POWER Writing

[LJH]

As writers I think we all want to write that great American-or-whatever-country novel. Some of us might write for amusement. Then there are those who write professionally. No matter which one of these I'm in, I know I always write stuff that I think contains a message, but not only that, I write my thoughts and its damned nigh difficult at times to put it across in a simple, meaningful way.

 

I found this list in the writing course I did some years ago, and I thought I'd like to share it with you. It's not cast in stone. The rules of writing never are. Once a beginner has mastered the art of connecting words to the physical, spiritual, medical and social aspects of our existence, he finds that he can play, and create, and make music with his writing. This, to me, is the joy of writing. The ability to describe a picture, a view, a car, a sexy man/woman, the ocean, the moon, in a way that a blind person could reach out and touch it.

 

I hope this list works for you.

 

1. Energise your writing by choosing the PRECISE words that contain the exact meaning of your thoughts.

Fiction is made up of sentences. If they're cluttered and dragged down, your story won't work.

Get rid of things you don't need.

Short sentences work best for emphasis. Mix up sentence lengths. Short, long. Short, short, long.

 

2 Make sure you're (almost always) in the active voice, using vivid, exciting verbs.

Verbs are centre stage.

The engine.

The star.

Whatever you want to call it.

 

3.Your writing lives or dies by your choice of verbs.

Here are some powerful verbs: blast, careen, squawk, bludgeon, saunter, loom, zigzag, squint, shimmy, zoom, glimmer, screech, yap, skewer, gallop, tiptoe,growl,wiggle, wobble, sidle, creep,whisk,. Their sound suggests their action.

 

4. Avoid linking verbs and passive verbs.

Linking, or passive verbs include, is, was,were, be, been, would, could, should, shall, etc. The forms of "to be".

When you edit your work, go over it and see if you can transform them into active verbs.

 

5. Passive=almost dead. Passive verbs suck the life and energy out of a sentence.

 

6. The trick in writing is to cut the flab.

Ask yourself if you need every word.

Then start looking at your extra words - adverbs, adjectives and prepositions.

Print out your work, for many people, mistakes are easier to see on the printed page.

 

7. Adverbs cling to verbs and drown them. Choose the right verb and you won't need an adverb.

Adjectives also clump around and confuse readers.

Choose precise nouns.

Good writing is specific. It's not filled with modifiers. So don't write about tall buildings, write about skyscrapers. Don't write about dogs, write about Colllies, Pekinese, etc...

 

8. You need description. Some may differ on this, but use Anglo Saxon words. Goat, chop,axe, think,tree, rock, house, moon, etc. They work because they're direct and often sound like what they mean.

Specific means using as few words as you can to say as much as you can. A little means a lot.

Voltaire said that the adjective is the enemy of the noun.

Most modifiers are reduntant, green grass, blue sky,tall trees, friendly smiles, tiny babies, frisky kittens.

 

9. Start with a few details. Try to find words with clout. 'The vandals made a total wreck of the apartment," is wimpy; but "The vandals savaged the apartment," is interesting.

 

10. Dialogue should be concise.

Contain only as much information as you can squeeze in. It should suggest personality.

 

11. Avoid starting your sentences with there is, there was, it is, it was, there are. For example: there are dozens of children standing in the playground - wimpy. Dozens of children dot the playground - not perfect, but better. (although that's a matter of opinion as all of this is).

 

12 Use common words unless you're in a certain era that requires research. Otherwise don't use visage, countenance, use face. Don't write tome, write book - unless that's how a character talks. The idea is write the way most of us talk.

 

13. Details must not just hang around and pretty the place.

They must cause things to happen.

Give ONE vivid detail and the readers will build the rest.

 

14. Lots of dialogue is good as long as it doesn't get too bogged down or preachy.

It should advance plot and reveal character.

In fiction we're giving the story, usually through a central character's point of view, as if the character were experiencing it in real life. It makes the reader jump into their world.

 

 

15. Show, don't tell, means, whenever possible choose action over exposition.

Bring people to life.

Don't say the John is angry, Write: John stormed into the room and snatched the phone from Chris and demanded, 'Who the hell are you talking to?"

 

16 You can convey what the character is thinking by describing his or her behaviour.

 

17., Telling means standing between the reader and the subject and offering judgements.

Showing includes sensory details. How things smell, taste, feel, sound, etc.

You can say John is handsome or you can say

all the men in the bar turned to stare when he entered.

 

18. Gary Provost suggests that you write with verbs that show instead of adjectives that tell.

Instead of a loud man, the man roared.

Instead of old paint, the paint peeled.

Instead of shiny coin, coin glinted. Can you see the difference between saying sad woman, and the woman wept?

 

19. Write description as if writing non-fiction.

Non fiction really, really needs vivid verbs.

It needs the tone, the oomph that they bring.

In non fiction its about being specific, instead of saying he was tall, say he's 6 foot 7.

Instead of flower, say daisy. Instead of dog, say poodle. Instead of walking, say shuffle, amble, lope, slouch. Instead of house, cottage or split level.

 

20. Use descriptive, sensory details instead of summaries and judgemental observations. And by all means, avoid abstract language.

 

So that's it. Quite a mouthful. I hope it will help some of us, but most of us don't really need these guidelines.

 

Comments are welcome'

 

The content of this list is taken from: How To Write A Novel, by Amanda Patterson.

[Yettie One]

Wicked post. Thanks