  Noticing Newbies
This week: Edited by: Cubby  
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 Welcome to the Noticing Newbies Newsletter! Our goal is to showcase some of our newest Writing.Com Authors and their items. From poetry and stories to creative polls and interactives, we'll bring you a wide variety of items to enjoy. We will also feature "how to" advice and items that will help to jump start the creation process on Writing.com.
We hope all members of the site will take the time to read, rate, review and welcome our new authors. By introducing ourselves, reviewing items and reaching out, we will not only make them feel at home within our community, we just might make new friends!
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Quote
A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author.
~ G. K. Chesterton
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New or Not: Tips to Consider
Whether you are new to writing or not, there are several tips to consider while in the process of creating your story, poem, article, novel, or whatever else you might be writing. And whether you are a newbie or not, this applies to anyone who is serious about writing. It's important to be creative and allow those juices to flow, but when it comes down to sending a manuscript out, you've got to make sure your writing is in its best form.
Point of View
 Decide which POV is best suited for the piece you are working on: I, s/he, oryou
Dialogue
If you are using dialogue, double-check your tags. Are there too many He said, She saids? Try to make your dialogue real. Forced or choppy words will feel awkward to the reader. Read it aloud to hear how it sounds.
Tense
If you are writing is past tense, make sure you stick to past tense. It's not uncommon to mistakenly jump over to another tense without realizing it. Whatever tense, past or present, stay tuned in to those verbs so you don't slip from one to another.
Unnecessary Words
This is common, especially in the first stages of your piece. Read through your manuscript and note every that, very, so, then, but, just, even or other similar 'filler' words. Think about if they are needed or not. If you can do without them, your writing will sound more professional.
Repetitious Words
Sometimes it can't be helped to repeat certain words. Other times it can. Watch out for using the same word in the same sentence or too many times in the same paragraph. While a thesauras is a great tool, be careful not to overuse it. Sometimes rewording a sentence works best.
Sentence Length
Be wary of run-on sentences. You don't want your reader to have to reread a sentence over and over to fully understand it.
Punctuation
It's important to understand punctuation use. Are you using too many commas? Not enough? Do you know the difference between a colon and semi-colon? Are your quotations properly placed? Should you use an exclaimation point when a character yells? Punctuation shows your reader where to stop, pause, and many other things. Be sure you are relaying the right signal.
Don't Rely on Spellcheck
While Spellcheck is a wonderful resource, don't depend on it totally. It will pick up misspelled words, but it's not your English teacher! If you mistakenly misspell a word but the word is actually spelled correctly as another word, spellcheck will not pick it up. Common words to check for are hear/here, to/too, you/your and other similar typos.
Proofread
Your story is finished and you are excited! You want to send it right out to a publisher. STOP! Never send anything out before proofreading it. After you have proofread it at least three or four times, set it aside for a day or two. It's amazing what might stand out to you after a little time passes by. I can't tell you how many times I've discovered the silliest typo by rereading days later. In your mind, you know what you have written. It's easy to read what you think is there.
These are basic tips to consider and should help you polish up your writing. New or not, serious writers must be picky when it comes right down to it.
Have a wonderful week!!!
Keep on Writing!
Yours truly,
Cubby ") |
~ Got questions? Look for answers here... ~
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And Now For Our Featured Newbies!
Excerpt: "Do it." Sam replied, and he meant it. But the man hesitated, as they all did, and Sam's fist whipped up and clenched around the wood. It cracked under his grip, then sprinkled into sawdust. The man gulped and took a few steps back.
Excerpt: Welcome to theMoonlight Mansion where everything horror is celebrated everyday through contests, promotions, awards, critiques, and novel groups!
Excerpt:
“Hallowed be thy name…”
My eyes dart, looking for the source of heavy breathing. Rapping, tapping, scratching, draws my attention back to the window.
SUBMITTED ITEMS
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bronxbishop I remember my first few months on WDC. What a wonderful time of discovery. There are so many helpful and humble writers on this site. I hope that, over the years, I have given something in return. Paying it forward is a very rewarding experience. Great newsletter! "Invalid Item" by bronxbishop
~ Thank you for submitting these helpful sites! 
~ A Few More Places to Check Out... ~
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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FEEDBACK
NickiD89  Great information, Cubby! Staying organized is a must, and your submission organization tips have given me excellent direction as I gear up for the next phase of my personal writing journey. Also, hearing you've gotten eighty submissions out to publishers in a year inspires me more than you know! Thanks for sharing!
~ My pleasure!
Belinda_HauntedMo  Thank you for using my short story "Edge of Reality" in the newsletter. It was a thrill to see it here!
~ Glad to hear it! 
gulshan kumar Very useful advice for keeping manual record of submission of articles. I am not in habit of manual writing. But I shall try to adhere to the advice by at least writing short diary.
~ Thank you! It's hard for me to get away from the manual writing. I'm sure any record, written or typed, would work fine.
twinograd A great FREE website called QueryTracker, has exactly what you are talking about. You can track all you send out plus research agents/publishers. Did I mention it is FREE. If you find you like this site, pass it on to everyone here on wdc.
~ Thanks for the suggestion! I'll have to check it out.
quination Hey, I actually have a question.
I read the post on writing a novel scene by scene, and was wondering if you guys had any more novel writing advice? I'd beg to hear more.
All best, nonetheless,
Quin Samuel Parker
~ The editors here write about various aspects of writing each week. Thank you for sharing with us your interest. You might want to check out our other newsletters, too, which very well could include tips on novel writing.
Recommended Books
The Accidental Bestseller by Wendy Was
Please send me your favorites!
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Noticing Newbies: October 28, 2009 Issue [#3358]
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