I continue to be amazed at how current a book written 30 years ago remains. Here’s my take on another great chapter in Charlie Shedd’s book If I Can Write, You Can Write.
I discovered these ‘truths’ through trial and error. I recommend them to you as key commitments for writing success.
Commitment # 1: I will use grab-them-quick openings.
Bobby B. Billy just wasn’t working. The author and I both knew it, yet Joshua O’Hea struggled to let go of his slow-paced opening. He knew he needed to ‘hook, grab, and hold’ his readers, yet he felt establishing the background was too important to alter. We were at an impasse.
Then I asked for permission to try something. I started the story near the end. I used an element already present in the story as a transition to the beginning. The pacing picked up. While the story never flows like a race horse bursting forth from it’s starting gate cage, it’s no longer a mule refusing to budge.
This content is for members only.
Commitment # 2: I will focus on momentum.
Successful writers always keep their story moving forward. The best way to retain momentum is to use verbs.
This content is for members only.
Commitment # 3: I will eliminate awkward transitions.
You must guide your “reader from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph, section to section.â€1
This content is for members only.
Commitment # 4: I will rewrite most negatives.
“Today’s reader wants to know ‘where it is at,’ not where it isn’t.â€2 This is been my experience repeatedly. Whenever I fail to rewrite something presented from the negative perspective, my client will ask me to do so.This content is for members only.
Commitment # 5: I will use plain speech.
Unless you’re writing an academic paper, there is no place for professional jargon. This content is for members only.
Commitment # 6: I will find a new way to say it.
This is probably the most difficult commitment. Yet, it is one of the most rewarding. It’s this commitment that will lift your writing out dull and boring to engaging.
This content is for members only.It takes conscientious effort to paint pictures with words. It’s far easier to lean upon overused expressions. If it’s a saying you’ve heard your whole life, find a new way to say it. Your readers will appreciate a fresh approach and the clever turn of words.[/member_protected]
1Charlie Shedd, If I Can Write, You Can Write. Writer’s Digest Books, p. 28.
2Ibid, p. 28
