Alicia Dean - Two-Minute Writing Tips
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Two-Minute Writing Tips
by
Alicia Dean
Two-Minute Writing Tips
COPYRIGHT 2016 by Alicia Dean
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Shadowspell Publishing
About Two-Minute Tips:
In todays busy worldand writers are far busier than the average human beingthere is little time for lengthy, detailed, intensive writing courses and writing manuals. Keeping in mind how precious and fleeting a writers time is, Alicia Dean posts a weekly Tuesday Two-Minute writing tip on her blog. She shares her knowledge, experience and wisdom with writers in tiny, bite-sized pieces so as not to squander more than 120-second bits of a writers precious time.
Now, you can get those tips all in one convenient place. In simple, quick and easily digestible servings, this book shares loads of tips to help writers improve. Tips such as
- Recognizing and eliminating filter words that distance your reader
- Understanding Point of View How to fix it and why
- Writing Faster Drafts
- Clearer, concise writing
- Tips for more effective Tweeting
No matter your level, from novice to multi-published author, you will find something beneficial in Alicias handy, quick reminders.
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Table of Contents
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
Hello fellow authors. I am sharing tips Ive picked up along the way as an author and editor, in workshops Ive taken, in classes, etc. I use examples when I can because, for me, that makes things much clearer and easier to understand. Many of the sentences are just made up randomly and are not from an actual story. When an example is used from an actual story, I have used my own books, not because I want to indulge myself and share my work for all to see, but because those are the only books Im familiar enough with to find the examples (good or bad), and because those are the only books to which I have the rights . I hope you enjoy and find something useful!
SOlets begin
TWO-MINUTE TIPS:
Excess words slow your pacing and make your writing clunky. To tighten, be aware of words that add nothing to the story. (HINT: Always check the last few words of a sentence or paragraph, especially prepositional phrases, because they can often be eliminated)
EXAMPLES:
- This place always brought back good memories for him . (We're in his head, so who else would he be referring to?)
- The very long walk from her house to his gave him time to think about her offer. ('Very' is generic and lazy. Not needed)
- Each time she thought of what he'd done to her, fury swept through her. Anger boiled her blood. (These last two things say the same thing. You only need one)
- Her promise failed to really give him hope. (Really adds nothing)
Take a look at this sentence:
I'll really be very happy to see you here next week. Knowing you'll be joining me next Tuesday is exciting for me.
Can you spot the excess words? ;)
Filter words distance readers and make your writing telling instead of showing.
Some examples:
Wondered
Felt
Heard
Saw
Suddenly
Decided
Knew
Thought
Watched
Began
Realized
Notice
Read these sentences and compare. Which of these make you feel closer to the action/emotions?
She heard a loud noise and suddenly felt something hit her leg. She wondered if shed been hit by shrapnel from the explosion. She watched as the blood pumped from a hole in her leg.
OR
An ear-shattering roar rose in the air. A sharp, burning pain shot through her leg. Ive been hit Blood pumped from a hole in her thigh.
Here are some excerpts where filter words have been used (they are bolded and underlined). Ive given examples of how to make them more active/immediate (in bold italics)
- Jeremy, can you come over? He could hear her sniffling. (She sniffled)
- He felt a spark of alarm. Yes. Whats wrong? Are you okay? (Alarm sparked inside his chest/brain/heart)
- He saw a smile cross her face. (Just a smile crossed her face or even, She smiled.)
So...keep an eye out for these filter words and try to eliminate them to make your writing more active/showing .
This is something that many writers, myself included, struggle with. Below is a simple, brief explanation with examples. There are many other ways to show instead of tell, but we'll keep it short here. On the other side of the coin, not everything has to be 'showing.' If you are simply moving a character from one location to another, or if a character calls and orders a pizza, you can definitely skip the details and dialogue. Just say 'He ordered a pizza.' :)
EXAMPLES:
TELLING : She had never been more angry in her life.
SHOWING: Rage coursed through her. She clenched her fists to keep from plowing them into his face. How could you do this to me?
TELLING She turned down his offer
SHOWING She shook her head. Im sorry, Im just not interested.
TELLING Janie felt sad because this was the last day they would be together. (because is a good indicator of telling. It means youre stopping to explain something to your readers. Felt is also a telling red flag.)
SHOWING Janies heart ached. This was the last day they would be together.
TELLING: Winter weather had arrived.
SHOWING: Frost clung to the tree branches. Frigid wind bit through her jacket, numbing her flesh.
Sentences that begin with phrases like
- It is
- It was
- There was
- There are
- There were
Not only does this phrasing make your writing weaker, it hides the actual subject of your sentence.
Examples:
- There were several people standing outside the building.
- It was fear that made Tinas legs tremble.
- There was an Elvis song playing when I walked in.
- Theres a brand new car in my driveway.
- It is always the spouse the cops look at first in a murder investigation.
Much better:
- Several people stood outside the building.
- Tinas legs trembled with fear.
- An Elvis song was playing when I walked in.
- A brand new car sat in my driveway.
- The cops always look at the spouse first in a murder investigation.
Dont worry about this during your first few drafts (that is the time to create, not hesitate ;)), but as youre revising, keep an eye out for sentences that begin with there or it and see if you can rearrange them to make them stronger and more active.
Most tags, especially anything other than 'said' slow down your pacing and are seldom needed. You can eliminate the tags and have only the action/internal thoughts. Especially tags like 'he groused' 'she complained' 'he questioned' 'she told him' 'he beseeched' 'she replied'.
Which of these read more smoothly? (From my Vintage Historical Romance, Ruined: Martini Club 4 - The 1920s)
A :
Tears sprang to her eyes, but she turned back to him, lifting her chin and staring into his hateful face. Release me this instant," she insisted. In spite of the stinging in her cheek and her fear of what else he might be capable of, she forced bravado into her tone and said, I hereby resign.
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