I’ve been taking an on-line course that is suppose to help me become a standout writer. Knowledge is power. I spend as much time reading as I do writing, and I’ve learned a lot. Mainly, I’ve become more aware of my own writing. I also notice things in other peoples writing. I use to enjoy reading for pleasure, and I still do, but I see errors that I never noticed before. I guess I’m turning into an editor 🙂

You can’t improve if you don’t see the errors you are making. You would think something like the overuse of certain words: adjectives, adverbs, and one of my favorite- ‘ing words’ would jump out at you, but they don’t.

If you follow my blogs, you know I have a problem with the words ‘had’ and ‘so’.  There may be others at times, but these are definitely the most obvious. You probably have your own. Think about it.

I’ve also struggled with on-the-nose writing and dragging dialogue. Two concepts I had never heard of before an agent took the time to tell me why my novel wasn’t ready for publication.

I understand the concepts well now, thanks to the internet and some incredible bloggers. I guess I can’t leave out the webinars and on-line classes.  The point is, the information is out there. You just have to look for it.

Part of writing is learning what works and what doesn’t, seeing the obvious even when it blends in with everything else. Your reader might not be able to pinpoint the problem when they read your work, but they will know that something isn’t quite right.

By reading and learning what to look for, you are beginning the process of training your eyes to see the obvious. My husband is a hunter. I hope I’m not offending to many of my followers. He can spot a deer in a field 200 or so yards away. They just seem to jump out at him. How does he do it? He’s developed a trained eye. Something that every good writer needs to do.

Something to think about. I hope you all have a great week!

-Jan R