Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category
7 More Mistakes to Avoid and Book Recommendations
March 10th, 2010 by Mary DeMuth
Here are my final seven mistakes to avoid. I hope this four-part series proved helpful as you strove to deepen and clean up your writing.
1 Mundane Prose. We don’t need to hear the mundane parts of a character’s day, or hear his mundane speech.
Example: John ate breakfast. He wiped his mouth, then slurped down some coffee. He put on his fedora, then slipped on his galoshes. He opened the front door, shut it, then opened the car door, heading to work.
John ate a quick breakfast, then headed to work.
2 MRU problems. Motivation Reaction Units (See Techniques of the Selling Writer, by Dwight V. Swain for a full explanation.) Please read this article: http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/scene.php.
3 Lack of emotional depth. In novel writing, we need to see the depth of a character’s inner landscape, which includes his/her emotional state. A reader needs to relate to the character. Some ways to create emotional depth: Shove the reader into the character’s head in the midst of a highly emotional/painful/surprising scene; show the character’s reaction to a dilemma; or show the character physically react to some disheartening news.
4 Word Choice. Sometimes a word isn’t the right one. If I write WC in the margin, it means you need to rethink the word you chose.
5 Wrong Word. Other times, you simply use the incorrect word. Consider:
Affect (a verb meaning “to influence”)
Effect (a noun meaning “result”—used as a verb when you mean “bring about” or “accomplish”)
Example: Lisle wanted to effect a change on her college campus so she smiled at every person she passed.
Correct: The effect of her perfume affected me for hours in the form of a splitting headache.
6 Nouns in Apposition. If the person you reference is one of a kind, you separate with commas. (Apposition means placed beside. The noun in apposition, called an appositive, identifies or explains the noun or pronoun that precedes it.)
Examples:
Incorrect:
My wife Esther is the best cook on the planet. (Unless you live in biblical times or you’re a fugitive from Federal Agents, you have only one wife.)
Solved: My wife, Esther, is the best cook on the planet.
Correct: My friend Rebecca sent me a rather lengthy e-mail. (If Rebecca is one of many friends, this is correct. If she is the only friend, you need commas before /after her name.)
7 Avoid –ing. Overuse weighs down prose. When you finish a piece, search for “ing” and see how you’ve used—or misused—it.
Example:
Awkward and wordy: Families were purchasing . . .
Correct: Families purchased . . .
Book Recommendations:
- Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynn Truss
- Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain
- The Complete Guide to Writing and Selling the Christian Novel by Penelope Stokes (the chapter on POV is worth it—the best way I’ve seen it presented.)
- The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman
- Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Brown and Dave King
- Scene and Structure by Jack M. Bickam
- The Novelist’s Essential Guide to Crafting Scenes by Raymond Obstfeld
- On Writing by Stephen King
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The #1 mystery for all authors-to-be
March 8th, 2010 by Brian MastEvery person who ever wanted to be an author had to first unravel the #1 mystery of book creation. That mystery is this: How do I actually write my book?
I had one author come to me with a cardboard box. Everything he found on his subject was in that box, and he’d been collecting pieces of information for years. But you know what, I was able to help him make a book out of what was inside that cardboard box!
Another author recorded herself in an interview setting, another had recorded his sermons, another had actually typed it out on a computer, and another handed me a 12” stack of notes. In each case, we had a book in a few short months.
Have you figured out the #1 mystery?
The answer to the “How do I actually write my book?” dilemma is easier than it may seem. The secret to unraveling the #1 mystery of book creation … is to force yourself to do whatever works for you.
This two-part formula of Force + Whatever Works For You works flawlessly, but you have to make it happen yourself.
Example #1: Let’s say Betty is one of those people who loves to type and can think while she pecks at the keyboard. Obviously, the answer for her is to sit down and write her book directly into her computer. However, her natural tendency is to be busy with other things, to be tired or distracted, or to find something else more exciting to do. Betty needs to apply FORCE to her ability and she’ll be done in no time.
Example #2: John, on the other hand, hates to write, can’t spell, and has a constant case of writer’s block. He’s stuck … but he loves to talk. The answer for him is to get a recorder, or a friend who will listen and record him, and to talk it out. Make an outline of points to cover, and then FORCE himself to talk through each point. From there, his book is ready to be transcribed, edited, and he’ll have his book.
Example #3: Mike, a pastor I worked with recently, was too busy to write a book, but he had recorded a 7-CD sermon series. I took those CDs, transcribed them, edited his text, and fed him his book, chapter by chapter. Within weeks, he was seeing his book take shape, and in a couple of months, his book was done.
Whatever you like to do, whatever works for you, THAT is the answer. Do NOT for a second try to force yourself to do what you do not want to do. You’ll never finish your book that way. Stop!
Instead, choose the approach you like, apply Force through your own discipline or accountability with a friend, and your book will appear in front of you!
And in so doing you will have solved the #1 mystery of book creation.
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10 More Common New Writer Mistakes to Avoid
February 12th, 2010 by Mary DeMuthFor those of you who love lists, here’s another list of ten common mistakes I see writers make when they come through The Writing Spa. Check and see if you make these mistakes too. And if you do, choose to make 2010 the year you change the way you write.
1 Starting the story too late. When I wrote my first novel, it took me 90 pages to get to the inciting moment. I believed I needed to tell all the backstory first. Not true. When I rewrote the beginning, I cut the first 90 pages, rewrote the beginning to have the inciting moment first. Then, I shared both beginnings with a critique group and asked which one had more emotional impact. Everyone said the second one. Start your story when it starts.
2 Lack of passion. If you’re not wild about your subject, it shows. Write from your passion and your words will have punch.
3 Overuse of had. When recounting something in the past, use “had” once, then keep the rest in straight past tense. Otherwise, you’ll clutter up your prose, make it gunky.
4 Too many modifiers. Use a better noun instead of a weak one that needs an adjective. Use a stronger verb instead of one that leans on an adverb for help.
5 Misplaced modifier: An adjectival (modifies a noun) or adverbial (modifies a verb) placed in an awkward spot—usually far from the word or phrase it modifies.
Misplaced: I learned how to tie-dye t-shirts on the radio.
Correct: I heard on the radio how to tie-dye t-shirts.
6 Punctuation and Formatting Errors:
- Punctuation within quotes. This is a proper ellipses: . . . (dot space, dot space, dot space)
- Use an em dash in a sentence: Bob ran his business to the ground—right after he alienated his wife and children.
To create the elusive, continuous-line, em dash: Type as usual, but when you want to make the em dash, type two hyphens in a row and simply continue typing the next word. As soon as you hit the “space” key after you complete that next word, the computer automatically turns the two hyphens into the correctly formatted “em dash.” (The funny thing is, the computer can’t NOT do this action automatically.)
Incorrect (but the “old” method on a manual typewriter): I left my favorite baking dish–a wedding present from Aunt Jackie–at the church potluck dinner yesterday evening.
Incorrect (a symbol, actually an “en” dash): I left my favorite baking dish – a wedding present from Aunt Jackie – at the church potluck dinner yesterday evening.
Correct: I left my favorite baking dish—a wedding present from Aunt Jackie—at the church potluck dinner yesterday evening.
- Don’t use ALL CAPS.
- When writing a title, italicize it, don’t underline.
- Don’t hit enter twice when you start a new paragraph.
- It’s no longer five spaces when you indent; use the Tab key instead.
- 11 or 12 point font, preferably Times New Roman.
- One inch margins all around.
- Use exclamation points sparingly. You don’t want to be the writer who cried Wolf!
7 Pronoun/Antecedent Problems. Be sure your pronouns agree with the words they’re replacing. A writer makes a mistake when her pronouns don’t match.
8 No Parallel Structure. When listing things in a series, be sure the structure of the first words in each series are parallel.
Example: The cat dodged the ball, ate a mouse, and is sleeping now.
Correct: The cat dodged the ball, ate a mouse, then fell asleep.
9 Dangling Participles. When you have a participle (-ing word) followed by a comma as a phrase (dependent clause), the word following the comma should be the one the phrase modifies. Example: Crashing outside, I jumped when I heard the thunder. Crashing outside, the thunder made me jump.
10 Purple Speaker Tags. When you attribute dialog to someone, refrain from using purple speaker tags. Said works best most of the time. Or creating the dialog with beats (sentences of action) works better, too.
Example: “Herb, you irritate me!” she exclaimed vehemently.
Solved: She stomped her tiny feet. “Herb, you irritate me!”
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Marketing Expert and Author answers questions about the Christian market in an upcoming teleseminar
January 18th, 2010 by Nick Ciske Contact: W. Terry Whalin
Whalin & Associates
Phone 480-575-8622
Scottsdale, AZ, January 16, 2010: Marketing Expert Sally E. Stuart will answer your questions in a free live 70-minute telewebcast on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 4 p.m.. PST or 7 p.m. EST. Host Terry Whalin will use the questions from various participants to grill Stuart about the publication of the 25th Edition of the Christian Writers’ Market Guide (Tyndale House Publishers). Anyone can ask a question at: www.asksallystuart.com and register for the free teleseminar.
The author of more than thirty-seven books, Sally E. Stuart has sold more than one thousand articles and columns. Because of her long-term involvement with the Christian Writers Market Guide and her marketing columns for the Christian Communicator, Oregon Christian Writers and The Advanced Christian Writer Sally is a sought-after speaker and the leading authority on Christian markets and the business of writing. Each person who registers for the teleseminar at: www.asksallystuart.com will receive a free 23-page chapter from Stuart’s book, Getting Published about the business of writing books covering topics like how to find an agent and what happens if your book goes out of print or your publisher goes out of business.
Don’t have time to listen during the workday? The event will be recorded and every registrant will receive access to the replay links which can be downloaded to a computer or iPod.
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10 Common Writing Mistakes: Do you pass the test?
December 21st, 2009 by Mary DeMuthIn my adventures in publishing and helping new authors get published, I’ve found ten common mistakes authors should avoid. Look through this list. How many do you do? How many have you nixed? Keep this by your manuscript (fiction or nonfiction) as a handy way to self-edit your work.
1. Negatives: The mind takes 48% longer to process a negation. Eliminating no, not, don’t, and can’t will clean up your writing.
Example: He didn’t know.
He was clueless.
Example: The sun didn’t shine.
The clouds covered the sun.
2. Repeated words: Often new writers will repeat words within paragraphs or subsequent pages. Be particularly aware of pet words (your own personal overused words). Every author will have different words, but a careful reading of your draft will turn them up. Some oft-overused words include: since, just, still, might, manage, began, started, really.
3. Adverb Adoration: Adverbs strengthen weak verbs. Why not write with strong verbs instead?
Example: She walked lazily down the path.
She ambled down the path.
Heidi wrote her sentences quickly. (Wrote is not a weak verb, but now that it’s modified, quickly weakens it.) Instead: When her hand touched the pen, it sped ink across the page in a blur. (See how you can transform a sentence from something mundane to something visual? How tweaking your verbs, making them stronger, helps you to show instead of tell?)
The dog gnawed the bone maliciously. (This sentence would be better off without the adverb.) Or instead: The dog attacked the bone like prey.
He hardly noticed the scar criss-crossing her cheek. (This isn’t too bad, but by eliminating the “hardly noticed,” you can make a more visual sentence.) Instead: He held her eyes, never once glancing at the scar criss-crossing her face. In that moment, she fell in love with him.
You will find a revolution in your writing when you kill your adverbs, I promise.
And yet, when you use adverbs, keep them near the verb: Instead of Take the garbage out. Take out the garbage.
4. Split Infinitives: No more “to boldly go where no man has gone before.” To go boldly is the correct usage.
5. Wimpy Voice: Be assertive when you write. Instead of “I’d like to thank you,” just thank the reader.
6. Misused Colons: Use after an independent clause to introduce a list.
Example: He toted several items to the curb: a rug, four kittens, his spouse, and an old racecar track.
7. Voicing Problems: Each character must have his/her own distinctive voice. They must not sound alike.
8. Lack of Details: Your writing will be richer if you stick to details rather than vagaries. Instead of: He ate lunch. He ate Copper River salmon with a dill reduction sauce.
9. Flabby Prose. We writers are in love with words, so much so that we tend to flaunt our use of them early in our careers. (I was guilty of this.) Strong nouns and strong verbs make a great impact. Adding extraneous adverbs and adjectives willy-nilly weakens the structure. Don’t try to fluff up your writing to impress people. Tell it like it is. Don’t believe me? Read The Kite Runner. Hosseini’s sentences are stark, full of detail, and have amazing emotive impact.
10. Same sentence structure over and over again. He had. He did. He saw. N-V. N-V. N-V. Spice it up a bit. Add a gerund or two. Start with a prepositional phrase. And vary sentence length. You don’t want staccato prose, nor do you want insanely long sentences that lose the reader.
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Elements of a Successful Publishing Project
November 4th, 2009 by J A Heinlein1. You need to know Why You Want to be Published
You must ask yourself and answer the question, “…why do you want to be published?”
Some feel called to educate and inspire, while some want to “entertain” and tell a story, either fiction or non-fiction. And, the different callings and writer desires can combine to accomplish both.
What is the objective of your writing? Who will benefit?
I work with a lot of very successful professional speakers/authors, and over the years, the most common mistake has been for them to want to “rush too quickly to write and get published”… and, without having asked and answered those most fundamental of questions:
What is the reason and purpose for me to be a published author?
- it is my ministry and calling?
- to help expand my brand?
- to provide lasting value and impression?
- to create an additional income?
- to increase my speaker’s fee value?
What will the reader take away as the value from my book?
How will that help my ministry and/or business? How does this book reflect my personal mission and objectives?
And, once answered, how do I get this done?
See Also: How do you write a book or novel
2. You need to be informed
- Do your homework – “flatten” the learning curve as quickly as possible.
- Do the advance work to understand the “basics”– outline your plan for writing, marketing
Basic publishing elements
- Editing/Formatting
- Packaging: Creative Design: Cover, Layout, Illustration
- Production: print options – POD/Digital, offset, ebooks, ebook platforms
- Registrations
- Considerations of Setting-up Small Business
- Pricing, Distribution, Fulfillment
- Promotion, Sales, Market Placement
- Social Media Marketing – Online Network Management
- Online Presence, Search Engine Visibility Development
- Experience: Do’s & Don’ts
Related Links:
- Sell- Marketing yourself and your work, promotion and contests
- Writer’s Digest – 101 Best Websites for Writers
- 100 Free Tools to Write, Publish and Promote Your Own Book
- 5 Advanced Social Media Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses
3. You need a platform
“Platform is a big word in publishing. Seriously, it’s a critical component of getting a book sold. It’s so important, in fact, that many experts recommend that you start to build your platform long before you’re ready to submit your book for publication. What is an author’s platform? It’s what helps sell your book. An author’s platform is the way you reach readers. It’s a network, and it’s notoriety. It’s exposure.”
- Lolaness, Build an Author’s Platform: It’s How to Sell Your Book“10 simple steps that will take your visibility from zero to standout in a short time, while also giving you ample opportunities to flex your expertise, carve out your niche topic and connect with your audience.”
Christina Katz, Writer’s Digest – How to Build a Marketing Platform
4. You need a plan
The strategic plan is tailored and built upon the idea of developing a niche strategy focus, from the author’s identified platform and intended audience. Its goal is to direct focused efforts toward the right audience for initial sales and ongoing sell-through.
“…the publishing business is all about marketing, and it’s certainly true that books don’t sell themselves. However, there’s a caveat to the idea that anybody who can market books can start their own publishing house, and it’s that you need a business plan in place that will allow you to make a profit on the books you sell.”
-Morris Rosenthal, Self Publishing: Starting Your Own Publishing House
5. You need help
Fortunately, there is now a “one-stop resource” that you can enlist help from! – The BelieversPress Community.
“BelieversPress is a gathering of Christian authors and an elite team of Christian publishing professionals collaborating to bring the message God has placed in authors’ hearts to touch the lives of millions.”
- If you’re serious about your book, hire a book mentor to coach you and to help in coordination of the publishing process.
- Educate yourself, by engaging and asking a lot of questions, and sharing your own experiences with the group.
- Engage with and enlist help by hiring from the variety of related services of the community.
6. You need to execute your plan
The plan should identify:
- industry professionals and interest “affinity” groups
- spheres of influence, building “word of mouth” viral campaigns
- special sales markets – beyond traditional bookselling/bookseller strategies
- emerging markets to develop new market channel opportunities
- select bookstore markets and current bookseller relationships
The developed plan will detail:
- Focused Research of Audience Demographics & Psychographics,
- Indentified Branding Objectives,
- Writing Schedule,
- Production Deadlines
- Package Planning ,
- Tactics for Promotion & Marketing,
- Sales, Market Placement, and Distribution.
Summary
For independently published authors, there is a lot of advance work that must be done by the author and, their “team” can be of immeasurable value, if they are fortunate to have one as in “the BelieversPress Community.
It is the “same” work and objectives that both traditionally published authors or independently published authors must accomplish.
The traditionally published authors would seem to have an edge as a result of having a “bigger machine” backing them.
-but, based on current sales results, the real effort and scaled back resources of brand name companies are being used to mainly push the “A list” level authors.
Bottom line, whether traditionally published or independently published, authors must take a very active role in promotions of themselves and their work. Those who expect to “just write” and let others “carry the load” will likely not be successful going forward.
Yes, advance planning, and taking part in marketing and promotions can be quite an investment of personal resources…difficult, time consuming… exhausting even… but, the rewards are being able to share your unique message with others, building and enjoying enduring reader relationships, seeing your dreams and passionate objectives become a reality…
…and of course, it is nice to be able to buy groceries…
“… authors who survive will be the ones who find ways to authentically grow their platform and meaningfully reach their readership.” “Communities will decide what books are worthwhile, and communities won’t have ego-filled judgments. Publishers will always be giving their authors one thing that is hard to come by: a measure of instant credibility. (That is: Someone thought this was good enough to take a financial risk on.) In good scenarios, there is also collaboration: to make a good book a great book. But soon, communities will have as much power as publishers to decide what books deserve attention.“
- Jane Freidman, My Big Rant on Self-Publishing, Writer’s Digest
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Common Mistakes to Avoid
November 2nd, 2009 by Mary DeMuthIn my role at The Writing Spa, I read a lot of manuscripts, helping writers take their writing to the next level. Invariably, I see common mistakes new writers make. So for my next several posts, I’ll be highlighting these mistakes. Fix these issues in your writing and you’ll start to impress editors. Fail to do so and you’ll languish in the mediocre. I know if you’re reading this, you don’t want to be mediocre. So dare to be teachable!
Period spacing: Only one space after a period. To fix, go to Edit, then Find and Replace. In the Find box, hit the space bar twice. In the Replace box, hit the space bar once. Then click Replace All. Voila! Your whole document is correctly formatted. Curious why this is? I posted about the whole exciting story here.
Joining two independent clauses: When you have two independent clauses (two clauses that can stand on their own), there are several ways to join them. Many authors struggle to do this correctly.
Here are the ways:
John ate the hamburger. He wiped his mouth. (You can join by not joining—simply putting a period between the two clauses.)
John ate the hamburger, and he wiped his mouth. (comma plus conjunction)
John ate the hamburger; he wiped his mouth. (The correct use for a semicolon).
Head Hopping: When you’re writing a fiction scene, it should be solidly in one person’s point of view. If you shift into someone else’s head in the midst of a scene (without a scene break), you are head hopping. Solutions: Make a scene break where you shifted. Or delete the passage from the other person’s POV (point of view), or rewrite it so it’s in the scene-character’s point of view.
Example: Heloise knew Jake didn’t like her. She could see his sneer from across the room.
Jake took a long drink of Coke, then spit it back into his cup. He thought of giving it to Heloise just so she’d know how much he hated the sight of her.
We are in both heads in this scene. Here’s a rewrite in one POV:
Heloise could see Jake didn’t like her. His sneer said it all. She watched him gulp down his Coke, spit it back in, then raise his eyebrows in that maddening way. He pointed to her, then the cup. As if she’d ever drink his dregs.
Telling. The old adage, “Show, don’t tell” applies here. It’s insulting to the reader when you explain everything to him/her. Instead of telling us someone’s anger, show us.
Telling: Bob was angry.
Showing: Bob threw the cat across the room, hitting Hilda in the face with the poor animal.
Clichés. A cliché is a word or phrase you commonly hear in everyday speech, or read often. Here is a listing: http://clichesite.com/alpha_list.asp?which=lett+1
Example: Barnabus Brickby paraded around town, high and mighty as all get out, eating fried pies like a horse.
Solved: Barnabus Brickby flaunted his new suit on the town’s streets, gorging himself on fried pies while his nose pointed heavenward.
Passive voice: In passive voice, the subject receives the action rather than performing the action. Passive usually carries this form: “to be” + “verb-ed.” Microsoft Word usually catches passive constructions by underlining them in squiggly green.
Example: Passive: The spider was bludgeoned by Martha.
Active: Martha bludgeoned the spider.
Weak verbs: Verbs should make up 10% of your writing. Nix forms of “to be.” Run a “search” on be, is, are, am, was, were, being. Eliminate was+participle (ing word). I was running to school. I ran to school. Even better: I sprinted to school.
There are many more issues, but we’ll save those for a later post. The single biggest mistake I see is weak, wimpy verbs. Was. Is. Were. Seem. When you’re trying to break the habit, strive for 1 or 2 per page. They’re not evil verbs, but they weaken your writing. Learning to replace them with beefy verbs will revolutionize your prose.
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Avoiding Commonly Misused Words in Your Writing
September 18th, 2009 by Nick CiskeBrian Clark at CopyBlogger compiled a list of 27 commonly misused words and how to use them correctly.
Poor grammar and misused words are one of the main criticisms of amateurishly published books. With this list, some diligence, and the help of a good editor, you can stand out from the crowd of poorly written/edited books in the market.
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. ~Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride
It may be inconceivable for you to misuse a word, but a quick look around the web reveals plenty of people doing it. And it’s all too easy when we hear or see others use words incorrectly and parrot them without knowing it’s wrong.
So let’s take a look at 27 commonly misused words. Some are common mistakes that can cost you when trying to keep a reader’s attention. Others are more obscure and just interesting to know.
Adverse / Averse
Adverse means unfavorable. Averse means reluctant.
Afterwards
Afterwards is wrong in American English. It’s afterward.
Complement / Compliment
I see this one all the time. Complement is something that adds to or supplements something else. Compliment is something nice someone says about you.
Criteria
Criteria is plural, and the singular form is criterion. If someone tells you they have only one criteria, you can quickly interject and offer that it be they get a clue.
Farther / Further
Farther is talking about a physical distance.
“How much farther is Disney World, Daddy?”
Further is talking about an extension of time or degree.
“Take your business further by reading Copyblogger.”
Read the rest of the article here: The Inigo Montoya Guide to 27 Commonly Misused Words
The Inigo Montoya Guide to
27 Commonly Misused Words
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Inspiration and Fish.
August 24th, 2009 by Nikki Wallace“Don’t wait for inspiration. Get to work.” — Twyla Tharp
Years ago I had this quote scrawled on a yellow post-it-note and stuck to the side of my computer monitor at work. I had stumbled upon it in a magazine somewhere, and it resonated with me. Big time. I knew it must be immediately captured and placed somewhere in plain view, for I was well aware of how often I’d need its reminder.
I struggled, you see, with grabbing hold of that elusive thing called “inspiration”. It’s a dilemma I still find myself in, as I would imagine that any creative professional does.
After all, what artist hasn’t found herself staring at a blank canvas? An empty stage? A blinking cursor? A silent guitar? Or (in my case) a glaringly white new Photoshop document?
To the recreational artist, this isn’t that much of a problem. With no schedule, no deadlines, and no client to please, the art can be put on the shelf until inspiration arrives.
After all, that is the natural, human inclination.
And there’s the rub. For once the thin line between “recreational artist” and “creative professional” has been crossed (that is, as soon as the artist is creating something for someone else, to meet a deadline, and/or for any kind of payment), inspiration is not something that the artist can afford to wait for. Literally.
Deadlines can be counted on. Inspiration can’t.
So when I need to design a cover but the inspiration is just not there, instead of just walking away altogether, wishing that inspiration came on tap or could be bottled and sold (I’d be happy to design the label, pro bono, by the way), I try to practice Ms. Tharp’s advice:
I get to work.
I make pencil sketches. I do a photo search of key themes of the book to see what shows up. I set the title in a number of different fonts. I start piecing together random photos and title configurations to see if anything “clicks”. I move to a different project for a few minutes, hoping that it will stimulate the creative juices. I take a walk, breathing the fresh air and drinking in the beauty of creation. I brainstorm cover concepts with myself, jotting down any ideas that come to mind — good or bad. I ask someone else for their perspective. If possible, I change my work setting (a coffee-shop bustling with people or a quiet room with wide windows overlooking a lovely outdoor scenic can stir up emotions and ideas that an office can’t — and vice versa). I’ll even do petty things like change my computer’s desktop background (hey, it works for me).
The point is that I keep working, moving, thinking, and trying; persevering until I have something to show for it. It may take awhile, but it almost always proves effective in giving me something to work with.
I’ve heard it put this way: if you go fishing, you might not catch any fish. If you don’t go fishing, you definitely won’t catch any fish.
And so, along the lines of that last analogy, I offer this challenge and encouragement to myself and my fellow “creatives” in the publishing industry — designers, authors, illustrators, and the like: keep fishing, no matter how futile it may seem. There is much to be said — plenty of fish to be caught. Maybe all we need is to try some different bait.
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Riverrun Both Ways
August 20th, 2009 by Paul Hawley“From everyone who has been given much, much will be required.”
“Much is required from those to whom much is given.”
“Great gifts mean great responsibilities.”
Looks almost like an editing exercise, right? Actually, you’ll no doubt recognize part of Luke 12:48. Those three statements are a sampler of three basic translation approaches: formal equivalence (NASB), dynamic equivalence (NLT), and paraphrase (MSG).
To get to my own point, however, it’s three ways to phrase one golden rule when it comes to other people’s prose: As an editor, I’ve been given the opportunity to contribute, so I’d better do so with fitting respect and even fear.
Those of you who know my work will agree that (when it comes to editing, at least) I believe in overcommunication. I leave notes in the hope that every suggestion will make sense. I want my thinking to be plain to the writer. I try to anticipate questions, both from the writer and future readers, and touch up what is before me with their needs in mind.
I hope I approach every project not just as a piece of work to slog through but as an educational opportunity. I don’t say teaching opportunity because it nearly always amounts first to a learning opportunity for me. I resist the urge to explain, but there are times when a compact note is really a mini-lecture on some fine point. (The broader points I leave for an attached letter to the author.) Long note or short, the overcommunication urge works against brevity but drives me to get the most out of the fewest words.
The principle has a flip side, however, on which I think we rarely reflect. Risking immodesty, it amounts to my saying to the writer, “Now that I’ve given this back to you, bleeding red ink, with notes stuck all over it, bristling with questions, I’ve made your job a good bit harder right now.” To flip the point in my second paragraph: As a writer, I’ve been given a truckload of suggestions and feedback, so I need to consider it all carefully if I’m to improve this piece of writing.
And not just this piece of writing, I may hope. An author may have procured editorial services at a price and is entitled to expect quality input as a result. Beyond that transaction, my hope is that a writer will emerge from our interaction
• better able to anticipate questions and concerns raised by the piece,
• more sensitive to how ideas are organized through a paragraph or down a page,
• with a sharper eye for an unclear antecedent or loose modifier or possible double meaning,
• with more facility at varying sentence length and structure to manage pace,
• with a more sensitive touch on the point-of-view pedal for closing in and easing back from the details or characters of a narrative,
and so on.
In short: I am here to provide editorial services, but the way I see it, a key part of my job is to enable writers to better edit their own material and to understand and take the greatest advantage of what I do. If an author rises to the challenge, then the next time we work together, the writer will bring more to the process — and have a whole new level of work to do once my work is done.
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Why should Christians care about literature? Because each great work is part of the continuing story of human creativity and the search for truth and meaning. Behind the powerful words of novelists and poets, playwrights and essayists, we glimpse the image of God, the source of all creativity, truth, and meaning.
— , The Company of the Creative
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