Get Your Writing R-E-A-D

In order to ensure that our writing is read-worthy, I have created the R.E.A.D. acronym, which consists of four aspects of the craft that every writer should consider and implement:

Reading · Editing · Audience · Discipline

Reading - Read your article thoroughly before your audience does.

Every article I have ever posted has been read, re-read, and read yet again--even this one. 9 times out of 10 a writing friend also reads it, before I consider it done.

Reading out loud gives our brains a different perspective, and brings our ears into the editing process as well. While reading out loud, I ensure that the rhythm of each sentence sounds right, and if it doesn't I change it.

And since we're on the topic, I also want to mention the importance of reading other works as well. It's one of the best exercises to help us develop our skill.

Edit - Have the courage to cut.

Editing isn't just about hunting for grammar and spelling mistakes, it also involves the very important task of cutting all unnecessary elements from the writing piece.

Some of the best writers I know have had to cut entire chapters from their books so don't feel robbed if you have to cut a sentence here and there. It will make for a tighter article in the end.

I was recently involved in a writing contest, in which I was confident that the second place winner had a good chance. I suspect that she might have won had the piece been cut to about half the length. It was well written, but unfortunately the unnecessary elements, bored a few of my fellow judges.

I often find that an article would read so much better if the first paragraph were cut out completely. In fact someone suggested I do that this week, and I was pleased with the end result.

I took a 1,000-word article the other day, and cut it down to 200 words for an assignment I was working on. It was a challenge, but the end result was few words that packed emotion. It's amazing what a little--or a lot--of slimming down can do.

Audience - Speak to your target audience.

When putting together a book proposal, one of the questions we answer is this, "Who is your target audience?" Should it be any different for an article of 1,000 words? Nope!

We'd all love to be everything to everybody, but the best writers know that by narrowing our focus to one specific audience we speak directly to them. In Stephen King's book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, he refers to the "ideal reader," which in his case is his wife, Tabitha. He writes with Tabitha in mind, knowing that she is the one who will laugh or cry by his words.

My audience is Stephanie. Her writing mind works much like mine does, as does her humor, and she's the one that will say, "Okay--that line made me cry." There are many days I smile while writing, thinking Steph is gonna love this line! And of course I'm thrilled when I'm right.

McDonalds doesn't provide the quiet atmosphere I look for in a fine dining establishment, nor do they prepare the finest prime rib--if any, but I do know that if I want to take the kids someplace fast and fun, McDonalds is our first choice. That's the power of reaching a target market.

Discipline - Discipline yourself to work at the craft.

I've had countless people tell me, "I'm writing a book." You might have even said that yourself, but after one year...two years...three years or more, one has to wonder--where is this book? Did I step on some toes, here?

Thinking about writing, and putting pen to paper is the difference between a dreamer and a writer.

I look at it this way - every minute that I waste watching TV or playing on facebook, some other writer is writing my book.

Maybe you're not interested in writing a book--perhaps it's short stories or articles that you'd like to get published. What are you doing to make that dream happen? As a writer we need to discipline ourselves to write, to build our profile, to make contacts, and to submit articles.

There's a lot of work to be done. And you can bet your pocket protector that those who are getting it done, stopped merely "dreaming" and started "doing" a long time ago.

Get Noticed!

I recently received a letter from a woman telling me that her friend was a very talented and inspiring writer, she said:

"I don't know where to begin helping her get her work read. I thought you would be the perfect person to ask. She isn't very internet savvy, so I am helping her in that regard. Any advice, links, contacts, etc. would be most appreciated!"

Good question! Since I AM internet savvy, the web is where I started, and I've seen that the internet has helped many other writing friends get noticed as well. In fact I'm teaching a class next May at the Northwest Christian Writer's Renewal, which teaches writers ways they can use the net to get noticed, and move their way up the publishing ladder.

I like blogging, but I do think that the majority of the time a blog goes unnoticed unless the author of that blog is involved in the blogging community. That and the blog should be kept up daily. There was a time when my little "What Would Jesus Blog" was collecting up to 85 comments/post, but I was commenting back and forth in those days. Once I got busy with CWO, my little blog on the prairie slowed down accordingly. If however, the blogger has a high profile elsewhere, such as a speaking platform, then her audience may already be built in, and the need for community online is eliminated.

Something I learned long ago is that in the two minutes a reader is on your site, you should have answered their question "What's in it for me?" Why is your writing unique, what can your writing give them that a billion other blogs out there can't? Friendship? Biblical insight? Humor?

How about a contest? Contests are a great way to draw readers to your site, and while they are there, they just might love your articles and come back!

Contests are one way of being involved in community; blogrolls are another. I host the world's largest blogroll at Christian Women Online, which includes something like 4,000 bloggers (haven't counted lately), who can all surf through each others sites and get noticed. What they can also do is request an interview so readers can further get to know them.

That's a bit about the net, but what if, like the reader above, the author isn't internet savvy, yet wants to be published? A publisher wants to know how YOU will promote your book. I haven't seen a book proposal that doesn't ask this question yet. So if you are not on the web, what can you do?

Speaking is the obvious for most of us. However as an author we would be expected to speak when promoting our book, so we need to give them a little more of a reason to publish us. Being "an award-winning" speaker, or a "frequent speaker at conventions" may give you that needed edge. That type of platform will not only get readers to notice your book, but it will also help in getting a publisher to notice you. In order to build up my speaking platform, I joined Toastmasters International. My legs are as shaky as the next person, but I'm doing it because I know it's a necessary part of being an author. And guess what? I just won my first speaking award this week! Every little step we take toward our goal adds to our resume, and brings us that much closer to a publishing contract.

If you aren't a speaker, then consider putting your writing to work by producing a "zine." A zine is like a magazine, but smaller. You can often find them at bookstores or at coffee shops, where they are free. Those are the kinds that I like, because you can produce them inexpensively, and have advertisers pay for the print run. Writers have had to get creative to get theirs noticed. I have started seeing them for seniors, parents, etc. What about for SAHM's or Christians? What about for singles?

Here's another idea, which happens to be one of my all-time fav's! Get involved in projects such as anthologies. I occasionally post opportunities here, such as Chicken Soup for the Soul. I have two friends who have been published in Chicken Soup. One is a published author; the other is a stay-at-home mom who thought she'd give it a try. Both have a great addition to their resume, which helps in getting them up the next rung of the ladder. Always keep the ladder analogy in mind--each rung gets us closer to the top!

Note: Don't hope to make big bucks in anthologies. You usually get anywhere from $25-$50 per article, maybe $100 if the publication is huge. And don't expect any pay from smaller publications such as local newspapers. Remember we're starving artists here!

I'll close with one last thought, which can double as a shameful promotion. I don't believe that an author sells books as much as a book sells an author. Once an author has a book in hand, that person can use the book to further promote themselves by sending it out for review, having online blog tours, and book signings. It also looks better if you can approach a publication with that book on your resume. So consider getting a small print run done at a place such as my husbands company www.artbookbindery.com There are other short-run publishers out there, but I'll let you Google those!

Print-on-demand is different from short-run. It doesn't cost the author anything, since readers order direct from the printer, it's difficult to have books on hand without spending a fortune. Without books on hand, you can't approach local bookstores, hold a book signing party or send several out for review. With short run publishing you can order 50-200 books, make a profit on the ones you sell, and get your work out there into the public eye.

There are a few ideas to get you started--just take one rung at a time. With talent, patience and creativity, we'll get to the top!

Chip Off the Old Block

Writer's block is something we all struggle with from time to time. Even bloggers can be faced with the pressure of wanting to post something--anything, but nothing comes to mind. Let's take a chip off the writer's block by examining one way to fight it!

Grab a recipe. Writing is filled with recipes all around us, waiting to be scooped up, whipped together, and mixed with a blend of our personal ingredients. But where do you find them? You don't need to purchase a book or search writer's sites to find them, you only need to look as far as your own writing.

Choose an article that you've written before, that you like for some reason. You might not even know why you like it--you just do. Got it? Now copy the first paragraph (or two if they're short) into a word document, like this:

God delights in his people—you and I. He enjoys us so much that even the very hair on our head is numbered. Can you imagine the accounting department He must have to keep track of mine? I’m changing my do every month. (I just got it trimmed again yesterday by the way). I wonder, would we take the time to number His hair if we could? Would we linger in His presence that long? Or is God merely a means of supplying our need? Let's dig and find out...

Now choose a topic--any topic that has been on your mind this past week--maybe it's pizza pops, maybe it's your children, maybe it's cooking... whatever it is, trust yourself to write on that topic and the article will fall into place.

Here's where the recipe part comes in. See my paragraph above? I snagged it from a post that I liked at Live Well Wednesdays; I'm going to use it as my fire starter. I'll dissect it, carefully following the recipe, which is this:

1. Begin with a statement. If your topic is children, then say something like, "My children have been fighting all week," or "My children were adorable this morning!" etc. 2. Use a verb to describe your topic, with an expansion of that verb. 3. Ask a question. 4. Answer the question and add a side note (a dash of humor if you like). 5. Contemplate that thought. 6. Ask the reader two questions. 7. Introduce the rest of the piece.

Once you have the first paragraph or two done according to the recipe, the creativity will usually flow on it's own from there.

Here's what I came up with:

My son Graham is home today. He isn't ill all that often, so when he started hurling at school, I knew it was time to take the little dude home. I don't always know when my kids are sick, or when they are simply "homesick," do you? Sometimes the green in their cheeks will cue me in--sometimes not (it's the dark shades of green that get me concerned most). Has your tike ever woken up sick, then miraculously recovered at around 9:15? Have you ever wondered if you should pack them up and bring them right back to school? If so maybe there's something else we should consider...

That's just off the top of my head, but as you can see I opened the article up and once I did I was on a roll. Now that I started, I want to talk about a child's need for cuddly days, and our need for them too. When it's just me and he, or me and her--home for a day. "Homesick" might be every bit as stressful as a tummy ache, for little ones who are gone all day. Ah, maybe I'm too soft!

When I use the recipe idea to get started, I sometimes find that I don't even keep the first paragraph at all, but that it was helpful in getting me off to a good start.

I have a sick kid at home today that needs juice and a cuddle, so I guess I had better run. :)

No Time Like the Present...

Have you toiled with the idea of stepping out of the box, and into a new style of writing? There's no time like the present, nor is there a style quite like it!

When I consider writing in the present tense, Ann Voskamp comes to mind. Few have grasped the skill as well as she has, time and time again:

Socks hurl across the kitchen, a hail of chaos splintering morning routine and order. Thunked in the back of head, I spin from sink and into the face of a grinning twelve-year-old. I am set to return with volley of words about maturity and setting an example and simply folding laundry instead of rocking the boat. His younger brothers are already whipping back knitted wools with mismatched sweatsocks. And then one of the statutes of the Geneva Convention of Motherhood flashes across my interior screen: Ignore negative attention-seeking behavior so as not affirm it. ---Ann Voskamp, "The Parenting Pursuit," March 2008, CWO.

You've got to love Ann Voskamp. I have no doubt that this woman is destined to be a best-selling author. She's already my favorite writer of all time!

Writing in the present tense is different, and it can be difficult. It doesn't come natural to me, but I do look at it as a creative way to break out of the writing box that I often cozy up in.

The present tense illustrates action as it happens. Look at it as a narration of sorts. Imagine yourself in the scene, while speaking the narration aloud.

I was at a loss for words one Tuesday evening with my Wednesday deadline fast approaching, and so I took the opportunity to give present tense writing a shot. I just began by describing my thoughts from the evening in present tense. I enjoyed the change, and really like the way the entire piece turned out.

"What can I write, Lord?" I ask, as we make our way back toward the little red Yaris. It's my way of saying, "Fill my cup, Lord," because I know that when I try to fill it on my strength alone we get a pretty stale cup of brew. God on the other hand, offers a pure blend of inspiration that wakes us up to the truth, and moves us to drink from His word. He slides a double-double across the counter, and I taste His words, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." - Ecclesiastes 9:10, NIV. The aroma fills my thoughts while I meditate. ---Darlene Schacht, "Make This Day Count!," LWW, July 16, 2008.

Although entire novels have been written in the present tense, it is rarely done. It appears most often in short stories.

Here are three tips to keep in mind when writing in the present tense:

1. Above all else, be cautious of your verbs: ran, runs, run, etc. 2. Imagine the action happening as you are writing. 3. Use imagery to describe the scene around you. What is whizzing past your head? Can you feel it brush your ear as it flies by? You are setting the scene, so describe it well.

Next time you have writers block, give present tense a try. Or on second thought, why wait for the block, when you can write it today!