A Writer's Dozen - Archive

12 Quick Tips to Add Strength and Spice to Your Writing
By Yvonne First posted June 2006
How would you like to boost the reader appeal of your words in just one step? Check out the first of the following twelve tips for one of the most powerful — and the simplest — methods to make your writing sparkle on the page and in the reader’s eyes. The other 11 tips can help, too. Put them all together, and they create a handy checklist to keep in mind when you’re writing and editing. Have fun! Aim for Active. Passive voice is what happens when the action is done to the person instead of having the person do the action. It’s slow, indirect and often cumbersome. Compare, for example The horse was groomed by Jake (6 words) to Jake groomed the horse (4 words). Passive voice also commonly appears as “telling” not “showing” the reader what the character is feeling. Watch for forms of the verb “to be” and the word “by”: they’re red flags that slow prose is approaching. Avoid Adverbs. These little critters modify verbs, adding some kind of additional information so that the reader knows not only what’s happening, but how it’s happening. “Don’t try to excuse your actions,” Harry said angrily. Used too often, however, adverbs drain life from your writing, contribute to a passive tone, and often “tell” rather than “show.” “Don’t try to excuse your actions,” said Harry, grasping the coffee mug so tightly that she thought it might shatter. Bounce those Body Parts (Not!). When was the last time you actually saw knees or eyes operate independently of the body they’re attached to (aside from in the latest horror movie)? Remember that body parts don’t move on their own; their owner moves them. Compare Her eyes rolled. to She rolled her eyes. Yes, it’s a fine distinction, but it’s an important one. Consistent Characteristics. Oh, those eyes. What is it about eye colour that makes characters want to change it so frequently? If you have myriad characters, all with their own personal characteristics to keep track of, try noting the characteristics in a chart or notebook — and refer back to it frequently. Dialogue Tags. The word “said” is okay to use in a dialogue tag; in fact, it’s far better to use “said” repetitively than to use a different verb (yelled, whispered, explained) in each and every piece of dialogue. Readers tend not to notice “said” — it just sort of blends in. But take a look at the dialogue tags, to see if you can eliminate “said” completely, because it’s often not needed at all. Five Senses: Count ‘Em. Characters don’t just see and hear what’s happening around them; they touch, taste and smell it, too. Every sense that you add builds the world in which your characters live—and brings the reader deeper into it. Look at Length. Sentence length, that is. Writing that flows tends to have a variety of sentences: short, long, simple, complex. Too many short sentences together will create a staccato, jumpy effect for the reader; too many long sentences can bog the reader down. Understand the power of length (short = faster reading; longer = slower reading), and use it only for good. Repel Repetition. Do you have pet phrases or words? It can sometimes be tough to spot them yourself, but a critique partner or editor will likely pick up on them. If you think you’re overusing words that would stand out in the text (e.g., describing your heroine as having a “rational mind” in every chapter), do a quick search of your document on the computer — you might just be surprised. Settings and Surroundings. Sometimes, we get so caught up in the action that we forget to “ground” the reader, especially in the transitions between scenes. Don’t leave the reader behind — include enough details that they always know where the characters are and, if appropriate, how they got there. Talking Heads. Snappy dialogue is a wonderful thing, but a reader can lose track of which head is saying what if too many pieces of speech occur without dialogue tags or other indications of which character is speaking. Throw in a clue once in a while, just to keep everyone on track — even if it’s a heated exchange in which you want to focus on the spoken words. To help you insert logical dialogue tags, remember that even in the most energetic exchange, characters move; they don’t just speak — so add the actions. The Name Game. Several characters who share a similar first or last name — which can sometimes be as simple as starting with the same letter — can confuse the reader, especially if they’re all introduced at the same time. Vary character names enough to make it easy for the reader to figure out who’s who. The Shifting Sands of…Point of View. Famous authors shift point of view frequently all the time, and they get away with it. If you want to get away with it too, make sure that (a) the point of view shift makes sense in the context of the action; and (b) you clearly telegraph the shift to the reader.

June 2006