10 Favorite Websites

There are so many great websites out there for writers.  These sites are filled with wonderful information and I have learned a lot from these sites.

I love to share, so here is a list of my favorite websites.  Enjoy

1.  Wikipedia         www.wikipedia.com

I love this site because you can search just about anything and get information.  I have used this site to search places and have gotten even gotten insperation from some of my searches.

2.  Daily Writing Tips   www.dailywritingtips.com

This site is full of information on everything writing.  I have found the articles easy to read and packed with information.  You will find an index of all the articles and can even search the site. You can sign up to receive the daily tips in your email.  You also receve a free grammar e-book when you sign up for the daily tips.  You can find the link in the top right hand corner of the home page.

3.  Writer's Digest   www.writersdigest.com

Great site.  This site is jam packed full of articles, blogs, writing prompts and from time to time they host writing contests.  You can become a member of the site for free and receive weekly newsletters.  You can also download e-books for free as well. 

4. Writing World   http://www.writing-world.com

Another site full of articles on writing from beginning that first book to publishing advice.   They also have a newsletter.  You will also find at the bottom of the first page a link to a FREE yearly writing planner.  It is called "A Writer's Year 2012.  There are a few different formats for download.  You also have the option to purchase a hard copy of the book for $18.95.  I downloaded the PDF format and have used it.

5.  About.com  www.about.com 

Another great site for research.

6.  Writing.com    www.writing.com

This site is great for feed back.  You know one of the important things to do to become a good writer is to read.  This site is full of  stories to read.  You can sign up for a free memebership.  The free memberhsip includes full email service, endless newsletters on all subjects, a writing portfolio, writing contests and message boards.  They also have a paid membership, but there is plenty to do with the free memebership.

7.  Creavitve Writing Now  www.creative-writing-now.com

This site has advice on how to write anything from short stories to creative journaling.  There are writing contests and a free writing course.  The course is three lessons and are good ones.  They also have other more in detail courses for a fee.  They have a newsletter as well and you get a free e-book when you sign up.  I have spent a lot of time here and have gotten some great info and ideas.

8.  Thesaurus.com   www.thesaurus.com

This site also has a dictionary.  I always have this site open when I am writng.  LOVE IT!

9.  Miss Snark's First Victim  http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/

I have just found this site and like what I see so far.  She does have a few writing contest going on.  Please take some time to really look at this site.  She has agents visit her site and get involved with the contests.  Agents has taken an intrest in writers that have entered the contests.  What a great way to get noticed.  You can also get feed back and critiques from the site owner for a fee.

10. Be a Better Writer   www.be-a-better-writer.com

Just found this site a well and fell in love with!  There is just so much information and good information.  The title is not kidding...Your Complete Creative Writing Toolkit.  This site does not just give you information but gives you examples.  I have been looking for an example of a queary letter, but have just found articles on how to write one, I wanted to see what a queary letter looked like.  You will find that here along with how to write it and what you need to include.  The owner of this site is the nicest lady I have ever talked to.

Visit the sites and tell me what you think.  Please let me know if any of the links are broken or take you to a differnet site and i will get them fixed. 

Please  share your favorite site, I would love to check them out.

Useless Words

Useless is defined as

1.       Of no use

2.       Not serving the purpose

3.       Without useful qualities

I submitted a question to one of my online writing groups,

What would be the one piece of advice you would give a new writer?

Within hours I got a bunch of replies.  Some, well most, were very helpful and I will be using the advice I was given.

One email was short and simple, it suggested that I do a search for the following words.

1.       Just

2.       Well

3.       So

4.       Okay/ok

They are useless words and to remove about 80% of them.

Now I thought all words were important.  You have to use words to get your point across, so all words are important, right?

Not so, do you want to make your writing more direct and speed up the pace of your story?  Eliminate those words that don’t add anything to the piece.

As I did research on the net for that magic list of useless words I found a few articles, but they talked about the over usage of adjectives and adverbs.  I do believe this is important, but not where I wanted to go with this blog post.

I needed to redefine may search.  I hit the jackpot when I searched “overused words”. So let’s  go back and I will remind you that all word are important to get your point across or to tell a story, but there are some words that are over used.  I have also found a magic list of those overused words.

As writers we often rely on clichés or tired over used words.  We need to come up with an original way to get our voice heard.  We don’t  want to be lazy and or writing stale.  I spent two years writing my first manuscript, I would like people to read it and not get bored.  I am sure you are the same way.

Overused Words:  The Short List

That  --  just  --  well  --  many  --  a lot --  when

But  --  there  -- you  --  as   --  very  --  really 

Said  -- kind of

Use the list as a tool.  I’m sure some of the words are not over used in your writing, but others might be.

Example: All the lists I found listed the word “well”.  I searched my manuscript and found I used the word “well” a total of 189 times in a manuscript of 100,537 words, not too bad.  I did delete 124.  They were sitting there, not doing much.  “Well” added nothing to the sentence.  In fact the sentence sounded better when I deleted the word.

Even though the list is a place to start, you need to recognize the word or words you are over using.  Your list will have words that are not on my list.

How do I find my overused words? 

Have someone read a sample of your writing.  My daughter pointed out my overused words.  Go through a few pages of your manuscript and look at each word, hi-lite the words you use more often.  If you use those words a lot in those few pages, my guess  there are going to be a lot more.

Beware of favorite words, I have a few of those.

My Favorite Words

That  --  yea  --  yep  --  just

To give you an idea of how much I really like “that” I found I used it 1937 times.  I used it 8 times in one paragraph that was about 6 sentences long.  I deleted the ones that did not add anything to the sentence.  By the time I was done I had deleted 1117 “that”. WOW, I really loved that word! 

As I read the sentences I realize they were just not needed hey brought nothing to the sentence.  Now, before you get delete happy and annihilate all of your over used words, read the sentence, and then read the sentences around that target sentence.  Ask yourself,

1.       Does the word add to the sentence?

2.       Does the sentence still make sentence without the word?

3.       Could I use a different word in its place?

You may have to keep the word and this is fine, but if you can get rid of it, hit that delete button.

You have now recognized your overused words you now make an effort to avoid using them.  Try using a different word with the same meaning.  A thesaurus is a must have tool.  Right click on your overused word in your document and choose ‘synonyms’ for the pull down menu.

The best advice I ever received as “be true to the story.”  Do what is best for the story that you are trying to tell, keep it believable, not cluttered and stale.

Critiquing - Part Two

In my last post I touched on giving a critique and this time I will be touching on getting a critique. 

Let me start by giving you two pieces of advice.

1.       Get tissues

2.       Grow a tough skin, really tough skin

Not that you have cried and used all the tissues in the box and have realized that no matter how hard  you tried your skin was not tough enough, I will now tell you that it does get better.  Trust me, I know.

I spent two years working and writing my book.  Countless nights up until three in the morning writing,  I stole time to do research and listened to other people tell stories and gained inspiration from those stories.

I built plots and brought personality to made up people.  I put in a lot of hard work and had a lot of fun along the way.  When I was done, I was proud of that book.  I knew it was the first draft and knew that it needed work, but deep down I knew and still know that I have a good story.  There are people out there that will read it.  It has betrayal, a cheating spouse or two and a murder.  Come on, who wouldn’t want to read that?

I wanted to know what others thought of the book before I started the rewrite.  Not sure if others do this, but I did it.  I enlisted my friends to read it.  They told me ‘good job’, but I was looking for more.  I once again began searching the net for places to submit my work for some feedback.

On the advice of a friend I became a member of a writer’s web site.  I have decided not to name this site in fairness to them.  Most of the members stated they received a lot of support and became better writers because of this site.  For me, however, I did not have that kind of experience, quite the opposite.

I began looking around, reading both stories and the critiques for that story.  Some were tough but seemed to offer help and suggestions. So, I built up the nerve and posted my first chapter and within hours I got my first critique.  He was an editor and retired agent,  well that waswhat he put on his profile, he pointed out what I did wrong and told me that there was not a publisher any were that would publish that story.  He did give me some good ideas and suggestions on what I needed to do to fix it. He did tell me that he thought I had a good story.

I was feeling confident, this was really not that bad, not bad at all.  Until (oh you that was coming) more  critiques came in.  They hurt and hurt bad.  The following is just a sampling of what I was told.

One critique wanted me to describe each character. I have about 8 characters in most chapters. This person wanted to know what each character looked like, their full back ground and personality.  This person also wanted a full description of the house and the church.  The first chapter takes place in the home of one of the characters and in a tiny room in a church.

I was told to ‘show, not tell’.  My guess you have done your research so you have heard of ‘show, don’t tell.  I am still learning that one.

I was told I needed to reveal what was going to happen in the book in the first chapter.

I was told that I had a great script for a T.V show but it was  “a terrible attempt at writing fiction.”

I made one person drunk with all of my dialog, and he stopped reading.

BUT, my all-time favorite critique was the one that pointed out everything that I did wrong, added a website telling me why it was wrong and ended each and every paragraph (there had to be 20 paragraphs) with “you made that mistake because you are an inexperienced writer.”  He also pointed out my POV (point of View) changes.

I sent a message to this guy asking him if he would be so kind as to let me know where my POV issues were.  I got a response form him and he told me, “Clearly you know nothing about writing, if you don’t know where the POV issue are you are an even a worse writer than I first thought and not worth my time.”

This site did not help me, it hurt.  Because of this site and the critiques I almost gave up on a dream.  I wanted to take everything and burn it.  All my notes, all my hand written chapters, my character outlines, I want to set fire to it all.  I decided to put the book away, but just for a short time.  I needed time to heal.  I knew I had a diamond in the rough, it just needed some work.

Once again, I began my search for a writer’s group and decided on a writers critique group on Yahoo Groups.  I began reading old posts and did like what I was reading.  I gained my confidence and submitted my first chapter again.  This time is was a second draft of the first chapter.  I used some of the suggestions and rewrote the chapter.

I waited and I got my first critique.  I did not rush to read it. I have to admit, I was scared to read it, some of those wounds were still there.  The email sat in my in box, then the second and a third.  I finally got the nerve, ok, I really prepared myself for the worst.  I read the email.

The first thing that I noticed was the tone, it was different.  It was more positive. It  pointed out what was wrong and I was given ideas and suggestions to fix it.  There was even some humor added in.  The other two were the same, pointed out what needed work and was given suggestions.  I even found out what my POV issues were and how to fix them.

These critiques were not sugar coated, but they were encouraging.  I feel this group wants to help. What I have learned from both groups.

1.       What works for one person may not work for another

2.       If it does not fit your personality, move on.

3.       Think about the critique and use what you want.

The following are things to remember when getting a critique on your work.

1.       A critique is just one person’s opinion

2.       If more than one person points out the same issue, you should rethink it.

3.       Any suggestion can be accepted or rejected

4.       Do what is best for the story.

5.       Don’t take the critiques personally.

If a critique or something in a critique upsets you, don’t just delete it or dismiss it.  Sit on it for a little bit and then revisit it.  Those suggestions may end up working better than you first thought.

Critiquing Part One

As I search the internet for help and ways to improve learn my new craft I have run across a lot of articles and websites that give you list of things to do to become a good writer.  Among some if the items on the lists are:

·         Read

·         Write every day

·         Have an idea

·         Join a writers group

·         Critique others work

Read, I can do. Write, have no problem with that, have an idea, I have plenty of  those, but critique someone work?  .  I remember sitting in class and the teacher instructs us to read a poem.  After several minutes she stops us and then begins to ask questions on what the poem means to us.  Several people, mainly the smart kids, begin to answer her questions.

I try my hardest not to be noticed but for some reason the harder I try the more I stand out.  I begin to tell the class what the poem means to me.  Unlike the smart kids, I was told I was wrong.  She asked me what the poem means to me.  She was asking for my feeling on the poem.  How could that be wrong?  How are my feelings wrong? 

I soon began to hate that section of English class and was glad that it did not last long and we were on to short stories and writing our own.  I graduated high school and moved on to college.  I no longer had to worry about critiquing another poem or story.  I was happy.

That was until, I began searching the net and finding that if I wanted to be a good writer I should critique others work. Well crap.  I have taken all the other advice that I found, do I really have to do this one too?  I dreaded it and it was the last thing that I wanted to bring back into my life.    I did not what to do this.  I read for enjoyment, but I bit the bullet and began seeking things to critique.

I found that Bing Dictionary defines critique as:

1.      review of somebody's work: a written or broadcast assessment of something, usually a creative work, with comments on its good and bad qualities

2.      to discuss or comment on something such as a creative work, giving an assessment of its good and bad qualities.

After reading this I realized that there is a difference between critiquing and analyzing.  As I was beginning this new part of becoming a better writer, I was able to separate the two.  I was happy that they had nothing to do with each other, well in my mind anyway.

I began to seek out things to critique.  I found some great sites on the net.  I began to read stories by others, but the only critique that I could come up with was ‘good job.’  That was not a critique.

I had to figure out how to critique. I continued to search the net and found a site with hundreds of stories and I could read what others were saying.  I read the other critiques on the story that I was reading and kind of followed their critique, but that can be dangerous.  I was not learning, I was just going on planted ideas of what others thought of the piece.  Now this did help, I started to have my own feelings and thoughts on the writing.  The more that I read the better I get.  Do I have a good handle on critiquing someone’s work, no, not yet.

I have learned as I do critiques, I am seeing mistakes that I do in my own writing.  I found one writer and really liked her chapter that she submitted. As I read her story and began to make my own notes on the story, I was seeing things that I was doing wrong in my own writing. Reading others critiques on the same piece gave me ideas and things to watch in my own writing.   I was able to see what readers are wanting in a story.

You can learn a lot by doing critiques.  We will all take something different from them and learn something different.  Start a critique with an open mind and have some fun.  The one thing that I try to do is if I point something out that I think needs work or needs to be fixed, I always give my ideas on what to do to fix it or make it better.

 I am by far an expert on critiquing, but the more that I do the better I get and you will to. Here are few pointers for you to consider when doing critique.

1.      Remind the recipient the critique reflects one person’s opinion and they are free to accept or reject the suggestions.

2.      Try to concentrate on the positive.

3.      Does the opening chapter grab your attention and would you want to keep reading?

4.      Dialog – does it help move the story along or is it awkward?

5.      Note your reactions as you read.

6.      Underline passages you find confusing, passages that don’t seem important or are not relevant to the story.

7.      Give examples of improvements

8.      It is ok to point out spelling and grammar issues.

9.      Point of View – Did the writer remain consistent?  Was the story told in active or passive voice?  Was the writer consistent with verb tense throughout the story.

10.  Be honest, but kind and encouraging.

There are many many sites that have ideas and suggestions on giving a critique and this is just a short list to give you some ideas.

New Group

New blogs are on the way!  I have been busy rewriting my first draft using all the advice and suggetions that I have been given. 

I have to tell you that I thought writing the first draft was hard.  Well I was wrong!  The rewrite is by far harder.  What i have been learnig is there are a lot of different oppions out there and just not sure what which ones to use.

I think you just need to find someone that you trust  and listen to them.  I have found one thing and that is a professional editor my just be what i am needing.  I feel that I need someone that know the industry and can point me in the direction that is best for my book.  That costs money, but the rewrite will continue and the money will continue to go into savings.

For now, I have set up a new writing group in Yahoo Groups.  If you do not know anything about Yahoo groups, it is a great place to find and make new friends.  Yahoo Groups is an e-mail serivce for people to connect with others who have the same interests.  All communication is thru email and with members of that group.  It is a great little service.  I have been part of many groups and have made a lot of friends thru these groups.

As I have said, I have set up a group and we are called Novice Writer.  My goal for the group is to build a small comunity of writers so that we can all learn and to become a better writer.  I would like to build the group with beginner and experienced writers, with some that have been published and some that just write for fun.  I want all kinds of writers to join, if you write short stories, novels, articles, or poems, I would love you to join us.

Some of the things that will be going on are contests, challenges, Round Robin Stories (this one should be fun). I will be posting writing prompts and journal entry ideas.  We are just a small group right now, but looking for more members to help our little group grow.  So why not head over to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/novice_writers/ and join us.