Most recent public comments by bianca work https://nowcomment.com/users/13088 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=314355 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=314355 1) READ, READ, READ - I can't emphasize this enough. I read at least three books a month that aren't school related - more during summer and winter break. 2) Stick to your own style. - This is more of a law than a rule. 3) You become a writer simply by reading and writing - most amateur writers don't realize writing is a craft that needs to be honed. 4) The magic is in you - STOP DOUBTING YOURSELF! 5) Don't use the passive voice - show don't tell. 6) Avoid adverbs. 7) Avoid adverbs after "he said" and "she said" - Rule 6 & 7 go hand in hand. 8) Don't obsess over perfect grammar - not if it will worsen your story. 9) Take a break - you need distance. 10) Don't worry about making other people happy - you can't please everyone. 11) Write one word at a time. 12) Write for yourself, then worry about your audience. 13) The research shouldn't overshadow the story. 14) Eliminate distraction. 15) Turn off the TV. 16) There are two secrets to success. 17) Leave out the boring parts and kill your darlings 18) Writing is about getting happy 19) Dig. 20) You have three months The rule I would add is: Write so originally that the truth seems like fiction. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:20 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=314354 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=314354 Whenever I doubt my ability as a writer I reread this quote from one of my favorite authors, "We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master." I used to miserably attempt to emulate the writing of the authors I favored. My works ended up a discombobulated mess of different styles inadequately thrown together. After reading this quote by Hemingway I realized there is no perfect writer. Instead of trying to copy the writers I love, I realized I needed to develop my own style and become comfortable in it. This rule resonates with me especially. "Vocabulary is not the same as feeling," is what many amateur writers have difficulty with reconciling. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:19 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=314353 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=314353 The juxtaposition between the fifth and sixth rules, and knowing how heavily to rely on either or both of them is worrisome. When starting as a new writer most of us are dependent upon those "passive verbs or one of those nasty adverbs." But, then we become comfortable in writing this way and end up developing a dependence on the passivity. I'm curious as to whether it is possible to break out of that reliance or do writers have to make a conscious effort to do so? Also, over time do veteran writers have no troubles with staying away from the passive voice, or do they also have to be overly aware when writing, as well? Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:18 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=314352 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=314352 Both the second and third rules speak to the timid writer in my opinion. In yesterday's lecture we collectively discussed the importance of showing your audience rather than telling them. It seems that using the passive voice and adverbs are both crutches that writers, who are unsure of themselves, use. I am guilty of overusing adverbs; and I think this is because I don't feel that I adequately conveyed my original point so I reemphasize it later on with adverbs. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:18 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=314351 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30612?scroll_to=314351 This first rule addresses my deepest fears as an aspiring writer. When I began writing for an audience I worried obsessively about how the person reading my work perceived it. Most of the time I found myself dramatically ripping up my first, second, and third drafts because I ruminated over pleasing everyone. In the process, I realized that I focused so strictly on the opinions of others that I lost my original inspiration. I'm fairly certain my desire for universal approval is the reason why I have so many unfinished projects piled in the depths of my desk. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:18 -0500