In honor of today's topic, this will be a short post.
Jennifer J. Bennett's post yesterday and Rachelle Gardner's post from two days before were both sending the same message...a valuable one. It is all about tightening up your writing and taking out unnecessary words that don't add to the story. I'm a huge word over-user and I need to learn the valuable skill of tightening. Printing words on a page costs Publishers money and before they publish a book it's probable that they are making sure there aren't 22 extra pages.
22 extra pages (x) a few thousand copies of a book(=) lost money (=) not good, in this economy
The important question for each scene, sentence, and adjective is: does it add to my story? If not, it can go. I have some (but need some more) friends who will be honest with me. It may be tough to hear at times but at least I'll grow.
By they by...next week I am moving to a new format so you'll have to be honest with me and tell me if you like it...more on that later.
A new format sounds interesting. I'll look forward to it. We all need help in the writing process. None of us are perfect and if we want to be better and be taken seriously we can't do it alone. We need to stretch ourselves and see things from different directions. I'm hoping I can do that too. Growth can be a hard thing but without it we will not perfect our writing or gain the confidence we need.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely. I don't even know what I would be doing without the wonderful writers I have met online. Y'all are so inspiring and I don't have many friends that are seriously writing. Thanks.
ReplyDeletePruning might sometimes be painful, but you never know what pretty things might grow from it. Sometimes it's hard to hear (or give) but if we don't take it (or give it) then how are any of us going to be better (or even our best)?
ReplyDeleteI have a wierd problem. I tend to get straight to the story and then I have to go back and add description and more detail. I have no idea why..its just what comes out.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I am sure the new format will look great but don't get rid of the profile pic because that is awesome!! I love hats.