Something to think about.
-Jan R
Thursday Thoughts
Say What You Mean! (Revised)
If you find yourself reading a sentence more than once, or adding information for clarification, that’s a red flag.
Your reader has less information than you. If you are confused by your work, you can only imagine what your reader is going through. I love a great mystery, but my writing shouldn’t be one.
It’s not the reader’s job to interpret your work. You should be clear and concise. If your writing causes a pause something isn’t working.
I have to admit I love dangling modifiers though. They are some of my favorite mess-ups. I even wrote a blog entitled ‘just for laughs’. They are funny, but not in the middle of a serious scene. You don’t have to try to hard to imagine how quickly they can pull your reader out of their suspension of disbelief.
Dangling modifiers occur when the modifier has no clear referent, and twist the meaning of your sentence in an unintended fashion.
- I saw a tree walking down the street. Who knew a tree could walk 🙂
- The babysitter handed out sandwiches to all the children in Ziplock bags. I just want to know how those children got in those bags 🙂
Misplaced modifiers are similar but not nearly as fun to read. As with dangling modifiers, there is no clear referent, which can lead to a clumsy and confusing sentence.
- Lucy carefully studied the situation. Lucy studied the situation carefully.
Another mistake new writers make that isn’t always as obvious but makes for a clumsy sentence that will cause a pause is comma splicing.
Comma splicing is when two sentences are linked by a comma, but they don’t really work because they’re two separate ideas.
- John saw the rabid fox and ran to the house to get his gun, and he forgot to eat lunch and his tummy rumbled.
What about ambiguous sentences? The sentence is grammatically and structurally sound, but the reader has no idea what you are talking about.
- My older students know I’m extremely careful with my language. Is the teacher referring to age or length of time the students have been in his/her class?
Be clear and concise! Say What You Mean!
Something else to think about.
-Jan R
Thursday Thoughts
-Jan R
Do You Have Goals or Are You Wandering Aimlessly?
I’ve been writing this blog for Eight years. It’s been my goal to do two posts a week. While I’ve been mostly faithful in my commitment, I must confess this past year or so has been really hard for me.
I’ve had a lot more outside commitments that are occupying my time, but it feels like it’s more than that. Have you ever wanted to just stop doing everything and reset? Take a break from life and catch your breath? How did you motivate yourself to work through the lulls?
I have read a lot of information on the internet and in books on motivation and how to jump start your battery when it dies (my analogy). Maybe that’s a bit drastic of an example, but you get where I’m going.
I’ve also wondered if getting that full-manuscript request has taken some of the steam out of my boat, and I need to take a break and prepare for the next stage of the game.
It hasn’t been easy. It’s required a lot of time and dedication on my part. I wasn’t an English major and literally had to learn how to write a publishable novel.
Every step I’ve taken so far seems to be the hardest step. I’m currently in the waiting game. My manuscript has been sent out as requested, but it’s been almost five long months without a response. The ultimate goal has been to get this work published. I’ve met a major milestone, but I can’t lose sight of my final destination.
The one thing that has motivated me and kept me moving forward, is setting goals for myself. I may be dragging my feet right now, but I know where I’m heading. With my eyes set on the finish line, I will get there.
Do you have goals set for your life or are you just wandering aimlessly hoping that things work out? You will never get to where you want to be without a plan in place to get you there. Set those goals! Work that plan! It could mean the difference between failure and success.
-Jan R
Thursday Thoughts
-Jan R
Thursday Thoughts
Something to think about!
-Jan R
Thursday Thoughts
Something to think about!
-Jan R
Take Your Reader on The Journey! (Revisited)
I’ve written several blogs patting authors on the back and thanking them for the joy they provide to people like my mom.
She is elderly and can’t go to the places she would like to visit, but my mom loves books. They take her not only to places she would like to go, but places she could only go to in her dreams.
Consider this! Your novel is a journey. You aren’t just walking through that journey; you are the tour guide, and you’re taking your reader with you.
When you write that novel, you are doing at least one of several things.
- Taking the reader somewhere they cannot personally go.
- Showing your reader new aspects of a place they are already familiar with.
- Suggesting a place your reader could not even imagine existed.
- Reflecting on places, people, and situations that your reader may be familiar with, but are unable to put into words with your particular expertise.
Enjoy the journey and be cognizant of those who are with you. Remember, they can’t read your mind. It’s your job to put the story in writing and make sure that your reader is following the intended path. You are the guide! You are their eyes and ears!
Something to think about.
-Jan R
Thursday Thoughts
-Jan R
How Do You Know What to Cut?
You just finished that first novel, or at least you thought you did. Now the work really begins. You revise, revise, and revise again. At some point you may even consider hiring an editor, before you lose your mind.
How do you know what to cut? You put a lot of thought into those words. They all sound good and provide information to help the reader follow what’s going on.
Cutting comes down to two things.
- Is it essential to the story?
- Does it move the story forward?
I love Jerry Jenkins. We all have our favorite bloggers and teachers of the craft. Jerry Jenkins is probably my favorite. Why? Because he’s clear, concise, and easy to follow. I’m using an example from one of his blogs to help you understand editing. I would encourage you to visit his sight. You won’t be disappointed.
Paige’s phone chirped, telling her she had a call. She slid her bag off her shoulder, opened it, pulled out her cell, hit the Accept Call button and put it to her ear.
“This is Paige,” she said.
“Hey, Paige.”
She recognized her fiancé’s voice. “Jim, darling! Hello!”
“Where are you, Babe?”
“Just got to the parking garage.”
“No more problems with the car then?”
“Oh, the guy at the gas station said he thinks it needs a wheel alignment.”
“Good. We still on for tonight?”
“Looking forward to it, Sweetie.”
“Did you hear about Alyson?”
“No, what about her?”
“Cancer.”
“What?”
Here’s a good example of how that scene should be rendered:
Paige’s phone chirped. It was her fiancé, Jim, and he told her something about one of their best friends that made her forget where she was.
“Cancer?” she whispered, barely able to speak. “I didn’t even know Alyson was sick. Did you?”
We don’t need to be told that the chirp told her she had a call, that her phone is in her purse, that her purse is over her shoulder, that she has to open it to get her phone, push a button to take the call, identify herself to the caller, be informed who it is. I think you’re getting the point.
This is a good example of dragging dialogue as well. It’s not necessary and adds fluff without any real purpose. Don’t distract with minutia. Give the reader the adventure they signed up for when they chose to purchase your book. Take the reader with Paige when she says:
“I need to call her, Jim. I’ve got to cancel my meeting. And I don’t know about tonight…”
Something to think about.
-Jan R
Writing your first novel-Things you should know 