Some Writing Tips

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Some Writing Tips

• (or how to make your writing stronger in 10 easy
  steps)

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1. Rid your writing of wordiness.

• Read it over and ask if it sounds like you its
  tempting to want to sound sophisticated by adding
  lots of unnecessary words or words that sound
  like an encyclopedia.
• Seek clarity in all you write get rid of words
  that clutter your great ideas and images.

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2. Get rid of repetition

• Unless you are being wonderfully poetic.
• Repetition in vocabulary choice,
• Repetition in sentence beginnings,
• Repetition in sentence length,
• All repetition.
• (Do you see how repetition is boring?!)

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3. Get rid of boring words.

• Beautiful (or any facsimile - gorgeous, cute,
  wonderful)
• Went (or any other verbs that dont add power and
  description like come, got, have)
• Any phrases youve heard before (clichés)

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4. Proofread, please!!!!!

• Use spellchecker, you have been born into an age
  that has such conveniences, use them!!
• Look for possible run-on sentences (words like
  and, but, so, therefore, are red flags for
  possible run-ons - we will review the grammatical
  rules for run-ons.)
• Watch for fragments, phrases that dont make
  sense by themselves (fragments are legitimate if
  you are writing them consciously to create a
  create a certain tone.)

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5. Know the rules for indenting and use of
commas with dialogue.

• We will review these finite, easy rules.

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6 Know your audience

• If you are writing fiction in first person, speak
  honestly in that voice to other specific
  characters.
• If you are writing analytically, write with
  confidence. (dont use, I think assume a voice
  of knowledge.

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7. Seek immediacy and vibrancy in your writing.

• Use strong verbs - words that create images
  trudge, clamber, undulate, grope, wriggle also
  cooking verbs create metaphoric power (Ill give
  you a list that we can add to.)
• Stretch for amazing metaphors and similes,
  nothing youve ever heard before!
• Use specific concrete images that you could
  photograph, not vague or abstract ones.
• Use as many senses as possible. (dont forget
  about light in your description or color)

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8. Know grammar!

• Get to know all punctuation rules so that you can
  use a variety of ways to connect sentences
  correctly. (. -)
• Knowing all about phrases and clauses will allow
  you to manipulate words and add fluidity to your
  writing.

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9. Be yourself.

• Try hard to write from your unique voice.
• Write from you heart - always have an interest in
  what you are writing. If you are bored, the
  reader will be too.
• Dont always know where you are going in a piece
  of writing - the power emerges when you surprise
  yourself.

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10. Have fun!

• If its not fun, it shows.
• Scrap creative stuff that seems to be going no
  where or isnt surprising to you in any way.
• Choose topics for analytic pieces that interest
  you.
• Use cool pens if you are writing on paper.
• Use cool fonts and colors if you are typing.