We are writers, but we like numbers. Statistics, odds, lottery numbers, top-ten, best of twenty, and if you would, may I have your phone number? I found a list of Ten Writing Tips from the Masters by the editor at Pick The Brain website. The more I delve into that site, the more interested I become. I think I'll be spending time there soon.
Ten Writing Tips from the Masters
- Cut the boring parts
- Eliminate unnecessary words
- Write with passion
- Paint a picture
- Keep it simple
- Do it for love
- Learn to thrive on criticism
- Write all the time
- Write what you know...or what you want to know
- Be unique and unpredictable
There are a lot of us working on NaNoWriMo this month. We're trying to write a novel and get it done in the month of November. National Novel Writing Month. Some of the afore mentioned tips can be immediately used by us NaNo-writers, but some of them require revision of writing. Revision, that is, reading and editing one's work, is an activity that is frowned upon by the NaNo-originators. At least, during the creative, put-it-all-out-there phase. Reflective organizing of one's work is for December or at least for a later time than now.
My favorite suggestions are numbers seven and ten. Gatherite Sue* said [P]oor grammar stops me when I'm reading something. I feel the same way about articles that ramble and don't make sense. I would compare it to someone pinching me as I'm reading, it hurts and it makes me focus on the pinch...not the words.
I think that perfectly describes copy that needs editing. Sue* mentions both the mechanics of writing as well as the content and its relative fluidity. I like to know if I'm pinching anyone with my writing. And some of you have told me when I've done this. For that, I'm appreciative.
Something that catches my sensibilities is reading the unexpected. It's understandable to use hackneyed phrases, clichés; I do it myself. But what joy it is to read about an image or activity described in a dramatically new perspective. I'm currently reading The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. The writer's skill at adding a rich vocabulary and describing with originality is enviable.
Which of those writing tips resonates for you?
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Writers had fun with last week's prompt. If you need some inspiration, select a few of the following to read and emulate.
All Hallows' Eve by Sheila Deeth
Poem of Rebirth and Life After Death by Angela A.
Miss Lonely Hearts by CA
Falling Upward by Pauline
Tafraoute Celebration! by d d
Office Party at the Mansion by Marilyn is looking for whatever there is N.
Together Alone by subroto
Diablerie by Lois Cochran
November Fairy Council Meeting by Len Maxwell
The Accusation by Susan Budig
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Prompts for November 4th, due by next week, November 11th--Armistice Day.
- Include major world conflict as a theme or mere mention or something inbetween
- Something needs to =pop=
- Use the word focus
- Include a line from a National Anthem (any country)
- Optional--a famous person must appear in the article
- tag with wwe
Write on, sister! Pen it for all you're worth, brother! Sit back and spend two minutes breathing in your mouth as if you held a straw between your lips. Exhale with a relaxed mouth. Then stretch your arms up high, spreading your fingers. Press your head gently! down so that your chin touches--or nearly so--your chest then tilt your head to either side, but don't hyper-extend.
Now you're ready to write something fantastic. Post to Writing Essentials. Trust yourself, this is something you can do.
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Comments: 50
We all have to learn this to survive in the sciences. I'm not sure I've learned to "thrive" so much as to accept the parts that are useful-- and most are.
Now featured at Gather's Best.
I know several really fine writers who do not write all the time, and that tends to be my practice too. thinking about the subject, ideas, angles, sure, but doing other things with the idea than writing. I think it's a matter of what suits you particular creative personality -- either way works.
as for criticism, for me it's best to focus on goals instead. then I can use criticism, or not, as seems best. learning to thrive on it gives it too much prominence. again, a difference in creative personality.
ones that do resonate with me are 3, 4, and 6. the 6 in my case being the subject -- music -- rather than the process of writing about it.
There are many who feel the novel can unravel with prolonged (30 days) undisciplined writing.
All of these above tips are very helpful. Writing is not just writing, but rewriting. And rewriting. And rewriting. Plotting is essential. But most people never begin as plotters, but as pansters. NaNo is all about panstering. I am all for panstering, as I am a panster. But I am beocming a reformed pantser.
I begin as a panster, then after the initial inspiration wears (I DO do a 10 page outline then write until I drop) and after this wears thin, I have to go back and plot everything. And then begin again with structure. Now that I've taken 4 months of courses in plotting, I finally KNOW what I am doing - I had manuscripts unfinished because of plotting errors - fatal ones - that left me confuzzled without knowing why my manuscript fell off a cliff.
I will write on your prompt. In about 5 minutes. MORE CAFFEINE.
not inspired, boring, missing research info, or maybe not exactly right for the plotting stage, they will keep a person moving ahead.
Number 8 and number 10, especially resonated with me, I actually did start out as an artist, but have not one thing that I've painted, made (thrown pottery), etc's....as I was so young back then, freshman in High School, that I either undersold it or gave it away.
But, I was always planning, sketching something, for me to-do list, which most of it did get done. I think I was too young at the time and had no help at home to really know much about marketing, which I was also too young to do, 14 years old?
Writing came afterwards, non-fiction though. Life is a never-ending series of learning, isn't it? The most important things I've learned so far, is what doesn't work.
Thanks, and I probably won't get to this today, as I still haven't figured out the upgrade and umm, no comment. I've copied the prompt to do it, though. There's that time factor as well.
If real life didn't keep getting in the way, I'd be writing all the time!
Marilyn
This is one huge reason why I do NanoWriMo. Sure, it's speed writing, sure people think it's crap writing, but it's writing every day. Something I can't really do any other time of year. And it's writing with weeks, if not months of research and planning to back it, so it's not all crap. In fact, I have rather high standards for NaNo. If it's crap and will require twice as much editing than if I hadn't written it for NaNo, I feel it's not worth it. Of course this slows my writing progress down, but I feel good at the end of the month with what I've produced, and that is more than enough for me.
Now, about doing this the other 11 months of the year. *scratches chin*
This also makes me think of something they told us in the writing class at my last school: use words like "like," "it," "thing," and so on as little as possible. Be more specific. Time and again those rules have helped me out. Good article!
This is going to be a fun writing topic!
And it's true. It teaches you everything you need to know to make every word speak! VITAL skill
This is the one I have found the most challenging. I tend to write the way I speak and my writing reflects that. I've never been comfortable with the "poetic license" and I have to really work on eliminating unnecessary words in my poetry, personal essays, and short stories.
This must be taken with a grain of salt! A related sentiment is "Cut out the dead wood."
This has been a pet peeve of mine ever since I started writing in high school! But, not the way you might think! I was heavily criticized by teachers in high school and college for unnecessary words and dead wood. But none of them realized that my writing style required those words for a flowing effect and ultimate ease of reading plus for the enjoyment factor of the reader because of the way it "sounds" in their heads and even out loud. I often wrote very much like the way I would talk to someone and/or to tell them a story.
So I take serious issue with eliminating unnecessary words or dead wood for the sake of concise expression. Quite often, "concise" just does not do the trick, depending on your particular purpose. Some very worthwhile yet ineffable properties of your writing can be accomplished with an extra word or two. Or three! These things can shine through without the reader even noticing or being specifically aware of the particular properties of the writing that made them enjoy it.
Once again, it will be the "regular" (please don't make me define this again) readers who judge a piece of writing in the end, NOT those folks that THINK they know what good writing is and therefor post writing tips as if they were the only authority that one should heed since they are "Masters."
I contend that there are many, many folks who think they are "Masters" and know how you should write. In my humble opinion, there are "Masters" only because they successfully sell, not because of some innate talent, learned or inherited. I have bought many books that I thought were trash. Unfortunately I helped make the authors successful. Get my point? Another example? A sensationalized book that captures everyone's attention before they have even read it. But a bunch of people bought it. Are the authors of National Enquirer successful? You betcha! But do they pump out quality material?
This is something that only happens for me in a rewrite. While I'm writing, it seems all those words are needed, but when I go back over it is when I see a plethora of "just" and "that" and phrases "of the" "in the" "on the" that make it passive. It would be nice to just write it correctly the first try (boy wouldn't that be nice?) but it doesn't happen that way. So I'd say this one resonates with me as something I have to be diligent about.
4. Paint a picture
This one is part of my personal goal and basically how I write. I see something in my head and try to get it down on paper correctly and in an interesting way.
8. Write all the time
This is one that I need to give myself permission to do. I tend to hold myself back from writing because other things need to be done. There are always things that need to be done, and I never allow myself the time to write. Sometimes I even feel guilty writing, because the floors are dirty, the laundry needs to be done, the carpets are covered with fur... I haven't figured this one out yet, but it's something I'm working on.
10. Be unique and unpredictable
This is a goal that I don't think I've come close to yet, but then again, I am not a good judge of my own writing.
I think #4 (paint a picture) resonates most with me. I actually see my writing and writing I edit for others as a movie playing in my head. It helps me decide what to eliminate and when something is missing.
It was like I born to fulfill this destiny.
I hope I do all of those things!
Here's my post for this prompt:
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