Deep Editing by Margie Lawson

I'm currently enrolled in the Deep Editing Class with Margie Lawson. I attended a one day workshop at an American Christian Fiction Writers' Conference a couple of years ago. Since that time, I have taken three more of her online courses.

In "Defeating Self-Defeating Behaviors", I learned to recognize what habits were keeping me from writing.

In "Empowering Character's Emotions", I learned techniques for writing better characters.

With "Deep Editing", I'm learning to comb through my work for places where I could strengthen my story using her techniques. I took the course once before, but I fell behind because I was revising a manuscript. So I signed up again. Although the course is one month in length, I am working at my own pace so it will take me a little longer to finish.

I know I am learning as I recognize these techniques in the writings of others. I make suggestions on the work of my critique group. The next step is applying what I've learned to my writing.

I like the online courses because I can do the work any day at any time, and I can create files for the material to study again.

If you have the opportunity, sign up for one of Margie's courses or attend one of the many workshops she conducts across the country. You won't be sorry you did. Contact her at www.MargieLawson.com for a list of her courses and workshops.

At some point in the future, she may publish a book on these subjects. In the meantime, sign up for a course. Your writing will benefit.

Putting Your Passion into Print

Several months ago, I purchased the book "Putting Your Passion into Print" by Arielle Eckstut & David Henry Sterry. I had a stack to read, so this one was postponed. To be perfectly honest, I thought it was a book about adding more "passion" or emotion to your characters. I'm always looking for help in that department.

The book surprised me and decribed the pathway to publication from researching your original idea to selling your first book and beyond. I like the way the authors tell you what to say when you call an editor, whether a contract is good, and how to counter if it isn't, when and why you should have an agent. Another touch that heightened my interest was the many, many good quotes throughout the book.

As I gleaned the wisdom from the pages, my first thought was I'm glad I'll have this to go back and review when I get a contract. My next thought was I need to loan this to a good friend who recently received her first contract. On advice from Eckstut and Sterry, I decided to send a query about my latest WIP to two small presses that might be interested.

"Putting your Passion into Print" has found a place in my reference library, until I'm well on my way with several published books. I might even check back then.

The Red Letter Questions: Meditations on the Questions Jesus Asked by Don Harris © 2007 Bridge-Logos.

I don’t know if you’re anything like me, but with the exception of a few literary masterpieces, my favorite book is usually the last one I read. I suppose because the plot and characters are fresh on my mind and I’m still embracing that warm, fuzzy happy ending feeling.

The book I recently finished will continue to be one of my favorites for many years to come. In fact, I’m likely to study it like a primer. The book is entitled The Red Letter Questions by Don Harris, a non-fiction that quite literally changed my life.

In the pages of The Red Letter Questions, Mr. Harris manages to turn the focus of Jesus’s questions off the scribes, Pharisees, and even the disciples and redirects them on the reader in the modern time. His approach makes a great deal of sense, if the Bible is indeed a relevant tool and living document.

Being a good rabbi, Jesus taught by asking questions, wording them in such a way so as to induce His followers to draw their own conclusions. Harris places his readers at the very feet of Jesus. Those dark, discerning eyes boring into our souls as He asks, “Why are you fearful?” “Why do you think of evil in your hearts?” “Why do you not believe Me?”

We might be tempted to hide behind the blood, worried that even entertaining such thoughts might upset our well appointed theological equation. I fear that a part of Jesus’s anquish on the cross was not only looking ahead two thousand years at the sin yet to be committed, added to the weight of transgression already on His shoulders. Surely He lamented for His children who would strive on in blind faith, afraid to trust their own spirits, who might even equate questions to a lack of faith.

If you’re hungry for some brain food and aren’t afraid to step out of the box, Don Harris’s The Red Letter Questions is the best choice on the menu. It is appetizingly well written. If I was Oprah, I’d buy a copy of this book for everyone I love.

Pitch or Promote Like a Pro

Pitch or Promote Like a Pro by Terry Burns is a compilation of his presentations, dealing with how to overcome shyness in pitching to how-to-prepare the perfect proposal. I had the privilege of "lurking" in this class and even the greater privilege of receiving this e-book at the end of the course.

The first part of the book deals with being too shy to pitch. Terry describes his life and the problems he had with shyness. He then tells of a speech teacher who helped him develop a speaking persona. In the following chapters, he delves into how to overcome shyness.

On to the pitching...

Okay, now the book really heats up with more excellent content. For several chapters, we get an inside peek behind-the-scenes of a conference appointment from an agent's point-of-view. We learn what to say and what not to say while pitching to an editor/agent. Here's a question answered in the book: During your appointment, should you spend most of your time limit pitching your book? What does an agent think if you do?

The next chapters cover proposals, cover letters, sell sheets, marketing strategies, marketing comparables, writing a synopsis, and on top of all that Terry gives examples of everything needed to make a great proposal.

I've taken the class, read the book, and now I plan on printing out the information and reading it again only this time with a highlighter.

You can own this invaluable and inexpensive e-book for your own handy-dandy reference.

Here is the link:

http://www.terryburns.net/bookstore.htm

The Success Principles by Jack Canfield

One of the first books recommended to me for my writing career wasn't a how-to-write book. It was a motivational book, "The Success Principles." This book produces the power of believability. I still suggest it as a tool to overcome low self esteem or the inability to dream big or rekindle lost passion.

When I thumb through my copy, I find several underlines, margin marks and highlights. When I receive a rejection, a bad critique or less than encouraging market news, I look through the pages until I find one that speaks to me. On page 23, the reader determines his or her life purpose exercise. After coming up with my stated writing purpose, I wrote it and posted the paper on the bulletin board in my study. On page 65, I make a daily to-do list, planning my day the night before and putting first things, first. On page 165, I learn to start with small, achievable goals. Page 273 starts telling me how to keep my passion and enthusiasm alive. Canfield gives me four powerful question to ask myself on page 327 to know how to direct my work and resources.

Scattered throughout the book are interesting true life stories, funny cartoons and short easy to follow instructions.

Nothing gets done without a plan and then a back-up plan. "Success Principles" is an important resource for the peaks and valleys of a writer's life.

The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White

The first writing conference I attended had a course for beginning writers. The presenter gave us a list of books she felt would assist in our quest for publication. The Elements of Style was on the list.

At the break, I stood in line with the other newbies and bought it. Since that first conference, other writers have mentioned this book when they recommend important books the writer should own. My copy has under one hundred pages including the introduction by E. B. White. The Tables of Contents contains chapter titles such as Omit Needless Words, Use the Active Voice, and Use Definite, Specific, Concrete Language.

Skimming through the index causes me to check on items such as lie/lay and that/which. Looking over the book to write this article, I've decided I'm going to revisit the book to refresh my memory on some grammar rules. Then, I'm going to look at the bookstore to see if there is a later edition which may reflect changes in the language.

As a tutor for Adult Literacy, I discuss the importance of using language correctly to understand and be understood. My Asian immigrant student thanks me each lesson when he learns a new fact about English because he wants to communicate effectively. I am grateful to the first instructor who suggested this book as a tool to being an effective communicator.

Roget’s Descriptive Word Finder: A Dictionary/Thesaurus of Adjectives by Barbara Ann Kipfer, Ph. D. © 2003 Writers Digest Books

Lexicographer Barbara Ann Kipfer has prolifically compiled reference texts, most of which can be found on my shelf within handy reach of my desktop computer. I fancied myself to be one of her biggest fans, but reviews I’ve read for Roget’s Descriptive Word Finder were all positive, and she is well spoken of. Obviously, many writers are taking advantage of her invaluable tools.

In my research, I found out that it was Paul Mark Roget, a physician as well as a lexicographer who compiled the original thesaurus for his own use. He went public with it nearly fifty years later. Can you imagine what a challenge writing would be if had he taken that gem with him to the grave?

What makes Kipfer’s text different from Roget’s original work or any of the other thesauri (yes, that is the plural for thesaurus) she’s compiled? This one is a Thesaurus of thousands of descriptive words and phrases listed under five-hundred and seventy-two categories. Each individual entry has a time saving definition so you can immediately determine its suitability without further research.

A simple thesaurus lists alternative words for adjectives such as happy. Referring to the“Happiness” category in the Roget’s Descriptive Word Finder puts the reader in touch with over a hundred words and phrase choices. The entries describe various concepts of happiness from playfulness to laughter.

Roget’s Descriptive Word Finder is fun to peruse, with categories from abandonment, with such entries as abrogated and unwonted to zoology. Kipfer usually adds helpful indexes and addendums. Roget’s Descriptive Word Finder includes a Quick Finder which is basically a thesaurus with some contrasting headings like Active/Passive and even one entry for Silly Sounding Words.

If finding fresh, evocative descriptive words is an exhausting task for you, this book may help add strength that will catch an agent’s or editor’s eye.