Beginners' four faults. As an editor, I know when I am reading someone's first novel.
I have nicknames for the four give-away faults beginners make: (1) Walk and Chew Gum (2) Furry Dice (3) Tea, Vicar? (4) Styrofoam. I see at least one of these in every manuscript where the author has not mastered the craft of writing before submitting in his or her work. What are these four faults and, more importantly, how can you cure them? (1) Walk and Chew GumThe writer has not integrated action and dialogue, internal monologue and action, or internal monologue with dialogue. "If you think you're going to town you'd better thing again," said Ralph.
Not integrating action and dialogue makes for jerky, lifeless prose. "If you think you're going to town you'd better think again," Ralph snapped, putting down his can of beer. This might not be award-winning prose, but it reflects the reality of the action and feelings better by having action, thought and dialogue knitted together. She snatched the gun and aimed. . (3) Tea, Vicar? 8 Online Productivity Tools For Writers. Last month, I shared my own productivity tips and a whole stack from my email list as well.
It was a hugely popular post so we are back on the productivity topic today with Nikolas Baron from Grammarly . Back in 2010, one of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman, shared eight rules of writing with readers of The Guardian . His top tip? “Write.” His next tip was to “Put one word after another. Simple words that ring so true, yet, in this age of digital distraction , easier said than done. An aspiring author’s most precious possessions are his or her ideas and imagination. Just as important though, is time. Without that, you simply wouldn’t be able to put pen to paper, finger to keypad, and translate what’s in your head to your readers. And of course, in this current economic climate, unless you’re one of the lucky ones with a steady stream of passive income, then chances are, the time you spend writing, is time that could otherwise be spent earning a livelihood.
I am your editor. I have been in publishing for over ten years, mostly as an editor.
I am the person who accepts or rejects your manuscript. Here is how I make my decisions. I look at the envelopes I am opening as I work my way down the slush pile. Sloppy presentation is not a good sign. Neat, clearly labeled parcels give me hope. Out come the manuscripts. The submissions with proper SASEs are sorted again.
Writing How To. Thriller Writing. Suspense Writing. How to Write Dramatic Tension. Neil Gaiman's 8 Rules of Writing. By Maria Popova In the winter of 2010, inspired by Elmore Leonard’s 10 rules of writing published in The New York Times nearly a decade earlier, The Guardian reached out to some of today’s most celebrated authors and asked them to each offer his or her commandments.
After Zadie Smith’s 10 rules of writing, here come 8 from the one and only Neil Gaiman: WritePut one word after another. Find the right word, put it down.Finish what you’re writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it.Put it aside. For more timeless wisdom on writing, see Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 rules for a great story, David Ogilvy’s 10 no-bullshit tips, Henry Miller’s 11 commandments, Jack Kerouac’s 30 beliefs and techniques, John Steinbeck’s 6 pointers, and Susan Sontag’s synthesized learnings.
Image by Kimberly Butler. Writing with Ease. MORE Writing Gems # 6.
Tips & Tricks.