes in the story, you might possibly use a different verb tense. 

Look at this sentence:

   After supper, the clouds rolled in, and thunder annouces the coming storm. 

Note that there are two tenses in the sentence. It should read: 

   After supper, the clouds rolled in, and thunder announced the coming storm. 

Look at the following, then try it with different verbs as a quick writing exercise.

Past:  I ate the burger.

Present:  I eat the burger

Future I will eat the burger

Verb tenses are one more item to watch when you proofread and edit. This situation seems minuscule, but when an editor reads your work, it jumps out. 

Valentine Love Stories are Family Stories

    

This is Valentine's Day weekend. What better time to write your own love story to add to your Family Stories?  Have you told your children and/or grandchildren the story of how you met the love of your life? Maybe it is the father or grandfather they know, or perhaps it was someone else. However and whoever, it's a part of your life and deserves space with other family stories. 

On Valentine's Day, romance is in the air so a perfect time to trigger some Valentine or Love memories of your own. No two love stories are alike. Some may be similar such as 'we were high school sweethearts,' but even each of those situations was a little different.

In my family, the story of my parents' marriage was told often, so often that I could almost see it as if in a movie. I've had their story published in the LifeStories Journal. They were young, 20 and 21, and had been dating for a while. They wanted to get married, but there was a problem. My mother's family did not like my father. They decided to elope and were married by a justice of the peace. Mother wore a red linen dress but no flowers, no bridesmaids. the JP's wife was the witness. The ceremony was interrupted by a phone call. Time out for the judge to plan a fishing trip. They went out to eat afterward. It was still Depression years, and Dad had only enough money for one plate of spaghetti. At 9 p.m. he took his new bride back to her mother's apartment. They kept the secret for 6 weeks. It was then my grandmother confronted my mother, and she was soon packing her bags and moving in with her husband. That marriage lasted 57 years. 

My husband and I were neighbors during the first year I taught 4th grade in a Chicago suburb. Four single women lived in two upstairs apartments, and a young married couple lived in one downstairs apartment, with four bachelors in the one next to them. The bachelors invited the single women to join them for dinner soon after we all moved in. We spent the evening getting to know one another, and as we left one of the men followed me to the door and asked me for a date. I went out with him the next evening but told my roommate, "He's nice, but it's not a good idea to date your neighbor." I didn't listen to what I had said, as we continued to date, even after he moved to a nearby state for a new job. Our 57th anniversary is coming up in June. Of the eight singles in the group at the apartment house, we were the only ones who ended up getting married. 

My children both have interesting stories of how they found the one they fell in love with and married. You probably do, too. Write about the one you loved or the many you loved. We are all individuals and all have unique love stories. 

Our oldest granddaughter became engaged at Christmastime this past year. Her love story is still being written with wedding plans in the works. 

Those stories deserve a place with your other family stories. How you met, fell in love, and married can be the highlight of your Family Stories collection. 

Talk to your spouse or fiance or significant other about the love stories in their families. Whether your Valentine's Day is full of flowers and candy or a movie at home with pizza, enjoy the day and one another. 

Valentine's Day isn't only about romantic love. The love between family members can be celebrated on February 14th, as well. The first story I ever had published in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book was about a Valentine's Day when I realized my father loved me. I was seven, and he made a Valentine Box for me to take to school. The story, "Love in a Box," had been published many times since.

There is also love between good friends. Add our love for our pets. So many kinds of love that can be celebrated with joy this weekend. 

                     

 

Freewriting Exercise

 

I've posted many times about the freewriting exercise. The reason I remind you every now and then about doing it is that the exercise brings results.

Freewriting is done with the aid of a prompt. It can be a word or a phrase. What word? What phrase? Find one by opening a book, any book, close your eyes and point. Wherever your finger lands is the word you'll use for the exercise. 

Set a timer for ten minutes. Type the word, then start writing. No thinking, just write. It need not make any sense to you but keep writing whatever comes into your mind and flows to your fingers. As our poster today tells us, this exercise helps to free your writer's voice. It also allows thoughts to emerge from the depths of your mind. 

More than once, when I've written for ten minutes, then read what I'd written, I am amazed at what I read. I've thought 'where did that come from?' Sometimes, memories from long ago surface.

You might also find the bones of a story or a personal essay. And everything you wrote might seem like gibberish. That happens, and it's no problem. The important thing is to do the exercise and let the words flow without stopping for the entire ten minutes. I know people who set the timer for fifteen or twenty minutes. Ten is fine, especially when you first try this exercise. 

Some writers do this exercise on a regular basis as they feel it gets the juices flowing for the more serious writing they will do next. A warm-up.

If you don't want to try the point to a word in a book method, here's a list of winter words to use as prompts. You may end up writing something altogether different than the weather these words imply.

• cold
• temperature
• snow
• sleet
• ice
• skates
• ski
• chills
• frost

Writing exercises are the way writers practice just like athletes who do warm-ups before a game.

Don't be one of those writers who thumb their nose at exercises. They can be fun and help you on your writing journey.

Writer, Don't Be So Hard On Yourself

 

NOTE:  This is a popular post from 2017. What was said then still works for today.

For those who are regular readers of this blog, you've heard me say that lots of negatives in our writing life are good lessons for us. The one thing they are not is a life without pardon kind of sentence. Go ahead--make mistakes, learn from them and move on.

We learn from rejections, especially multiple rejections on the same submission. At least, we hope we learn something and we will if we give it a few days to rest and then go through whatever was written with an objective eye. Pick out the parts you think did not appeal to an editor. Maybe it was a lot of mechanical errors. Or perhaps the clarity factor was pretty low. It might have been a dull report without any emotion or sensory detail. 

Consider yourself fortunate if the editor returns your work with a note telling you why it was rejected. There is no question then as to what you must correct but not all editors take the time, or are kind enough. to do that. Don't let it be the end of your writing world. Move on!

What if you received a brutal critique from another writer? Ouch! It does hurt and any good critiquer will be fair and honest and deliver with a dash of kindness. However, not everyone is like that. You don't have to like what the person told you but you can learn from it. There is no need to back into a corner and put your hands over your eyes and let forth with a piercing scream while you contemplate your next step in life. Sadly, there are writers who have given up writing after an experience like this. Today's quote is perfect for them. It was one person's opinion and perhaps a good lesson. But you should never feel that you must quit over a singular incident such as this.

Did you ever have a teacher who scribbled cruel words across your essay or poem that you slaved over for your English class? I know people who have a mental block when it comes to writing because of just such an experience. Again, it's a lesson, not a life sentence. As a teen, it was probably hard for us to take that objective look and figure out what was wrong, what lesson was learned. But, now as an adult, it something like this still haunts you, put it in perspective. Don't let one person keep you from being the writer you wanted to be. An attitude of I'll show them! will serve you best here.

It's much harder to look at problems like these as a lesson to be learned than it is to give up. Giving up is easy; working at the lesson is a tough job but, oh, so beneficial. 

February 10, 2021

 

Pursuing the Path To Good Writing

 

Can you remember when you first gave thought to entering the writing world? When did the idea of writing become a trickle that turned into t stream that led to a rushing river of the desire to write? 

For most of you, those initial thoughts occurred a long time ago. Maybe even too long for you to remember the details. For me, it happened back in grade school. I loved Reading and English best in school. Anything about books and writing essay papers appealed to me. As a fourth-grader, I remember an assignment to write a short story, and I was elated while some of my classmates groaned. My passion for writing came early, but I didn't pursue writing anything more than high school and college essays for a very long time. I wanted to but allowed Life to get in my way. College, Teaching, Marriage, Raising Children--all those took priority over doing something for myself. 

When my children became independent adults, I decided it was time to give writing a try. By this time, I was in my mid-fifties which is long past the time most writers begin. The path to getting published wasn't smooth and easy. That didn't deter me because the more I wrote, the more I wanted to keep on with this new hobby of mine.

Was I a good writer from the onset? Absolutely not. I had ideas for stories and personal essays. That part came easily, but when I tried to transfer those thoughts to print, I showed the colors of a beginner. Nothing major. Little things like the 'unnecessary words' yesterday's post highlighted tripped me up over and over. 

I overcame many of those small glitches by reading multiple books about writing and joining writing groups and attending writing conferences. I listened and learned little by little. Today, I am a much better writer. I have been published many times which would not have happened if I had stayed in the Beginning Writer stage. I am still learning. I believe that the learning stage never stops but goes on and on. 

It's not a terrible thing to make a lot of writing mistakes early on. It happens to almost all new writers. The important thing is that we make an effort to learn what the problems are and to correct them. Joining a writing group where you can have your work critiqued is one of the best ways I know to grow as a writer. 

Today's poster gives the indication that the road to success in writing is most likely a long one. If you keep the candle of desire to write lit, you'll be able to traverse that path overcoming the little problems along the way.

Small Edits for Strong Writing

NOTE:  Monday's post on Sunday due to an early appointment I have on Monday.

 It's the little things that you fix when you edit that helps you produce strong writing. There's a song made famous by Frank Sinatra called "Little Things Mean  A Lot." It's true in our everyday life and in this writing journey we're on, as well. 

The poster for today can be helpful in eliminating the unnecessary word 'very' in whatever you write. It's so easy, so tempting to grab a 'very' out of the air and plunk it down next to a noun to let people know you mean business. If you say, "The memo was very short." you're hoping to convey the kind of message it was. Instead of using 'very short,' substitute the word 'brief' which means the same thing but eliminates the 'very' in your sentence. Throwing a very next to the noun is the lazy way.

Take a good look at the list. None of the words in the second column are beyond understanding. A Rhodes Scholar need not explain any one of those words to a reader. They are all better than a noun preceded by 'very.'

There are many unnecessary words that pop up in our first drafts. A writer said that editing is labor, and it can be when you have to think about all the unnecessary words that must be changed or deleted. It's not a checkmark kind of list. A writer must go through paragraph by paragraph and line by line when editing.

What about starting sentences with the word 'so?' A writer is telling what happened and continues the next sentence with something like "So she pulled the plug and watched the water swirl until it vanished completely." Why would you need the 'So' to begin. Cut it, slash it, snip it but get rid of it. This sentence works well if you delete the 'so' and capitalize 'she.' If you write sentences that begin with 'so,' you develop a habit of using the word and your entire story or whatever you're writing has the word 'so' sprinkled throughout. Your habit can become boring to your reader.

How about the word 'down?' If you write "Sheila sat down on the park bench." the word 'down' is totally unnecessary. When you tell your reader that 'Sheils sat...' you need no further explanation. 'Sheila sat' is quite clear.

In my beginning years of writing, I tended to use the word 'just' on a too frequent basis. I'd write something like 'I just hate driving on icy roads.' There is absolutely no valid reason to keep the word 'just' in that sentence. It doesn't add anything. It becomes clutter. 

Do you have a favorite unnecessary word that you are guilty of using? Has the word become such an old friend that you plop it into sentences without even thinking about it? Do you use 'really' for emphasis instead of finding another word that conveys that thought? You could probably substitute 'really' for 'very' in our poster list and substitute the better word in the second column.

All the above are 'little things' but mastering the usage, or nonusage, of them will help to make your writing strong and clear.

Call for Stories and Poems about Tough Times

 

I received a notice yesterday from Chicken Soup for the Soul requesting stories for a book to be published in November 2021. The theme of the anthology is 'Tough Times.' 

They are seeking stories and poems about tough times in your life and how you overcame them. This is a quote from the call for Tough Times on their website:  '... how you found your inner strength, your resilience, your empowerment, your creativity, and your support system to get through it.'

They include a lengthy list of suggestions for types of stories that might act as triggers for memories of difficult moments in your life. They want more than a story about a hard time. It should include how you faced it and what you did to overcome whatever it was. Your support group figures into this topic, too.

In a 2009 Tough Times book, they had many stories submitted that were related to the Recession. I'm guessing that this 2021 version will bring a glut of stories about the pandemic and what it has done to people and families. As good as some of them will be, I don't think they want an entire book filled with tales of the pandemic months. I'm not suggesting you shouldn't enter a story with that subject, but showing other tough times might be a good way to find acceptance. 

Your story doesn't need to be a full-blown drama. Stories about small things work for the Chicken Soup editors, too. It's not only the subject but how well you tell the story, if you have spoken to the reader, brought some emotion, or left them with something memorable. A tall order? Perhaps, but it can be done.

Don't forget that you can also submit a poem rather than a prose story. However, it must tell a story with a beginning, a middle, and an ending. The payment for a poem is the same as a full story. $200 for each one and 10 copies of the book.

Remember to read/study the guidelines carefully before you submit. The deadline is March 31, 2021.

While you're on the Possible Book Topics page, take a look at the other books that still need stories. Pay attention to deadline dates. 

Editing and Revising Your Writing

 

A fuzzy caterpillar is kind of cute but not a beautiful creature. Once it spins a cocoon and time goes by, it emerges as an astonishing butterfly, one whose beauty if appreciated by we humans. Ken and I visited a Butterfly Sanctuary years ago in a southern state, which one I don't remember. It was not the place but the simple beauty we saw as we walked slowly through the exhibits and the live butterfly garden. To see one is great, but to witness a large assembly of butterflies is awesome.

The stories, essays, and poems we write evolve in much the same way. Our first drafts can be compared to the little caterpillar whereas the finished product can resemble the butterfly. Just as the caterpillar inside the cocoon must take time to transform, our writing does the same. 

We write the first draft for a short story or a personal essay. Then read it over for quick proofreading and put it out of sight for a few days, or even longer. Later, we pull it out and start editing and revising. What do we look for? A short list is below:

• Redundant ideas
• Places that don't work--cut or revise
• Words repeated too often, especially within the same sentence or two.
• Punctuation
• Spelling
• Tense
• Sensory detail
• Spaces--either missing or too many
• Dialogue tags
• Length of sentences
• Language that is too flowery
• Overuse of adjectives
• Overuse of adverbs
• Passive verbs
• Sense of place
• Character development
• Is there a point to be taken
• Story has a beginning, middle, and ending
• Strong opening paragraph
• Unnecessary words
• Over describing

My list started out to be short, but I kept coming up with more items to add. What that tells us is how important editing and revising can be. If we have all those bases covered during this process, our final result will be much stronger than that very first rough draft.

Our caterpillar draft will emerge as a lovely butterfly story. 

Writing--Discipline and Determination

 

The quote today is by Pearl Buck, a prolific writer of many years ago. The daughter of missionaries, she grew up in China, and the majority of her books are set in China. She won many prizes and awards in the literary world. One of her best-known books was 'The Good Earth' which was made into a movie.

Her quote, "I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work." is some no-nonsense advice to other writers. In the movies, writers are sometimes portrayed looking and waiting for inspiration to hit so they can write the Great American Novel. In real life, it is a bit different. We don't have days, months, and years to sit idly waiting for inspiration. Another famous writer, Jack London said, "You can't wait for inspiration. You must go after it with a club."

What the quote comes down to is that writers must be disciplined enough to work steadily on a regular basis. What if you're having trouble with a chapter or an essay? Put it away and start on something new. The advice given to us to write every day is right on. You don't need to work on the same project day in and day out. It's good to take a break now and then. Find something else to work on, either a new piece or work on revising an old one. 

If you can manage to carve out a certain time of the day that is writing time, discipline yourself to stay with it and make it a habit. I know that is not always easy to do. Those writers who make a full living writing can probably do it. Those who write only part-time or as a hobbyist writer have to fit it in around another job or household needs. Even then, it is wise to set aside a portion of your day for writing.

Determination goes hand-in-hand with discipline. The desire to write must be strong to be successful. If you have a namby-pamby attitude about writing, your results will show the same. It's beneficial to acquire the outlook that you are going to write and submit and get published. 

Discipline and determination are two qualities writers should have. How about you? Where do you fall in developing these two helps for writers?

Writers--Lend a Helping Hand

 Lend a Helping Hand

How can writers lend a helping hand to others? Let me count the ways!

Mentoring a newbie writer

Doing critiques in a writing group

Offering individual help away from the writing group

Give programs about writing to help others interested in writing

Make school visits to talk about writing

Offer to judge a writing contest

Accept an office in a local, state, or national writing organization

Promote writing whenever and wherever possible

Offering a blog for writers

Writing a book review for an author

I have been blessed with the ability to put words and sentences together to create stories, essays, and poetry many of which have been published. I've always felt that it is part of my mission in this life to help others who want to write or are writers already. It's why I started this blog in 2009. My aim was to share a bit of my writing world and to give tips and encouragement to other writers. 

If you're having coffee or a drink with a writer friend, the conversation that ensues is most likely helpful to each person participating. For one thing, it's an upper to converse with someone who understands the writing world like you do. At the end of a get-together with another writer, you usually feel a sense of satisfaction. Don't wait until a writer asks you to have coffee. Do the asking yourself. 

By giving programs or workshops or talking to school children, you're a walking advertisement for the writing world. You're helping others, and often finding real joy in doing so. 

I once edited a YA novel for a man I knew slightly. By the end of the process, he was grateful, I was incredibly happy that I could help someone polish a fine book, and we became good friends with all our back and forth emails. That small helping hand had benefits for both of us.

I once heard a rather selfish writer state that he/she wasn't giving away the secrets to his/her good writing. The attitude was 'let them learn on their own.' My thought is that if I help someone, they can do the same for me someday, but I also find happiness in helping even if I receive little or nothing in return.

Taking an office in a writing organization may be work, but it's also a way to help the group continue and to give a hand to those who prefer to sit and soak up what they can but not serve on committees or consent to be an officer. Many of them have valid reasons for declining, but others are not willing to give something of themselves. 

Writing book reviews is an easy and fine way to help other writers. It's something that also helps readers who are always on the lookout for a new book to read.

There are many ways to help other writers without eating too deeply into your own writing time.  

Try Writing Short Romance Stories

 

It's the first day of February, the second month of the year. I think of February as the month of hearts and flowers, love and candy. Isn't this a perfect lead-in to Romance Fiction.?

There are lots of places where you can sell short romance stories. I'd give you a list, but I'd never be able to cover all of them, so I'll suggest that you use a search engine with keywords like 'short story romance submissions' or 'where to sell short romance stories.' If you don't have good results with your first search, change your keywords and try again. 

One of the magazines I submitted to some years ago was Woman's World. At the time, they ran a short romance of 1000 words in every issue with a $1000 payment. I got as far as rejection with a personal note from the editor. Foolishly, I didn't revise and resubmit, primarily because I couldn't think of a way to fix the story the way he wanted. 

Now, a Woman's World romance story must be a mere 800 words with an $800 payment. A dollar per word is good in anyone's book. The hard part, and it is difficult, is to write a full story for adults in 800 words. After your first draft, you'd have to go on a cutting spree. We know that by cutting the fluff, you're going to have a stronger story, so give it a try.

Other magazines and ezines will have fewer or more words allowed. It could be easier to find a place you would like to submit to, then write the story with their guidelines in mind rather than story first, and search for a market last. 

A lot of those 800-word romances tend to be about first meetings with a longer relationship promised. I found an interesting article written by a woman who has sold numerous romances to Woman's World. Read what she has to say here.

When writing a short romance, remember to not be too flowery or gushy. Overly sweet won't make a sale. Romantic but realistic is the way to go. Stories that make it might have the couple working in an unusual job or meeting in a spot far away from the USA. The background or place can have a lot to do with the romance part of the story. 

As in all submissions, read and study the guidelines, then follow them carefully. When a story is finished, go back and check to make sure it fits the guidelines. There are publications that accept erotic romance and many that do not. Ones that take teen romances and a lot that don't. Don't submit a fantasy or sci-fi romance to an everyday woman's magazine. In other words, do your homework before submitting.

How explicit should your short romance story be? That depends on the publication you're aiming for. How long or how short? Again, it depends on where you're submitting. 

If you've read short romance stories at any time, and you're a writer, you can probably write one. Your first efforts might not be stupendous, but keep at it, and you'll come up with one that you feel good about and can submit.

Give short romance a try during this short month of February.