We writers share ideas to improve our craft. This series aims to trim our writing. Readers will appreciate the absence of these common redundancies and flabby expressions. Meet with each other: If you’re getting together, you’re meeting. You don’t need ‘with each other’. e.g. They met with each other to discuss her offer. Try: They …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 46.
We’ve just returned from a visit to another county where we were engaged in family research. Essex is a place I lived for 18 years, when employment took me there. I haven’t been back for 30 years, but we have ancestors in the area. Time to visit the county records office in Chelmsford, to dig …
Continue reading The Influence of Place on Content.
Have a great St. Patrick's Day! Writers enjoy sharing ideas to improve their craft. Here are some tricks to trim your writing. Readers will appreciate the absence of these common redundancies and flabby expressions. Eradicate completely: When something is eradicated, it is completely removed, so we don’t need ‘completely’. e.g. We must eradicate completely all …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 45.
Writers enjoy sharing ideas to improve their craft. Here are some tricks to trim your writing. Readers will appreciate the absence of these common redundancies and flabby expressions. Equal to one another: Wordy! e.g. The authors were equal to one another in terms of books published, but she was a better writer. Try: The authors …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 44.
We writers often share ideas to improve our craft. Here are some ways to trim your writing. Readers will value the absence of redundancies and flabby expressions. Emergency situation: Situation is extraneous here, so we can manage without it. e.g. They have an emergency situation at the flower festival; all the petals are falling off! …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 43.
I have never read anything like this. Now, there’s a statement. But what does it mean? This book is subtitled, ‘a portfolio’ and that’s a good description of the range of contents. First, let me advise potential readers that this is material for adults. Those who seek gentle reassurance in romance and the sweet murmurings …
Continue reading The Red Room, by Joan Barbara Simon, Reviewed.
Much to my surprise, I finished the first draft of the current WIP, yesterday. This science fiction novel set on Mars currently has no title, other than ‘the Mars book’, which, let’s face it, isn’t exactly inspiring! Why was I surprised? I write as a pantster, so I don’t work to a plot, merely a …
Continue reading First Draft of the Mars Book Finished.
Writers enjoy sharing ideas to improve their craft. Here are some tricks to trim your writing. Readers will appreciate the absence of these common redundancies and flabby expressions. Enter in: Since you can’t enter out (that would be an exit), let’s leave it out, eh? e.g. Jenny was prepared to enter in the dragon’s den …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 42.
In May this year, it’ll be 52 years since my mother died. That was 2 days after my 16th birthday and my memory of the day is, perhaps understandably, a little hazy. She was the victim of an idiot driver who reversed down a road in a place hidden from oncoming traffic. My father, driving …
Continue reading Mothers’ Day: A Best Friend Remembered.
Writers enjoy sharing ideas to improve their craft. Here are some tricks to trim your writing. Readers will appreciate the absence of these common redundancies and flabby expressions. Eliminate entirely: To eliminate something is to eradicate it, therefore ‘entirely’ or ‘completely’ or any other tautological qualifier is just that; tautology. e.g. The leader said, ‘If …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 41.
Ray Bradbury was one of my earliest writer heroes. I read a lot of his work when I was a teenager and young man. Along with Asimov, Clarke, Aldiss, Heinlein and Wyndham he was one of the authors who created my love of science fiction. I hadn’t come across this collection of essays aimed at …
Continue reading Zen in the Art of Writing, by Ray Bradbury, Reviewed.
Writers enjoy sharing ideas to improve their craft. Here are some tricks to trim your writing. Readers will appreciate the absence of these common redundancies and flabby expressions. Dwindle down: Can you dwindle up? I don’t think so. e.g. Attendances at football matches have dwindled down since clubs started paying players ludicrous amounts and charging …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 40.
Writers like to share ideas to improve their craft. Here are some ways to trim your writing. Readers will appreciate the removal of these common redundancies and flabby expressions. Desirable benefit: Do you know of an undesirable benefit? I thought not. e.g. What desirable benefit does a racehorse owner obtain from his horse? Try: What …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 39.
One I must read. Added to my ‘to read’ list and bought!
Ray Bradbury, 1997
(Photo Credit: Steve Castillo/Associated Press)
I’ve just finished rereading Ray Bradbury’s brilliant but brief book on writing – about how he wrote, and what he thought writing should mean to all authors – and I must say that I feel particularly exhilarated, refreshed, and ready to write again! It’s like receiving a much-needed kick in the seat of my pants to be refocused by his words.
And there are any, many quotes I’ve underlined in my print edition (Bantam Books, 1992) and I will trot them out as necessary. Some you’ve probably read before in those lovely quote boxes that circulate on Facebook and other social media. But I wanted to mention one in particular, because what he says here reminds me of a blog post I wrote previously.
What is the greatest reward a writer can have? Isn’t it that day when someone rushes up to…
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As writers, we generally share ideas to improve our craft. Here are some ways to trim our writing. Readers will appreciate us removing these common redundancies and flabby expressions. Descend down: I’m fairly certain it’s not possible to descend in any direction but down, so the qualifier is not needed. e.g. The pirate captain forced …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 38.
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