It never ceases to amaze me when a prospective writer confesses that he or she has never put anything down on paper. Obviously, that's the first step. Just dreaming about it won't make it happen. Anyone can write. But not everyone writes well.
Shaping a manuscript as most everyone knows can be compared to shaping a formless lump of matter into a work of art. But it has to be shaped and chiseled more than once; sometimes you might even have to start over, and, when it reaches its final stages, it still might need a trim here and there. Without the benefit of an objective reading, you might consider taping your manuscript. When you listen to it, it's like hearing someone else's work and you can edit out the hiccups. The best test, however, is reading one's work in front of an audience, whether a roomful of people or one person; you can feel it when the listener loses interest or when the rhythm is off or when you've used the wrong word. It's a good way to stand back and look at your work objectively.
It's important to have the necessary materials and tools to do the job if you want to be a writer. You can't create anything from a formless lump if you don't have something malleable to work with in the first place. The tools you need as a writer are a collection of words on paper, a story outline, a typewriter or word processor, and a few books offering guidelines on how to prepare a manuscript. Then, you keep doing it till you get it right.
Marjorie Allen is a free-lance writer/editor who has had several books published. She has also taught writing at a local community college. She and her husband spend winters on the Baja Peninsula and summers in the Berkshires of Massachusetts.
The first five pages of a novel are critical.Editors make... Read More
You're writing a story set in your local city, but... Read More
About two weeks ago I received an article submissionthat immediately... Read More
Short Story Writing Tips ?We all have different tastes in... Read More
Open up your favorite calendar and circle today's date.Why? Because... Read More
Sometimes I can be dense when it comes to realizing... Read More
Short Story Writing Tips:Your title is your selling tool. It's... Read More
'Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always... Read More
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More
He ran up the steps and knocked on the door.... Read More
Has the thought run across you mind that you might... Read More
It's clich?, but true-a picture does paint a thousand words.... Read More
Right off the bat, I want to say that there... Read More
Sit back, and imagine what it feels like to be... Read More
Around eighty percent of nonfiction books today are written by... Read More
Communication is effective when we follow certain rules. These rules... Read More
Want to write an article or book, but are stuck... Read More
What am I supposed to give Anthony as a wedding... Read More
Ever wonder why we refer to convincing an editor a... Read More
When you get stuck for ideas, and the words won't... Read More
Rudolph Flesch, a pioneering advocate of readability, put great stock... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?What a plot is and what a... Read More
If you are looking for copywriter books, you'll want to... Read More
1. Turning your idea into a bookWith non-fiction books the... Read More
A good white paper is a paper that makes you... Read More
What am I going to write about?Which topic is the... Read More
If you're a writer, you're in business. It doesn't matter... Read More
Writing better is critical for students. But it's even more... Read More
You may not remember this, but in the early days... Read More
As a previous article ("Making Better Word Choices ? 4... Read More
Hundreds of writing contests tempt screenwriters with the lure of... Read More
Typically when falling asleep in bed at night great thoughts... Read More
May I tell you about a writing technique shared by... Read More
Picture this scene.Your hero is sitting in a bar. He's... Read More
Lately I've been noticing an odd trend amongst the freelance... Read More
Based on the feedback that I have been getting from... Read More
One of the biggest problems that inexperienced writers have is... Read More
If you become a writer for any publication, private business,... Read More
If you want happy customers to use your service or... Read More
As an International language, English has been used widely in... Read More
Griselda spent hours polishing up her resume. No detail was... Read More
Is there a book inside of you? Yes? Then why... Read More
Today it begins.I have always known I was a freelancer.... Read More
This article contains a short guide on how to edit... Read More
Whether you are writing a magazine article, composing a press... Read More
When my first book "Starting Your Own Business" was published... Read More
Sometimes a freelance writing career can feel very much like... Read More
Hands up all those who'd like to have a successful... Read More
Chaos and confusion come when established rules and procedures are... Read More
Every morning I excitedly get out of bed. Just a... Read More
Writing |