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Writing Short

 

 

Then God said: "Let there be light," and there was light.

Genesis 1:1

Hello! Maureen Pratt here with my first CAN Blog post. I've been asked to write once a month about writing - one of my favorite topics! Today, I'm going to start off with a topic that sometimes confounds many writers - "writing short." As I'm the author of a 600-word syndicated, international column, I'm steeped in this style with each piece I file. And, more than ever before, we use this kind of writing, especially on the Internet. But it can be so difficult to adapt "big" thoughts into "few" words (for us...the Author of the Bible did it so beautifully!) Here are some suggestions for better, pithier posts and paragraphs:

An Author's Time ~ Learning Time

Greetings from contemporary fiction author, Deborah Vogts. If you're reading this, chances are you are part of the writing profession, and you understand how this activity fills nearly every nook and cranny of your life in one way or another. Because of this, it's easy for our lives to become lopsided, neglecting one or more ingredients that will make them richer, and will actually enhance our ability to "write" more effectively.

This month I'd like to share about the importance of devoting some of an author's time to learning--learning about the business of publishing and the continued learning of the craft.

Honing Your Writing Skills

 Hi, C. S. Lakin here to welcome all you CANers to 2011! Maybe you made some New Year's resolutions, maybe not. But since we are all about becoming the best writers we can be, I thought I'd take a moment to suggest some ways we can work hard this year to improve our writing skills.

Nonfiction from the Ground Up: Finding Ideas

Marilyn here, talking about writing nonfiction. You know nonfiction when you see it. It comes in many forms—from biography and memoir, to how-to and self-help, to textbooks, reference  guides, user’s manuals, cookbooks, and product, movie and book reviews, and so much more. Nonfiction isn’t only for adults, either; several children’s book and magazine publishers specialize in nonfiction for kids.

If you’re new to writing nonfiction or are testing those waters, you might wonder how and where to start. The simple answer is: with an idea. And because we’re working here from the ground up, this post will talk about some ways to come up with ideas for your nonfiction pieces. (Don’t worry now whether they’re good ideas; that will come later.)

One of my favorite ways of finding ideas is by answering a series of questions. If you’re ready to do some nonfiction writing, this is a good place to start.

1. What are my roles in life?
You are the expert of your life, and as such you fill many roles. Brainstorm a list of all the different roles, responsibilities, and jobs you’ve had in your lifetime. For example, my list might look like this: wife, mother, technical writer, editor, church deacon, youth leader, author, speaker, friend, aunt, sister, tap dancer, small-business owner, newbie regular exerciser, dachshund lover, perpetual dieter. What's on your list?

2. What do I already know?
Look at the list you just made and write at least three things you learned in each role. For example, if you’re a teacher, your list might include: how to put together a year-long lesson plan, how to set up classroom mentors, how to promote compassion in the classroom, how to take school into the real world, and how technology can streamline teaching.

3. What has challenged me?
Although this might sound like a job interview question, it makes you think about the valleys and mountains in your life and how you responded to them. Write a list of at least five items and include how each affected you.

4. What interests me? What am I concerned about? What am I curious about? What do I fear?
We've all heard it said that you should only write what you know. If you want your readers to believe you and trust your credibility, that is true. But it doesn’t mean you’re limited to writing only what you know right now (in other words, the items on your second list). Knowledge often stems from curiosity, interest, concern, or fear. If you’re curious about something, you'll be inclined to study it, research it, ask experts about it, theorize or experiment on it, until eventually it becomes part of your experience and something you know. And that qualifies you to write about it. So, now write a list of what interests, concerns, frightens, and intrigues you.

5. What are people talking about, eating, wearing, reading, doing? What’s the buzz?
Get on the internet, watch talk-show and tabloid TV, read the newspaper, go to the mall, a school, your church, the local diner or coffee shop. Join Twitter, Yammer, Facebook, MySpace, and other social networking communities. Make notes about what you hear, read, and observe. These topics are blips coming up on the cultural radar screen, and if you want to write about them, do it now before everyone else does. Then, go back to #4 and see if any trends on this list interest, concern, frighten, or intrigue you.

Finally, here are two more questions that can help you find ideas. I urge you to spend extra time with them, because they can uncover some powerful thoughts and emotions--leading to great ideas and writing that can change lives.

6. What makes my heart sing? What would I be willing to give up everything else to have? What could I not live without?

7. What terrified me and what delighted me when I was a kid?

By now you’ve filled up reams of paper or megabytes of computer space with your lists (and let's not mention your cramped hand). As you look through them, you’ll probably notice that some items appear more than once--maybe even several times. Copy those onto a new list, then read them over and put the list away for a day or two. During that time, pay attention to any items that form connections with one another, or nag and cling to you, or blossom and bloom. These are the keepers—the ideas to explore and develop.

Until next time, happy writing!
-Marilyn Hilton