Tag: writing basics

As writers, we need to determine the best time of day to write. The answer hinges on when our words flow best, balanced with when we encounter the fewest distractions. For me, this is the early morning. This is my prime time to write.

If we fail to capitalize on our best time to write, our writing will fail to be its best, or at least, it will take much more effort to get there.

Similarly, we need to find the best days to write. The best advice is to write every day. Short of that, some writers can only work on the weekdays and others only at the weekends. For me, I write every day, working on a project during the week and blog posts on the weekends.

Another consideration is the time of year. For me, writing is easier in certain seasons: spring, followed closely by summer and fall, but not winter. With the recent surprise of an early season snowstorm, I posted on Facebook, “Winter is my fourth favorite season.”

This isn’t to imply I don’t write in winter. I do. Even though it’s harder, I maintain my regular writing schedule throughout the winter months. What I must keep in mind, however, is that my production levels drop during this time of year. What might take thirty minutes to complete during the embrace of spring, may take an hour during the assault of winter.

Also, in winter I may need to allow more time for rewriting. During the winter months, it often takes additional effort to rework my words into an acceptable package.

Last, I know that winter is not the time for me to start a new project. I save those for other seasons when my energy is higher and creativity blooms. In winter I labor to move existing projects towards completion and don’t add new undertakings to a bulging workload.

You may share my seasonal struggles with winter, or perhaps your “winter season” is actually a metaphor for a different time of year. If you have a seasonally low time, learn how to deal with it. And if not, celebrate that you don’t.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

Anyone who’s been writing for more than a day or so knows that writing carries a bunch of rules. There are hundreds of rules or even thousands, perhaps a million, way too many to keep track of. These rules flood our minds and threaten to overwhelm. There are rules for how to punctuate a sentence, rules for word usage and sentence construction, rules for paragraph structure and book-length, rules for grammar and capitalization, and yes, rules for spelling.

Writing is full of rules, and wise writers strive to learn—and follow—them all.

Why? Because without rules, the congregation of letters would fall into anarchy and writing would fail to communicate. We need rules to give structure so our audience can understand.

Occasionally, I run across writers who choose to ignore the rules of writing. Their attitude is “I’m a free spirit and my writing reflects that; rules only get in my way and limit my creativity.” Yeah, sure. In reality, they’re just lazy.

Having said that, here are three things to know about the rules of writing:

1) Almost every rule has been broken at some point. The key is to do so sparingly and for a good reason, an extremely deliberate reason. The judicious breaking of rules, however, requires that they first are understood; ignorance is not acceptable. If we lack a well-considered justification for breaking a particular rule, then we shouldn’t do it.

2) Some rules change over time. Sage writers are alert to the ever-shifting conventions we must follow. Be aware that some of what we learned in grade school is no longer correct. While it’s wise to let others lead these changes, it’s equally unwise to resist them. In general, follow the consensus.

3) Some rules never were. Sometimes the preferences of our teachers take on the weight of law, instead of merely strongly held opinions. Other times, an adage is repeated often enough that it acquires the status of a rule even though it’s not. Though I can’t state this as fact, I’ve learned from people who should know, that there is no basis to the rule that we should never end a sentence with a preposition. Surely, some will cringe at this; for me, I feel a huge relief.

As wise writers, we must write rightly: learn the rules of writing, follow them diligently, and break them only when there’s a clear reason.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

Most anyone who has heard me talk about writing knows of my disdain for the word very. I’m quick to strike it whenever I see it; only rarely does it survive my critical eye. Along with very, here are some words to avoid in your writing:

Very: Writers use very to intensify the word that follows it. But if that word can’t stand on its own, then it’s the wrong word for the job. Pick a stronger one. Usually, the sentence is stronger by simply deleting very; if not the sentence needs work.

Of course, there are exceptions, but they are very, very rare. (Or should I simply say exceptions are rare?)

Really: Another intensifier is really. Really doesn’t do much to improve writing. Only very is more useless. Don’t say, “The rose was really red.” Try, “The rose was a vibrant red,” or be content with “The rose was red.”

Really avoid using “really.” (That is, avoid really.)

Just: The word just is another word to watch out for. Instead of intensifying the word that follows it, just lessens its partner. Would we ever say, “I’m just a writer?” Of course not!

When it comes to “just,” just skip it. (That is, skip using just.)

Almost and Somewhat: These two words also serve to lessen the words that follow. Don’t say, “It was somewhat cloudy.” That phrasing diminishes cloudy. Even the weather term “partly cloudy” is questionable as far as good writing is concerned. Instead, try “clouds scattered among a backdrop of blue.”

Using almost is somewhat weak writing. (Using almost is weak writing.)

Sort of and kind of: These two pair of phrases waffle on what follows. My favorite pet peeve is “sort of pregnant.” Either you are pregnant or you aren’t; there’s no middle ground. While most other examples aren’t so unequivocal, the principle still applies.

It’s kind of bad whenever we use sort of. (It’s bad to use sort of – and kind of.)

These words creep into our writing, and intentional examples aside, I had to edit a few occurrences out of this piece. So join me on a campaign to improve our writing by avoiding these weak words: very, really, just, almost, and somewhat, as well as the phrases sort of and kind of.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

Seven Tips to Grow as a Writer

My original blog, Musings, has over 500 posts, totaling about 130,000 words, enough for two or three books. While many posts wouldn’t make for good book content, about half of them have potential. So, I’ve taken the best ones and organized them by topic to repurpose as a book, called Woodpecker Wars.

[I’ve since re-titled and republished Woodpecker Wars as Bridging the Sacred-Secular Divide., available wherever books are sold.]

I’ve enjoyed reading my past work. I’m also editing as I read, because I’m now a better writer than when I first penned them. What an amazing realization. I didn’t know my writing was improving, but looking at my work from a few years ago shows that has happened. How affirming.

Here’s what I think contributed to my improvement:

1. Write Every Day

I start every day with at least an hour of writing, usually more. I write when I want to and when I don’t. I write when I’m inspired and when I’m dry.

2. Blog Regularly

Popping out four or more blog posts every week (I have multiple blogs) means I’m always looking for ideas, frequently turning them into short essays, and meeting deadlines.

3. Attend a Critique Group

Giving feedback to other writers and receiving input from them is critical to hone our craft. Some groups are better than others; look for one that is both nurturing and honest.

4. Read Books

Understanding how others put ideas into words and construct paragraphs provides fodder for our writing. Their work, style, and voice inform ours.

5. Evaluate Other Writers

Aside from being a critique group member and working as a magazine editor, I sometimes have the opportunity to read new and not-yet-published writers. Giving some of myself to them requires I remain sharp so I can provide them with value.

6. Attend Writing Conferences

Being in the company of other writers is a treasure. At writing conferences, there is the opportunity to learn from others who are further ahead of us on this writing journey and encourage those who are not as far. We must give and receive; both are rich experiences.

7. Work to Improve

A key item is simply striving to get better. For a couple of decades, I sought to write with greater speed. And I did get faster, but I didn’t get much better. If we are to improve, we need to focus on it.

May your writing improve as you apply these tips.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

I recently spoke at a writers conference, and one question during my Q&A surprised me: What’s the proper way to format a submission?

Having read thousands of submissions, I can firmly state that while poor writing is the quickest way to have your work dismissed. Poor formatting is the second quickest way and also the fastest way to irritate an editor.

I’ve rejected average submissions because of poor formatting. Yet, if the writers had properly presented their work, I’d have put forth the effort to clean up their writing, but to fix both their writing and formatting required more time than I was willing to give.

Fixing formatting problems isn’t a trivial task. Sometimes I’ve spent up to an hour reformatting a submission, just so I can edit it. Writers should avoid earning a reputation for bad formatting.

There are two main points for proper formatting: First, there are common basic criteria that almost all people agree on; second, many publishers and editors tell you what they expect. So, use the basic requirements in all your work and then tweak it as needed for specific instances.

Here are the basics:

• Times New Roman font: 12 points, black
• Double-spacing between lines
• Only one space to end a sentence
• Flush left and jagged right (that is, left-justified but not right)
• Indented paragraphs, usually a half an inch (Use the indentation setting in your word processor; don’t use a certain number of spaces or set a tab.)
• One inch top and bottom margins
• Equal side margins (usually either one inch or one and a half inches)
• Don’t have a hard break (that is, a “carriage return”) at the end of each line.
• Don’t add an extra line at the end of a paragraph (except for a scene break or transition).

If you follow these basics, few editors will object and most will consider you a pro.

Here are some bonus considerations

• Don’t format the margins differently on odd and even pages (as you would see in a book).
• On the first page, include your name and contact information (email, phone, and mailing address) at the top, along with the word count (and for articles, indicate the rights you are offering). Some publications will specify that you put this information in the top right and others, the top left. Some will say to put this in the header and others will specify the top of the page, so expect some variation, but the key is not to omit this critical information.
• For all other pages, add a header with your last name, short title, and the page number. There may be some variations on this, but the main thing is to have this key information in a header (or footer), not on the page itself.

Lastly, don’t let formatting paralyze you. In almost all cases, editors will fix a minor deviation or two without complaint. They generally want you to succeed. Following conventional formatting (along with great writing) will help get your work published.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

My friend, an auto-mechanic, shared a story about his co-worker who was assigned a difficult repair that should have taken twenty-two hours, but it took him much longer. The next time the same job came in, he volunteered for it, this time finishing it quicker. Soon, every one of these repairs went to him.

Each time, he did it faster, not by cutting corners, but through increased efficiency and greater familiarity with the process. Eventually, he could complete this twenty-two-hour repair in less than one day. Plus, he actually improved the quality of his work, making fewer errors and learning how to better deal with potential problems.

The same applies to write. With practice, we can write better and faster. Here’s how:

• Embrace Repetition: The key is to write every day or at least with scheduled regularity. With repetition comes improved quality and increased speed. Ask a journalist; they know.
• Specialize: Just like this mechanic, who sought to do this one job every time he could, we do it by writing in one genre. At the very least, a group like tasks together. For example, I often write two or three blog posts at one time or do book reviews back to back—and with better, faster results.
• Work Smart: Have all your writing tools and resources available. Know what to expect and be ready. Remove distractions. Set boundaries with others, both those physically present and those who can invade your writing world with a phone call, text, or email.
• Focus: When it’s time to write, do you just start writing or ease into it? Don’t check email first, login to social media, get sidetracked when doing research, or watch TV to get ideas flowing. Write first; do other things later.
• Reward Yourself: The mechanic was paid according to the time the job was supposed to take, not his actual time. More money was his reward. In the same way, each time we finish a job, we need to reward ourselves. Don’t push into the next project right away; that leads to burnout. Instead, celebrate each accomplishment or give yourself a small reward. That makes us more ready to jump into the next task.

What tips do you have to write better or faster?

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

Here are seven simple tips I use to make my writing stronger.

1. Remove Filler Words: Two needless words abound in most writing: very and that. Almost all occurrences of very need to go. Very adds nothing and often weakens the word that follows it. Many times that needs removal as well. Search and destroy these unneeded filler words.
2. Avoid Timid Phrases: Writing “I think…,” I believe…,” “I feel…,” or “It’s my opinion…” all send the message that you’re not sure or aren’t passionate about what you’re saying. Don’t equivocate.
3. Simplify Complex Sentences: Look for conjunctions (primarily and, or, and but). These signal a complex sentence that may read better if turned into two shorter ones. While you don’t want to remove all conjunctions, some should probably go.
4. Cut Adverbs: Adverbs (most adverbs end with ly) tag along with a verb but often detract from the verb it’s supposed to help. Whenever possible, cut the adverb and let the verb do its own job. If the verb isn’t up to the challenge, search for a stronger one.
5. Examine Exclamations: Most writers use too many exclamation points. The purpose of exclamation points isn’t to emphasize the words that precede them but to signal something that is actually exclaimed. Search for exclamation points; most need removing.
6. Use Italics Sparingly: Similarly, many writers overuse italics, employing it to emphasize words. This usually signals weak writing. If you need italics to make your point, rework the sentence to make it stronger. Italics are great to add clarity or reduce confusion. Otherwise they probably need to go. The same applies for putting a word in quotes.
7. Read it Aloud: Reading your work aloud (or better yet, having someone else read it to you) will point out awkward wording and confusing phrases. This is critical for dialogue.

Applying these seven simple tips will make your writing stronger—they help mine.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.

Should you use an outline when you write?

The answer is maybe.

If an outline helps you organize your thoughts, gives your piece structure, or streamlines the writing process, then use it. However, if an outline constrains your creativity, presents a roadblock to starting, or slows you down, then don’t use one.

Sometimes I use an outline and sometimes I don’t.

Short Content

For articles and blog posts, I seldom use an outline. Usually, I start with a topic or theme, seeing where the words take me (as in this post). Sometimes I don’t end up where I expect to. When this happens, one piece may become two or even a series. Or my words might morph into something else, leaving my original idea intact for another day.

Alternately, I may start with a title and write to it. On other occasions, I know the end, using words to reach my destination. Sometimes I know both the beginning and the ending, with my job merely to connect the two.

Long Content

For books I always use an outline. There’s too much time to invest for me to not have a firm plan. Generally, my outline is mere bullet points listing the chapters, be it titles or themes. Other times my outline contains more detail, carefully connecting each thought, flowing from one section into the next. It matters not if I’m writing fiction or non-fiction, I use an outline.

Following an outline doesn’t limit my options or stifle creativity; instead, an outline funnels ideas into focused writing. I direct the bulk of my creative energies into my outline, where moving things around and changing my mind are much easier to do, with far fewer ramifications.

So sometimes I use an outline and sometimes I don’t. The same can apply to you. Don’t do what you think you should do or what someone told you, but use what works best for you.

Learn more about writing and publishing in Peter’s book: Successful Author FAQs: Discover the Art of Writing, the Business of Publishing, and the Joy of Wielding Words. Get your copy today.

Peter Lyle DeHaan is an author, blogger, and publisher with over 30 years of writing and publishing experience. Check out his book Successful Author FAQs for insider tips and insights.