The Write Slice: Write or Wrong

Let's face it: writing is an exceptionally time-consuming process, and we are in a world of little available time. There are countless methods of revision we can employ in our writing - and we should use a variety of techniques. But there is one technique I have found that gives me the most improvement with the least time (but not necessarily effort). This technique is actually contradictory to what most novice writers believe. Most writers believe that the more adjectives and adverbs you add to your writing, the more sophisticated it becomes. Actually, the opposite is true. The most effective technique is to focus on choosing strong, specific nouns and verbs. That's it. That's all you've got to do for stellar writing. (Ha, if only it were really that easy.) Let's look at some examples: John went to the store. Boring. There's no intrigue or emotional involvement. There's no interest in the sentence. So how can we fix it? Let's look at our ver...

I was recently introduced to an article in the May 2015 issue of The Atlantic entitled "How to Graduate from Starbucks." This article was very interesting as it described the partnership between Starbucks and Arizona State University for Starbucks' employees to earn college degrees. It discussed all the different techniques these two businesses are using to encourage success. But the one thing that seemed to set this program apart from other programs was proactive mentoring. Students found the support, information, and encouragement they needed to continue their college educations. So what does this have to do with writing? Actually, it has a lot to do with life. Try to think of one area of your life where you have been successful that you accomplished completely on your own. There was no support from parents, friends, spouse, siblings, teachers, no one except yourself. Hard to think of? Perhaps impossible? Writing is no different. In many aspects, writing is a solit...

I read a lot of books this year, and I'm going to give you a sampling of my favorite ones. Many of these are full series.  (A lengthier post, so feel free to skip around a bit as needed.) Alcatraz Series: Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians (Book 1) by Brandon Sanderson MG Fantasy This is perhaps my most-recommended series for a long time. It is written as a middle-grade novel, but younger and older can fully enjoy it. I listened to the audio book version with my 7-yr-old son, and he absolutely loved it. (The reader - Ramon de Ocampo is amazing.) I was entertained by the story as well as the allusions and writing advice Sanderson sprinkles in. The basic premise is that Alcatraz (yes, that is his name, which is explained in the book) is a foster child with a talent for breaking things -- literally. He receives a mysterious bag of sand from his father on his 13th birthday. What ensues is an magical/technological adventure against evil librarians intent on controlling information a...

One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to find the perfect gift for a loved one. For me, it's one way I can show the other person how much they mean to me. But what if your loved one is a writer? Writers are a completely different type of person with different needs and interests than many people. Below I've listed the top three gifts I would give a writer. These are gifts that would be most helpful for them. Writing Conference. Especially for a novice writer, the information you can gain from writing conferences is invaluable. Usually the panelists or presenters provide practical, hands-on information. Some educational programs are really helpful and effective, but they can sometimes be more theoretical than practical. You can also pick-and-choose which topics are most interesting to you or those you need more information about because of your writing weaknesses. For the more experienced writer, writing conferences are a great place to network with other...

I thought it might be fun to try something a little different this time around, so here is a (sorta) lighthearted Halloween story I wrote for you to enjoy. Dinner Plans             Xan flung his hand up toward his neck, trying to tighten his black tie. His flaky, greenish skin showed through the suit jacket sleeve that had been torn off on his last outing. He lolled his eyes toward his friend, Josh. “Mmm?” he groaned, his eyebrows (or what was left of them) raised.             “Unnnhh,” Josh answered, nodding jerkily.             Xan lumbered out of the house, his right foot dragging behind him. It took ten minutes to shuffle the five houses to Susan’s house. Her main floor windows had pieces of wood nailed across them while just a few shards of glass remained in the top floor windows.     ...

Writing is a bit like a courtship. We've either been on those first dates or heard about them where there was way too much information shared. I can't even remember what the commercial was for, but I saw one recently where the couple is on their first date, and the guy has made a creepy look-alike doll of his date. Halfway through the night, he starts making out with the puppet. Hilarious, but creepy. And it totally makes my point. A good first date is one in which the participants have an enjoyable evening and learn just enough about each other to be interested in learning more, but are not entirely creeped out. And thus it progresses on to the second date. And so on and so on until marriage. Even after marriage we are still learning about our partners. The key is that at each step along the way, a little more info is shared. So why do we treat our books and stories any differently? Why do we as writers think we need to let our reader know everything as soon as possible? I...

This seems to be a topic I blog about from time to time (see Tackling the New Year or Overcoming (Writing) Adversity  for more recent treatments), but I think that's because my methods are constantly changing. I think the way a writer gets himself/herself to write is a personal experience, and it is one that takes a lot of trial and error. For me in particular, it seems to be a constantly evolving process. I've been to the workshops that tell you that you MUST write regularly, consistently, and daily. In theory, I probably agree with them; in practice, that's impossible for me. My life is chaotic. I have a lot going on. Here's a brief sampling of my list of responsibilities: Wife Mother of 2 VERY active little boys Full-time English teacher (with all of the lesson planning, prep, and grading to go with it) Vegetable garden Active church member with its associated activities Stampin' Up (crafting) demonstrator Any other project that comes along Obvio...