Book Writing Know-How

Tips for Writing a Better Book

PART 1  -  Book Writing Know-How

I wrote it wrong before getting it right. As we all know, it is essential to know the requirements, skill, and basics, before initiating action and implementation for any enterprise. Writing for publication is no exception. In my last post I said that I made the mistake of assuming I could write an acceptable book by relying on my ability to write well. In the end this didn't work for me. There was a reason it fell flat. Although I purchased the recommended writer's manuals and publishing books, my basic know-how in book writing was only rudimentary. It wasn't enough to do the job with skill or finesse. I learned from a writing coach that my unfinished manuscript fell short in a number of areas. These errors could easily have been avoided if I had solicited advice during an earlier stage in the writing process or better yet, before ever beginning. Today, with the advent of numerous Internet resources, and with its consequential growth in the self-publishing market, there is less cause for naïveté in the writing field. For the wannabe writers the door is wide open. However, some serious preparation is in order.

Writers have ideas just itching to get out. Communicating through the written word is a stimulating, almost heady experience. It's fun! Writing can get the creative juices flowing. Those who love the craft are able to formulate clever sentences with a certain amount of ease, although the editing process is the  time-consumer often requiring mental searches for the best way to express the thought. Effective book writing takes all this and then some.

My prior experiences in writing were in the genres of essays, poems, and plays.  Despite their successes and a positive response from my audience,  these experiences did not carry over to my first attempt at book writing. The most glaring deficit was that I was writing in a passive rather than active voice. Instead of  showing the reader what I was feeling or felt, I was telling them all about it. There's a major difference between the two. The telling is boring, uninteresting, with all the appeal of a textbook. But showing is intriguing, exciting, pulling the reader into the thought and action. In addition to this error, telling a story rather than showing its unfolding, there are other writing errors common to beginning, unproven authors.  Inappropriate verb tenses, overuse of adjectives, unnecessary adverbs, over-use of introductory clauses and so forth can kill a story line no matter how excellent the plot or over-arching collective content.

Let’s finish the thought . . . go to next blog

The Mistake of Writing it Wrong Before Getting it Right

I did it backwards.

I wrote the book and then consulted a professional to guide me in the writing process.  I was nearing the finishing stages of my book or so I thought. I was expecting some changes but not a full body re-write. My advice . . . don't do this!  Learn the ropes before you start your book.

For a couple of years I had been following a writing studio web page hoping to take one of the  classes for novice writers which were offered periodically.  I'd never met the owner-instructor, a community college professor, or knew anyone who had taken her classes. She seemed to be on the level and I was interested in getting serious about writing. Besides, I didn't know anyone else in the business and you have to start somewhere.  My busy schedule got in the way.

It didn't help that I am a reserved person who holds back when I should push forward. I should and could have made it happen.

Then I came up with the brainy, though late, idea of buying a block of the writing consultant's time to solicit some advice and know-how in regard to the book I was writing. I was fairly certain that my writing would stand up and my time with her would be productive, netting positive results. I knew next to nothing about the craft of book writing or the publishing world and I didn't have any writing or author contacts. I thought my book's concept was good and that it had the potential to find an audience and to meet a need.

I took the plunge by contacting the writing studio in an email. The owner called me. We set up a time to meet. She asked me to email her some pages from my manuscript.

She didn't waste any time getting down to business. First question. "What is the message of your book?" My response was vague. Next question. "Who is your audience?" I hesitated, sorting out my thoughts. Again, my answer sounded weak, it floundered - too far off the mark. I knew it and she knew it. I commenced to tell her that I wanted my book to reach hurting people, to offer hope by giving realistic solutions for those caught in the midst of disillusioning pain, a story based on my personal experiences. I'd not thought it through in exactly the same way as she was asking, not in concrete terms anyway. Apparently, my book lacked continuity and focus. She commented on my incorrect use of interior book constructs, confusing a preface with an introduction. A sinking feeling began to settle in.  She continued on, not unkindly, in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Your writing is like that of an amateur," in reference to the sample pages she had previewed, "a book publisher will spot it immediately.

However, you make some strong statements. It has potential. The grammar usage is fair. You have a command of language. You articulate well, you won't need beginning level instruction. ... A book that is well-written will possess specific elements. An author is cognizant of the way to write a book so that its voice is active, engages the reader but doesn't tell too much too fast. An author never insults their audience by telling their readers what to think, they don't "show off" (by inserting a barrage of high-end words requiring a dictionary), and they also refrain from the use of jargon (which can litter Christian literature). To write a book that is taken as serious by a publisher, you must become familiar with the book writing format and then apply yourself to improving your skill at writing. Writing is a craft. Let me explain what I mean." With the formalities aside, she began to open a door and I entered a new world. Her comments about "what good authors do" fell on fertile soil. I was an eager student although a very quiet and subdued one. It was a bit overwhelming. She went on to say that it is easier to start a new book than to re-do a poorly written manuscript. I understood what she was saying, but the wind had been knocked out of my sails.  I left the session realizing that I had approached it from the wrong angle, I'd gotten it backwards. Maybe my book was a faulty enterprise, not that good, really. I took the hint.

I abandoned my book. Just like that. It was over; one hundred-plus pages, full-size single-spaced manuscript pages, abandoned.

I slipped my manuscript into a legal sized envelope to store it away to possibly revisit another day. Writing my book had consumed a whole summer and then some, encroaching on family time and wedged into the pause between teaching years. I was out of time, school would be starting soon. I quit; now feeling discouraged and deflated. All that work, hours and hours of it. I never looked at it again. I wasn't sure what I thought or how to react. One thing I did know, I would try again. When? I had no idea.

I had wizened up. The instructor had been frank, telling me the truth about writing that I needed to hear. What I now knew had effectively stopped me in my tracks ... and that was a good thing. You have to know what you're doing before you do it.

My mistake had been in a misplaced, innocent belief. I made the assumption that my natural writing ability would be the most important skill necessary for writing my book (I had a lot to learn). This misconception wasn't too surprising, though, writing had always come easy for me. I'd always loved the process of finding the right word to make a sentence sing, writing with fluidity of expression, and never allowing myself to be satisfied with a mediocre effort. Many times in high school and into my college years I depended on my ability to weave words in a smooth fashion. I'd aced some pretty heavy exams by employing this gift, once writing answers to essay questions for a six hour State Teacher's Exam in which I didn't  have the slightest idea as to the right answers to the narrow questions. That hadn't stopped me. I responded in a plausible fashion with general information related to the subject, writing well enough to convince the examiners that I knew what I was talking about. It worked. I scored well on the essay section. For church and other venues, I often contributed my skill at writing. Somehow, I had mistaken my past experiences to carry over as a slam dunk or close to it. In fact, the three people who read my manuscript had found it interesting and worthy. I was in a state of mild shock. I hadn't expected to be so far off the mark. The constructive criticism was exactly what I had paid for, but the thought of rewriting the book was staggering.

The writing consultant, in her honesty, did me a great favor. A poorly written book containing flaws in its structure would have imploded my book's marketability. My voice would have been silenced, and my message, which was dear to my heart, would have been lost.

Instead of continuing the book, I let it go. A few years later I decided to write an entirely different book, still non-fiction but written with a greater understanding on how to craft my writing. I never returned for another session with the writing coach even though I had intended to do so, paying in advance for more of her time. I couldn't face it right then. Initially, it shook my confidence, I had taken it the wrong way, you're not any good, instead of the right way, you need to work at this. When the new story presented itself to me, I found that my memory of her professional comments were still active in my mind, a resource alive inside of me, that, plus a book I purchased from her that she had compiled, describing mistakes an amateur writer makes -- things I would avoid as I put pen to paper. Both contributed as resources to help me move forward, getting it right this time.

I was off and running.

.....

In my next blog I will share some critical aspects of writing which I learned from the writing coach in our two sessions together. I will explain how her comments have shaped my writing. Also, it will afford an opportunity to give her the credit she is due.

......

About the original book, I still want to re-write it. It may well be the most important book I ever pen. It is the story of the overcomer: Pain and Healing.

Tags: writing, mistakes, learning, amateur writer, book, author

Unstuffy ways to begin a relationship with God.

What keeps people from having a close relationship with God?

There are many reasons, excuses, or possibilities that hinder having a relationship with God. But it is possible.

What does keep people from experiencing a close walk with God?

Simply put, first and foremost there is something called desire. One must have the desire to know God better. Once the desire is acknowledged, a determination to find God even during the busy times of our lives must be made. It doesn't happen without intent. I don't know of any relationship with any level of depth to exist without work and commitment. Relationship with God is not any different.

A FEW SUGGESTIONS FOR DEVELOPING A #RELATIONSHIP WITH #GOD

Give thanks to God every morning before starting your day.

Look for God in the big and small blessings and graces of each day.

Seek to know God. Pray often. Desire holiness. Ask for God-awareness.

At night, give thanks. Review your day. Ask yourself, where was God in my day? Confess your sins and failings. Speak to God in openness. Ask for help.

Listen for God's quiet whisper.

Begin a life of seeking God, following what He tells you, and knowing His holy word.He says that He can be found if we seek Him. Then a real relationship begins.

"Let not your heart be troubled.

 

 Ye believe in God, believe also in me. . . .

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. . .

Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

These words Christ spoke to his disciples, to comfort them, to prepare them, to encourage them. He knew that soon He would be leaving them. No longer would He be with them in physical form. This would be difficult for them, they were used to following Him not being independent of Him, it would be a new way of walking in the way of faith. They would need to trust in Him even more once His physical presence departed. They can't imagine life without Jesus. Christ is reassuring them, He wants his disciples to know that He always will be with them, still active in helping them, to not be afraid of this for they can access this peace He is saying will become theirs.


It is hard to trust when we are afraid of the unknown, when we've come to depend on others.

Jesus Christ promises us hope and help. He is the way and the truth. He shepherds his flock of vulnerable sheep. Christ offers peace when it's easier to become troubled. He says, No, don't let your heart be troubled and don't let it be afraid. I am with you. He is with us in the storm, and He says, "Peace, be still." Then He stills the storm and the sea is as glass. The miracle of God's grace enacted on behalf of His loved ones.

It is true, #Christ is with us. He keeps us when we are falling apart, uncertain, and afraid. His hand is extended toward us. It is we who must reach out to grasp His Hands, to reach out to His love, forgiveness, guidance, and strength. To be like Peter and say, "Save me!" when the waves are crashing and pulling us under the water.

Jesus saves. I can personally attest that this is true. Not only in offering us salvation for our souls, but in saving us in the troubling circumstances of life.

Let not your heart be troubled, 
                                     neither let it be #afraid.  Amen