February 2010, Volume 10

Don’t take it personally. It’s my job.
As a writer, I show my vulnerability every time I share a piece of my mind with my audience. I know that my work—my baby—will be judged…and not always positively. Lurking amidst the compliments will always be at least one dark comment—if I’m lucky enough to receive only one! Though morphing smoothly from writer to editor is something I’ve learned to do, there are times when my experience as a writer makes my job as an editor a sticky proposition. After all, performing surgery on another writer’s baby is delicate business.

The writer in me understands how it feels to have work edited—like a grizzly has mauled my child! But it’s important to remember that the editor has a duty to trim and rearrange until a good measure of brevity and clarity is achieved. Editors shoulder all the responsibility for fine-tuning the mechanics of a story and making sure it fits within set guidelines, while retaining the author’s unique essence. Never take an editor’s work personally—it’s strictly business.

The editor’s pen paints the finishing touches to your story. We want your readers to give you rave reviews. We don’t get the credit, nor do we expect to. Our only goal is to polish your story until it shines. We convert your passive voice to active, insert concrete nouns and verbs, eliminate “to be” verbs. We rework awkward sentence structure, correct poor spelling, grammar and punctuation, rearrange chapters, pages or paragraphs to create a more logical flow. We delete repetitive and irrelevant material. We check your facts and we ask questions if something seems out of sync.

Editors do not have time to tiptoe through the tulips. Some will offer constructive advice, but if you aren’t ready to hear about your manuscript’s problems, then you’re not ready to handle the trials and tribulations of the publication process. An editor’s comments can be difficult for a writer to accept, even when they make perfect sense. But the editing process is just one more fact of a writer’s life.

We editors do our best to correct mistakes and fix poor grammar and sentence structure, while trying to preserve the writer’s “voice.” Editors suggest plot repairs: hacking up your story, moving the action around, eliminating characters—annoying and offending you. But if that’s what it takes to unearth the diamond, then go with it.

When I edit a story, I begin by proofreading it. I look for typographical and punctuation errors and formatting irregularities. Depending on the job, I also check design, colour and font discrepancies. In a nutshell, it’s my job to indicate and/or correct errors and inconsistencies overlooked by the writer and, in some instances, the graphic artist.

My next step is to copy edit the material, examining the grammar, word usage, capitalization, word breaks, syntax and tone. This process directly complements the proofreading stage. I read the text through the eyes of the target audience and question any contradictions, particularly in fact-based non-fiction. I cross-check references and other information to make sure the claims are legit and the text is crystal clear.

In some cases, ‘substantive editing’ is a must. This is a delicate task, since it involves performing “invasive surgery” to capture clarity, logic and consistency. Any confusing or awkward writing must be reworked. Long, rambling sentences must be whittled. Substantive editing improves a manuscript by identifying problems with clarity and accuracy and fixing them: rearranging paragraphs, sections or chapters into a more logical sequence, writing or rewriting text segments for smoother flow and readability, revising any aspect that will enhance its presentation to the reader. It’s a down and dirty job, but it’s crucial to the success of the final product.

Fact: Editors want nothing more than to help writers present the ‘baby’ in its Sunday best. It might be tempting for you to “shoot the messenger,” but it’s far more beneficial to thank her instead.

***

January 2010, Volume 9

It’s 2010. Already.

It seems like only yesterday, humankind scurried to prepare for the ominous approach of December 31, 1999… panic loomed as computers worldwide were expected to self-destruct at the stroke of midnight—the launch of a new millennium—sending civilization spiraling backward to such cobwebbed practices as having to write longhand with a pen (which sure beats having to chisel out your novel in stone, like our poor, cave-bro writing kin had to).

Well, whattayaknow? 2000 came. And then it went. Our beloved computers had the last laugh as we wiped the sweat from our brows. Now here we are at the dawn of a new decade, still happily tapping away at our keyboards on machines loaded with TB instead of GB. (MB? What’s that?)

Where has the time gone? And what have I accomplished?

Umm…

Rather than sitting here, beating myself over the head because I let another decade slip by without launching my New York Times best-selling series of novels, I’ll do something a little more constructive. I’m not going to yada, yada, yada about New Year’s resolutions either. We all know by now exactly what we have to do to achieve our goals.

Instead, I’d like to take this moment to agitate the creative fire that boils deep down inside the right portion of our brains like molten lava, just waiting for permission to explode from our minds onto a publisher’s desk.

Your imagination is the lava—“what if” is the earthquake. Just think about an everyday event in your life and shake it up with a “what if…”

…It was the week before Christmas. My decorations were up, my shopping was done and I’d just settled down on the couch with a carton of eggnog and the TV remote all to myself for the first time in a long time. Spouse was away on business; kids were at the mall (it had taken all of twenty bucks to get rid of them). What if… suddenly, a puff of soot ah-chooed from my fireplace and a big old fat man in red velour kerplunked onto my clean hardwood floor!

…My cat climbed onto my lap and as I stroked his fur, he turned his head and… What if… he spoke to me in plain English language?

…I’m parking my car. I’ve never been that great at backing into a space. Maybe that’s why I’ve just heard a really disconcerting crunching noise. Uh oh. A cute little foreign sports car is now a fixture on my back bumper. I stumble out of my car and the other driver’s door swings open at the same time. What if… OMG! It’s George Clooney!

Get my drift?

Good. Now get writing!

***

December 2009, Volume 8

If you are a wordaholic like me, then I’m sure we share best friends… their names are dictionary and thesaurus.

It doesn’t matter if your command of the English language is near the top rung of the ladder. No writer’s toolkit is complete without an up-to-date set of language reference manuals. What kind of carpenter doesn’t carry a hammer and saw in his toolbox?

My Oxford Canadian Dictionary of Current English is at my side all the time. I may not use it every day, but it’s there when I get brain freeze or I need to be 100 percent certain… (1) uninterested or (2) disinterested? (1-lacking interest, 2-impartial, unbiased); (1) compliment or (2) complement? (1-praise, 2-complete); (1) regretfully or (2) regrettably? (1- with feelings of regret, 2- unfortunately); (1) though or (2) although? (equally acceptable, though (2) is more formal). (1) toward or (2) towards? (get out your own dictionary and look it up!)

English language is constantly evolving. Some rules remain the same, but others are impacted through cultural change. A couple of old rules that have been obliterated: “Never begin a sentence with And or Because,” and “Till is an outdated variant of Until.”

To hyphenate or not? Em dash or ellipsis? Shall or will? Who or whom? Comma after and? The editor reading your manuscript will know the answers to these questions and has little tolerance for poorly written material. There are a number of superb reference manuals out there for writers (always look for the most up-to-date editions): Editing Canadian English, The New Fowler’s Modern English Usage, The Elements of Style by Strunk & White, The Canadian Oxford guide to Writing, Harbrace Handbook for Canadians, Garner’s Modern American Usage, Bill Bryson’s Troublesome Words, Checkmate: A Writing Reference for Canadians by Joanne Buckley, Oxford Canadian Dictionary of Current English, Gage Canadian Dictionary. These are a few of the ones I own, but I’m sure there are many more out there. Most of my guides are Canadian, but it’s also good to own guides like the Chicago Manual of Style, particularly if you plan on writing for markets across the border (color or colour?).

The Web offers a lot of excellent fingertip reference sites: dictionary.com/thesaurus.com, http://owl.english.purdue.edu, www.grammarandmore.com, webgrammar.com, edufind.com and so many more. If I’m working with rhyming words and I get lazy, I just click on rhymezone.com, type in my word and voila! A zillion suggestions.

It also doesn’t hurt to upgrade by attending classes offered by professional associations. EAC (Editors’ Association of Canada) offers some of the best workshops for upgrading language skills. Local universities and colleges also offer continuing education refresher classes.

Learning doesn’t end when we finish school. That’s when it begins. Enrich your learning journey by making your dictionary your best friend.

***

November, 2009 – Volume 7

I’ve often wondered about the force that drives this passion of mine—this passion to write. I can’t recall a time in my life when I haven’t had the concept of a story brewing in my mind. Am I destined to someday write a story that will touch others, that could inspire someone to take a different direction? Is it my mission to help influence a life decision, or just to provide a bit of humor in a life that needs brightening?

I do believe that special gifts have been assigned to each and every one of us—gifts that make us as individual as our fingerprints. Although some of us have yet to realize our signature abilities, they do exist, nestled deep in wait until the time is right to use them.

Some of us are verbally gifted. A kind word to someone in need, a sweet anecdote to raise the spirits; the comfortable chatter that cements a friendship.

Some are blessed with a keen ability to listen. There is no better salve for a bruised heart than the undivided attention of a good listener.

Some are gifted jesters. There is nothing like a lively dose of laughter to nourish the seeds of lightness and healing—help them take root in the soul where they can flourish.

Then there are those who, with a swipe of brush across canvas, create penetrating visual messages… perspectives that remind us that beauty exists not only in the eyes of the beholder, but also in those who choose to see it.

And there are those blessed with musical gifts; they can flood our eyes with tears or our souls with joy as they wield their acoustic magic.

But not every person’s gifts are so clearly defined…

The healing touch a parent uses to soothe a child. The pride and love seasoning a meal prepared to bring others together. A smile that can light up a city. Every life on this earth has meaning.

Could it be that a master plan is designed for each and every living creature, human or otherwise? I believe that our special abilities are tools we are given to use in ways that will help, even briefly, make the world around us a better place.

My drive to write is my gift. Is it my purpose to someday influence another life in a positive way? If so, my gift comes with a priceless bonus.

***

October, 2009 – Volume 6

“Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.” Franklin P. Jones, 1832

The next time you meet a writer, look a little closer and you’ll see skin as thick as medieval armour; beneath that armour beats the heart of a lion.

Writers are a brave species. Every time we pick up a pen or sit at a keyboard, we strip ourselves naked, baring ourselves for the entire world to see. Our deepest thoughts, our controversial opinions, our hidden secrets, our hurts and our joys—every blank page draws us like detection dogs to white powder.

We are masochists who open our arms to the flagellation of our critics, and as we have come to accept, our bared skin bleeds from the criticisms that pierce it…  is tender where bruises left by rejection after rejection after rejection have discolored it. Nevertheless, back to that blank page we go.

Why? Why do we persist?

Because we need to. Because we must. We are certainly not motivated by fame. Nor by fortune. Not even Stephen King. Snatch away everything he’s achieved so far, knock him back to ground level without a penny in his pocket and he’ll simply go back to that blank page and start writing again. On that, I would bet everything I own.

So why? Well, because words are our favorite toys and we love to play with them. Whenever we play with our toys, we know we have the capacity to entertain you. Or make you laugh. Or make you cry. Or make you angry. Or make you think. For some strange reason, that’s all we need to anesthetize our wounds.

As the old saying goes, what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. You can knock a writer down, but just try taking away our toys. We’ll come back swinging every time.

“Perseverance is a great element of success. If you knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody eventually.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

***

September, 2009 – Volume 5

Want to give your writer’s block a good kick in the pants? Just go to an Open Mic event for writers.

Last month, I decided to attend an open mic poetry night at a quaint little café/book shop in Newmarket. It was a Thursday night — not only had I put in a long, exhausting day’s work, but the sky was bloated with angry black clouds that soon gushed with the force of Niagara Falls. It would have been so much easier to go home, slip into my big, fuzzy slippers and bury my face in a good book; after all, I don’t really even write much poetry. Instead, I sucked it up and made the trek to Newmarket.

Did that ever turn out to be one of my better decisions.

‘Books/Café and Things’ on Main Street in Newmarket reminded me of the coffee shop on ‘Friends,’ only much better, since half the place is filled with shelf after shelf of reasonably priced used and new books of all genres. The other half is littered with mismatched, comfy places to sit, and the entire place is redolent with the aromas of freshly brewed coffee and old book pages.

The main draw for the evening: award-winning poet, Barry Dempster, reading from his new anthology, Love Outlandish. Afterward, anyone in the audience could volunteer to step up to the mic onstage and read aloud poetic verse of their own.

After scanning the extensive menu of chichi coffees and teas, I settled on a cup of orange pekoe (I know — I’m such a BORE!) and dropped into a club chair near the stage. Sipping my tea as the rain hammered the pavement outside, I was finally able to exhale as I listened to the soft cadence of Barry’s voice and mellifluous flow of words that quickly massaged away the last vestiges of stress from my overtaxed brain.

A lot of eager poets had turned up to participate in and enjoy the evening — What a mélange of talent! Each person stepping up to the mic conveyed well-written, intensely beautiful portrayals of those images and feelings living inside of them that they wished to share with the rest of us. The thing I found most magical about the evening was the energy in the place, borne purely of the spirited passion we all shared as writers.

Did the evening inspire me? Put it this way — As I drove home, I suddenly saw incredible beauty in… the silver sheets of rain pounding blacktop, the scarlet glow of people slamming on their brakes, the intricate patterns left behind where paint has peeled off the garage door my husband STILL hasn’t fixed, the bliss of a downy pillow under my cheek as I drop into bed.

I cannot wait for the next open mic event.

P.S. By the way, the next day, I wrote two of the best poems of any I’ve ever written! They flowed from my brain like beer at a frat party!

***

August, 2009 – Volume 4

All writers will agree; there is no better feeling than putting the finishing touches on a story you’ve been labouring over. Finally. Masterpiece complete.

You’re drunk with excitement, with pride, with relief…and also with feelings of vulnerability—an effective breathalyzer. What if the story isn’t as good as you think it is? What if it doesn’t make a lick of sense to anybody but you? You’re on fire with desire to read it aloud to someone. Someone, you hope, who will say, “Whoa! That’s the best dang story I ever heard!”

The only critic handy at the moment is your spouse.

Honestly—how many of us ought to know better by now?

A typical scenario in my household: It’s Sunday afternoon. I have just finished writing one spectacular story, prompted by a “the light is on and somebody IS home” moment and I am bristling with delight.

The steady drone of the television guides me to my spouse, tucked up in his wing chair with the remote fused to his left hand, a cold bottle of ale fused to his right. He is watching Tiger Woods play golf. Now, who cares about that when I’ve just written THE STORY—an absolute shoo-in for the Writers’ Trust award?!

Me: “I just finished my story!” (Response expected: “You have? That’s wonderful—I’m dying to hear it!”)

(Actual response) Spouse: (waving remote at me) “Shhh!“

Me: “Excuse me? Don’t you want to hear the story I’ve been working on all weekend? It’ll only take five minutes.” (Response expected: “Shoot! I’m sorry. I didn’t realize. Let me mute the TV.”)

(Actual response) Spouse: (pressing the Volume Up button) “Look. Check this out! Tiger’s cleaning up.”

I turn my glare toward the TV screen. I see a man in a red golf shirt crouched on the grass, supporting his chin between two fingers, club resting on his shoulder as he peers down the green. Yep. Soooo much more interesting than hearing a story that could very well be on the big screen someday…With Hugh Jackman and Reese Witherspoon as the main characters…Nominated for Academy Awards, to boot.

Me: “Fine. Your loss. You are NOT coming with me to the Oscars.” And away I stomp.
(Response expected: “Oh, honey, I’m sorry! Come back! What was I thinking? The TV’s off…”)

(Actual response) Spouse: (                               ) and (the voice of Jim Nantz describing what a beautiful day it is today on the golf course in Georgia).

The moral of this story?

Belonging to a writers’ group is worth the golden goose AND all of its eggs.

***

July, 2009 – Volume 3

How important is it for a writer to make time to read on a regular basis?

I’ll answer that question with a few more: “How important is it for a doctor to study medicine? … for a musician to study music? … for a pilot to study flight? …for a ballerina to study ballet?” I could continue, but I think you get the drift.

As Stephen King said, “If you don’t have the time to read, then you don’t have the time or the tools to write.”

Is there a profession that doesn’t require a great deal of study before it is confidently mastered? I don’t think so. We have to study the craft before we can succeed at it, and we must continue our studies long after we are proficient.

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”
Sir Richard Steele (1672 – 1729)

Reading is a recreational pleasure, but it is also essential to a writer’s ongoing education. The books we read expose us to so many different writing styles, voices, language usage and other intricacies of the craft. When we read the work of others, we learn what works and what falls flat.

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot…reading is the creative center of a writer’s life…you cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you.” Stephen King

Make time to read a wide variety: novels, short stories, magazines, newspapers, biographies, the Web, and everything in between. Frequent your local library. Visit a bookstore. Sign up for some magazine subscriptions. No material is bad material—it’s all an education.

Read as often as you can. Carry a book or magazine with you at all times. Read in waiting rooms. Read in store lineups. Read while you’re waiting in your car for someone. Share your lunch break with a book. Turn off the TV and read instead.

“There is no mistaking a good book when one meets it. It is like falling in love.”
Christopher Morley (1890 – 1957)

Discovering an author whose work moves you is as inspirational as it gets. It is indeed like falling in love. You don’t want the book to end and when it does, you feel a bit melancholy. You buy or borrow every other book ever written by this person and once you’ve read them all, you want to contact the author so you can say, “Hurry up and write another one, please!” But most important, the author of your affection ignites your writing lust all over again by making you aspire to write stories that are just as good. Or perhaps even better.

Read, read, read!

“There is more treasure to be found in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.”
Walt Disney

P.S. Need a kickstart? Click on Resources and be inspired by our monthly writing prompt. Whether you write one paragraph or a full story, as long as it’s based on the prompt, we’ll feature it next month. Just send it to: info@markhamvillagewriters.com

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June, 2009 – Volume 2

If you were to slice off the top of a writer’s head (and I really hope you wouldn’t) to peer inside, you might see a bustling galaxy… No stars or planets—instead, a whirling mass of words and phrases and story ideas.

Is it any wonder most writers are considered borderline insane?

We writers share a common bond that separates us from the rest of the world: We are hopelessly in love with words. We love to hear them and see them and say them. We love to discover brand new ones and when we do, we roll them around and around on our tongues like a fine chocolate truffle. Most of all, we love to express them on paper or screen.

I know I don’t just speak for myself when I say that a day does not pass that I don’t have a story concept brewing in my mind. It’s in my DNA, like eye color or blood type.

So, if that’s the case, why aren’t Indigo’s shelves collapsing from the weight of my thousands of best-selling novels?

Well, it’s like this… Time is my enemy (excuse!). There is never enough of it (excuse!). Not only does my full-time job suck up three-quarters of it (excuse!), my family and other responsibilities suck up the rest (excuse!). When I retire, I’ll have lots more of it, so that’s when I’m really going to write (excuse!).

The fact is… there will never be enough time. That’s just the way life is.

But I want to write. I yearn to write. The words in my galaxy are always shouldering the hatch in their struggle to escape. After all, I find plenty of time to read the novels of other writers. I find time to work on my other creative pursuits. I find time to watch American Idol, for Pete’s sake. But do I write every day? Not exactly. Could fear be at the root of my excuses? …Fear of failing at the one thing that most defines me and provides direction in my life? Perhaps that’s it. (Excuse!)

One of the first rules writers learn is that we must aim to sit down and write every single day; better yet, at the same time every day. It doesn’t matter if, in that moment, we have nothing at all worth writing about. It only matters that we make the effort to sit in front of a blank page with a pen or keyboard at our fingertips. Discipline = habit. Get in the daily habit of opening that hatch and releasing those pent-up words and they’ll eventually fall into place. They may even form a constellation that marks the beginning of a brilliant novel or short story or poem or article.

There is only one way to fail, and that is to do nothing.

You are my witness. No more excuses.

***

May, 2009 – Volume 1

It was early spring of 1999 when I realized that I needed some motivation to kick-start my writing engine, which had been rusting away from lack of use.

I had arrived at a point in my life where I was ready to seek out others who shared my passion for the written word.

I began to investigate my community, with hopes of discovering a writers’ group that I could join. My only find was in another township, too far away for a weekly commitment. Although a writers’ group had never before been established in my area, I wondered how many other writers lived in my community and how receptive they would be to meeting regularly to “talk shop?”

The Markham Village Library received my proposal with great enthusiasm.
The staff provided lots of advertising assistance and, in September of 1999, the Markham Village Writers’ Group was born.

Fast-forward almost ten years; the Group is still going strong. Of course, I have never been more motivated to write!

We are a melting pot of genres. Some of us have been published, some of us aspire to be published, and some of us simply enjoy the craft of writing for our own pleasure.

In a nutshell, establishing a writers’ group was one of my most gratifying endeavors. Heartfelt encouragement from others who share the same dreams has provided the gentle push I needed to get moving along the path toward achieving my goals. I am so proud to be a muse among others, where my involvement helps to spark the efforts of my fellow writers, and serves as a small part of the driving force in our group quest to reach for the stars.

To anyone out there who needs a pinch of inspiration, a slice of motivation, my advice is this: Go for it! Don’t hesitate to join or establish a community group of others who share your passion, whatever it may be.

You’ll be glad you did.