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Get write right when you write
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I admit it. I have been goofing off the last couple of days. Instead of writing I’ve been reading. (It’s my opinion that reading makes one a better writer.) Some of the books I read were stunning and well written.
Other of the books I read could’ve had their writers spend more time reading. At the very least, they should’ve had someone read their books before they published them. Glaring spelling and grammar errors jumped out at me. One was so bad all I can think of is that writer did a lot of cut and paste and never read it through afterwards. It had too many disjointed paragraphs and sentences that made no sense at all.
When my books get out there, I do hope I am giving you the very best that I can do. I’d be ashamed to give you anything less.
Nothing makes me scream in frustration more when reading a book than to see careless errors.
Do NOT depend on your spell checker to catch all mistakes. There are words that sound alike but have completely different meanings. Take for example the words write, rite, and right. If, you aren’t sure what spelling is correct, do use a dictionary and look up the word.
Read, read, read, and reread your book. Then have others read it before you send it off.
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Post A Day, Reading, Spelling and Grammar, Writer, Writers Resources, Writing
Exercising the brain while writing
Posted by doggonedmysteries
As you can see by my reading list, I am reading Donald Maass’s book The Fire in Fiction–passion, purpose, and techniques to make YOUR NOVEL GREAT. It is an exhausting and slow read because there are exercises to do at the end of each chapter. No, I don’t mean I have to do calisthenics. I’m talking about doing writing exercises. The brain needs exercise too.
I’ve found that I can do the exercises, have fun doing them, and learn. However, when I’m expected to do this sort of thing in a writer’s conference session, my mind goes completely blank. I figure it’s because it’s daytime at the conference (usually morning and I don’t do mornings well at all) when this asked of me.
Hell, I’m never alert until the sun goes down. Thus, doing the exercises on my schedule seems to work fine. I wonder if I’ll feel the same way when I tackle his Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook. Don’t worry. When I do the exercises, I am using my books and it is helping with the rewrites.
Why do I do this? I have no idea. Mostly I am hoping all this work makes me a better writer so you, my readers, have greater enjoyment.
Tags: Arts, Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Brain, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Donald Maass, Family, Fiction, Fire in Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Reading, The Fire in Fiction: Passion Purpose and Techniques to Make Your Novel Great, Writer, Writers Resources, Writing
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