Redundancies - Part II

If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster. ~Isaac Asimov

Welcome to Writers’ Corner. I’ve had a busy week writing, critiquing, editing, and in my non-writing job, medical transcription.

What about you?

I want to take a moment to address my email subscribers since I received a question this week pertaining to email. To access this blog from the email, click on the title of the post. You’ll be directed to the blog where you can leave comments. This is especially important on prayer Wednesdays when we receive prayer requests and pray for others. Also, if you can’t access the YouTube video on the prayer post through email, go to the blog. Thanks!

In the body of many posts, I embed website links of referenced articles. Click on these (highlighted like my title) to be redirected to the article.

If anyone else has questions regarding the technical aspects of my blog, let me know, and I’ll try to answer them.

One of my pet peeves is also something I’m guilty of—writing with redundancies. I’ve blogged on this subject before, but I see redundant word combinations often, even in published writing. So, I decided to touch on the subject again. Read through these examples, then see if you can identify others in your writing. Tighten your manuscript by deleting them.

absolutely essential
bald-headed
armed gunman
could possibly
drop down
sit down
stand up
end result
hurry up
joint collaboration
over exaggerate
still remains
visible to the eye
unexpected surprise
temper tantrum

Most writers overuse favorite phrases along with redundancies. Once you identify your overused word/phrase, simply do a “search” for it on your computer (the F5 function key in MS Word). Either replace the word with a synonym or delete it. Many times, the word isn’t needed when looking at the sentence context. As a novice writer, I discovered Southernisms creeping into my writing. Searching for words like “just” helped me to realize “just” how much I used them. J

The winner of the free critique from last week’s post is TC Avey. She describes her WIP as “an adult thriller (I think that's the word I have decided upon). It is pre-apocalyptic of the Left Behind Series and has the big brother tone of an Ayn Rand novel.”

Sounds exciting, TC! My contact info is at the top of this blog.

Take a moment to leave a response to the following prompt.  I look forward to reading everyone's comments.

I write because…

Gracious To Give And Receive

Welcome to Writers’ Corner. Do you believe March is almost over? Are you on track to accomplish the writing goals you set for the year?

In the past few weeks, we’ve discussed many technical aspects of writing. Today, I just want to take a few minutes to encourage you in your writing journey.

Taking the first step toward becoming a published writer can be scary and exciting at the same time. In His wisdom, God doesn’t unpack the entire process ahead of time because, like so many things in life, if we could see the whole process up front, we might not even start. However, this journey is necessary for our growth.

Recently, I spent time with an author who has twenty books published with more under contract. She asked me how long I’d been writing “seriously” toward publication and then shared it took her eight years to get her first book contract, after her first three manuscripts were rejected. The eight years were not a static time of writing. She attended conferences, received feedback from veteran writers, and learned everything she could to hone her craft.

We’ve discussed in previous weeks the necessity of receiving feedback to be successful. Believe me, this takes an incredible amount of gracious receiving. But, the biggest mistake a writer can make is working in a vacuum, expecting to get published, and unwilling to take constructive feedback. Yet some try it.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17.

Embrace the concept that we are all on the same team working toward fulfilling God’s plan for the Christian literary world. You remember the algebraic term: a + b = c. Let’s apply that to our writing careers.

Gracious giving + gracious receiving = success. Isn’t this what we’re all striving for?

The other half of the equation is willingness to help others. Let’s face it. Most veteran writers have way more work than they have hours in the day. Yet, most writers I’ve encountered are incredibly gracious with their time. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. Gracious giving does not mean unlimited access or advice. Depending on the writer’s schedule, it may mean anything from simple encouragement to giving a critique of your work. If you’re fortunate enough to receive the latter, be gracious in receiving the feedback! While you’re under no obligation to agree with or take their advice, weigh it carefully before you decide to reject it.

The network created between the various levels of writers is an invaluable support group. No matter what stage you’re in, you need positive reinforcement. A few encouraging words can sustain a writer for days, sometimes weeks!

In closing, I’ll share one story of many about those supporting my work. Author and editor Gail Purath is one of the most gracious people I’ve encountered in my writing journey. She has published my work on her website, WOW-Writing On the Word, with more planned for the future. She could’ve easily stopped at sending the acceptance letter. Instead, she has generously supported my other writing efforts. This week, she listed my blog alongside a few big guns in the writing industry on her other website, Bible Love Notes. Check out this informative post for links to other helpful writing information. Thanks, again, Gail!

The bottom line is writers are blessed by God so they can bless others. Think about how you can bless another writer today. Never stop believing in yourself or the talent God blessed you with. If you haven't been published yet--that day will come.

Feel free to share how you’ve been blessed or blessed another in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have, as well.

If you’ve enjoyed Writers’ Corner over the past few weeks, would you consider subscribing to receive new posts in your email? The subscription box is on the top right-hand column. Thanks!

Show, Don't Tell

Week two of Writers’ Corner, and I’m glad you returned. Would you take a moment to become a follower, if you’ve enjoyed the blog so far? Thanks!

The winner of the critique giveaway is Rosilind Jukic from Zagreb, Croatia! I look forward to reading your submission, Rosilind. Please review the rules from last week’s Writers’ Corner post and then send me your WIP as an attachment through email. My contact info is above.

As we discussed last week, revising and editing are a necessary part of the writing process. It’s easy to catch obvious spelling or grammatical errors, but the ability to self-edit is a skill acquired over time. In addition to seeking feedback/critiques from fellow writers, good writing tools are important.  

If you were to look at a published writer’s bookshelf, you’d see a few dog-eared writing books. My two favorites are: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to edit yourself into print, by Renni Browne and Dave King, and Getting The Words Right: 39 ways to improve your writing, by Theodore A. Rees Cheney.

Both books were invaluable during the early stages of my writing career. They’re chock-full of helpful advice and examples to help with editing. They can be ordered inexpensively through www.Amazon.com.

Now, let’s look at one admonition a writer might get from an editor: Show, don’t tell.

You might ask—isn’t all writing telling? Not exactly. Mastering this concept can be a challenge. “Telling” can creep into even the most experienced writer’s work. After all, the writer sees the scene clearly in their mind. It’s easy to forget the reader doesn’t have the same vantage point.

The editing phase is the perfect time to uncover telling scenes. As writers, we owe it to our readers to dig a little deeper—put them on the stage with the characters.

So what does “show, don’t tell” mean?

As Mark Twain put it, “Don’t say the old lady screamed. Bring her on and let her scream.”

Here’s an example:

Telling

Dawn was distraught that her terrier Fluffy lay on the side of the road dead. She felt guilty because it was her fault for letting him run free instead of putting him on a leash.

Showing

Dawn stumbled down the sidewalk. Her mind refused to believe what her eyes told her. Fluffy, her little brown terrier, lay in a crumpled heap on the roadside where a speeding car had tossed him like yesterday’s garbage.

Dawn dropped to her knees in front of Fluffy. She ran a trembling hand across his soft fur. He shivered one final breath before his body grew still.

“Fluffy!” Dawn scooped the dog into her arms and clutched him to her chest.

“Why?” She wailed. “Why did I let you out of the house without your leash?”

She rocked back and forth, sobbing, with tears streaming down her cheeks. The neighbors stepped onto their porch and craned their necks to see what had happened.

The differences between the two scenes are pretty obvious. After reading the second scene, the reader knows Dawn is distraught and guilt-ridden without the writer writing either word. Not only that, the writer has engaged the reader’s senses to the point where they wonder how the rest of the scene may unfold. This keeps the reader from putting down the book.

This concept applies to both fiction and non-fiction. Whether you’re writing an article or a book, the best way to share the story is with anecdotes or scenes with action and dialogue.

Now, take a look at your work in progress (WIP), and see if there are scenes you can rewrite to show your story better.

And if you have a favorite book on writing, please share in the comments. I’d love to hear about it.