Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 27.

On 14/01/2016 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us for removing common redundancies and flabby expressions. Close proximity: Something in proximity to something else is close to it, so ‘close’ is a tautology. e.g. The close proximity of the backpacker caused the tourists to …

Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 27.

Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 26.

On 13/01/2016 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us for removing common redundancies and flabby expressions. Cease and desist: The lawyers seem to love this one, but writers of creative work would, I hope, resist the tautology. e.g. Cease and desist all contact with …

Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 26.

Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 25.

On 07/01/2016 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us for removing common redundancies and flabby expressions. Careful scrutiny: Scrutiny is the careful examination of something, so ‘careful’ is a tautology here. e.g. Susan read the contract with careful scrutiny. Try: Susan read the contract …

Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 25.

Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 24.

On 05/01/2016 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice2 Comments

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us for removing common redundancies and flabby expressions. Cameo appearance: In terms of performance, a cameo is a short appearance, so ‘appearance’ is redundant. e.g. Kaley’s cameo appearance caused a real stir in the theatre. Try: …

Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 24.

Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 23.

On 31/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice

We writers like to share ideas to improve our craft. Here, with a slightly seasonal slant, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us for removing common redundancies and flabby expressions. At the present time: Empty words; avoid them. e.g. At the present time we all want to wish each other …

Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 23.

2015: The Blog in Review

On 31/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Organisation, Progress7 Comments

It's that time of the year when we like to review our activities and see what we've done over the last 365 days. Was it effective? Did it help people? Has that time been spent usefully? Well, the WordPress.com stats helper monkeys have prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog and I'm sharing it …

Continue reading 2015: The Blog in Review

Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 22.

On 29/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice

We writers tend to share ideas to improve our craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions. At the end of the day: Along with many of its flabby cousins, this cliché has ceased to have the miniscule emphatic power it started …

Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 22.

Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 21.

On 24/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice2 Comments

Writers tend to share ideas to improve their craft. Here, with a seasonal slant, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions. Different kinds: A ‘kind’ is a type of something; by definition it’s different from another kind. e.g. At Christmas, children expect different …

Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 21.

The Amazon Review Policy Elephant in the Room

On 24/12/201530/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Creative Writer4 Comments

An excellent summary and some cogent advice here. I’m considering adopting this policy for the future.

Jo Robinson

The whole Amazon review policy debacle that started a while ago is not going to go away, so we should probably make firm decisions as to the way forward as far as how we are each personally going to review books in the future. There’s a great post covering the whole subject very thoroughly on Anne R. Allen’s site right now – definitely a must read for anyone not a hundred percent sure about what is going on with this issue. I’ve posted on this briefly over at Lit World Interviews a while ago but it’s worth revisiting on a personal level. Anyone with published books on Amazon needs to take this seriously.

Firstly, we must accept that Amazon can, and does, remove books for sale on their site if they feel that the author has violated their terms of service. Many of us have over the years reviewed books…

View original post 928 more words

Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 20.

On 22/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice2 Comments

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions. First of all: Whilst ‘of all’ may act as a qualifier, amplifying the phrase, it’s a wordy addition to your narrative and is probably better left out. E.g. …

Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 20.

The Ubiquitous Mailing List

On 21/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Organisation12 Comments

Authors are told their most precious marketing asset is their mailing list. This advice has become so common it’s now accepted as gospel. I have my doubts. Over the past few weeks, admittedly a little late in my writing career, I’ve been attempting to set up this promotional tool. I’d love to report it as …

Continue reading The Ubiquitous Mailing List

Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 19.

On 17/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I look at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions. As far as I’m concerned: Obviously, since you’re the one who’s making the statement. E.g. As far as I’m concerned, politicians always lie. Try: Politicians always lie. Surrounded …

Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 19.

Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 18.

On 15/12/201515/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice1 Comment

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions. As being: Please say you’d never put this on paper. e.g. He is known as being the smartest guy in the office. Try: He is known as the …

Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 18.

The Boy in Winter’s Grasp, by John D. Scotcher, Reviewed.

On 14/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Review

What a read this YA fantasy novel is! The story follows the exploits of Christopher, a slightly damaged 16 year old, and his friend, the adventurous girl, Sama, as they battle incredible forces. There is a fascinating mingling of World War I times with the myths, legends and history of Arthurian Britain. How this connection …

Continue reading The Boy in Winter’s Grasp, by John D. Scotcher, Reviewed.

Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 17

On 11/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice2 Comments

A brief apology for my absence: the house required me to attend to various things. A few more of those to do yet, but I discovered a spare moment lurking under the guise of sleep and decided to use it here. Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim …

Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 17