tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65144776318874539652024-03-05T08:32:49.513+00:00WITWriters' Inspirational TipsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6514477631887453965.post-18845658707680340392012-04-20T19:49:00.000+01:002019-07-17T22:30:35.610+01:00Writing Tips<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Inspiration comes to writers at different times. Usually when doing something other than writing: taking a walk, enjoying a bath, watching a sunset.<br />
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This blog—Writers' Inspirational Tips—is about helping, advising, sharing. For would-be writers. For beginner writers. For advanced writers. For anyone who needs inspiration.<br />
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First: Four Helpful Books . . .<br />
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<i>On Writing</i> by Stephen King</div>
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<i>Word Painting: A Guide to Writing More Descriptively </i>by Rebecca McClanahan</div>
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<i>The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide for Staying Out of the Rejection Pile </i>by Noah Lukeman</div>
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<i>A Dash of Style: The Art and Mastery of Punctuation</i> by Noah Lukeman<br />
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I read a long time ago this great tip to help your work flow: Every sentence should hold hands.</div>
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In other words, one idea or thought or statement should lead to the next. </div>
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Now, in no particular order, here are my tips . . . </div>
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<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Don’t let your writing get in the way of the story. Don’t over explain or over describe.</span><br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">For a writer, the DELETE key is the hardest key to strike. If it makes you feel better, save all your deleted work in a separate file. You never know if you'll want the words back (you hardly ever do, though).<br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Have something magical or mysterious happen early on. (Children’s writing).<br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">On show don’t tell: Don’t have your character say it’s painful: have them scream.<br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Edit, edit, edit.<br />* Edit by reading your work aloud (you'll feel weird at first but you'll spot where the flow doesn't work and you'll spot mistakes).<br />* Edit reading in a big font.<br />* Edit reading a small font.<br />* Edit a double-spaced printout (your work should be double-spaced anyway).<br />* Edit a printout, 2-page, book style format (really important if you've written a book).<br />* Leave work alone for a couple of weeks and then edit again.<br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">On having no time to write: If you only write one page a day, at the end of one year you'll will have written 365 pages—a book.<br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">On feeling overwhelmed: Break it down. You’re not writing a book—you’re writing a chapter. If that’s still too big, you’re not writing a chapter—you’re writing a paragraph. Or a scene. A sentence. A word.<br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When reading another author's book, study their style and technique, even where they place their punctuation for effect.<br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">At all times, keep a note pad and pen handy. Yes, you’ll forget that great idea later.<br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Change your routine up: Write when you first wake up. Write in the middle of the night. Write in a coffee shop. Write on a train.<br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Can't find your character's voice: Write in first person.<br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Less is more.
Don’t break up the action with description.</li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Make your writing feel real by moving in close: e.g. Notice an eyelash.<br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">On writer’s block:
Imagine a moment first. Then write it. <br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Only write what you are passionately interested in. Then you’ll still enjoy your story on the fiftieth revision.<br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Don’t rely on your computer’s spellchecker alone. For instance, it won’t spot <i>there</i> when it should be <i>their</i>.<br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Give yourself permission to enjoy writing. Stop frowning. Now.<br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Your mistakes help you grow as a writer. Don’t knock yourself on the head. Learn from them and don’t give up.<br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">On the first draft: Forget editing until you're actually editing.<br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Don’t discuss your story with anyone until you’ve got the first draft down. Or you may never get that story written.<br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Learn the quick way to search and replace words on your computer software to save yourself hours of wasted time.</li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Your work should be fresh and new. Take out clichés such as: sharp as a knife, two peas in a pod.<br /> </li>
<li style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Give me white space--<i>please.</i> Don't let your paragraphs go on and on ... </li>
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MUSIC TO A WRITER'S EARS</div>
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"I'll cook lunch."</div>
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Interesting Word of the Day ~~~<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"> scattershot</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Catherine Harriott is the author of <i>Missing in Time</i></span></span></span><br />
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