Tips for the aspiring writers
By rosaflorence
@rosaflorence (1924)
United States
February 17, 2007 10:37pm CST
If you have any tips or would like to recieve tips for writing, then please list them here so that we all can help each other out. I know that I could use all of the tips that I can get.
My tip for you is to always make sure that you read over your article as much as possible. When you have been staring at something for too long, then your eyes become tired, so don't concentrate to much without taking a break. Make sure that you do however, look over it so that you don't miss anything like grammer, misspellings, or anything else that might embarrass you later. I am bad about this and I usually try to have someone else to look over my work as well.
YOur turn.....
2 people like this
5 responses
@patgalca (18370)
• Orangeville, Ontario
18 Feb 07
Have good reference books on hand - like a dictionary, Thesaurus and the best book I have is "Building Believable Characters" by Mark McCutcheon. It has a wealth of information in it from words in different languages, to different types of hats, shoes, houses, etc., to body language and voice. Excellent book.
And when you read your work, do read it aloud. You will better hear how it sounds if you can actually HEAR it yourself.
2 people like this
@rosaflorence (1924)
• United States
18 Feb 07
I have read a lot of different writing books. They do seem to help and yes reading your work aloud is a good tip also.
1 person likes this
@rosaflorence (1924)
• United States
18 Feb 07
Yes this is very true. I am bad about not doing this. I had someone still an idea of mine because I did not put my name on it. I got the story back but I learned the hard way. Documentation is always good.
1 person likes this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
18 Feb 07
Another important tip:
Do NOT rely on spell check programs!
They miss a lot of things involving usage. And if you are proofreading a printed document, the computer spell check won't help you. Always have a dictionary nearby, and don't hesitate to use it. Look up words you don't know when you come across them. Having good spelling and vocabulary is a great asset to a writer.
1 person likes this
@Idlewild (6090)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Another thing... don't count on the AC content managers to catch typos for you! I see plenty of AC articles with mistakes in them, and in one case a content manager actually introduced a spelling mistake into a headline in one of my articles.
1 person likes this
@rosaflorence (1924)
• United States
19 Feb 07
My sister usually does my spell checking and grammer check for me but she has gone out of town. I signed up for a trial version of a spell and grammer checker(normal price $60) to see if I like it. I thought that for this much it would be a great one. I was wrong, I had an article rejected because of grammer errors and mispellings. this was embarrasing. I only have a ninth grade education so I think that I do pretty good for myself. I still have a lot of problems with grammer but my sister helps me out a lot.
1 person likes this
@cwilson26 (2735)
• United States
18 Feb 07
I have noticed this with the spell check on AC. Last night I wrote an article on infertility and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (I suffer from both) and the spell check said it was spelled wrong. Well I changed it to what the suggestion was on spell check and then I looked it up online and I had it spelled right to begin with so I had to go back and change it. I am definitely not relying on this anymore. I need to dig out my dictionary. :)
2 people like this
@erikbench (169)
• Philippines
10 Apr 07
read a lot.. reading helps you to acquire and learn different writing styles..
@shadowwriter (28)
•
10 Apr 07
I will give four tips, well there not tips as such as advice. Advice 1 & 2 Try reading two books by Stephen King first On Writing gives his exsperiance and Dance Mcabre wich he talks about horror and its history.
The third it to buy the writer's handbook which is updated each year an lists every publisher and magazines as well as agents and writers circles.
And fourth try the writing course offered by the writers bureau at www.writersbureaucourse.com
@rosaflorence (1924)
• United States
15 Apr 07
hey, sorry that I didn't respond sooner. How much is that writer's handbook? I am just curious. I am always interested in things that will help me to write better. I think that every writer should learn something new everyday and then apply it to what they write. It keeps things fresh. Thanks for commenting on this topic.
