Reading and Writing

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If you are going to write, you must read. And if you are a writer who reads, you are going to write – you will write more, and you will find yourself writing well. Reading and writing go hand in hand; you cannot do one without the other.

In his book, On Writing, Stephen King makes the observation that “the Great Commandment” for writers is “read a lot, write a lot.” It is imperative to understand this important concept – if you are going to write, you have to keep your mind sharp and in shape. The best way to do this is by reading.

Often, I have heard that in order to play a great game as a quarterback in the Super Bowl, you have to do a lot of practicing, play a great season, and then practice some more before that special day in February. You just don’t walk out onto the field and win the Super Bowl without all that preparation.

Believe it or not, the same holds true of flying airplanes. If you are going to fly well, you have to fly regularly. This concept is also true when it comes to music, sailing, figure-skating, driving, scuba diving, teaching, and – well – just about everything.

I remember a time when I stopped writing for a while. I was mad at the world, and in particular, every teacher of writing, every editor, and all publishers. I threw my typewriter (yes, that is how long ago this incident happened) into the corner of my bedroom and did not touch it for over a year.

Finally, I realized I had to get on with my life.

I pulled out the typewriter, dusted it off and cleaned it up, changed the ribbon, and began again.

It was an odd feeling, putting words to paper again. It was a slow process, but after a little time passed pecking at the keys, the rhythm returned and the words began to flow.

I realized I should never again let time pass without practicing those things I love to do.

Oh yes, I have never figured skated in my life. In fact, I have been on ice skates only three times in my life: the first time, the last time, and the only time.

Keep writing.
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Numbers versus Words

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I majored in journalism for a number of reasons. First and foremost, was my fear of math. Imagine my chagrin when I discovered in order to fly, I still had to understand and deal with numbers…

What is the point of being a writer? Why do we write? Why does a professional writer endure the loneliness and hardships of putting words to paper? What is the reason?

Rest assured there are as many reasons as to why we write, as there are individual scribes.

My reasons are simple. One, I am compelled to leave something behind on this earth after I am gone. Secondly, I have this urge to express myself, educate others, and tell stories. And third, I like to explain things in as simple a way as I can.

For example, there is the lift equation. Pilots use this information every time they fly. Airline passengers find themselves subjected to the equation at the invitation of their pilot and first officer. However, teaching a student pilot how to use the lift equation during a landing – well, now, to quote the Mayor of Oz, “That is a horse of a different color!”

I know everyone understands that L = 1/2 rho V(squared) Cl S right? In other words, lift equals ½ rho where rho is the density of the air times velocity squared times the coefficient of lift (Cl) times the wing area (S) of the airplane. Trust me, most pilots don’t understand this either.

That is why I like to break this down into the simplest form. When I explain lift to my student pilots, I show them this equation and ask, “Can you do anything about the density of the air? The answer is no. Can you change the speed of the aircraft? Yes. What is another word for Cl? The coefficient of lift, or angle of attack on the wing (how much you push or pull on the stick). And can you change the wing area after you have configured the aircraft for landing? No.

This basically breaks down the equation into the simplest form which is much easier for student pilots to understand: lift equals speed times the angle of attack of the wing. At this, most student pilots have their “Aha!” moment.

I think you have to agree, looking at the equation this way makes the equation much easier to understand than its mathematical expression.

Go ahead, make my day! Throw me some more equations and I will also turn them into simple explanations with words.

It is one of the things this writer does…
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When Writing Letters Requesting Publication

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It happened again. Another query letter from a writer who would like to have her project published into a book. Unfortunately, several letters of this type arrive in our inbox every week. We reject most before we even open the writing sample.

Why?

Because the author wrote the query letter so poorly, replete with grammatical mistakes, it was not worth our time to read the writing samples. When an author uses words improperly in the letter sent for a publishing request, what sort of an impression does it leave on the editor?

If you are going to request consideration for publication, you have to send your very best writing sample along with your writing project. In other words, the query letter you write to the publisher has to be perfect.

Every editor and publisher I know all agree, if the query letter is a mess, it is a fairly good bet the piece also will be a mess. Each of us in the role of editor or publisher has very little time. The query letter is a quick look into the capabilities of the author as a writer. The writing sample contained in the letter is a big clue as to whether or not we should invest more time in reading the author’s work.

If the author does not know how to use “to,” “too,” “two,” or “2,” this is a problem that needs to be fixed. It is, by the way, a problem the author can repair. As is the problem of learning where to put all those funny little marks, such as periods, commas, semi-colons, quotation marks, and colons.

If you are really serious about becoming the next John Grisham, Stephen King, or Mark Twain, you have to be serious about your craft. You must learn the rules of the road and discipline yourself in using those rules.

Oh yes, and if you are writing fiction, you have to be able to tell a really good story.
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The Greatest Homework Excuse Ever!

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Ok, yesterday I made reference to the greatest homework excuse I ever heard – in my life. I was not exaggerating when I made this comment; I have been teaching for a long time and I have heard some really good excuses.

But the excuse that takes first prize is the one I heard from a classmate when I was in the fourth grade. His name has long ago been lost in the far lost corners of my mind, but I remember the story he told like I heard it just yesterday, rather than 47 years ago. In my mind’s eye, I can still see this young lad standing before the teacher explaining why he could not turn in his homework assignment.

“Did you do it?” the teacher asked.

“Yes, ma’am, I did.”

“Well, where is it?”

“Uh, well, um, uh, ohh…” Little beads of sweat began popping out on his forehead. “I don’t have it.”

“Why not,” she asked.

“Well, see, uhm, I was doing my homework in the backseat of my dad’s car… He has a convertible. And he was taking my mom and me over to St. Petersburg. And we were going across the Howard Franklin Bridge. And, uhm, we were right in the middle of the bridge. And there was this guy fishing on the bridge. And he went to cast his hook out. Just as we were passing by. And his hook came into the back seat of my dad’s car. And it snatched my homework. And then he cast my homework out into the bay. And a big fish came up and swallowed it.”

Everyone in the classroom cracked up! There was laughing and guffawing from all corners. I remember looking at the teacher, who had to maintain her professional composure. It was the first time I saw an adult biting her lip to keep from laughing out loud. She could not, however, control the laughter in her eyes. The poor student was embarrassed beyond description.

I swear to you, this story happened exactly as I wrote it. Today, I am sure he has become a best-selling author – with an imagination like that, what else could have happened to this kid?

Or maybe he became a professional fisherman?
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Being Remiss, or Too Busy in Life

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Every now and then, I am reminded of things I need to keep doing. One is posting to this blog. My reminder came by way of Michael O’Neal this time, one of the new writers whose book we will soon publish at http://bluewaterpress.com.

In his email, Mike said, “Having read a number of books by bestselling authors I have come to decide (in my humble opinion) that success in writing, like in any other entertainment field, seems to depend more on successful marketing that talented writing.”

He is absolutely right.

And in the clarity of his opinion, he forces me to look squarely into the face of my lack of discipline, my inattention to this blog. And I have excuses, all kinds of excuses, some good, some not so good.

The bottom line is this. If you are going to be a writer, you must write. No matter how much life gets in the way, you must write. If you are a true writer, nothing is going to stop you; you will write.

OK, so for my excuses… “The dog ate my homework…” ? Give a read tomorrow and I will tell you about the greatest homework excuse I have ever heard – in all my life!

And for my real excuse… Actually, I have been writing. Just not on this blog. During this year, I put out four academic titles, and I am on the verge of finishing a book I hope will help high school students and college freshmen make important decisions in their lives. Be on the lookout for PSST!! Wanna Know a Secret?
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Welcome to the 21st Century

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We were on a road trip, having shut down production for a very rare moment. Typically, we work close to 14 hours a day and through the weekend. It reminds me of my days in the Navy when I was an attack pilot and managed sailors in all different kinds of offices and shops, in addition to being shot off the pointy end of a boat. A 14-hour day on the aircraft carrier was a short day. As we waited for our meal to come from the kitchen, we talked shop, as we often do.

“I really wish some of the authors querying us would come into the Twenty-first Century and use computers,” I said to Ardis. We come across some great stories, but some of the writers submit their proposals on notebook paper, napkins, and other inappropriate media. “I should write about it in the blog to get the word out.”

At that moment, she stated the obvious.

“Sweetie, people reading a blog probably are in the Twenty-first Century.” Man, I hate it when she’s right, but I had my retort ready.

“What do you want me to do? Yell, ‘Stop the Presses’ and put it in the newspaper? Nobody reads newspapers anymore.”

But the writers still want to write… And they are still looking for publishers.

When I worked as a full time writer and later as a freelancer, I wondered about publishers and editors. I questioned how they got to be the way they are. Since becoming one, I am discovering the answers.

What most writers fail to understand about editors and publishers is that they work like electricity – no, I don’t mean as in the speed of light. They work like electricity by taking the path of least resistance. Think about it – Physics 101 applied to a business situation.

If it takes two weeks to publish Project A and it takes seven weeks for Project B, which project do you think the editor will run? Which do you believe the editors will accept and which reject? What might be the difference between projects A and B?

Can you say, “Following the submission guidelines?”

Writers are a funny lot; they always want to do things their way. Editors are funny, too; they also want to do things, well, their way. That’s why they go to the trouble of publishing submission guidelines. It makes their jobs easier, it allows them to accomplish more, and they can work like electricity – following the path of least resistance to the completion of their tasks.

The bottom line is this – if you want to be successful as a writer, you need to do things the company way. They went to a lot of trouble to create their department in a particular style to allow projects to flow seamlessly from the query letter to final publication.

If you follow their guidelines, you will help them in their jobs. You will also have a much higher chance of having your project accepted, leading of course, to a successful career as a writer.

As Ardis so well pointed out, people reading this on a blog are already in the Twenty-first Century. However, I am sure you know some of those other people in your writing circles. If you care for them, help them out.

Print this article and take them a copy and talk them into buying a computer.

jC
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Proofing & Editing

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You have a great idea for a story and you have put it to paper. Now what? Well, the first thing you should do is save the file, or print it out, and then bury it for a while.

Bury it?

Yes, bury it. If you can afford to, bury it for a couple of weeks. When you take it out and look at it again, it will seem unfamiliar to you. This will allow you to see your work with a more objective eye than while you are actually writing.

After you have spent so much time writing your masterpiece, you are too close to the creation of the work to properly edit. You have to edit. I guarantee it. Your manuscript will be overflowing with mistakes. And the amazing thing about this will be the surprise you experience when you actually look at your work with a discerning eye.

If you try editing your work right after you finish writing, the mistakes will not stand out. After all, you just finished creating your work the way you wanted and all of your hard work will camouflage the mistakes. Another thing helping hide the errors is your immediate familiarity with the writing style.

In order to make your article, novel, or journal entry perfect, you have to be able to edit with an unbiased eye. You have to maintain objectivity in order to cut phrases, sentences, and paragraphs, or add to the piece to make it more understandable or flow effortlessly.

Why is this so important?

If you finish your article and send it off to an editor or publisher filled with mistakes, you dramatically increase the probability of a rejection letter. Editors tend to work with writers who decrease their workload, not the other way around. It is a competitive field out there and usually, an editor has options.

If you want to be successful in this career, your writing has to be – well – almost perfect.

jC
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