Category Archives: Writing Tips

Today’s Writing Tip

Posted on by

coffee- copy

Do you have a reverse dictionary? If you’re a writer and don’t know what that is, you’re missing out on something that can be a tremendous help. A thesaurus works when you’re looking for a synonym. But what about when you’re trying to think of some elusive term that relates to a certain topic, such as a specific business or sport? That is when a reverse dictionary is worth its weight in gold.

For example, if you look up “mountain” it provides numerous words that relate to it from its geology to mountain climbing. There are several available on Amazon. This is the one I have had for years.

Do yourself a favor and get one today. You’ll love it the next time you’re writing and get lost, thinking “What do they call it when….?”

Today’s Writing Tip

Posted on by

blogging-copy

Use short sentences to depict fast, tense action or conversations. This establishes the pace. Longer ones work well for descriptive narrative, or more casual dialog. It helps to think about the tone of voice you or your narrator would be using for a given scene, then capture it in the sentence structure itself.

Over all, vary sentence length to maintain reader attention rather than droning on and on…You don’t want your story to come off as being told by that teacher or professor who used to put you to sleep.

Today’s Writing Tip

Posted on by

blank copy

Details add authenticity to your story. They provide imagery and indicate whether or not you know what you’re talking about. There are details that come strictly from your imagination, such as your characters’s personalities and appearance as well as the setting in general. Then there are details that have a factual base. For those, make sure they’re correct, such as scientific principles or even something as simple as time zones or Daylight Saving Time.

For example, I’m currently reading a book that states the date and time at the beginning of each chapter. The fact the author specified it was Daylight Savings Time for date when it’s not in effect made me shake my head. If you’re going to get that specific, for heaven sake, get it right. That’s what Google is for.

Another trick is to balance details properly, so they don’t bog down the story action. Lengthy descriptions don’t belong in an action scene or lively conversations. Also make sure you don’t repeat yourself. Know the difference between an occasional reminder, such as the color of a character’s eyes, and over-stating it to the point of being redundant.  Being inconsistent is another faux pas. Readers often have a better memory than you think.

Today’s Writing Tip

Posted on by

alphabets-copy

Use your POV character’s name sparingly. Some authors seem to think they need to use it repeatedly, even when it’s clear (or should be, if written properly) who’s doing what. Same goes for the other characters as well.

It drives me crazy when authors do this. Unfortunately, the editor in me kicks in when I read something that’s not well-written. Then I start rewording sentences in my head and rolling my eyes rather than staying connected with the story. I’m reading a book right now that has an interesting plot and quite a few good qualities except the author repeatedly makes the same mistakes, such as this one.  He also uses far too many prepositional phrases, which often introduce redundancy as well.

When you’re editing your work, pay attention when you use the POV character’s name more than once in a paragraph, or even too many times on a page. If it’s clear who’s involved in the action or speaking, you don’t need to repeat the name. This is why we have pronouns! Use them!

Today’s Writing Tip

Posted on by

writing-pad-copy

Know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em…

That phrase from the Kenny Rogers’s song, “The Gambler,” came to mind the other day and reminded me of how difficult it can be to edit your own work. As authors we tend to be attached to our own words, especially when we say something really clever. Yet sometimes, it really does nothing for the story other than to slow it down.

It requires a high level of objectivity to cut something out of your own work. It isn’t easy and for some, it’s impossible. Sometimes letting your work sit for a while so you can go back and see it as a reader would works. If you absolutely can’t do it, hire someone. Just make sure they know what they’re doing. I know too many people who have been ripped off by editors who really didn’t do a proper job.

Remember that there are several kinds of editors, i.e. copy editors, line editors, and content editors, to name a few. If your work requires all three, but is only reviewed for one or the other, it will still have problems.

Today’s Writing Tip

Posted on by

woman- copy

Using holidays and special days to promote your book, using the appropriate hashtags, can be one way to draw in an audience you may have otherwise missed. Of course knowing in advance when these special days occur is essential for proper promotional planning. This is where the website https://nationaldaycalendar.com is worth its weight in gold!

It tells you what all the special days for each month will be as well as designated weeks and months. It may take a while to go through and find them all for the year, but even if you do it once a month, you’re likely to find certain days that you can tie into your book in some way. For example, my book “The Terra Debacle: Prisoner’s at Area 51” has a main character who is a telepathic walking plant with an IQ that rivals Einstein. When National Vegan Day comes along you can bet I’ll promote it!

Just remember to use hastags designated for it to get the full benefit.

Today’s Writing Tip

Posted on by

woman-2 copy

Proper copy editing is something that not every reader will notice. I do. One mistake I’ve noticed quite a bit in that department is the punctuation of dialog. Most people seem to know they need to use quotation marks. Amazingly, a few seem to miss that, but gratefully, it’s relatively rare. However, there are a couple goofs I’ve seen enough times to recognize that how to do it correctly is not common knowledge. After all, some of the best writers out there aren’t English majors.

Here’s one thing to watch for. When the same speaker continues speaking into the next paragraph, leave off the close quote. However, the next paragraph begins with a quote, so don’t forget that. This tells the reader that the same person is still speaking. Otherwise, they’ll expect someone else to pick up the dialog in the new paragraph.

Another thing I’ve seen quite a bit is using a period after a statement instead of a comma, when “he said” or “she said” is included. For example:

“I’m going to go to that Mexican place for lunch.” She said.  WRONG

“I’m going to go to that Mexican place for lunch,” she said. CORRECT

Another is using a common or period when in reality the character asked a question. A question is indicated with a question mark, n’est-ce pas?

Little things like this drive alert readers well-versed in proper English and writing skills up the proverbial wall and are what can earn your story less than 5-stars.

Today’s Writing Tip

Posted on by

write-2 copy

Here’s an idea for those of you who may tend to be impatient getting your book out there. While I don’t necessarily recommend doing so until it’s sufficiently edited and refined, if you need to make a deadline or simply have to get it out there for your own sanity sake, there’s a good chance that you’re going to find things that need to be corrected or revised after the fact.

If your chosen POD distributor (or in some cases, publisher or formatter, if you have the luxury of having someone else do that for you) charges you for every edit or change, it can get expensive. One way to deal with this would be to start with an ebook where such updates are easier. Then, when it’s been through all your beta readers, editors, and so forth–when you’re absolutely sure your story is the best it can be–then you can move forward with the print copy.

Today’s Writing Tip

Posted on by

writer- copy

I may have mentioned this before, but I think it’s worth repeating. It’s always difficult to edit your own work. Getting distance between you and your story so that you can see it through your readers’s’ eyes is not easy. Of course, letting it sit for a while usually helps. If you tend to work on more than one book at a time, this is easier to do. Otherwise, you’re likely to be impatient to finish it up and get it out there.

Even if you have an editor, you really need to go through it again on your own. I have seen too many books that were supposedly “edited” but in some cases I suspect the editor was their dog. Seriously. Partly, this is because there are numerous types of editors. If you’re not paying attention and know the difference, perhaps you’re not getting what you’re paying for. For example, there are simple proofreaders, copy editors, content editors, and line editors. Not every editor will provide all three. Some who are not professional, simply someone with a good eye, may not even notice them.

So, bottom line, if you want your book to be a high quality product, you should go through that final version yourself. The way I prefer to do this is with a proof copy. Yes, a print copy I can hold in my hands and turn the pages. The physical feel of the book in your hands facilitates seeing your story through a reader’s eyes. It’s a different “dimension”, if you will, from an electronic device. For me, it’s also less distracting to underline, highlight, or dog-ear pages that require corrections without losing the flow.

Today’s Writing Tip

Posted on by

writing-pad-copy

Having more than one story arc adds depth, complexity, and interest to your story. Story arcs can be subplots or simple little details that you tie together. Be sure to manage them properly, however, and close them, when required, so they don’t leave your reader hanging. That’s a faux pas that shows you’re not paying attention to your own story.

A well-woven story will have several things going on, albeit in the background. Tying characters together is one way to do this. Rather than having random characters come on stage, then leave permanently, tie them into the plot in some  way. It’s a small world and coincidences like that are credible. I believe that mystery writers tend to do this intuitively, but it works in other genres as well.

If you’re writing a serial, you can have a lot of fun with this concept. Anyone who has followed your series will appreciate a tidbit now and then that refers back to a previous episode. If it influences the current story in some way, all the better.