§
You'll waste a lot of paper. Wasting paper and purchasing printer
cartridges are part of the trade. When you print your work and find it's
beyond help or you need to start over, throw it away and delete it from your computer. Physically throwing it into the trash signifies a
new start mentally. Don’t worry about killing trees. Like crops, trees for
paper mills are planted, held in rotation until mature, and harvested. However, if you think you do have a few paragraphs, sentences, or nifty phrases that are worthwhile, start a "miscellaneous scrap" file and squirrel them away on your computer. § Writing is a lonely, solitary occupation. Writing
takes time. You'll miss being out in the sunshine or watching your favorite
television show. You may miss family gatherings with a deadline near. You'll
miss sleep. Make friends with other writers. They understand your crazy burning
need to create.
§ Find a place to write where you feel
comfortable and secure. Arm the location with a good collegiate dictionary, The Chicago Manuel of Style, and an
unabridged Roget’s Thesaurus. Roget’s
has more than ten times the amount of synonyms than any online site. Then, find
something that signals routine and the need to sit down and write—like making
your bed, drinking that second cup of coffee or tea, or taking your dog for his
morning walk—or choose an evening signal if you write at night.
§ Never, never send out your first draft to
anyone, anywhere. If possible, let your words sit for a while to cool like a
hot custard pie. It’s easier to see missing data, mistakes, and grammar
problems when you’ve distanced yourself from your work. Having trouble finding
your mistakes? If you’re prone to using Times New Roman on your computer screen,
print your work out in a different font like Courier, Arial, or Century
Schoolbook. Have a friend help you. Intensive editing is part of the writing process. Also, printing a hard copy gives you a different perspective to look at it. You can also email the doc. file to your Kindle or digital tablet for another perspective when editing.
§ Don’t believe people who say that writing
doesn’t have to be as perfect as possible—because that’s what editors are for. Everyday,
editors reject dozens of manuscripts. Do you think they’ll accept one with grammar
and punctuation mistakes or basic sentence structure problems? Your writing is
a reflection of who you are. It’s your first shot at making an impression and
getting a toehold into the publishing world. Just like a job interview, you
need to make it a good one.
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