The Fiction Writer's Feast

Skeletons and imagination

2007-05-09T23:59:00.000-06:00

Just a short post today. How has your imagination been lately?

My 5 year old nephew came over to my house for the weekend, and we played on the swings outside. He told me stories about his "Team Skeletons". Apparently, he has 5 skeletons that go with him wherever he goes, each with their own names and personaliteis. He reminded me that playing is a part of what I do, an esential part. You can't survive if you can't play in your own mind.

When was the last time you talked to YOUR imaginary friends? I'm trying to reconnect with my old pals. Maybe I'll develop my own team of skeletons. What do you think?

A Penitent Note and Building Characters

2007-05-08T13:14:00.000-06:00

Okay, okay, I know. I haven't posted for a few days. I'm really sorry about that, but upkeeping a daily blog is more work than I thought it would be. I'm still adjusting to my new schedule and starting a new job at the same time.

Enough about me. Let's talk about YOU. Today you and I are going to do a little homework together. I promised you exercises, and exercises you shall have.

I think today's homework will be about...

Characters!

Characters are one of my favorite aspects of writing. You can meet anyone from anywhere and anywhen you want. Want to have lunch with an Astronaut on the moon? Go for it. Want to wrestle with Ghengis Khan? The mat awaits you. One of the great joys of writing is found in creating and discovering characters.

Coming up with new ideas, however, can be a real chore.

So for your homework tonight you're going to do something a little different. You're going to create a character, but you're not going to start with a name. You're not going to start with race. You're not even going to start with gender. Not location, not clothes, not history, not anything from the standard character "templates" everyone else will give you. You're going to start with...

What the character has in their pockets.

What's that? Am I nuts? Well, there's no "official" word on that yet, but most probably. I am, however, quite serious. Pick a few random objects, the more random and unrelated, the better. For mine, I chose a computer USB cable, an alarm clock, three marbles, and a stick of dynamite. You can use my list if you want, but it's more fun to come up with your own.

Now comes the fun part. Start asking questions. Who in the WORLD would have those kinds of things in their pockets? What would they do with them? What are they wearing? Why would they use those things? Start listing your ideas on paper. Just let them flow. They might seem silly at first, but most of the best ideas do. It's really a good way

It is going to feel pretty strange at first, like crossing your arms the wrong way. I think you'll find though, if you give it a good try, that you will create a character unlike anything you've ever made before. Besides, don't you deserve to have a little fun with your imagination every once in a while?

The Flames of Inspiration

2007-05-03T11:18:00.000-06:00

Creative work is never an easy endeavor, and fiction is no exception. I don’t care if you’re writing a short story, a novel, or a limerick, eventually you’re going to hit the wall and nothing worth reading will come out of your efforts. It’s true of every great mind in every great endeavor. There will come a time when you just don’t know where to go. Characters won’t tell you what they want. Words don’t seem to rhyme even when they should. You’ll be ripping your hair out trying to find just one step in the right direction, but it seems like you’ve already tried every point on the compass.

So what do you do? Do you sit down with a notebook and force yourself to write? Do you build a bonfire and dance around it under the light of the full moon? It gets to the point where that last one will probably start to sound appealing if you think it would work, but I’m going to suggest a radical idea you can try. If that doesn’t work, you try the bonfire idea and email me how it turns out. Okay? Okay.

The answer to this problem, like most answers worth listening to, is sublimely simple. Are you reading closely? Because this trick might change your writing habits for the rest of your life. The answer, in a nutshell is…

STOP WRITING!

That’s right, I said it, stop writing. The answer is you’re probably too close to your work. You’ve lost that spark. That fire that got you started writing in the first place.

Listen up.

Have you ever been to a live concert somewhere and stood with jaw on the ground wondering how it’s possible for someone to do something so perfect? Have you ever been reading a favorite book and looked up, only to find tears in your eyes you didn’t even realize were there? That’s art. It’s real, honest to goodness, powerful, gut-wrenching art, and there’s no way to really describe it in words. It makes you want to be better, strive for more, and work harder.
If you find you just can’t write anymore, you’ve got to get off your butt, get away from the computer/typewriter/napkins in the coffee shop and find something that’s akin to an out of body experience. It shouldn’t be that hard, it’s really all around us. I have a writer friend who goes out camping for a weekend to regain his spirit, and goes back to work on his manuscript on Monday with more freshness and vitality than anyone I know (I’m convinced if I could bottle his secret, I could make a fortune).

Once you get that power back, you’ll know it. You’ll feel ready to start again. You might have no idea what you’re going to put on the page, and that’s okay, because now you’re going to put your heart and soul into it again. So happy traveling, and long live the journey.

Truck Tires Can Cure Brain Farts

2007-05-02T02:06:00.000-06:00

It's happened to all of us at one time or another. You're talking to someone you know, maybe even quite well, and the words coming out of your mouth aren't the same as the ideas in your head. People get offended, you embarass yourself, you get that hole in the pit of your stomach. It feels AWFUL.

This tragic condition has come to be known as the "brain fart". It's akward when it happens in conversation, but even more frustrating when you're writing. Some days your mind is so ready to write, and there are ideas pounding in your head, and as soon as you read over what you've just written, you wonder who wrote it. It certainly isn't the mental narration you pictured when you started.

I went through a really annoying period where everything I wrote turned out to be NOTHING like what I imagined it to be. I couldn't figure out what was going on, so I did what I always do when I can't figure something out. I took out the notebook I always keep in my pocket, (which you might consider doing too, by the way, and soon you'll go crazy if you're without it) and I started noting the things I was doing each day, and the results of my writing the day following. I found I most often have difficulties saying what I want to say after days I don't exercise.

In order to test my new theory, whenever I started writing and hit that annoying point where I wasn't saying things right, I went outside and tossed an old pair of truck tires around for a while. They were heavy, and I would come in sore, but without fail within a few minutes things were coming out right on the page.

So, in short, here's your mental Beano to relieve brain farts.

1. Find out what's causing them,
2. Remedy the situation.
3. Try, try again.

It's really that simple. As always, continual effort is what's necessary to succeed in writing or any endeavor. Just don't give up!

What makes a writer a writer?

2007-05-01T11:32:00.001-06:00

So it's been almost two months since I last posted. My apologies to the one or two people who may have checked back here on occasion. Mostly what happened was I got swamped with some other projects, so this one fell into the corner. How am I going to remedy that situation so it doesn't happen again, you ask? Well, I'm going to make it a bigger priority. How, you ask again?

Simple.

I'm going to make this blog a DAILY blog.

From now on the entries will probably be shorter, more targeted, and as chock full of fiction factoids as I can fill it.

But that leads me to the subject of today's post. What makes a writer a writer? From the time I was a child, I wanted to "be a writer". I would go around telling people about it, carrying a notebook with me everywhere I went, and read how-to books by the master storytellers of the past.

Then, one day, when I was in High School, I got into a conversation with my friend Diana about writing, the creative process, and all the associated fun that comes with it. After talking for a while, she said "I'd love to read what you're writing right now."

It hit me like a ton of bricks in cement sauce. I didn't have a project I was working on. Not even a short story, and I had been sitting there talking like I was some master of the art. In short, I wasn't a writer. I was just a dreamer. Because, as it turns out, the only way to be a writer...

Is to Write!

So get started. Write something every day. It doesn't matter if it's a page of a novel, a short story, or a cookie recipe. Get started.

In her blog "Fiction Writing ~ The Passionate Journey!", Emily Hanlon has a fantastic article on this for her April 30, 2007 entry. Check it out.

http://www.thefictionwritersjourney.com/archives/blog.html

On Plot

2007-03-17T16:39:00.000-06:00

In my experience beginning writers are usually stronger in one of two aspects of storytelling. The first is characters and character development. This is the kind of story driven by people, their choices, and what they do with their situations. While I love this story (and in honesty, this is probably my stronger side too), I also recognize the problems it can pose.
When writing a character driven story, it’s very easy to get lost. Sometimes the character won’t have any idea what they should do next, and you won’t know what you want to happen because “The character is supposed to tell me.” Sorry, Charlie, even characters get stumped sometimes. That’s why, as the creator of this world, you owe it to your characters to be a student of the second side of storytelling, which is plot.

A plot driven story is only a little bit different, but it’s amazing how much trouble it can cause some people. The plot driven story is about events that happen in your world, and how your characters respond to them.
Think about some of your favorite fictions. Usually the powerful stories, the ones that stick with us, are the results of impossible events. Whether it is an addictive ring of power and the war its owner starts, the imbalance of the force in the universe, or the bite of a radioactive spider, events happen and then drive the characters to their destiny.
So how do you write stories like this? The answer is a simple shift in mindset. It will feel awkward at first, as most new things do, but in the end it will increase your ability to write, character OR plot, with a new outlook.

Try this exercise. Sit down to write (which you should be doing every day and preferably around the same time) and make a list of major events. You can either make them up or just record actual ones. Make them disastrous, because disaster is ALWAYS easier to write. Once you’ve done that, think of a character that this event would affect deeply. Start out with a template, like a job or a relationship, and then build from there. Decide exactly what you want to happen with your disaster in detail. If it’s a building collapsing, figure out which floor goes first, where the pipes break, and whatever affect this will have on your character. After you’ve got the stages of trouble all set on paper, then and only then, start figuring out how your character will respond to it. Then start writing. Voila, you have a plot driven story. Congratulations, and be sure to save what you write.

Confidence: A Writer's Survival Kit

2006-11-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

By Matt Barrington

Congratulations! You've made a grand step towards your goal by seeking out information on writing. Just be reading this article, you're making progress toward your dreams.

But let's face it. Writing, even just for fun, is a very scary exercise. It exposes our true selves to the world around us, whether the world knows what it's looking at or not. I've never met a writer who could take every part of themself out of their work and produce anything other than mindless drivel. But in exposing ourselves in such a way, we are preparing to be hurt, be ridiculed, and even insulted for our work. Building a thick skin is vital to the survival of our worlds, and yet how many people with untapped potential have you met who don't write because they're "not that good"? Probably several, and if you don't know any, they might be too shy to talk aobut it.

How does anyone survive as a writer, or artist of any kind for that matter? The answer, as is usually the case, is sublimely simple. We must build ourselves up so high in our own minds that no one else can touch us. We must grow as writers and people to the point that no foolish comment from friend or family member will be felt as anything more than a featherstroke on our skin. It must be felt, there is no way around that, but it must not be felt fatally.

How to grow that big, you ask me? Let me ask you this, how do you get to Carnegie hall? We can achieve confidence in any aspect of ourselves by practice. Day in, and day out, practice, practice, practice. When we dream about writing, think about writing, and find ourselves writing everywhere we go, then we'll find our greatest growth is happening. Become obsessed! Allow yourself to dwell on improving and have fun while you do it! Don't listen to what others say about there being no future in it. We don't write for the future, we write to feel alive in the right now, and if it lasts for the next few nows, more's the better.

Confidence gained through practice is by far the most potent form. Even if you don't feel great about what you're writing, keep doing it. Eventually, even if it takes years, you'll write something great, and you'll know it. When you do, no one can take that from you. It's a moment that will help define you in your own mind as a writer.

Easy Steps To Get Past Writers Block

2006-11-02T21:31:00.000-07:00

by Jeffrey Dorrian

Overcoming writer's block has so many prescribed cures that seem like witches' brew, you may as well be trying to get rid of hiccups. My favorite remedy is "just write anything." If I were to follow this advice when I'm stuck in a frustrating blank stare moment, my page would be filled with expletives that would be of no use to anyone, including Lenny Bruce.

If you have no idea of what to say on any given subject, you do not have writer's block, you have a lack of knowledge problem. If you have the facts in front of you and still do not know what to say then you have writer's block. The basic step of gathering enough material to complete your writing task should never be confused with writer's block. Writing takes leg work - tedious legwork. Before the Internet this task could seem insurmountable; but now with worlds of knowledge at our fingertips, I don't want to hear about any problems getting background material on any subject. Learn how to use the search engines well. This should already be part of your writer's skill set.

Genuine writer's block comes when you "just don't know how to say it." You have the information, a basic outline, yet you are not satisfied with the tone, cadence or anecdote provided. It just doesn't feel right. You can't tie your ideas together into one cohesive product that supports the underlying theme you are trying to convey. What do you do?

Take your material and write it out as you have it. Even if doesn't feel right complete your assignment as if it were due today, and walk away. Leave the problem to rattle around in your brain for a while. Now here comes they key. Do something totally unrelated that requires you to pay some attention to your new task - a household chore, returning emails, running an errand. I generally find a physical chore, like walking to the post office to be superior to a mental chore like answering emails. Exercise is one of the great inspirational tools available to us. If you exercise regularly this would be a great time to do that. Sometime during your chore or exercise the answer will pop into your head. That is the way our brains work. Inspiration comes to us all the time. We need to be distracted from the noise that interfering with our ability to hear the inspiration. Once we have changed our focus away from the problem at hand our brain can finally deliver the answer unimpeded. Whether you believe the answer has come from your brain or from the cosmos the answer is always available to us. Sometimes more than one chore is required for distraction. On a big problem it might take a week of chores. Be absolutely sure you have a pen and pad of paper with you at all times, because the answer may be fleeting, or just a partial answer with the remaining portion to show up at a later time.

Most writers are working on more than one project at a time. Leaving one assignment and starting another can also help in getting the answer to a previous writing problem. Remember; never confuse lack of preparation with writer's block. Lack of preparation is a matter of laziness and is a whole different problem to overcome.
About the Author

Jeffrey Dorrian is the webmaster at thesoapguy.com. He has been making handmade soap for six years. "Handmade soap is a little luxury anyone can afford". Premium wholesale soap. Pure and natural soap.

Who's Telling The Story?

2006-10-31T13:38:00.000-07:00

by: Scott Lindsay

The point of view in any story is important because it provides a guide to manage the execution of your story. Most works of fiction use one point of view although a second perspective can be brought into the story for a short period of time.

Third Person Perspective is the most common method of conveying a work of fiction. This method allows the narrator to have at least limited omniscience. The narrator has limited access to the knowledge and feelings of the characters in the story and can take the reader from one character setting to another easily. There is no questioning of how the narrator knows so much about each individual; it is a premise that is simply accepted by most readers.

Unlike first person perspective that conveys the story from the perspective of a cast member, third person perspective narration does not allow the narrator to actually participate in the action. They are simply the mechanism that operates outside the story to bring the various story threads together.

If a writer were to give the narrator full access to all feelings and thoughts of the cast of characters the story would be a little flat because nothing would be left to the imagination.

Third person narratives can be spotted by the predominate us of words such as they, he, she and it. The narrator talks about others - never about himself.

The least common perspective is Second Person Perspective. Very few novels can utilize this approach throughout an entire work.

This type of fiction relies on words like you and you're. The use of this type of perspective either assumes you will connect with the story as if it is written to you or that you will understand you are reading a private story written to and about someone else. It is rare to find a full manuscript that uses this perspective although an Epistolary Novel such the C.S. Lewis masterpiece “Screwtape Letters” may likely be considered second person perspective in its entirety.

The trouble many writers get into is an unintentional shift in perspective. This can be used effectively under certain circumstances, however the shift in perspective needs a breaking point to allow the reader to gain some understanding that a shift has taken place. Without a break to qualify the shift in point of view the story becomes confusing because the reader has to work hard at discovering who is actually telling the story.

About The Author
Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of FaithWriters (http://www.faithwriters.com) and many other web projects. FaithWriters has grown to become one of the largest online destinations for Christian writers. Please visit the website at: http://www.faithwriters.com.

Readers: Are They Involved?

2006-10-31T13:35:00.000-07:00

by: Scott Lindsay

There are two specific, yet lofty goals writers strive for every time they commit words to paper. That goal is to write in such a way as to draw their readers into the written word.

If this goal is in fictional writing the author wants the reader to become so absorbed in the story that they are both satisfied, yet sad to see the story end.

If this goal is in non-fiction the writer accomplishes the objective by relating details in a way that leaves the reader interested in the subject and with a desire to learn more.

For the successful fiction writer the term most often applied to this principle is Active Participation. When a consumer steps up the book display they are looking for certain things such as cover design, color schemes and just enough information to allow them to make their choice in thirty seconds or less. Once the reader has the book in hand they desperately want to be an active participant in the work. They want to identify with your characters and involve themselves in the plot line. They want stay up till 2 o'clock in the morning loosing themselves in a world you created. They simply want to know if you are going to be able to make that possible for them.

For the non-fiction writer the goal is to connect the reader to Active Learning. This process has seen non-fiction books include bullet points, ‘did-you-know’ segments and a link between facts and famous individuals that were involved. School textbooks are full of color and sidebars as they try to connect with students to bridge the gap between factual information to innovative ways to encourage active learning.

It is possible for both Active Participants and Active Learners to approach the written word with an inborn desire to learn and/or participate in the storyline. In this scenario the majority of the work is already done.

If a student comes to a textbook with a refusal to learn, then the best textbooks available may not be able to break through the student's self-imposed learning barrier. Similarly, if an individual purchases a novel with an 'impress me' mentality and are only interested in finding any inconsistency or flaw they may have difficulty participating in the work of fiction. Then again, they didn't really come to participate.

Ultimately what this means to the writer is there is a need to work hard in the removal of any stumbling block in an effort to allow your readers to become the active participant and active learner they want to be.

About The Author
Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of FaithWriters (http://www.faithwriters.com) and many other web projects. FaithWriters has grown to become one of the largest online destinations for Christian writers. Please visit the website at: http://www.faithwriters.com.

First Time Novelist Faux Pau

2006-10-31T13:29:00.000-07:00

by: Scott Lindsay

Those who venture into fiction writing often fall prey to certain avoidable, yet highly normal faux pau's with their first book.

Many of these novels are grand experiments. Often chapters unfold without advance direction or character notebook, sometimes there is a multitude of point of view shifts and there is often a desire to try to pack as much into the story as possible.

One of the key difficulties for new novelists is to track down inconsistencies in their work. For instance if you mention that your character grew up in Ohio it is bad form to mention Chicago as their hometown later in the novel. This can be a somewhat innocuous detail in the book and most people will probably missed it, but the inconsistency is there nonetheless and may detract from the flow of the story is the reader questions the veracity of the claim.

Most authors believe that because the work is fictional the details are less important, but as an author you are creating an entire world for your readers and that world has to become as real as the world in which they live. Since novels have a unique escapist quality to them the last thing you want is to shut down your reader's link to the book because they are stumbling over inconsistencies.

Another point where first time novelists get into trouble is the addition of gratuitous violence or other points of gratuity. The author often wrongly believes that if they can shock the reader it will cause the book to be more memorable for the reader.

Many readers simply see this as a means to mask a weak storyline. This is not to say that there is no place for violence in a novel, but it must be in context of a superior storyline - not as a means of increasing the chances that your reader will recommend the book to their friends.

Most readers see gratuitous elements in a novel for what they really are and this knowledge provides an instant ‘turn-off’ factor. If you have someone who is willing to read through your manuscript ask him or her to check for anything they consider gratuitous and any inconsistencies they may encounter.

Avoiding a couple of significant potholes on the road to publishing your first novel will provide an advantage with both publisher and reader alike.

About The Author
Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of FaithWriters (http://www.faithwriters.com) and many other web projects. FaithWriters has grown to become one of the largest online destinations for Christian writers. Please visit the website at: http://www.faithwriters.com.

Writing & Publishing Tips: How To Get a Top Literary Agent & Sign That Coveted 6 Figure Deal

2006-10-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

by: Susan Harrow

Top literary agents get about 400-1000 unsolicited queries every month from hopeful book authors. Publishing houses sometimes juggle 5000. Most of my private clients and participants in my seminar, How To Get A Six-Figure Book Advance, ask me “how is an author supposed to get an agent’s attention when there is so much competition?”

First of all, don’t write a book -- write a book proposal. Publishers buy ideas not books. To capture a reputable literary agent’s attention you’ll need to show that you’re a media star, or a star in the making. Good writing can be bought but star power can’t.

Here are 5 more tips to landing a top literary agent & a six-figure advance:

1. Do your research.

Literary agents specialize in very specific interests. For example, my agent loves tearjerkers but won’t take on books that involve children in peril. You want an agent who has represented books similar to yours, who sells books on a regular basis, who is devoted to you, and has the time to give you a little guidance through the literary labyrinth.

Sometimes a newer, less experienced literary agent who is hungry for business is more dedicated and has more time to spend with you than an established one with a reputable cadre of authors. I recommend 2 ways to find the literary agent right for you:

- Look in the acknowledgements of books similar to your topic. A happy author always thanks his literary agent. Once you’ve located your ideal agents become familiar with their tastes, learn everything you can about their interests, pet peeves and preferences, and review their websites for submission guidelines. Show that knowledge in your query letter or initial phone conversation.

- Read Publisher's Weekly, Publisher’s Lunch, and Variety to see who sold what and for how much. You will get a sense of an agent’s sensibility and be able to speak knowledgeably about the types of books they prefer when you know what’s happening in the industry in general and in your area of expertise in particular. You’ll know more than most people who submit proposals as you’ll be apprised of books that aren’t even published yet and movie deals in the making. And you’ll get a sense of market trends.

2. Write a book proposal that reads like a thriller.

After you’ve located the agents you want to approach, the next step is to complete your book proposal. Once interested by your call or query letter the very best literary agents move at hyper speed. They’ll want to see your book proposal--now. They’ll either ask you to Fed Ex or email it.

There is a real art to writing a best-selling book proposal that makes the literary agent you’ve chosen say, “I want this person as a client”. To make your book proposal read in one sitting you’ll want to write in short paragraphs with strong headlines. Be sure to give the chosen agent an immediate impression of how your book will read by writing the proposal in the same style as your book.

Find unusual, quirky, provocative tidbits about your subject that will entice the literary agent to say, “Wow, I never knew this.” Imagine the kind of tips that a terrific magazine article would include. When an editor at a top New York publishing house is reading your book proposal they are thinking, what kind of media exposure will we be able to get for this book? Can we get magazine feature articles, newspaper pieces, radio shows? Will the subject matter and the author interest the producers of Good Morning America, the Today Show, CNN, or Oprah?

3. Prove you have a platform.

The one thing that thrills a New York publisher the most is your platform. Your platform is simply your reach. How many people are influenced by your ideas worldwide? To simplify this even further, a publisher wants to know one thing and one thing only (once they are interested in the subject matter of your book), and that is...how many books are you going to sell and to whom. You’ll need to demonstrate that you’re a great media guest, that you have an audience eager to snap up your books and that you have a proven track record for selling your books or wares.

4. Reveal how your past performance predicts future behavior.

Map out each venue and determine how many people are in attendance and how many of those people will buy your book. Include workshops, seminars, fairs, media appearances, book signings, keynotes, teleseminars, webinars, events, newsletter lists, blogs, partnerships etc. Quantify everything in great detail. Estimate and base potential sales on past sales you’ve completed.

5. Show you are the one.

Show that there is a clear need for your book and that you are the only one who can write it. In other words what problem are you solving and why are you the undisputed expert? What gap in the market are you filling? One of my clients whose topic was about how to be the very best at what you do and who you are, had a black belt, was a concert violinist and had given seminars at The White House. She walked her talk, and lived her words. You need to have top-notch skills in order to gain the interest of a high caliber literary agent.

Follow these tips, and you can land a top literary agent and a six-figure deal. I hope to see your name on the New York Times bestseller list!

About The Author
Media coach & marketing strategist, Susan Harrow, can help you get paid $100,000 or more for your book. For over 17 years, she has helped speakers, authors and entrepreneurs get 6-figure book advances. In her book, Get a Six Figure Book Advance, Susan explains the 15 steps to making big money on your next book proposal. Buy it now and receive $450 worth of free bonuses at: http://prsecretstore.com/sixfigurebookproposaljanal.html

Writing Tip: Why Nouns and Verbs Are Your Friends

2006-10-31T12:46:00.000-07:00

by: Lisa Silverman
"The wearily handsome, nervous, stubble-chinned man slowly and carefully got out of bed when he heard the soft, mysterious sound of footsteps in his apartment."

OR

"The ex-con bolted up, rubbed his eyes and then the stubble on his chin, and crept out of bed. Those footsteps didn’t belong in his apartment."

Look at the above sentences, and see if you can figure out why the second example is better written than the first. If you still don’t know, look above that. At the risk of stating the obvious: nouns and verbs are the backbone of any sentence, and thus of all writing. I could have made my title really long and added “. . . and Adjectives and Adverbs Are Your Enemies,” but I like to keep it short.

It’s not only about eliminating adjectives and adverbs so that your writing contains few words that aren’t nouns and verbs. After all, if we did that to the first example, we’d be left with:

"The man got out of bed when he heard the sound of footsteps in his apartment."

Not very exciting, is it? That’s why it’s important to focus your writing not only on nouns and verbs, but on interesting nouns and verbs. I began my second example with “The ex-con,” but of course, I’m inventing a sentence that has no manuscript surrounding it--no context. If we’ve already met the character, use his name or a more descriptive noun such as mine. If you’re introducing a new character, use the best noun possible. “The businessman” would evoke a completely different image in your readers’ minds, and it would be a stronger image than “The blond, well-groomed, middle-aged man.”

Why is one noun stronger than three adjectives (and one verb stronger than three adverbs)? Sure, we can picture a guy who’s blond, well-groomed, and middle-aged, and we might guess from that description that he’s a businessman. We can picture a “wearily handsome, nervous, stubble-chinned man” and perhaps guess that he’s an ex-con. But using the noun rather than a string of adjectives accomplishes two important things: First, it adds action to the character’s description. “Ex-con” not only calls forth a set of physical attributes, but also, by definition, tells you something about the guy’s life outside of this moment: he’s trying to recover from his time in the slammer and go straight. A “businessman” probably looks a certain way, and presumably spends his days doing business.

Then again, maybe the guy isn’t trying to go straight. Maybe he wants to return to a life of crime. Which brings me to the second advantage: involving the reader’s mind in the storytelling. If you string together a list of adjectives, you’re feeding a character to your readers without allowing them to draw their own pictures. Part of the fun--and the fascination--of fiction is the fact that everyone who turns the final page of a book has read a different one. And the more you allow people to be cocreators of your characters, your settings, etc., the more enveloped in your novel’s fictional world they will become.

Or in your nonfiction book’s world--nonfiction writers must leave less to the reader’s imagination, but editing using this principle will make nonfiction stronger as well. As with any other tips, customize it to your writing. It’s also, as I mentioned, about brevity. I don’t need to explain why “crept out of bed” beats “slowly and carefully got out of bed.”

Of course, adjectives and adverbs have their places. Otherwise languages wouldn’t contain so many. You might even find a few in this article (only a few). Again, customize this editing technique to your writing. Read a few pages and see if you find yourself using dull nouns such as “man” or “thing” a lot--chances are they’re surrounded by adjectives. If not, the potential book sitting in front of you may be dull indeed. Don’t go crazy with your thesaurus looking for obscure nouns to replace “man,” but do use this technique as a way to vary word choice. And, if you don’t have a thesaurus, for god’s sake, get one. The thesaurus in Microsoft Word, or anywhere online, won’t hold a candle to the old-fashioned bound kind.

Replace adjectives with more interesting, descriptive nouns, and watch your writing become streamlined, subtly evocative, laced with intrigue, varied in word choice… Oops, those are all adjective phrases. Just think of this noun: “bestseller.”

About The Author

Lisa Silverman is a freelance book editor and works in the copyediting department at one of New York's most prestigious literary publishing houses. She has also worked as a ghostwriter and a literary agent representing both book authors and screenwriters. She founded http://www.BeYourOwnEditor.com in order to provide writers with free advice on both writing and the publishing business.