One-Sentence Writing Tips, Part VI

This is Day Six (and Last) of One-Sentence Writing Tips Week, with Facebook writers and other book lovers sharing writing and publishing advice with a dash of panache and a pinch of brevity.

Jennie Gardner Spallone: Hire a developmental editor, not just a copy editor, to look over your manuscript before you submit it to a publisher.

Mark Terry: Think more, write less.

Troy Wilkinson: Write about something you dreamed of as a child, before you knew it wasn't possible.

Kristen Wood: Only in humility can we ever truly learn and only in learning can we ever truly write.

Finally, my favorite one-sentence tip from last year, by RomCom author Kathy Dunnehoff: Say ‘yes’ to caffeine.

Thanks to all the kind folks who participated this week. Hope you had fun.

One-Sentence Writing Tips, Part IV

This is Day Four of One-Sentence Writing Tips Week, with FB writers and other book lovers combining advice with brevity.

Jackie Pelham: It will never see daylight if you stick it in a drawer, so submit, submit, submit.

Jimmy Pudge: You need at least one asshole in your story for it to be good.

Freddie Remza: Read dialogue aloud to be sure it sounds natural.

Dixon Rice: Find ways to get extra eyes on your work before it’s submitted or published – but not anyone you sleep with.

Linda Robinson: How to cook a novel: stir together a house of lives, a lot of love, tons of troubles, wonderful words, and a rash of revisions, then 'beat' well and bake until done.

These one-sentence tips will continue Friday and Saturday. Tomorrow’s featured folks are J.T. Sather, Paul M. Schofield, awesome Laura Schultz, lit agent Michael Snell and screenwriter Mike Snyder.

One-Sentence Writing Tips, Part II

This is Day Two of One-Sentence Writing Tips Week - Facebook writers and other book lovers boiling down their writing or publishing suggestions into one simple sentence. Okay, sometimes a compound sentence.

Jonnie Comet: No good writers are purely Romantic since they believe in the hard work of critiquing, editing, and revising; all art is deliberate and that’s what makes it 'art.'

J.M. Cornwell: Read, listen, write, and read some more.

Valerie Douglas: Just write!

Jacquelynn Gagne: Books are judged by their covers and writers by our words.

Linda Lee Greene: Get your head out of your arus and use your thesaurus!

These one-sentence tips will continue all week. Tomorrow’s turn in the barrel: LC Hayden, Danny Johnson, Vickie Johnstone, Fifi Leigh and Lucinda Hawks Moebius.

One-Sentence Writing Tips, Part I

I invited Facebook writers and other book lovers to share their concise suggestions for achieving literary glory. Or at least getting published somewhere, somehow. Whatever. Their one-sentence writing tips will appear here all week.

J.C. Andrijeski: When it comes to writing, don't listen to other people...except when you really need to listen to other people.

Maxine Arnold: Finish, finish, finish.

Greta Burroughs: There's more to being a writer than just writing a book.

Lynne Cantwell: Read – a lot.

Connie Travisano Colon: Never let the reader detect you or it will bring them out of your story.

On Part II tomorrow, we’ll hear from Jonnie Comet, J.M. Cornwell, Valerie Douglas, Jacquelynn Gagne and Linda Lee Greene.

Saying for Writers #155 - Leigh Brackett

A Quote which Might (or Might Not) Inspire You to Write:

“Plot is people. Human emotions and desires founded on the realities of life, working at cross purposes, getting hotter and fiercer as they strike against each other until finally there’s an explosion — that’s Plot.” — Leigh Brackett

The Montana Rockies captured by friend Sherri Gerek.

One-Sentence Writing Tips from my Facebook friends will be featured here on the Wredheaded Writer blog all next week -- if you feel inspired, there's still room for more.

One Sentence Writing Tips: #5 of 5

This has been a fun week, sharing “one sentence writing tips” from a wide range of FB friends – from literary agent Michael Snell, to newbies, to Amazon bestseller Kathy Dunnehoff, everybody had interesting, sometimes hilarious suggestions. Here’s the final five:

Michael Snell - “Good writers need editors more than bad writers; the best writers need the best editors.”

Linda Swink - “Never trust speel check.”

Peggy Zabicki - “Before you even pick up a pen, sit down and day dream.”

Kathy Rowe - ‎"If you don't know anything about it: RESEARCH!"

Dixon Rice – “If you could use improvement at writing dialogue, challenge yourself by drafting a screenplay.”

One Sentence Writing Tips: #4 of 5

This week, we’re sharing “one sentence writing tips” and this is the fourth installment of suggestions from my FB writer friends.

Terry Parrish - “If you don't know how to spell, please use a dictionary.”

Jimmy Pudge - “Prison is the best place to learn about writing.”

Gil Roscoe - “Think of rejection letters from literary agents as your way of weeding out the less intelligent among them.”

Tom Winton - “You never finish writing a novel, you eventually abandon it.” (To which Cynthia Echterling said, “No, they grow up and leave home.”)

One Sentence Writing Tips: #3 of 5

This week, we’re looking at what happened when I asked: Do you have a “one sentence writing tip” to share? Here’s the third installment of replies sent by my FB writer friends.

Judith Anne Horner - “Don't do any major editing until you've finished the first draft.”

TD Jones - “When you believe you're a writer, other people will start to believe it too.”

Angie Ledbetter - “BICFOK = Butt in Chair, Fingers on Keyboard.”

Jo Marshall - “Read it out loud.”

Dixon Rice – “If you can’t find the right authors critique group, start your own.”

One Sentence Writing Tips: #2 of 5

This week, we are looking at "one sentence writing tips" sent in by my FB friends.

Conda Douglas - “Set your work aside for a while before you edit, and you'll see a lot more with fresher eyes.”

Nick du Plessis - “Editors are like manners; select few can succeed without them, but most people need them.”

Cynthia Echterling - “To get a feel for dialogue, eavesdrop in places where real people carry on conversations -- truck stops, airports, bars.”

Terry W. Ervin II - “You have absolutely zero chance for success if you don't ever complete a project.”

By the way, there is still room for a couple more "one sentence writing tips" later in the week. E-mail your tip to me at montananovels@yahoo.com - thanks!

One Sentence Writing Tips: #1 of 5

I asked FB friends for “one sentence writing tips” and got some great replies. When I did this a few months ago, I only allowed one tip per person, but I made an exception this time. See what you think.

Kathy Dunne Dunnehoff - “Be a finisher!”

Claire Atherton - ‎"There is no hard and fast rule about the best way to write, just go with your heart."

Sheree Bartlett - ‎"The best way to not succeed is to keep making excuses."

Jonnie Comet - (from a beloved professor in 18th Century British Lit) “All literature must have at its core this two-part rationale: to educate and to entertain.”

Kathy Dunne Dunnehoff - “Say ‘yes’ to caffeine.”

Dixon says: In case you missed it, I enjoyed taking part in the Shamrocks-N-Sirens readers event for lovers of thrillers and crime novels. I learned a lot, and got to know a great group of up-and-coming authors. It was also fun to introduce my novel, The Assassins Club, to new readers. The event is finished, but the author interviews and book links are still on Michael Lorde's blog, which hosted the event.

Tip O'Day #264 - "One Sentence Writing Tips IV"

Over the holidays, I asked folks in my online network to share one-sentence writing tips. We’ve been looking at them all week, and here’s the Final Five.

Mike Snyder – “Write characters, not caricatures.”

Linda Swink – “There is no one right way to create a story.”

Kristen Wood – “Fall in love with your characters; if you don't, no one else will.”

Mark Terry – “Omit unnecessary words.”

Claudette Walker – “Enjoy your writing or others will not.”

Dixon says: Mike and Kristen rang my bell with their comments, since I write character-driven fiction. I often start out with a flawed character in a challenging situation and then ask, “What if…?” When I see clearly what the first 3-4 chapters will look like, and have a foggy idea of the resolution, then it’s time to start putting ink on some perfectly good paper. To me, a cast of strong yet imperfect characters being forced to make difficult choices creates the plot, not the other way around.

Linda’s comment is spot on – there are many roads that will take you from page first to page last. Taking the easy path often results in writing that feels safe and familiar – and boring. Fight your way through the brambles instead of following the freeway. You’ll probably run into Linda somewhere along the way.

My first drafts are always fat, and then I put Mark’s advice to work, weeding out words and phrases that aren’t absolutely vital. I keep thinking I’ll get to the point where removing one additional word will change the entire story; however, the truth is that I eventually get sick and tired of editing.

Claudette’s tip is last for a good reason. Writing should be enjoyable. I recognize that some folks write for therapeutic reasons, to cast out the demons of a toxic upbringing or brutal relationship. All of us have moments when fighting our way through a scene is only slightly easier than battling a battalion of orks. Even so, there is satisfaction in coming up with the right words to describe a key scene, penning a character so readers everywhere will recognize the type, and arriving at long last at those magical words, “The End.”

Tip O'Day 263 - "One Sentence Writing Tips III"

Over the holidays, I asked folks in my online network to share one-sentence writing tips. Here are four more.

Jackie Pelham – “Let the muse flow then wait a few days and edit.”

Dixon Rice – “Most of us can’t find our own mistakes; if there isn’t a local writing critique group, start your own.”

Gil Roscoe – ‎"One must stand up to life before one sits down to write." (Thoreau)

Michael Snell – “Replace ‘Driving my car down the road, I threw a can out the window’ with ‘Driving my battered green 1997 Subaru down Route 6, I threw an empty Diet Mountain Dew can out the window.’ “

Dixon says: Michael provided a great example of using specific details to breathe life into a scene. Jackie and Gil got in touch with the soul of the writer. Me? All I could come up with was a crappy little nuts-n-bolts tip about getting out of the house in a way that doesn’t make your Significant Other suspicious. Sigh…

Tomorrow, more one-sentence writing tips from Mike Snyder, Linda Swink, Mark Terry, Claudette Walker and Kristen Wood.

Tip O'Day #262 - "One Sentence Writing Tips II"

Over the holidays, I asked folks in my online network to share one-sentence writing tips. Here are four more.

Karen Mueller Bryson – “Be precise and concise; eliminate all unnecessary words.”

Kathy Dunne Dunnehoff – “Be a finisher!”

Ellie Mack – “Writer's write; it's what separates us from the pretenders and wannabes.”

Charles O. Maul – “Get an agent and go for it.”

Dixon says: Like yesterday’s tips, these are all great. Karen certainly hit the nail on the head. In my critique group, I’ve found many of my comments concern word choice – either picking the wrong word, or using eight words when a couple will do. Kathy teaches writing at the local college, and knows whereof she speaks. I’ve heard that literary agents spend huge amounts of time pushing authors to finish works for which the writers already received an advance. I thought of Ellie’s comment when I stopped at the dry cleaner today; the clerk told me, “I’ve always thought of writing a book…” Finally, I like Charles’ advice. Even if you don’t land an agent, the pursuit is good for the soul. By writing a query and synopsis, and polishing your book so it’s ready for submission, you’ll learn a lot about the craft of writing and the heart of your story. If nothing else, you’ll also learn patience.

Tomorrow’s post will feature one-sentence tips from Jackie Pelham, Gil Roscoe, Michael Snell and yours truly.

Tip O'Day #261 - "One Sentence Tips I"

Over the holidays, I asked folks in my online network to share one-sentence writing tips. I’ve received sixteen so far, and will put up three or four a day while inventory lasts. If more tips dribble in, I’ll make room.

MaryChris Bradley and Melanie Jackson contributed variations on “Plant your butt in the chair and write.”

Gail Buesnel – “Dangle participles at your literary peril.”

Jonnie Comet – “All good stories are about characters.”

Dixon says: These are all excellent. MaryChris and Melanie remind us of the difference between writers and wannabes - the discipline to sit down and write something on a regular basis. Gail's tip makes me think of the poorly edited self-published books I've seen lately that were rife with misspellings, run-on sentences, misplaced modifiers, tense confusion, and subject/verb mismatches. If you're a lover of language, it's enough to make you cringe. Finally Jonnie reminds us that, even in a tightly-plotted tale, character is what keeps the reader turning pages.

Tomorrow will see concise tips from Kathy Dunnehoff, Ellie Mack and Charles O. Maul.