Articles archived for April 2009

By Jan Hoadley

I think we’ve all done it. We find a book that looks incredible. It’s on a topic we’re keenly interested in – the cover and description are great. We buy the book, get home and settle in to read – and by the fifth chapter we’re bored to tears with the presentation. It’s hard to follow, the information isn’t focused, and it’s difficult to get a grasp as to what the author means and where they’re going.

For example, I could write about my dog. She’s a border collie, three years old, hyper at times and bossy to the other dogs. Doesn’t that sound immensely boring? It gives the facts – but beyond that tells little to nothing. Contrast this:

Her nose pushes out the barely-opened window sniffing for the cats on the other side. She turns, bounds off the couch, runs to the other window, bounces off the wall and returns to thrust the nose out the window as if it might go further this time. As Fly crawls on the sofa to rest she pins her to the ground and stands over her growling. Then a blue merle blur circles the room again before returning to the window in hopes there’s a cat out there NOW.

Which description gives you a better picture in your mind of Abby? Do you, the reader, really care how old she is? Bringing a character alive makes the reader want to see more. It brings up questions – why is she so interested in cats? Does a cat make contact with her and what does she do then? Does Fly avoid her or return to the sofa? How does the scene figure in to the bigger story?

Before getting in to sensory description sharpen the characters in your mind. Write down as much information on them to get it clear in your mind WHO this character is. Know your character well. When you thoroughly understand the character it’s easy to put yourself in their shoes. It’s almost like becoming an actor – the actor might be outgoing but the character he plays is quiet and plays things close to the vest. The character may act different than the actor would in the same situation. In writing – we are the “actor” – we decide what those characters do if it’s fiction. If non-fiction we can research and make the characters interesting enough to teach our audience and entertain them at the same time. Fill out an employment application for your adult characters. Do a background check on them! Interview them and look at the pictures on their desk! Use your imagination! Why does this character do this?

Non-fiction writers doing a profile want to portray their subject accurately – use these same powers of observation and details to breathe life into your character.

Sharpen your writing of directions. Think of something you do on a regular basis and write step by step directions. Use something you do often – brushing teeth or heating a can of soup. This teaches you to pay attention to details in your explanations. We often take for granted things – open the can, put on the stove, pour soup in a bowl and eat. Do that exactly and it’s not very tasty!! It leaves out pouring the soup into a pan, water or other ingredients added, turning on the stove and placing on a burner until heated. With the former one – if followed exactly – you could be eating cold soup concentrate! While this might seem silly – when you think about it, what if it’s directions to something that could be fatal when done incorrectly? Leaving out a step could be bad! When you learn to take and give directions precisely even mapquest and other map sites aren’t accurate in many cases – and when it leaves out a step you can end up a totally different place. On the same principle, your story can end up a totally different place if something is left out. It doesn’t make sense.

Some people have the idea non-fiction writing is boring – it doesn’t have to be. Using similar techniques can breathe creativity into fact. While it’s true that fiction you don’t have facts to box in – facts don’t have to be boring! It can be a little more interesting to make it interesting but it can be done. Books like “Secretariat The Making of a Champion” (William Nack) or “Great Horse Racing Mysteries” (John McEvoy) are all factual information – but read like novels. The influx of true crime and other books may or may not be fact but those based on fact tend to be more believable. When you put the right spin on something you can make the unbelievable believable. Think about it – how many read Steven King’s “Christine” and thought twice about a car coming up behind them? We *KNOW* cars don’t have minds to think and stalk people but there’s just enough there to think “what if”. How many read a scary book and associate bad things with corn fields or sewer grates or other things? The power of a good story gets through.

Use word pictures to sharpen your writing. When your character is in the car is she driving down the road? When looking at the trees is she looking at a tree line in the distance or laying under one watching the branches and leaves over her? They’re both trees but proximity and perspective makes a difference in the story. Good descriptions make scenes come to life. It enables someone who is blindfolded to see the picture you’re looking at. Strong characters, purposeful actions and making writing interesting makes the difference in a story with good information and a story with good information that gets read.

Whether you add creative details to non-fiction or realistic details to fiction, making writing interesting *and* engaging enough to read keeps the reader going.

Sharpen your skills and make your writing sizzle.

How do you add spark to your writing?

Pace is one of the most important elements for any short fiction writer interested in success. When handled correctly a good sense of pace can help create a piece of written art, when mishandled it can spell disaster for a short story. Learning the difference between the two is what divides ambitious amateurs from successful writers.

Given the inherent brevity of short fiction, pace plays a more prominent role than in novels and larger texts. In order to fully tell a story within the word restricted remit of a short story, a writer must utilize their skills to keep the plot moving along at a fast clip; fast enough to keep the reader interested, but detailed enough to be comprehensive. Below are a few methods with which to ensure a successfully paced short story.

One of the most fundamental skills a writer needs in order to write a well paced story is the ability to differentiate between a story that works well as a short fiction and one that does not. Amateur writers are often so determined to tell their story that they neglect to consider the correct form of the piece. A longer fiction artificially compressed into short story loses the elements that made it a good story in the first place; as side plots, secondary themes and minor characters are cut to meet the word limit the story loses its ‘heart’. Likewise, although less common, when a single scene or flash fiction is expanded into a short fiction it ceases to be effective as superfluous elements are added to pad it out; and the pace of the important elements slows accordingly. Knowing when a piece needs to blossom into a longer fiction and when it should remain as a single scene or idea is the mark of a good writer.

Having identified a suitable story, how then does the writer maintain a pace fast enough to convey it fully in a limited word count? Where novels and long fictions are able to spend pages building up complex descriptions and imagery, a short fiction writer must have a prudent and comprehensive vocabulary. Where a novel uses many descriptive words, a short fiction uses few. Therefore those used must be suitably evocative, able to conjure up an image or describe a scene briefly but completely. Essentially in this regard a short fiction writer utilizes the same skill as a poet, paring down their work and selecting only the most powerful words. In this way a skillful writer can keep the word count down, but convey just as much meaning and impact in far fewer words than a less skilled writer with twice the space to fill.

Pace is by no means an easy writing element to master, but with practice and patient reworking of short fiction it can be a real asset to a writer and with it a story can shine.

Nicholas Cockayne is a talented UK-based writer with a BA in English and a MA in Creative and Critical Writing. He’s currently involved in Media Consulting, Marketing, and Advertising.

How do you control the pace of your writing? Have you ever considered it’s importance before?

Working from home presents benefits: being closer to family during the day and setting your own hours. But with the good side of working from home also comes some obstacles. Below are four common roadblocks that many writers experience working from home and how you might overcome them.

1. The Roadblock: Feeling Isolated

Even though writing can be a lonely career, it’s important to know where you can turn when you need some human contact. Since most of us write from home the internet is a great place to talk to others. You can choose from forums, chat rooms and e-mail. You might prefer one over the rest or you might like to do a little of each. Sometimes chatting to people in “real time” makes you feel less alone. If you’re someone who needs to get out of the house more you might schedule a weekly afternoon with a friend where you go out for lunch and a walk. And while you’re working at home, make it a habit to open up the curtains.

2. The Roadblock: Phone calls and visits

Yes, it does seem like if you were feeling isolated that getting phone calls and visits from family and friends would be a savior. Unfortunately, it’s not. Often, working from home gives the people in our lives the impression that we’re able to take a break whenever we want because we can “catch up later.” Of course we know that’s not true. We have other responsibilities to take care of. If there is someone in your life who seems to call during your work hours for more than a two minute call or a neighbor who drops by without notice or someone who assumes that you can baby-sit because you’re at home anyway, you need to take control. You need to be able to say “no.” If you do not get calls that are work-related, don’t answer the phone while you’re working at all. If you do get work-related phone calls, invest in caller ID. Though you want to have human contact, you don’t want to be taken advantage of.

3. The Roadblock: Chores and Errands

It is so easy to become distracted by things that have to be done around the home. We sit down to write an article and look over and see a scuff mark on the floor. Better get it right away. Then we pass the kitchen sink where the breakfast dishes sit, practically begging to be done. At least it seems that way when there’s writing to be done. Set aside specific times where you will do house chores. Knowing that you will get them done will take that off of your mind so that you can write. It also helps to have your work area away from these distractions, if at all possible. Like they say, out of site, out of mind.

4. Roadblock: Time Management

Tying in everything discussed above, time management is a must. If you begin your day without a plan, chances are you won’t get as much done as you could. Try to create a to-do list the night before of everything you have to do. This will keep you on track. Instead of writing every little thing that you would like to accomplish (our lists would all be a mile long) write the things that you have to do (writing and non-writing). If it helps you to assign time limits/times for each activity, do that. Whatever helps you to stay on track and get things done is what you should use.

Learn to prioritize your life, the things you do and even the people you spend time with. Unfortunately, we can’t do it all. Simply because someone asks you to do something, doesn’t obligate you to doing it. Set limits and goals for yourself and you’ll surely succeed.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this guest post from talented freelancer, April Aragam. What freelancing roadblocks have you come across and how have you overcome them?

Talented author and song writer, Jill Moore shares six fantastic tips for writers. Honing your writing craft is a practice of love and dedication. Rules are meant to be broken but it is important to learn the rules, know how they benefit your writing before deciding which ones to break for best effect.

Improving your writing skills is actually quite easy if you know where to start. There are some areas of weakness that afflict almost every novice writer. Here are six simple tips to help you avoid these pitfalls and increase the quality of your written work.

• Get rid of excess words.

Sometimes inexperienced writers can weigh down their sentences with extra words or phrases. Writers often refer to these excesses as “deadwood.” Evaluate your sentences and eliminate any words that are not required to convey the main idea. For example, instead of writing, “There were not a lot of horses left,” write, “Not many horses were left.”

• Don’t use words as fillers.

Some words should be used very sparingly because they are not of much use and only take up space. For instance, the following sentence is overly wordy: “I actually liked the class, but basically, I have no time to attend it.” The words actually and basically are unneeded because they do not add any worth to the sentence. Writers often refer to these extra words as “utility words.”

• Avoid Being Redundant.

Make sure your sentences do not contain two words that mean the same thing, such as, “We received a free gift,” or, “I needed to buy some things to purchase at the store.”

• Be Wary of Multiple Conjunctions

Conjunctions, such as and, because and but, connect words and phrases. Be very careful not to overuse these words, because they will cause your sentence to be overly long and wordy. Instead of writing, “She is very nice, and she is interesting, and she seems like she has learned a lot in her travels, and she lives in New York,” write, “A very nice and interesting person who lives in New York, she seems like she has learned a lot in her travels.

• Use Active Voice

Active voice, as opposed to passive voice, helps keep a sentence from dragging on and on. Here is an example of a sentence in passive voice: “A new road is being paved by the construction workers.” This same idea conveyed in active voice looks like this: “Construction workers are paving a new road.”

• Choose Words Carefully

Although some words are neutral, many words have specific connotations. For instance, although the words sweat and perspire can be defined in the same way, most people interpret the word perspire to be something lighter or daintier than the word sweat. In the same way, calling someone skinny is generally perceived as negative, while referring to the person as slender has more positive connotations. Choosing the perfect word can sometimes prove difficult. Good writers will often use dictionaries and thesauruses to make sure they have chosen the best word for the mood they want to create.

Putting these techniques into practice may take some effort at first, but don’t give up! As you continue to pay attention to your writing, these techniques will become habits, and your writing will be much improved.

One of the most exhilarating choices you may make in your life is to become ‘a writer’. There are many images and expectations about the writer’s lifestyle. It can be filled with joy and steeped in the wonder of language and expression. Writer’s have the opportunity to give something to the world. Writing is a profession often connected with the freedom of doing what you truly love for the rest of your life, but is it really?

Myth 1: Writing is like paid vacation.

Being a writer isn’t about having a book on the shelves of Barnes and Noble; it’s not about signings, tours, or discussions with your editor. Being a writer is about writing. You’re going to face occasions when you are challenged. You’ll have days when you doubt your ability to succeed and you’ll wallow in the misery of failure, not because you’ve failed but because you aren’t where you expect yourself to be. Writing is work, and it’s hard work at that.

Myth 2: Writer’s Enjoy Solitary Lives.

A common misconception is that writers are hermits. While the actual act of writing is often one best done in contented mental (not necessarily physical) solitude writing is about people and life. You can’t be a great writer if you don’t immerse yourself in your subject, in your readers. You can’t live in a black hole, never having seen the sky and write about the life of a bird. You have to live, meet people, get to know who your audience is, and write for that world, not yourself and the earthworms.

Myth 3: Writing is easy.

If you’ve chosen to be a writer because writing is easy you’re in for a shock. I don’t think any professional writer would ever say that this career isn’t more challenging than any other they’ve had in their lifetime. Writing is hard. The difficulty is a part of what makes the best writers so good.

Myth 4: Writers are rich.

This is one I really wish were true. The truth is, only a very select few, very good and very lucky writers ever get rich. Beginning writers make very little money. Many writers never make great money. In the early days of your writing career you’ll probably need a day job and you’ll probably still eat out of a can and scrimp for toilet paper.

Myth 5: Writers know everything.

Yes, writers come to know a lot but I’ve never met a writer who thought they had learned enough. Curiosity seems to be a requirement for writers. We are constantly striving to learn; we research, we study, we take courses, we workshop, we read, and read, and read. We thirst for knowledge and explore. We take chances and we fail, a lot. Writing is a journeyman’s life. There are no masters and it is impossible to perfect the craft (that doesn’t stop us trying).

Myth 6: Writers are always relaxed and happy.

There will be good days and bad days. There are days when we could sing from rooftops and others when every word feels dragged (slowly and painfully) from the depths of our souls. Writers tend to feel everything to a thousandth of a degree. Every tear is a thunderstorm, every kiss a rainbow. It’s important to allow yourself to feel every extreme and every emotion because these are vital for great writing. The best writers are the ones who can bleed onto the page, dragging themselves through every heartbeat, reliving every moment and create it with such intense reality that readers feel every beat as if it were their own heart pounding.

Writers are a kooky bunch of people. We come from all walks of life and each of us brings something unique and amazing to the world’s literature. The only people who will truly understand you are fellow writers. While your family shakes their head at this odd creature that inhabits their home we smile at our own families who are doing exactly the same thing.

It is a wondrous, heart wrenching life to lead. You’ll love it and hate it in every breath but you never really give it away. Our writing isn’t really ours to give up. It’s like a calling for the priesthood. Being a writer is about being who you are.

Do you love to read? Would you like to win new books just for reading and reviewing the books you love? Through the month of April Writer’s Round-About is trialing a new reviewer contest. We reward you for writing about the books you’ve been reading. It’s simple to enter and you can submit as many reviews as you like for more chances to win!

From time to time author’s send me a complimentary copy of their book to review on Writer’s Round-About. One book in my current queue is Michelle Goodman’s latest book, “My So-Called Freelance Life” and you recently saw my review of George Singleton’s “Pep Talks, Warnings & Screeds“. I always look forward to reading and reviewing other authors and constantly swell my bookshelves.

It is important to be an honest reviewer. I try to include the bad with the good rather than touting nothing but praise when I review. Even so, reviews are always subjective. The elements I like might be those that irk you and a fantastic segment you’d love to read might have registered as a mere blip in my reader radar.

In the interest of sharing real reviews from a range of reviewers I’ve always invited readers to submit your own reviews as a guest poster on Writer’s Round-About. Now there is even more incentive because I have fantastic books to give away to lucky reviewing readers.
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