My Addiction to Alliteration

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I’m addicted to alliteration: the repetition of similar sounds near each other in a sentence, often at the start of words. “Similar sounds” is an illustration of alliteration. An extreme example would be “Similar sounds starting successive words….”

Just as some people consider a pun as the highest form of humor, I elevate alliteration as a revered writing skill. I employ it often, perhaps too often.

Apparently alliteration has become passé. Some even say to avoid it, as alliteration distracts the reader. How sad. In discussing this in blog comments with Chip MacGregor, he allowed that two or perhaps three sound repetitions are acceptable, while four or more are excessive.

Yikes! I’ve pulled off four and five alliterative sounds – and once proudly preformed six in succession. When in the depths of my addiction, I would replace an ideal word with an acceptable one just to feed my compulsion. Even now, with my craving in check, I’m especially pleased at this post’s title, with the beginning and ending of two words that showcase my skill.

My addiction to alliteration will never go away, but I am in recovery.

What writing habits do you have that you need to control or eliminate?

Why I Save What I Delete

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When I delete something from a work in progress – be it a book, article, or post – I try to save it. Often it comes in handy later.

Last week’s post, How Much Has Your Writing Progressed in the Past Year?, was running long. I shortened it to make my point more succinctly. I deleted content that didn’t move the piece forward, removing words that failed to connect with the theme or advance my thesis.

One sentence I deleted was:

“We can always improve as writers – and I hope we always will; we need to guard against becoming complacent and settling.”

For years, I was complacent with my writing. My goal was to complete each piece quickly, not to improve. And though writing with regularity helped me to write with greater speed, the quality of my words remained unchanged. At the time I deemed my writing as “good enough”; I had settled.

Then one day I made a mental transition. I uttered the career-changing words, “I am a writer.” I became empowered. An attitude adjustment started that day. Writing with speed merely to reach the end ceased to be my sole goal. Stringing words together to call attention to my prowess as a writer exposed itself as shortsighted and selfish.

I desired to improve. And I have. Though the path is long and I will never reach my destination, I persist in moving forward, growing as a writer with each step. I discover techniques to pursue and habits to discard. I’m picking up tips and developing strategies.

One practice I adopted is saving the things I delete. And today that gave me the basis for this post.

How has your writing improved? What are you doing to become better?

How Much Has Your Writing Progressed in the Past Year?

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Last week, I shared how going on a writer’s retreat gave me the opportunity to pause and reflect on my writing journey over the past twelve months.

I had written nearly every day during the preceding year, making progress but not seeing it. I ground out words with methodical repetition, not realizing I had reasons to cheer. Yet I did have cause to celebrate, in terms of both quantity and quality.

Quantity: At last year’s retreat, I started writing a book. Just before this year’s event, I finished it. (Never mind that a book is never truly done.) That was quite an accomplishment, but until I paused to reflect, I hadn’t appreciated how far I had come.

What amazed me even more was that I started researching another book last April and just finished that one, too. I also took time out to write a short e-book, My Faith Manifesto (download it for free). Plus there were a couple hundred blog posts. I also worked on my platform and published some shorter works.

Quality: Sitting at the writers retreat also reminded me of how I’ve improved over the past year. I’ve learned so much – and applied most of it. I don’t make the same basic errors I made twelve months ago. I still make mistakes, it’s just they’re more advanced ones – ones I was too green to even see last year. I’ve plugged into critique groups, attended webinars, and taken online classes. I’ve gotten better.

But instead of reveling in all this, I was tired and discouraged, Sheesh. I forgot to celebrate my accomplishments.

There’s certainly more I could have done and more I wanted to do. But I refuse to focus on what didn’t happen, instead celebrating what did.

Your journey is different from mine. You may have less time or more time to write, fewer distractions or more, a slower lifestyle or a busier one. So don’t compare yourself to me. Compare yourself to you. That’s what matters – and then celebrate what you’ve accomplished.

What achievements have you made in your writing journey? Please share them here so we can all celebrate with you.

Take Time to Review Your Writing Journey

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Last month I attended a writers retreat, the second time in two years. Aside from a chance to write in a different venue and hangout with other writers, I enjoyed an unexpected benefit: I recalled my writing journey over the preceding twelve months.

It’s wise to periodically look back and evaluate progress, yet we seldom do. As writers we too often go from one day to the next, plodding forward but not seeing any headway.

The opposite dilemma is sliding from one day to the next, with the implicit promise to write tomorrow. Days become weeks and weeks pile up to make months and months turn into years, all with the intent to resume writing tomorrow.

Neither perspective is good. When we don’t see the journey, we lose the opportunity to celebrate progress. Yet, if we procrastinate, we miss even taking the trip. Yes, seasons come when we can’t write or don’t write but those should only last for a time; that’s why it’s called a season. Then we resume writing.

Take a pause today and look at the past year. What do you see?

  • If you’ve moved forward in your writing, take a moment to cheer. And then get back to work.
  • If you’ve not been writing – whether for a good reason or not – don’t despair. Shrug off the guilt; remove the excuses; stop explaining why. Forget what was and resolve to resume writing. Start today.
  • What if you progressed but not as much as you hoped, what then? Simply realize you’re normal. We seldom accomplish as much as we want or think we should; that’s life. Celebrate what you did, cast aside what you didn’t do, and pledge to keep moving forward. That’s what real writers do.

What has your writing journey looked like? What do you need to change?

Writing Contests: Should You Pay to Play?

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Last week I talked about writing contests. These competitions come in two flavors: free and fee. I generally don’t enter any fee-based contests, though last week I made an exception. Here are the pros and cons of both.

Free Contests: Free writing competitions are egalitarian; they are fair and open. This appeals to my sense of right and even more so to my checking account. Of course with no barriers to entry, submissions abound, lessening the chance of winning. Some of the contests I enter have hundreds or even a thousand submissions. The odds of winning are not encouraging.

Fee-Based Contests: Entry fees limit participation, thereby increasing the chance for recognition. Often the fees go to prize money or to pay professionals to judge submissions. Fee-based contests have a greater likelihood of offering feedback as well. As a bonus, you may catch the attention of a judge, who could later benefit your career. Therefore, in theory, fee-based writing contests have less competition and offer better prizes and more benefits.

However, before submitting to a fee-based contest, check them out. Not all are legit, with the only real rewards going to the person who collects the fees. Investigate them, delve into their history, consider the caliber of the judges, and talk with past winners. Also, contact online writing groups and social media hangouts for input. Then you can proceed as appropriate.

As I mentioned last week, I see much value in participating in writing contests and will continue to do so as time allows, for both the free and fee versions.

Do you prefer free or fee-based contests? What’s your experience with them?

What’s the Value of Writing Contests?

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I sometimes submit my work to writing contests. And I sometimes wonder why. Though I want to win, I don’t really expect to. This isn’t self-deprecating; it’s realistic: I write nonfiction and most of the contests I enter are for fiction. So why do I do it?

To Stretch Myself: Many of the contests I enter are through Writer’s Digest. Their challenges are fiction focused. Though I only dabble in fiction, I want to one day pursue it. Stretching myself now will pay off later. Plus memoirs (my present focus) borrow from fiction techniques, so that’s another bonus.

To Try Different Genres: The first contest I entered was for poetry. I don’t write poetry – or at least I hadn’t since my teenage years. The opportunity to dip my toe into this genre appealed to me. Even though I didn’t win, my work made it to the finals. This encouraged me to pen more poetry and I did publish a subsequent piece. I’ll never be a poet, but poetry is a nice diversion.

To Learn: Each submission is a learning opportunity. In some cases, judges offer feedback on your work. This is a great opportunity to grow as a writer. The contests I’ve entered so far, do not provide comments, but comparing my submissions to the finalists and winners show me how I can improve.

To Celebrate: If you win (or are even a finalist), this is cause for celebration. And if it’s put on by a prestigious group, winning is an impressive addition to your resume. Plus, for all the aspiring writers who talk about submitting but never do, mere participation is a reason to cheer.

To Win: For some contests the payoff is bragging rights, others award prizes, and some include publication in a magazine or book. The tangible rewards are compelling, but for me they simply represent an added bonus.

Have you ever entered a writing contest? What were your motives and expectations?

Why We Need to Write Every Day With Intention

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For the past few days I’ve been fighting a cold. I cut out as much as I could from my daily activities, doing only what had to be done. I stopped exercising and skipped my morning writing routine. Though I still wrote during my illness, I only did what I could not put off: maintaining my blogging schedule and meeting deadlines for my publications.

The writing I did do, however, I fear was not my best work. But it was the best I could cobble together with a head numbed by cold remedies and a body aching to lay down. Even today, I have not yet fully exited that muddled state of being.

Though I still wrote every day while I was sick, I feel a bit guilty over not writing with intention. I covered the essentials but nothing more. I maintained the letter of the law (my law) by writing every day, but I missed the spirit of the law (my law) by not being intentional.

My intentional writing moves my books forward towards eventual publication. This is the type of writing I must do every day to succeed and grow as a writer. Intentional writing is goal-oriented.

My essential writing is an end in itself, done to meet a commitment or out of necessity. This type of writing may increase my writing speed but does little to foster increased quality. Essential writing is task-oriented.

Essential writing reminds me of mowing the lawn, doing it over and over again. Intentional writing reminds me of landscaping, more permanent and immensely satisfying. It is art and it sustains me.

To achieve writing success, I must write every day, but I must also be intentional in what I write.

Seven Reasons Why Writers Need Each Other

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Last weekend I was at a writers retreat. What were we retreating from?

I think in one way or another we all chose to be there to enjoy a reprieve from the status quo. We were retreating from normalcy.

For most writers most of the time, writing is a solitary activity. We toil in isolation, often foregoing social interaction so that we may create: linking letters to produce words to string together to form sentences to make paragraphs that result in chapters which emerge as books. We do this by ourselves.

Working alone is efficient. Writing without human distraction is effective, the practical way to proceed – at least for our art but not so much for our person. Personally we need people from time to time. Being with other writers is critical.

Connection: Non-writers don’t understand why we write. Our drive to produce remains a mystery to them. They may tolerate and accommodate our ways, but comprehending why we do what we do, evades them. Other writers get this.

Commiserate: Writing can be hard. Sometimes the words don’t flow or our output doesn’t work. Other times the path to publication is blocked. And when produced, sometimes the audience doesn’t respond as we wish. Other writers understand this, offering comfort or advice.

Consulting: Sometimes writers become stuck. We don’t know how to fix a troubled passage, put our story arc back on track, or correct words that refuse to cooperate. Sometimes we need a second set of eyes, a fresh perspective, or input from someone who’s preceded us on that path. Other writers are often the best equipped to help.

Celebrate: Who better understands our triumphs than other writers? When we sell a story, publish a poem, find an agent, sign a book deal, or hold our product in our hands, it’s other writers who cheer the loudest. We all need applause from time to time.

Cooperate: As writers we need to promote our work; we must market our product. We despise condescending into the dark side of art, but we need to reach our audience and sell our books. Working with other writers, often in an informal cooperative, is an ideal way to make this easier and more effective.

Comfortable: We don’t need to explain ourselves to other writers. They offer acceptance and a safe place to be ourselves.

Community: We find all these things when we connect with other writers. Our community might be a critique group, a seminar, a conference, a Facebook page or Google+ group, a blog, a class, a retreat, or maybe all of these.

Though not every community is positive and supportive, we keep the ones that are and jettison the rest. We do this for our writing and for our well-being.

What does your writing community look like?

How to Deal With Bad Writing – Yours

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This week I pulled out something I wrote and published a decade ago. I wanted to repurpose it into a shorter, updated piece.

My old work shocked me. It was ponderous.

I used big words that no one ever wields. I constructed long sentences – the kind where you forget the beginning by the time you get to the end. I employed passive language. It was bad, at least by my standards and skills circa 2013.

To my dismay, my words didn’t serve my reader but strained to elevate myself. I hadn’t written to help others but to call attention to my writing. The subtext of my ungainly message was to parade my vocabulary, intellectual ponderings, and academic style – not to educate, entertain, or enlighten.

It was painful to read.

I could have felt the sting of embarrassment over my novice ways and immature style. I did not. First, I couldn’t change what I wrote. The printed page doesn’t allow edits or do-overs. As they quip in school, it was part of my permanent record. Second, even though it makes me shudder now, some people did like what I wrote then. They enjoyed my style; they appreciated my insights; they found value in my prose.

Instead of dismay, I celebrate what I read from my former self. My decade-old words prove, without doubt, that my writing has improved. I’ve grown as a wordsmith. My style is coalescing into something worth reading, words that are honest and real. I’m comfortable with where I am now and glad for the progress of my journey.

The only way I might have mourned my past writing would be if I hadn’t improved at all, if I was no better today then I was back then.

In another ten years, I hope to read this piece and shudder again, realizing it was not nearly as good as my writing will be circa 2023.

May it be so.

May we always strive to improve our writing.

How has your writing changed over the years? Do you feel good about your journey?

Book Review: Are You There Blog?

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Are You There Blog? It’s Me, Writer

By Kristen Lamb (reviewed by Peter DeHaan)

Are You There Blog? It’s Me, Writer is the result of Kristen Lamb’s journey down the blogging path, from a struggling novice to successful blogger – with the following to prove it. And she specifically focuses on writers. Kristen avows that as a beginning blogger she made every conceivable mistake, many of which she shares with us so that we can avoid repeating them.

Are You There Blog? Is divided into three sections. The first is a social media primer, specifically as it relates to writers. Although it is seemingly a long introduction to the book’s main theme of blogging, it’s also most valuable, worth the price of the book by itself. Most of the commonly advocated social media practices, while great for businesses and corporations, don’t help writers and authors and in many cases are actually counterproductive.

The second section, the meat of the book, is entitled “Eighteen Lessons to Blogging Awesomeness,” which Kristen Lamb shares with both humor and authority. Implementing her recommendations will help writers construct a successful blog and aid in establishing their platform, doing so with a minimum of distraction and anxiety. Throughout this Kristen frequently references her own blog, not as annoying self-promotion, but as an actual example and to show that she really does follow her own advice.

The final section, the shortest of the three, offers a trio of testimonies from others who followed and affirm Kristin’s recommendations. This is a fitting conclusion to Are You There Blog? and a confirmation she’s not laying out a theoretical treatise but instead sharing a practical, workable, and proven plan to help writers blog.

Are You There Blog? It’s Me, Writer is a stand-alone book. However, readers may benefit by first reading Kristen’s previous book, We Are Not Alone: The Writer’s Guide to Social Media, which she frequently references by the acronym WANA.

Regardless, Are You There Blog? is a good beginning resource for any writer who blogs or wants to blog.

[Are You There Blog? It’s Me, Writer, by Kristen Lamb. Published by Who Dares Wins Publishing, 2011; ISBN: 978-1-935712-48-0; 187 pages.]

Read more book reviews by Peter DeHaan