Hopeful authors and would be writers have come to me for advice over many years. They started asking me for help long before I was ready to offer it. I mean, I didn\u2019t feel qualified. I was just whittling out a career for myself in the world of writing and publishing\u2014what did I have to give others? <\/p>\n
In time, however, I began responding to questions posed and was rather surprised, at first, to discover how much I knew\u2014how much I had learned about this profession while working in the trenches as a freelance article writer and published author. <\/p>\n
Fast forward 35 years\u2014where does the time go? I now earn part of my living advising, counseling and mentoring writers and authors who are at various stages of their involvement in this industry. I love helping a good writer with a fabulous project move forward toward success. But sometimes, the story does not have a happy ending. Sometimes, the writing is not good and the project is not fabulous and I have to pop a hopeful writer\u2019s bubble. <\/p>\n
I think long and hard before I tell a writer something that is less than encouraging about his work. And I always try to share any potentially discouraging news (opinion) with some positive, supportive words.<\/p>\n
This week a lovely gentleman brought me a true story he wrote\u2014and I have to tell you this happens often. He described it as a heart-wrenching story\u2014one that is filled with emotion. I read it and felt nothing. I could see the story among the words, but I could not feel it. I explained that the story was a good one\u2014it had potential, but that the writing was off a little. I tried to make the writer understand that the emotion was missing\u2014that the story was presented in reporting\/journalistic style rather than storytelling style. It was a fact-filled piece rather than one that touched the heart of the reader.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t quite get it, so I suggested that he take his manuscript to a local writing critique group for their help. There are usually some good writers in attendance who know how to turn a mundane narrative into a remarkable, touching story. <\/p>\n
Of course, I could help get a writer going in a better direction with a project like this, but this writer didn\u2019t have the funds for my fee. Hopefully, I will get another chance to look at his story once he has reworked it. <\/p>\n
When others read your story are they touched or do they feel as though they are reading something as bland as instructions for putting together a child\u2019s toy? What is it that makes the difference? Adjectives (descriptive words). You want to paint pictures with words as you write your story. Rather than, \u201cSally had the ball,\u201d try \u201cSally held fast to the ball, fearful that Billy Bully would snap it out of her trembling hands again.\u201d Instead of, \u201cBert entered the room,\u201d say \u201cChards of glistening light streaming through the stained glass illuminated the room as Bert cautiously entered.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are many, many ways to dress up our writing\u2014to create images and emotions such as fear, anticipation, anger, irritation, joy, etc. I invite you to share your before and after sentences. Leave them here as comments.<\/p>\n
Visit my websites: http:\/\/www.patriciafry.com<\/a> Hopeful authors and would be writers have come to me for advice over many years. They started asking me for help long before I was ready to offer it. I mean, I didn\u2019t feel qualified. I was just whittling out a career for myself in the world of writing and publishing\u2014what did I have to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n http:\/\/www.matiliapress.com<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"