Writing is so tough for some people. But, I’m going to rant for a minute. It cracks me up what I have to deal with sometimes.

Just Get Started Already

A guy is pacing his floor, throwing his football up and down, looking out the window, banging his head against the wall…

“The night was dark and salty…”

Salty, I don’t think that word works all that well. Not salty. The air can be salty I guess, but the night wasn’t salty.

“The night was dark and lonely…”

Well, I guess the character could have been lonely. But, night doesn’t get lonely.

Our guy paces the floor a bit more with his football. He puts it down and pours himself a short glass of his flavor. He takes a drink and paces the floor a bit more as he grapples over what word is going to follow, “The night was dark and…”

Just Get Started Already

It is in my personal experience that I’ll have no idea how to write the beginning until I get to the end. Oh, I know what direction I want to take with what I’m trying to write. I know that I have to start somewhere. But, I have never started from the beginning.

Try to follow what I’m trying to say. I figure out where I would like to start the story. So, I just get started writing the story. I figure out every nook and cranny of the story until I get to the end. That’s when I understand everything about my story. So, I return and I start all over.

Now, I know how to build the intrigue. I know how to start the first sentence and what words to use because now I know the real story. If you have ever endured reading three hundred pages of a Stephen King novel only to discover that the book was just beginning, then you know what I’m talking about.

He is the master of telling an entire story before the actual story begins. Well, I’m not saying write a three hundred page introduction every time. But if you know the basic elements of a story, then you know that introductory information exists.

You need setting and character development. You have to have some rising action to get you to the climax where you have falling action and a final conclusion. That’s all called the plot of a story.

Well, the setting and the rising action might all be understood before you get started writing. But, where is that first sentence going to come from when you are ready to write? Don’t worry about it…

Just Get Started Already

When I teach others to write, I always get an episode like the one depicted above. Whether they are writing an essay or a story, they just can’t seem to get past that first sentence. Let your writing tell you the story, then come back and write the beginning all over again.

If you have any questions or concerns about this entry, feel free to drop a comment. I’ll try to explain it another way if I have to do so.

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I’m frequently asked about setting up a web presence and whether the web is a good way to attract business, irrespective of whether you are touting your writing or selling widgets. My answer is “Yes!” you really do need a web presence if you intend to attract clients, work and raise the level of awareness of your product and most of all, yourself. I came across a web site of a writer, Holly Lisle, who I have never heard of before, but nevertheless I was extremely impressed by what she has set up.

You can see what I mean by visiting her site here - Holly Lisle Official Author Website

Now this is certainly something I am going to aspire to with my own site, Ghosts Lair, as yet still only an apparition in my developer’s office so it is aptly named for the moment. I am not suggesting that you all rush out and do the same, but I felt that Holly’s site has all the elements that Michael and I have both been applauding.

The site is first of all, very clean and well laid out with lots of interesting links and clearly Holly is an established writer with a lot of goodies on offer. The sections are laid out and very easy to navigate, with clearly labelled titles for readers, writers, a shop (we are in the business of selling our work after all), a diary/blog which she updates as she works on a piece and of course, the “About Me” section.

You can also see there on the first page, a literal plethora of download material for use as samples or indeed, just free stuff on offer. In effect, it is a brilliant, understated showcase of her talent, her work and herself.

Hat’s off to Holly.

Unusual for an American Michael, my fellow contributor, is too bashful to shout about his own efforts so I’ll plug his site as well as I like the use of video and the dark feel created. At the same time it is still very commercial in getting his work across.

You can see Michael’s site for his novel, Danger to Society and other work here - Mr I Dan Dawg

A common theme you will find with many writers websites is the desire to talk about themselves; not a surprise as though we may spend our time locked away in dark attics, broom cupboards and away from the general population in writers solitude, we are in fact, quiet extroverts. Why bother writing if only to satisfy the desire to express yourself?

Michael is no different, though aside from book signing schedules he also is brave enough to cover his weight loss program with photo’s of himself. Fifteen pounds and still falling - way to go Michael!

Now, before we all rush out to get a website just like Holly or Michael’s, you should be aware of the cost and time that is involved. Nor do you necessarily need a website of your own when you can swing by the blogging sites and set up a a blog that can also double as your online showcase. You can find free blogging made easy, by signing up for Blogger or Wordpress and be set up in an hour or so.

The key element to remember is no matter how large your budget, keep the site clean and simple. Website users are a notoriously impatient lot, so be very clear and spell out the sections you are going to offer. Place samples of your work prominently on your home page so they can be obtained easily without potential clients having to sift through the site to find something you have produced.

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The writing process is technically made up of five different steps. Prewriting, writing, revising, editing and publishing is one version of those five different steps.

Prewriting, Writing, Proofreading, Editing and Submitting

That’s another variation. Of course, if you look through books and websites you’ll find quite a few other variations. But the bottom line is there is some confusion, the difference between Proofreading and Editing.

Why are there two different steps in the writing process that mean the same thing?

Well, they don’t really. A Supaproofreader will cover both steps. All you have to do is submit what you have written and we’ll take it the rest of the way to the Publish or Submit part.

But, proofreading and editing are different. They are actually two different sides of the same coin, but they have two different purposes. Let’s take a closer look.

Proofreading

Proofreading is actually the tougher of the two in my book. When you look your paper over after writing it, you should look for better ways of writing. You have awkward sentences that need some touching. You have words that don’t quite fit and you could make decisions about replacing them with more effective words.

You’re not just looking for errors in awkward sentences and weak words. You should look for places where you could be clearer. You should try to find places where you could make a stronger argument. Add sentences where explanations need to be. Proofreading is about tightening up your work and making your writing that much better.

Editing

Editing is where you look your work over for the actual grammar and spelling errors. That’s when you look through your document for all the “Red” squiggly lines – I can’t imagine anyone doing it with a typewriter anymore, but I do believe some old schoolers still exist. Just don’t consider every red squiggly line an error. “Supaproofreader” from a few paragraphs up and “schooler” in the last sentence technically are errors. But, I’m not changing them. I meant them just the way they are.

Don’t forget to look at grammar errors too. Subject and Verb agreement, Punctuation, Capitalization…those are the errors you catch when you are editing.

Yes, proofreading and editing can overlap. Let me put it this way, if I find a spelling error while I’m proofreading I’m not going to let it go. But, that’s the difference and now you know. Like the Justice League used to say all the time… “Knowing is half the battle.”

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If you ask me what my biggest writing fault is, I will answer “I over run with my sentences.”

You can disagree and think my writing is faulted for very different reasons, but certainly, my opinion is that I get lost and ramble on when I should just “.”

When I get into the flow and my fingers are dancing on the keyboard, the words just come and it is almost like speaking. The problem is that when we speak, we make so many errors with our English simply because the brain is processing thought far faster than it can process appropriate speech. When you get into that writers groove, the written word becomes imbued with the same errors that characterise spoken English.

A sure sign of “written thought” is the cliche. When I’m up against a deadline and my commissioning agent is yelling down the email pipe “Where are my 500 words on yak fur!”; cliches abound. The problem for me is that I find it hard to recognise when I’m using a cliche, so worn are the bad habits I have acquired with my English over the years. Frankly, it takes a second reading some time beyond any practical deadline for me to pick them up, or a second pair of eyes.

One of the New Year resolutions I saw posted up by someone or other, was a list of “banned” words and cliches. Honestly, that is what gave me the idea for this post and it piqued my interest in any event as one the main cliches they targeted is one I have recently acquired:

It is What It Is!

Now I use this in my personal life, though I don’t believe I have ever used it in my writing until now; even then, only to illustrate a point! The English practitioners at Lake Superior University in the ice ridden wilderness of the northern US, have seen fit to compile an annual list of “banned” words and phrases that should be avoided. As a student of colonial history, I had a wry grin upon my face at the thought of our rebellious colonial cousins seeking to preserve the “Queen’s English”

Rebellious or not, I think they should be applauded for their efforts.

Unfortunately, the list is US English dominated.

One of the words that I was surprised to see in the list is “decimated”, and as one commentator correctly stated “..to reduce by one tenth” but I wondered if they realised the real origin of the word. The origin of the word comes from the Romans; “decimation” was the practice of killing randomly, one in ten of a Legion if it failed to perform in battle or was naughty in some other way. This was a practice adopted from the Spartans who would randaomly kill a portion of their slave population that supported their austere, fascist society. Decimation certainly should be not be allowed to become a cliche as the history of this word is far too powerful (and I am thinking of Michael’s earlier post on the history of words too). The main arguments put forward for banning the word seemed to come from commentators who were heartily sick of it’s overuse in the media and one comment in particular struck my eye:

“‘Decimate’ has been turned upside down. It means ‘to destroy one tenth,’ but people are using it to mean ‘to destroy nine tenths.’ – David Welch, Venice, Florida.

I believe David in Florida is well placed to understand the meaning of the word after the 2004 hurricane seasonwhich certainly appeared to decimate the neighbourhoods of DeLand, between Daytona and Orlando, which is my “home” in the US.

Focusing on “It is what it is” I spotted a comment from a Canadian with whom I share some affinity through my mother who resides in the underground city of Toronto:

“This is migrating from primetime ‘reality television’ and embedding itself into otherwise articulate persons’ vocabularies. Of course it is what it is…Otherwise, it wouldn’t be what it would have been!” – Steve Olsen, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.

I feel humbled by my half-brother, trapped in Francophilic Canade across the waves, and promise, from this day forward, to have and behold, a tighter reign on my own flights of unoriginal verbal fancy.
Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme change mon ami!

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Promoting your services does not have to be so hard. You can very quickly gain a readership by taking a little time and effort and paying attention to current events in your chosen field.

Michael and I have both harped on about creating a portfolio of work, even if you have not been commissioned to produce it or sold it. The issue is, what should you write about that will immediately get you readers?

If you are using an email account such as Yahoo!, AOL or Hotmail, every time you sign in you get news features listed on your sign in screen. I signed in to my Yahoo! account and was confronted with pictures of Britney Spears on a stretcher surrounded by paramedics trying to help her find a hairgrip or a grip on reality. The singer is embroiled in a custody battle with her ex over the children and “something” happened over the weekend. As sure as Gordon Brown is scared of calling a General Election, if you wrote something about custody issues and cited Britney, you are going to get some attention over the next couple of days at least because people are going to be interested in it and not just sad Britney fans either.

Take another example; one of the heroes in the Glasgow Airport terrorist attack has collapsed with a brain aneurism which in part has been attributed to stress. At the same time, over 200 servicemen diverted to Birmingham International Airport on the way home for Christmas leave from Afghanistan, were forced to change from uniform to civilian dress before being allowed to enter the terminal from the aircraft. How about writing an article on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or a piece on how we treat our “heroes” in the UK? Either way, you are guaranteed a readership on a very controverisal issue that holds widespread interest in the population at large.

For those of you who believe this smacks of opportunistic voyeurism for selfish interests; you’re absolutely correct!

The question that really needs to be answered is whether you wish to write something that will be read and stands a chance of circulating or whether you are happy for your “Ode to a lump of dried skin in my armpit” be written purely for your own creative pleasure without thought of furthering your career or prospects. Personally I take the Jeffrey Archer approach everytime; write crap and get paid, not least because it allows me to continue writing. As Ernest Hemingway said, “I may write one page of genius but there are ninety-nine pages of mediocrity that go with it.”

You can write a short 500 word piece on whatever the news of the day happens to be; give it a twist if you can and then publish it to the plethora of article sites available.

Here is a practical example of this technique in action: Angelina Jolie

Anjelina Jolie, superbabe, Hollywood star, married to Brad Pitt; has been involved in discussions to play the role of Melissa Hawach from Canada.

Melissa who?

Why?

Melissa Hawach had two children kidnapped from Canada by her ex husband, they were taken to Australia and then disappeared to the Lebanon. After exhausting the legal process and with her kids in a war zone, Melissa hired a couple of mercenaries and kidnapped the kids back, fleeing through Syria and eventually back to Europe and flew home to Canada. The mercenaries were arrested and spent a few months on a Lebanese prison diet.

I knew of Melissa’s story because I write on international child abduction matters and have a deep interest in the topic. No matter how compelling Melissa’s story though, it was just another story of a type we have all heard before, filed away and dismissed as “old news”.

I wrote a blog post and by accident, used Angelina Jolie’s involvement as a possible to play Melissa in a film.

The traffic to the blog spiked, with that post generating over 3,000 hits in one month - more than the entire blog generated in 3 months. Analysing the traffic it became apparent why - one of the main search terms was “Anjelina Jolie”. Nothing to do with child kidnapping, or the Hawachs, or anything else - simply people looking for news and information on the superbabe.

“So what?” you may say, “It didn’t attract the right readers or achieve anything did it?”

Actually it did - donations topped over $1,000 to a charity the blog promotes and several readers started subscribing simply because they found the blog interesting and wanted to stay current with events.

The moral of this tale is simply this; do not try to reinvent the wheel when there is nothing stopping you from jumping on a bandwagon!

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