Try Something New
Topic: Try Something New
We are always willing to try a new recipe. Why shouldn't we do the same with our writing? Many recipes teach a method. Ingredients can be interchanged and substituted to create many different, wonderful dishes. The same applies to our words. If you're a bit intimidated by trying something totally different, try the substitution bit.

I suppose what we would do in the substitution method is stick to our usual format and select a subject or topic that is foreign to us. Maybe we've never done a humorous piece or a romantic poem. Humorous romance sounds like it might be fun! Seriously though, try something different.

Maybe we've always written free verse. It might be time to try another type. Can we create a concrete image out of what we've written? Would a tanka or haiku be better suited to our mood today? How about taking something you've already written and paring it down into a haiku or tanka? Doesn't that sound like fun? This is a great exercise in discipline.

Whatever you attempt, please make it a serious effort. You might find that you've got a real knack for such things. I like to think that I have a knack for writing articles. Whether that is really true remains to be seen. I should try submitting an article somewhere. This is just one more thing to add to my "to do" list.

I realize that much of the stuff I write in this blog becomes repetitive. Most of it is stuff we don't evern consciously think of most of the time when we write. I am simply trying to raise an awareness for everything that goes on when creating a written page. The more aware we become of these items, the more natural it is to incorporate them into use. At least, I hope that is true.

For instance, how much attention do we give to transition. Transitional clauses help us to shift our focus from one issue to another or one place to another. They help to keep our readers moving forward in a smooth motion. We can't effective jump around from one thing to another without providing some kind of transition. Please overlook the fact that this is exactly what I have just done. Any way, the more we are aware of these items, the more effective we become is using them. Also, knowing why we use them helps a great deal. Knowing gives a reason to our madness.

So, try something new. Pay attention to how all the pieces fit together.

You Never Know
Topic: You Never Know
Each week I receive a column via email. The column is written by a woman with MS. This woman is known as a humor columnist. I?m not sure the title is entirely appropriate, but for lack of a better title, this is what she is. The article is generally written one month previous and is emailed when it appears in her local newspaper. A selected group receives the column by email. It is also posted on a web page on the internet.

I stumbled upon this column quite strangely. I was researching missing persons for our high school reunion database and received an anonymous email with a link to the web page. I started reading about this woman. I don?t remember her from high school, but the column has become my weekly conversation with her. She?s two days younger than I and she totally amazes me.

The columns are little glimpses into her life. She talks about her pets, her aide, her husband, and sunshine. She loves the sunshine. Her strength and optimism are astounding. She no longer has the strength in her voice to use the voice-to-text function of her computer, so she dictates her column and someone types it for her. She?s very vocal about handicap parking and wheelchair access as well.

She wrote once about having to replace the small appliances in her kitchen. These appliances were dear to her because they had apple appliques on them. After purchasing new appliances and exiting the store, she remembered the appliques and immediately turned back into Wal Mart to find some. It was a lost cause. There were none to be found.

I happened across some apple stickers in the dollar store one day. I remembered her story and bought a couple of packs to send her. She dutifully applied them to all of her appliances when she received them and her kitchen was back to normal.

Another time, she wrote about hooded sweatshirts with attached mittens. She couldn?t find them any where. She had searched high and low on the internet for them. The sister of the man who originally made these sweatshirts showed up at her door one day with several samples for her.

When she wrote about a magazine that she and her husband were starting, I subscribed. I also reviewed the magazine for a newsletter I was writing at a time. The second year of my subscription is almost over, but I will renew again. This magazine even published one of the poems I submitted. One feature that I missed in the last issue was a submission from my friend. All other issues contained something by her. The last one didn?t. I missed it.

I would feel the same way if the email suddenly stopped. I would miss it terribly. The email tells me that she?s doing alright. I have to remember to account for the fact that the article was written a month earlier. Awhile back, the web site hadn?t been updated for a few weeks. I emailed her to make sure everything was okay. It turned out that the friend who updates the web page had fallen behind. Ever since then, I?ve been on the email list.

I suppose the whole point of this post is that our writing can affect people in ways that we cannot possibly imagine. This gives us one more reason to write and write well.

Spoken Versus Written Words
Topic: Spoken vs Written
When we write, we do not have the audio or visual cues that are available when we speak. We don?t have tone, inflection, body language, volume, or emotion. We can?t cover our blunders with ?forget I said that? because the words will continue to stare at us from the written page. We have a responsibility to convey our message and all of the audio and visual cues that go with the message. We only have to write it.

We do this by the actual words we use, in how we use those words and also in how we punctuate those words. We use colorful language, spelled correctly. We use description, narration, explanation, and any other tools we have. We do it carefully and we do it correctly. We proofread our work and evaluate it ourselves. Then we move forward and find our readers.

Many of us stumble or blunder some when speaking. Those blunders are more obvious when writing. We have to watch our spelling, grammar, and punctuation. When we speak, no one knows whether we can spell the words we utter. It doesn?t matter. When we write, it matters very much. Grammar is a totally different story. We speak a certain way because that?s how we are. When we write, however, who we are isn?t important to the reader unless it is an autobiographical work. The message is what?s important. Grammar becomes important for this reason. Punctuation provides additional assistance in our expression. It can help to show excitement, pauses, etc.

How the words flow on the page will determine whether the reader will keep pouring through those words. If he stumbles, it interrupts the flow. Each time he stops to consider our errors, it is one more opportunity for him to abandon our work. It is not up to the reader to determine whether we used a word correctly. It is not up to the reader to find the errors in our grammar. It is up to us, the writers. The better our flow is, the better chance we have to make it all the way through.

Misspelled words, incorrectly used words, grammar and punctuation are all things that cause our flow to be interrupted. They cause our reader to stumble. We want our work to be a pleasurable experience that imparts a message. If our reader becomes battered and bruised when attempting to read our words, we have not succeeded.

To summarize: Presentation matters.

Don't Lose the Message
Topic: Don't Lose Message
Our first priority is the message. There is a reason we take the time to write. There is a message we want to convey, whatever that message may be. We need to get this message to our audience. If our reader never finishes reading what we have written, we have failed to deliver our message. We need to give them enough to keep them interested but not enough to overwhelm or bore them. We need to keep them reading until the end. And, we need to have them understand what we say. Failure anywhere along the way and we may as well not have bothered to write in the first place.

We want to do more than say "the room is red." We just don't need to spend three pages on it. By then, our reader no longer cares that the room is red. He won't even care why he needs to know that the room is red. In poetry, especially, we don't have the luxury of wasting needless words on equally needless descriptions. While "the room is red" is a little too Dick and Jane even for me, "the room was the color of hell and being in it warmed me uncomfortably" is sufficient. This example is far more interesting than the "room is red" but doesn't go overboard.

Several principles we've discussed previously come to mind:
KISS - Keep It Simple, Sweetheart. Don't bury the message in unnecessary information. The room is red is much less important than the character is blind. Give the proper weight to the details.
Have a Plan - have a pretty good idea of what you're going to write before you start. The plan can and will change as we go along, but we must have an idea of the direction in which we are heading.
Who, What, How - understand the message and the audience. The hardest part is keeping the audience interested long enough to get the message.

Poetry in generally is shorter. It is succinct. We want to choose our words very carefully. If succinct isn't working for us, perhaps an essay would be a better fit. Always, though, keep the message, plan, and audience in mind. If we lose sight of any of these, we've lost everything.

When writing poetry, one possible objective is to make the reader think. However, any images presented should come easily. They should fit within the context of the rest of the poem and not be overwhelming. The same for descriptive phrases. Part of the wonder of poetry is being able to describe something without using a whole bunch of extraneous words. If it gets overwhelming, you'll lose the reader.

That's the last thing we want to do.

Back to Basics
Topic: Back to Basics
Remember those very simple questions of who, what, where, when, how, and why? These become two-dimensional when dealing with writing. We have one dimension of the author and another dimension of the writing.

The Author
Who
Well, that would be you, the author.

What
What are we writing today? Will it be a story, a poem, or a song?

Where
Where will we write? Will we write at home, at work, in the library?

When
When will we write? Now sounds good.

How
Will we write longhand or use a computer? Maybe crayons would be more in keeping with out mood.

Why
This is probably the most important question we need to answer. Why are we writing. Words can be used for a variety of reasons. We can express something, explain something, create something, or whatever else suits us at the moment. Knowing why helps us to answer all the other questions.

These are very basic questions and using don't even require acknowledgement, but they actually do need answers every time we write.

The Writing
Who
Who are our characters? Who is telling the story? Why is the story inteded for, our audience?

What
What happens in the writing? If this is a poem, what are we writing about? What is the outcome? What do we hope to achieve?

Where
Where does the story take place? This can be very broad or more definitive. Is it in another country? Is it in a dark room?

When
When does our story take place? This could get really interesting. Is the story in the past? Does it take place in the future? We could even base our story in the present.

How
How will we get our message across? Will we present the message straight out or will we use other means such as imagery or inneundo? Will it be a serious piece or will there be humor involved?

Why
Why does this message need to be delivered? Someone needs to care in order for our writing to be worthwhile.

I haven't decided which of these questions is most important to the writing. In order to be successfull, all of them need to be carefully considered. It sounds rather dumb to use such small words to evaluate our writing, but I think they are valid issues.

What do you think?

Why Bother?
Topic: Why Bother?
Why bother? That's a very good question. We bother because we hope someone will "get it." We bother because we hope someone will understand. We bother because we hope our words will affect someone. Write your heart out!

What happens when we get a bad review of our work? Get up and walk away! Don't hit the delete key; don't reach out and slap at the computer; don't blow up; and certainly, don't reply, not yet. Just take a deep breath and get up and walk away. Once the initial reaction is over, come back and deal with the bad review.

Most online boards try to foster an atmosphere of encouragement. Some people never seem to get the hang of that. Some people never learn tact. Both of these are critical when reviewing the work of others. When we review another's work, try to find something positive to say. Try some of these:

I see that you've been revising this piece. I like what you've done so far, but maybe just a little bit more. I see...

I like the idea behind this poem, but I have a problem with....

The opening to this is wonderful as is the ending. The middle, however, might work better if...

Each of these comments starts out with something positive even when we have something not-so-positive to say. Each one of these tempers the initial reaction to lash out. Hopefully, each of these will have the writer evaluating the ideas presented.

Now, back to the bad review. Is there anything in the review worthwhile? Can we ignore the lack of tact and lack of people skills in order to gain something from the comment? While you consider the review, also remember why you bothered to write the item in question in the first place. If you can respond rationally to the review, then do it. Otherwise, wait for another day.

Remember, too, this is the opinion of one person and not necessarily the opinion of anyone else. If the suggestion doesn't make sense, or even if it does, it is your work and you don't have to follow the advice. You might make a comment as to why you won't follow the advice just to show that you considered it. Don't, and I mean don't, stoop to their level.

Some people just never get the fact that there are feelings attached to works of art. Some people don't play well with others. Let's try not to be one of those people.

Finding a Starting Point
Topic: Starting Point
When writing short stories we need to find a good starting point. This starting point needs to grab the readers attention as well as keep us within a reasonable length. One editor advised me to start with the pickle. In a way, this makes sense.

What is the conflict or predicament that our character finds himself in? Does it really matter how he got to that point? How our subject gets to the problem isn't as relevant as the problem itself. In a novel or longer work, this makes great introductory material. In a short story, it doesn't matter much.

We can, of course, cover some of this information in the telling of the pickle. More importantly, though, is how our character deals with the pickle and what he does to overcome the problem. Other details should be used to add interest to the piece and provide transition. Adding too much will make our story drag.

One major objective in a short story, is to keep the reader interested until the end. Grab the reader immediately with a predicament and move him with you through the solution. I realize this is somewhat vague, but hopefully it will help you decide where to start.

One editor told me to take my story and re-write it with the ending first. I never did. If I follow the advice above, maybe I should.

Getting into the Habit
Topic: Getting into the Habit
We need to get into the habit of writing. This blog has become my habit. I set aside time every day to write something. Hopefully, what I write helps me and those who read it.

If we can set aside the same time every day to write, this is even better! Maybe we have an hour after the kids are in bed to ourselves. Maybe there's a half hour in the morning before we need to leave for work. It doesn't matter when it is, just "schedule" that time for writing.

This allows us to prepare for the writing session. We mentally run through ideas for that next session with pen and paper or in front of the computer. Maybe you can even use the time you spend in the shower to think specifically about our writing. It doesn't matter as long as we do it. Think. Write.

Of course, life never works out the way we plan. One of the kids will be sick and won't stay in bed or we oversleep. It happens. This is your writing and your schedule. It is flexible. Maybe the best we can do today is jot down a few notes to consider tomorrow. That's okay.

I just think that if we plan to write every day (see that word popping up again? plan), we are more likely to do so. If we have something of a schedule, we are more prepared to use that time well. Remember, we won't be writing earth-shattering pieces every time we write, but if we're serious about writing, make it part of our everyday lives.

Finding the Best Fit
Topic: Best Fit
Don't think that just because one editor rejects your work that it isn't worthwhile. Even if two editors reject your work. It may just be that your work doesn't "fit" that particular publication. Check previous issues of the publication to see if there is a possible match. Another publication and editor might be a match made in heaven! Never give up.

Even when an editor accepts your work once, there's no guarantee that he will accept each and every piece you submit. If, however, the editor takes the time to tell you what he thinks is wrong with your work, give his comments serious consideration.

When our daily audience tends to be friends and family, critique may be tempered with loyalty. An impartial third party may see things that someone else overlooked. Revised and send it in again. Tell the editor that you have reviewed his comments and made adjustments. Would he be good enough to look at your work again? Why not.

There are many possibilities out there. Scan the internet for publications. Many of the print publications will publish sample issues online. Many ezines publish work on a regular basis as well. Read some of the published issues. Some publications offer to send you a past issue for a nominal fee. It might be worth your while.

Make sure that you read the submissions guidelines. Some publications only want specific types of work. Some work on a theme basis. Many editors prefer work to be emailed; others will accept nothing short of snail mail. Follow the guidelines for the publication you select.

One final thought, you won't be published if you don't submit.

The Audience and The Tools
Topic: Audience and Tools
So, we can find inspiration a number of ways and this gets us started. We need to know where to go once we have the inspiration. We've talked about having a plan, starting small, and keeping it simple. As long as we write, we're okay. Who are we writing for?

Many writers claim they write for themselves. I'm not sure if this is egotism or inexperience that makes these words spew forth. If we were only writing for ourselves, why preserve the words? Don't we really want others to read our work and get something from the magic we have spelled out?

Defining our audience might be one of the hardest building blocks to learn. If, for instance, we declare that our work is meant for the general population, we must strive to keep the language consistent with the audience. If our audience is more technical, then our language can change accordingly.

When we express opinions in our work, are we doing it so that the least number of people will be offended? Or, do we not care? If we don't care, we can almost guarantee that many of our readers won't give us a second chance. Be careful with your words.

Now would be a good time to remind you to use the tools available to you. Use a good word processor with a spellcheck. Remember, though, that there is no substitute for proofreading. Be careful here though, since you know what you are saying you might not actually "see" what you wrote. A spell check program won't tell you that you've used you instead of your or pubic instead of public. All four are legitimate words.

Don't be afraid to use a dictionary and thesaurus. They can do wonders to help us clarify our writing. Run your work through a grammar check as well. The grammar check normally has settings for reading level; you can set this in accordance with your audience.

The most important thing in writing is to actually write. Once we gat passed that point, there are many things to keep in mind. Your audience and your tools are just the beginning.