The 3 Biggest Things You Can Do For Your Writing Craft

Have you ever read a piece of your writing that you wrote when you first started? Does it even sound like the way you write now? You've most likely improved your craft with each piece you've written. But why has that happened? And can you improve it more? Or maybe you're a newbie, and you want to improve your craft and get published. Wherever you are in your writing career, here are three things you can do to improve your writing craft.

1. Get Honest Feedback.
I really think this is the number one thing you can do. You can do this with a good critique group, trusted beta readers, or hiring a reputable editor. No matter how you accomplish it, you need honest feedback. You need to know what is working and what is not working in your novel, short stories, memoir, etc.

With this honest feedback, you can decide what resonates with you and what doesn't. But it's so true that we are not objective about our own writing. Some of us are harder on ourselves than readers would ever be--and that's still not objective. So find other writers or industry professionals whom you trust, give them your manuscript, and accept their honest feedback.

2. Study a Writer You Admire.
I say this to my novel students and editing clients all the time. It's so important to read what you're writing. If you're writing middle grade, then read middle grade. While you're reading these professional and well-loved authors, study the craft. How do they open the book? How much dialogue do they include? How do they handle internal thoughts? What about dialogue tags and description? Use a highlighter and take notes. You're not going to copy from these authors; you're learning!

Some writers say that they don't want to read in their genre for fear of copying; others say they don't have time. But even 20 minutes a day will help. Want a challenge to get yourself reading 20 minutes a day? I have one starting April 30 on my blog ,and it's free to join!

3. Allow Yourself to Dream. 
Your imagination and creativity are always active when you're writing, even if you're a non-fiction writer. But don't just dream about your manuscript. Dream about where you want your writing career to take you. Create a vision board. Write down your career goals. Daydream of giving your Pulitzer Prize acceptance speech. It's important to envision yourself having success while also being realistic about how much hard work it will take to get you to that success. But without the vision, you can feel discouraged at the amount of hard work and rejection that comes with writing. So...allow yourself to dream.

What about you? Do you have anything else to add to the list?

Margo L. Dill is a writer, editor, and teacher, living in St. Louis, MO. She teaches a novel course for WOW! each month, which includes 4 critiques of your work-in-progress. To check out more about her, go to http://www.margoldill.com. To check out her next class starting May 4, go to the WOW! classroom. 

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5 comments craft of writing, improve your writing, Margo L. Dill

Friday Speak Out!: Writing is Not Just About Putting Words on Paper

by R.A. Whitehorn 

When I started writing I thought it was all about putting words on paper. I have been to several writer’s conferences and I realize that getting the words on paper is only the first step. I have learned that you must write first, then you must edit… and edit… and edit.

When I joined the NaNoWriMo challenge for November I read advice that said to write without editing. I wrote for eleven days and finished my book. The editing phase has been different. I started by proofreading it. Then I sent it to my Mother to check for spelling and grammar errors. If you want someone to tell you how wonderful your book is, send it to your mother. She will make you think you can write well enough to write a book headed for the New York Times Best Seller List. Then you have to be realistic enough to send it to a beta reader that will bring you down to earth. My next reader is my cousin who has a PHD and teaches physics at a college level. He has colored my pages in red. He exposes my plot holes and helps me to see where things don’t make sense in the real world. This is where developing a tough skin is necessary. If I don’t learn from him then I am wasting my time asking for his help. Every time he sends a chapter back I close my eyes, take a deep breath and remind myself that his intent is to help me. Then I open the email and go to work fixing my problems with the chapter. Next it goes to my daughter who tells me to put more feeling into it. She helps me to remember to express on paper what I feel in my heart. Emotion is hard for me and I need the extra nudge she give me. When everyone is finished I will submit the book to my writing group for more edits.

Putting it on paper was the easy part. Letting everyone tear it apart has been a bit stressful. When I went to a writers conference this past fall I took an editing session. My brother offered to let the instructor use one of his poems for an editing exercise. I will never forget what the instructor said.

“You don’t really want me to tear the wings off of your little darling - do you?”

With that comment, I understood that editing was painful but necessary. I heard a conference instructor talk about putting in the work that is necessary to be a writer. His advice was simple: Learn the craft.

* * *

R.A. Whitehorn has written out of necessity for most of her adult life. She wrote three Bible Studies when she could not find the material she wanted to teach. Now she writes to keep her sanity. She wrote her first novel during 2014 NaNoWriMo. She has been married 40 years to a man who has been sweet enough to refrain from choking her to death as she went through menopause. When she is not writing she likes to crochet, knit and sing in the church choir.

Visit her website at rawhitehorn.com

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Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!

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3 comments beta readers, craft of writing, editing, editorial feedback, Friday Speak Out, R.A. Whitehorn

Clear the Clutter

Our cluttered refrigerator door.
Photo | Elizabeth K Humphrey

Clutter. Many of us have it. One area of clutter in my house is the refrigerator door. (Yes, to the left.)

Clutter can also appear in our writing.

This week, while editing a couple pieces of writing, I ran across clutter in sentences that made me think of my kids' refrigerator art. The work is all on display and we keep adding to it--proud of all the work and believing that it all needs to be displayed.

One sentence I ran across was something like this:

She walked quickly to a closet full of clothes and pulled a T-shirt from a shelf and a skirt from a wire hanger and dressed slowly then sat in the middle of the couch, laughing.

Clutter!

If I'm in the middle of a story, I want to see action. Isn't this action? There is movement--she's getting dressed, right? Isn't that enough? Well, I don't know about you, but I don't want to wade through all that action to get to the important action of the character's laughter.

Why do we need to work through a long sentence of walking, pulling, dressing, sitting, and laughing?

Often writers sense that the reader needs to "see" all the actions. Just like a parent needs to see all the art on the refrigerator. But when you try to show everything, you cover or avoid other elements that might be important.

Here are some tips to attack the clutter in your work:

• Trim excess in your sentences: If you are in love with some of the work, tuck it away for later.
• Determine what actions are essential to the plot: Is the action moving the story forward or is it treading water and not moving?
• Read your work aloud: When you hear your story out loud, it helps you catch clutter in your sentences. You hear what is working and what's not.
• Review how you tell a story to a friend: Which details do you include, which ones do you exclude? (Is the wire hanger really an essential element in the story?)

I'm spending the weekend clearing out some clutter. How about you?

Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor living in North Carolina. She plans some spring cleaning this weekend, at her keyboard and not in her closet or, ahem, her refrigerator door.

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7 comments clutter, craft of writing, editing, Elizabeth King Humphrey

Influential Teachers

An article in The Writer's Chronicle got me thinking about
a teacher. Credit: Elizabeth King Humphrey

Were you born a creative writer or were you taught to be a creative writer? I picked up a copy of the September issue of The Writer’s Chronicle, a publication for the Association of Writers & Writing Programs. It’s a publication I read often when I was getting my MFA in creative writing. One article immediately drew my attention: “Borges as Self: Toward Teaching Creative Writers” by Eric LeMay.

There is a line in the article, which I will paraphrase, that poses the question about whether creative writing can be taught or can students be taught to be creative writers. The article discusses various programs and what they may offer writers.

But when I read that, I didn’t look back on my master’s program. I didn’t reflect on an undergraduate poetry class with Kenneth Koch or a graduate workshop with Denise Gess (both incredibly passionate writers). I immediately thought of my high school English teachers.

And one in particular: Marilyn Griggs Riley.

To my knowledge (okay, to my memory!), she didn’t teach me anything about creative writing. I don’t remember the whys and wherefores of points of view or how to create suspense in a novel.

But Marilyn taught me a lot. She taught me about a love of writing. She opened a world of writing that I had never seen before—she wrote the introduction for poetry collections and, later in life, penned a collection of profiles of spunky Western women. Areas for writing that I hadn't considered before. Her enthusiasm didn’t teach me the craft of writing. Her Carol Channing hairstyle didn’t convince me to become a writer (or even influence my style choices).

Her enthusiasm helped me to discover writers I wanted to identify with—and could. Her passion and laughter and encouragement helped me to feel that writing—and being a writer—is an important skill/job/vocation/life.

We kept in touch even after I graduated and she remained a wonderful cheerleader and a fantastic teacher.

In my mind, writers can be taught. Writers can even be taught to be creative writers. But passion is a lot harder to come by. But when you have a teacher who is passionate and believes in you, you can become anything you want to be.

Including a writer.

I enjoyed LeMay's article because he made me think about those personal connections with teachers and their many influences throughout the years.

Do you have a teacher who helped move you to become a writer? Is there someone whose passion set you on the writerly path? Who was he or she?

Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor living in Wilmington, NC. Her kids just started back at school, so she is excited for a bit more free writing time. (Ha!)

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2 comments craft of writing, creative writing, Elizabeth King Humphrey, influences, teacher

Reviewing the Building Blocks of Writing

Some of my favorite building blocks for reviewing building
blocks: Style, the guide to punctuation, The Chicago Manual
of Style, Words into Type, and Garner's Modern American Usage

Among the other crazy things I’m planning for this June, I am taking a class on emerging technologies. I'm learning some basic coding--a heavy dose of HTML and a dollop of CSS. While I am starting to "get" looking at basic HTML coding and noting where a bracket or two is missing, I haven't quite learned the language fluently. But I’m able to recognize if there might be a missing piece.

At the same time, I'm designing a self-editing class and looking at elements I want to include in the course. Based on my HTML course, I think I’ve determined that returning to a review of our building blocks may be essential.

In my own writing, I will sometimes take shortcuts. And my grammar will suffer. (It’s like I’ve forgotten that I have a base for my language!)

When you write, you probably have fluidity because you use your (native) language skills in so many ways throughout any given day. But what happens if you are learning a new language for the first time or reviewing a foreign language you knew in high school? You return to the building blocks of the language and review what each means and, generally, review how the blocks fit together.

When you are editing your own work, do you slow down and really look that each sentence has a subject? What about an object? If you slow down to really look at your use of language--whether it's English, HTML or French—you should look at how each element of the sentence works to bring out the meaning you intended. Look at the building blocks to make sure they are there.

Often, as native speakers, we figure we’ve learned enough language skills and any mention of grammar makes our palms sweat. There are so many moving pieces to keep in mind. But I would encourage that every once in a while, you take a good look at the building blocks of language. Even a quick glance at an editing or grammar book can give your writing a boost. You might even learn a thing or two to improve your writing. Right now, I’m enjoying The Mentor Guide to Punctuation, which I picked up at a book sale. It helps me relax from learning HTML.

Do you have a favorite grammar book that you dip into regularly? What is one grammar problem you know you make, but do it anyway? What would you like to see in an editing class to help you improve your own writing?

Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor. She lives in North Carolina and frequently pulls out her blocks to play.

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2 comments building your reference library, craft of writing, editing, Elizabeth King Humphrey, grammar, Self-editing

Fright Factors: Regenerate Decrepit Imagery

There was a summer storm brewing last night. Although the rain never came the thunderheads gathered across the sunset turning the sky an ominous shade of orange. Visibility was low and as I gazed across the street I thought of sinister plots and London fog. Why is it, I thought, that so many writers still use fog to build atmosphere? Surely creepy things can happen in dust storms as well. An apt conversation as this is the time to be writing Halloween tales.

Part of the charm of the Halloween tale is the nostalgia, a traditional telling of a tale set in autumn. But tradition can border on boredom if we refuse to see it through new eyes and refresh the imagery. The dark and stormy night with the dilapidated old mansion in a heavily wooded middle-of-nowhere place doesn’t reflect our current day experience. What about that creepy foreclosure at the end of the street though? You know, the one that keeps changing hands—people move in, people move out—they’re gone before you can make an introduction.

What are some of the elements we usually use to build a frightening tale? We touched on a couple, abandoned houses and, of course, the fog. What are some other images that might be over used? What can we substitute for them?

A fun exercise is to take your favorite traditional tale and re-work it. What substitutions can you make to bring this tale into modern times? Can you change the elements around so that the story takes place in a different part of the country without loosing the fright factor?

As my mother once told me, “There is nothing there in the dark that wasn’t there when the lights were on.” Which leads me to my next question… what is that standing next to you?

photos and text by Robyn Chausse

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2 comments children's fiction, craft of writing, Fright Factors: Regenerate Decrepit Imagery, halloween, horror writing tips, imagery, Robyn Chausse, writing exercise

Write Your Book in Five Days: The Tom Bird Method

Besides being the author of 21 books, best-selling author Tom Bird has devoted himself to delivering the method he designed, which has led to his success, to as many aspiring authors as possible. A combination literary midwife and book whisperer, Tom says that what he shares transforms aspiring writers into published authors. Recently, he has become best known as the architect of his "Write Your Book in 5 Days Retreat" and his "Publish Now" program, which takes an author from finished manuscript to published and internationally distributed book in as little as three days.

WOW: Tom, your programs sound amazing! Tell us about your writing retreat, "Write Your Book in 5 Days." If a writer signs up for one of these retreats, what can she expect?

TOM: In my "Write Your Book in 5 Days Retreat," the results are multifaceted. Here's what an attendee can expect to receive.

1) To have any type or sort of writers' block, which may be inhabiting their efforts--even in the slightest way, cleared immediately. Not only will any writers' block be cleared, but also they will be offered basic, proven skills to make sure they never get it again, or if they do, how to immediately rid themselves of it on their own.

2) Each attendee is schooled in how to self induce, at any time, her own access to the deepest level of her creativity and literary voice.

3) If she follows the methods which are shared, each attendee walks away with a completed manuscript at the end of the five days and with a complete understanding of how to reproduce the same exact experience at home on her own.

4) Each attendee will have literary agents interested in representing her book by no later than a few days after the retreat. In fact, during one retreat last October, those in attendance had over 1500 offers (cumulatively) from literary agents, who sought to potentially represent their first books.

WOW: Sounds great--what a method! But, is it really possible to write a book that quickly? How many words are these books, and do retreat members do research work before they arrive?

TOM: In each retreat, everyone walks in with that same exact question in their minds, and everyone leaves with a completed manuscript. The average length of the books written at the retreat are 60,000 words.

WOW: Thanks for the details. You also have a stay-at-home retreat option. Who is this a good option for and how does it work?

TOM: The stay-at-home retreat offers the same exact results as the "Write Your Book in 5 Days" retreat. The big difference is that the attendee is asked to write 2 to 3 hours a day over the course of a month as opposed to the 45 hours spread out over the 5 days.

WOW: Two to three hours a day definitely sounds doable--your retreat is giving writers some discipline! Finding an agent is another task many writers face and want to run away screaming. How do you help your authors with this task? Do you offer classes on finding an agent?

TOM: Finding an agent is not nearly as difficult as so many writers make it out to be. In fact, over the last 25 years, my authors, whom I work with, have over 20 literary agents interested in representing their work within a few weeks. To achieve this level of success, you first have to write a dynamic query letter, which very few people know how to do. Obviously, I recommend using my system for doing so, since it is far and away the one I have seen garner the most success.

Then, after the query letter, it is important to submit it to as many agents as possible. The more agents, who are then interested, the more "market value" you have in their eyes and the better job they obviously do in representing your work. Without some sort of "market value," most writers are doomed to failure.

I do offer online classes on getting published and submitting query letters. To get more information on my next upcoming classes, authors can either check out my website, www.TomBird.com, or e-mail me at TomBird (at) TomBird.com. (Replace the at with @.)

The most dramatic way that I help authors secure the agent of their dreams, though, is through my "Selective Guide to Literary Agents Database," which offers access to the top agents in the world at a click of their mouse. It is updated weekly to keep it void of the frauds that so litter this arena, and it has over 2,200 agents listed on it. If someone is interested in knowing more about it, I would suggest that they visit my website and take a tour of it through the 6-minute introductory video. At present, a year subscription to the guide is $289.00. There are cheaper, much less effective ways to go about getting an agent; but if getting published by a big name, conventional publisher is your goal, then you can't afford to go with anything less than what my database has to offer.

WOW: The database sounds awesome and like a wonderful product for writers. I hear the question all the time: "How do I even know which agent to submit to?" So, there's definitely a need for an agent database. Some of your classes are free. What type of free classes do you offer? What's the format for these classes?

TOM: I offer a wide array of free Internet classes. I suggest that anyone who may be interested in attending them either check out my website for a listing of them on a consistent basis, or better yet, subscribe to my mailing list to get up-to-date notices of what classes I will be offering and when.

WOW: Thanks for all the information about your classes and what you have to offer writers. Please tell us about your latest book, The Call of the Writer's Craft. Who will this book help, and what will it help writers do?

TOM: My latest book, which sells for only $12.95, is for anyone who wants to write or publish for any reason or for anyone who is considering joining one of my retreats. It is the ultimate book on The Tom Bird Method for both writing and publishing and should be read by anyone who seeks to succeed as a published author.

WOW: Tom, thank you so much for sharing this information with us today. Here's to much writing success for all!

interview conducted by Margo L. Dill, http://margodill.com/blog/

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Leave a Comment advice for writers, craft of writing, finding a literary agent, Margo L. Dill, Tom Bird Method

The WOW Story—Where Should a Writer Start?

The WOW story, novel, blog or article takes preparation in the form of research, investigation and on-hands knowledge. Writing is hard work but writing that very special bit of prose is excruciating. The writer needs to draw deep within and string words together perfectly in order to come up with the WOW story.

An excerpt from Donald Maass' book WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL tells us: "A truly big book is a perfect blend of inspired premise, larger-than-life characters, high-stakes story, deeply felt themes, vivid setting and much more."  Big equals popularity and success.  

Where should a writer start?

1.     Answer the question why does this story, novel, blog or article need written. 

·        To persuade

·        To inform

·        To explain

·        To entertain

·        To Share

2.     Answer the question what style to use.

·        Witty

·        Bold

·        Serious

·        Warm

·        Business

·        Combination of one or more

3.     Answer the question where will this be read or in what context.

·        Online

·        Snuggled in bed

·        Book Club

·        In a doctor's office

4.     Answer the question who will read the material.

·        Man, woman or child

·        Age bracket

·        Specific target group

·        Public

5.     Answer the question when will this story, novel, blog or article go public.

·        Right away

·        Time sensitive

·        Relative forever

6.     Answer the question how to add interest, fun, joy or deep emotion.  Try these exercises:

Describe a room so messy that the occupant has disappeared into the mess. What’s cluttering the room in detail and tell about the room’s owner and how he or she got into this predicament. Tell what happens to the room’s occupant over time. Does he or she ever get out?

Chose a color, go for a walk and then write about everything you see on the walk that is that color, or everything that reminds you of that color. This is a great early morning exercise for the body and mind.

When writing the WOW story start with the above questions and then add more layers. 


It is said, "Write what you love." I say, "Write what you love to research." Research is a key element in writing. Even if the subject is familiar, research will reveal different aspects or facets to add to the prose.  

Sources: 

Donald Maass, Writing the Breakout Novel

Cher'ley Grogg, quote, "Write what you love to research."

Exercises adapted from Edu Guide

Girl Reading Photo by Anna Theodora http://www.flickr.com/photos/annatheodora/2775643078/
Frog Photo by Doug 8888 *http://www.flickr.com/photos/doug88888/4581541909/
Yellow Toadstool photo by Cher'ley Grogg

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5 comments 'Quotes on Writing', Answers, Cher'ley Grogg, craft of writing, Donald Maass, exercise of mind and body, how, know what you write, questions, when, where, who

Can Plagiarism Be Creative?

The same week I read about a German author who is defending her plagiarism, J.K. Rowling is being mentioned in another case of an author who believes Rowling heavily borrowed from his books.
In the instance of the first case of plagiarism, the author Helene Hegemann believes that her use of another's author's work is an art form. According to the Salon article I read, Hegemann reportedly told a German newspaper: "I myself don't feel it is stealing, because I put all the material into a completely different and unique context and from the outset consistently promoted the fact that none of that is actually by me." However, as Laura Miller points out on Salon, Hegemann did not give the author of credit for the passages taken from "Strobo."
Please note that I have no first-hand knowledge of either case of alleged plagiarism, but I am interested in how reading someone else's work can or might influence my own work--maybe even creeping into my writing?
Many writers state that by reading the masters, they improved their own writing. When studying the greats, often a professor will suggest copying the words of the master to learn the cadences, word choices, and rhythms. I'm sure my novel writing career would do much better if I were to borrow heavily from the greats. I also understood that as civilization has moved along, we build on the shoulders of those who came before us. Some even argue that there are no original stories, just a re-hash of stories that have come before.
But sometimes, that line blurs. I have taught college students whose academic careers could be destroyed due to one instance of plagiarism and yet the students seem unsure what constitutes plagiarism--and why it would be such a big deal.
I think that as an exercise and to understand the world it is vitally important to be aware of the work of those who have come before. From the standpoint of creativity and our own interaction with creativity, I'm not sure that plagiarism is the best method of rising to the occasion and meeting our muse. Or is it?

Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and creativity coach. Besides contributing to AOL's ParentDish, she blogs at The Write Elizabeth, delving into creativity in everyday places.

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6 comments craft of writing, creative writing, Elizabeth King Humphrey, plagiarism

As a writer, what battles are you fighting?

"The picture that looks as if it were done without an effort may have been a perfect battlefield in its making." Robert Henri from The Art Spirit

This quotation comes at an excellent time for me. I've just witnessed a plasterer put the final touches on a couple large holes in our home's 1916 walls. Almost 10 years of living in this home, we've been working on many remodeling projects and the plastering helps to move us to complete one of the last big ones.

Except we asked the plasterer to finish his work rough. It was difficult, he told me, because he was accustomed to make everything "smooth as glass." But our walls are the old, rough plaster. Make them smooth and they will look out of place to the rest of our home. We were asking the plasterer to do something he was unaccustomed to doing, but a technique he knew how to do because of his experience. Smooth or rough, the end result hides the cracks and the "battlefield" beneath it.

Do you ever read someone's work and wonder about how many drafts it took to get to the rough or smooth finish the author was after? Do you ever wonder what "battles" needed to be fought in order to achieve the effortless read you enjoyed? Then look to your own work. What are you fighting when you fight the "battles"? Are you able to achieve the desired, perhaps, effortless results--rough or smooth? Or is the battle still being fought among the words as you try to finish your work?

Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and creativity coach. Besides contributing to AOL's ParentDish, she blogs at The Write Elizabeth, delving into creativity in everyday places. After writing this blog, Elizabeth plans to stare at the walls to watch the paint and plaster dry. Literally.

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3 comments craft of writing, Elizabeth King Humphrey, the process