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As I read The Writer and Writer's Digest, bits and pieces of writing advice catch my eye. At times I must read the whole article just because I can't believe what I saw. This week I want to share some of those interesting tidbits.
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Bits and Pieces of Writing Advice
I know within one page whether I'm interested in a book or manuscript. I have a friend who says, "Oh, I give them ten pages." At least one expert agrees with me.
Lisa Cron (The Writer, January 2011, page 34-35) says, "The mainstream fiction writer does not have the luxury of gradually setting the stage ... Readers must feel a sense of urgency from the start." As she continues her advice, she says that new writers often say, "Don't worry, it gets really good in the second half." And she thinks, "well, then and your mom are going to be the only people who'll ever know that. Because if you don't snare the reader on the first page, you're pretty much done ..."
Cron also states that the best way to learn to write is "read really bad books. What happens is you really don't know what your expectations are until they are not being met. This is your reality until you ask yourself, where did this story go wrong?"
I'm a firm believer in "show, don't tell." Of course writers have times when information can't be shown, but it can be fed to the reader slowly and small bits, creatively. However, imagery, showing, is a must. Sage Cohen (Writer's Digest, February 2011, page 25) gives a good example: "A successful image can plug right into your reader's nervous system at times when explanation falls flat. Consider, 'Donna felt weak,' versus, 'Donna was unable to bring the spoon to her mouth.' Which one makes you want to know what happens next?"
Another view on show,don't tell follows (Writer's Digest, September 2010, page 26-27): Natalie Goldberg writes, "Of courser you should show, not tell ... You must transmit experience so the reader also experiences it." Her example is "Lay out all the jewels for us to behold. To only tell about them is to hide all the emeralds from view."
On page 29 of Writer's Digest, February 2011, Sage Cohn states, "Good writing connects with readers." He also says on page 28, "Creativity is the secret sauce of the writing life."
A final tidbit deals with having a scene or a detail authentic. Joseph Finder (The Writer, October 2010, page 21), "... painstaking research can yield a texture, an atmosphere of authenticity, that average readers can feel and smell." I'll never forget the book I tried to read which had Woodward, Oklahoma a wagon's day ride away from Redrock, and Redrock was an hour's ride on horseback from Lawton. Lawton was a few miles from the Red River. A quick glance at a map of Oklahoma would show the errors, but the author apparently never bothered to look. Authenticity means a bit of research.
Hope the bits and pieces of writing advice help you. |
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For Authors: January 19, 2011 Issue [#4192]
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