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Nuts and Bolts: “Thought” Verbs. In six seconds, you’ll hate me.

Nuts and Bolts: “Thought” Verbs

But in six months, you’ll be a better writer. From this point forward – at least for the next half year – you may not use “thought” verbs. Reference for writers - Expressing Emotions Through Your Writing. Are These Filter Words Weakening Your Fiction? After taking several weeks away from the first draft of my novel, I decided to jump back in.

Are These Filter Words Weakening Your Fiction?

I expected to find all sorts of problems with the story: inconsistencies in the plot, lack of transitions, poor characterization—the works. But what began to stick out at me the most was something to which I’d given little thought in writing the first draft. Filter words. What Are Filter Words? Actually, I didn’t even know these insidious creatures had a name until I started combing the internet for info. A writer’s cheat sheet: 10 useful reminders. Editor's note: This story first appeared on PR Daily in August. To kick-start the 2012-13 school year, here are 10 writing tips to keep in mind (and feel free to pass this note under the desk to an office buddy): 1. The Virtuoso Writer’s Cheat Sheet. A year or two ago on Codex , I put out some ideas for a kind of writing checklist, things to keep in mind that tend to be good questions to ask about a successful story.

Some good additions and improvements were made, resulting in a very pithy list of questions that I post on my wall, “The Virtuoso Writer’s Cheat Sheet.” The idea is that anyone who can keep all of these things in their head at once and act effectively on them is pretty much a fiction virtuoso. For the rest of us, there are walls and scotch tape. Writers Cheat Sheets - Home. Shorthand (Pitman, Gregg, Teeline) Shorthand is any system of rapid handwriting which can be used to transcribe the spoken word.

Shorthand (Pitman, Gregg, Teeline)

Shorthand systems use a variety of techniques including simplifying existing letters or characters and using special symbols to represent phonemes, words and phrases. A brief history of shorthand systems Ever since the invention of writing scribes have used various techniques to enable them to take notes quickly and efficiently. The Ancient Egyptians devised two scripts, Hieratic and Demotic, as alternatives to their complex Hieroglyphic script, which was used mainly for monumental inscriptions.

Both Hieratic and Demotic worked on the same principles as the Hieroglyphs but the symbols were considerably simplified. During the 4th century BC, the Greeks devised a number of symbol systems which reduced letters to a single stroke and which could also be used to represent common words, suffixes and prefixes. Modern shorthand systems. 10 Laws of Productivity.

You might think that creatives as diverse as Internet entrepreneur Jack Dorsey, industrial design firm Studio 7.5, and bestselling Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami would have little in common.

10 Laws of Productivity

In fact, the tenets that guide how they – and exceptionally productive creatives across the board – make ideas happen are incredibly similar. Here are 10 laws of productivity we’ve consistently observed among serial idea executors: 1. Break the seal of hesitation. A bias toward action is the most common trait we’ve found across the hundreds of creative professionals and entrepreneurs we’ve interviewed. 2. When our ideas are still in our head, we tend to think big, blue sky concepts. 3. Creator. Processing ...

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Personal $ Svg $20 ✓ 13 Writing Tips. Twenty years ago, a friend and I walked around downtown Portland at Christmas.

13 Writing Tips

The big department stores: Meier and Frank… Fredrick and Nelson… Nordstroms… their big display windows each held a simple, pretty scene: a mannequin wearing clothes or a perfume bottle sitting in fake snow. But the windows at the J.J. The 7 habits of highly effective writers. 7 Habits of Serious Writers. Image credit: aless&ro With thanks to Michael Pollock for the article suggestion and title.

7 Habits of Serious Writers

I’ve been writing, on and off, since my early teens – but it’s only in the last three years that I’ve really taken my writing seriously. It’s made a dramatic difference. I write far, far more. I write better. 101 of the Best Fiction Writing Tips, Part I. What if someone went through the biggest and best blogs on the internet, and pulled out the very best-of-the best tips for fiction writers?

101 of the Best Fiction Writing Tips, Part I

That’s what I’ve attempted to do here. I can’t guarantee there aren’t some amazingly helpful writing tips that I haven’t included, but this is a good start. I’ve also tried to steer clear of really obvious tips like “show, don’t tell” or “make your characters unforgettable,” in favour of ones that are less often discussed. To learn more about the tips, click through to their original articles. Thanks to all these amazing bloggers for their valuable advice! The Four Essential Stages of Writing. Image by photosteve101 In last week’s post, 7 Habits of Serious Writers, I mentioned the importance of actually writing, plus the need to redraft.

The Four Essential Stages of Writing

105 Writing Tips from Professional Writers. 73 Ways to Become a Better Writer. Editing Wizard. Fantasy_Writing : Where Fantasy Authors Hone Their Craft.