by Barbara McNichol

If you don’t want your editor spending copious amounts of
time changing weak verbs into emotional or visual ones,
what can you do?

First, watch out for “is” words and their various cousins.
Stay alert to phrases like “is happening” or “was being good”;
change them to “happens” or “behaved.” Search out every
weak “is” form in your manuscript and find a strong
alternative.

Also, don’t overuse the words “start to” and “begin.” What
can you do differently? “Start to rub your hands together”
becomes “rub your hands together”; “allow your energy
fields to begin merg ing” becomes “allow your energy fields
to merge.” Are you guilty of overusing these two weak words?
 
In fact, I’d put the word “just” in the same “weak” category.
I love what one of my subscribers wrote: “I don’t have a
Begin or Start habit. I do, though, have a Just habit. I just
can’t kick it. It just seems appropriate when you just do
something . . . like I just read your newsletter. Without the
just, I could have read it anytime.”

Add to that a few lazy linking phrases like “there are” and
“there will be.”  Rewrite them! For example, “There will be
many representatives elected” becomes “voters will elect
many representatives.” (Better yet, instead of many, use a
specific number.)

Why do I call these phrases lazy? Because they often lead
into long passive sentences that stem the flow and slow
readers down. When your readers have to swim upstream to
follow what you write, they tend to give up. Better to ease
them along with crisp, sharp prose—especially active verbs!

Yes, I do keep beating this drum about active verbs because
I know they will make your writing better. Test the waters
and you’ll see how they improve the flow, enhance the clarity,
add muscle to the meaning, and of course reduce the time it
takes to edit!

by Barbara McNichol

When a colleague asked me to explain common one-word vs. two-word confusions as part of my Word Trippers, I came up with this list. Use it as a quick reference whenever you’re in doubt!

Standby vs. stand by – Use two words when you refer to an action. “Stand by for the latest news.” Use one word when you’re in a waiting mode. “Put your computer on standby while you’re on the phone.”

Online vs. on line – The conventional use when referring to computer connections is one word only. “Do you do most of your work online?” It’s customary to say “on the line” rather than “on line” when you’re not referring to computers.

Login vs. log in – Use two words when you take an action to enter an account. “I log in to my bank account records every day.” Use one when referring to the actual sign-in. “Don’t tell anyone your login information.”

 Pickup vs. pick up – Use two words when you want to lift or get something. “I pick up a local newspaper from the grocery store every Sunday.” Use one word when referring to a kind of vehicle. “I park the pickup (truck) in the driveway because it won’t fit in the garage.”

Alright vs. all right – Although the one-word version is a variation of the two-word phrase, it is considered to be wrong or less acceptable than all right. “Is it all right if I search your house?”

Already vs. all ready – The single word is an adverb that modifies a verb or adjective. “The cat is already out of the bag.” The two-word phrase refers to being complete. “The assignment is all ready to turn in.”

Altogether vs. all together – The single word is an adverb meaning entirely. “Your idea is altogether brilliant.” The two-word phrase refers to being in the same place or doing the same thing.  “Our family was all together for the holiday.” “All together, let’s sing.”

Which other one-word/two-word combos trip you up? Please share them here.

Be sure to check out my Kindle and print versions of Word Trippers at amazon.com. Word Trippers explains 360+ confusable pairings that can trip you up!

by Barbara McNichol

F. Scott Fitzgerald has said you don’t write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say. When an author is too “into” doing the writing itself, the “something to say” part can get lost.

I recently edited a book that fell into this trap. The author kept losing sight of what his readers would care about—that is, a system he had created. What were the clues? Passages such as these:

• “In a previous chapter, I stressed the importance of self-awareness, and I assure you, dear reader, that I am very much aware of the preachy tone of this chapter.”
• “When I wrote the first draft of this book, I worked for several hours each day for three months.”
• “Before tackling Chapter Eight, I asked myself, ‘Does what you have written through Chapter Seven capture the essence of what you set out to say?’”

Do you see how he’s drawing readers into his own process rather than emphasizing his core message?  Remember, people read your book because of the promises you imply with your title and subtitle.

Guess what. Unless you’re Stephen King writing about writing, they don’t care about your writing process! If the title of your book is 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, readers expect a discussion of those 7 habits, not what Stephen Covey asked himself while he was writing the book.

 What’s the fix?

 Remain conscious of the readers’ point of view—not your own— even when you’re deep into the writing and rewriting process. And it never hurts to get an impartial opinion from a good editor!

Editor’s Note: This post by my client Nancy Juetten (author of Bye Bye Boring Bio) sparks reflection beyond the scope of this blog but I share it with you because it packs a lot of value.

In response, please comment on this piece and share your own lessons, your deepest hopes, and your biggest dreams for 2012.

Ah yes, it is that time of year to reflect on steps taken to move forward and to look ahead to see what might be coming next.

So, with that said, here are some of my big lessons from 2011.

1. Move the big rocks first.
2. Speak with authenticity to make a deep connection with those you are meant to serve, even though it is uncomfortable.
3. Leverage packs a punch.
4. Grow your list.  Grow your wealth.
5. Be a “rock star” joint venture partner. That means delivering on every promise and going the extra mile. One good contribution often leads to another, and good news travels fast to the right people.
6. It pays off to be ready when opportunity knocks, and it turns heads in a good way.
7. Practice “sustainable generosity.” That means giving generously and over-delivering for those who invest wisely in your services.
8. Less is more.  Offer fewer products and services in winning bundles to make “getting to YES” easier for your clients.
9. Invest wisely to get help in areas beyond your genius.
10. Take consistent, tenacious action every day to advance toward your goals.

Prior to 2011, I was  one of those “get it done myself” people. And, truth be told, I wasn’t achieving the success I was dreaming of by following this approach. That is why — even though it was VERY uncomfortable for me — I invested in coaching this year change the game for my life and business.   Every day, I am uncomfortable.  Every day, my business takes bigger  and different steps forward than I could imagine taking before getting this extra measure of strategic support.

This journey isn’t easy. I am being challenged in ways that bring up all kinds of “inner game” stuff that is hard to address or talk about.

And, step by step, the results are flowing in the balance sheet and beyond.

And, for 2012, I am going to put more emphasis on the “and beyond” part of this equation. I’ve worked hard, sometimes to the exclusion of taking good care of myself. I think the concept of “sustainable generosity” needs to be applied to my personal life–a big rock that needs attention. That means putting my fitness, health, and self-care at the top of the list so I can be present for my husband, son, and puppy and equally energized to do great work with my clients.

This is going to require mindset shifts and behavior changes that will be uncomfortable for me. Borrowing a phrase from Oprah, “What I know for sure” is that if I apply the same level of discipline and focus to my personal life as I do to my business in the New Year, wonderful things are going to happen that will be priceless in their rewards. Those priceless rewards count for a lot.  To me, they matter the most of all. So, I’ve got my eye on that prize, and I’m going to take step-by-step progress to see what shape it takes with high hopes and high expectations. 

What are your biggest lessons from 2011?  What will you do differently in the New Year.  Please share, and let’s help keep each other accountable for making our dreams come true in 2012.

(Reprinted with Nancy’s permission)

by Barbara McNichol

I find “top 10″ lists fascinating (I have a list of my own–Top 10 Techniques for Improving Your Writing–downloadable at www.BarbaraMcNichol.com) and I especially love them at year end. What better way to summarize “the year that was.”

Time Magazine has outdone itself this year. Its entertaining list of “top 10″ buzzwords for 2011 give a tongue-in-cheek snapshot of current events, with Occupy at the top.

Why pay attention to them? So you can selectively use them in your writing–or avoid them if the meaning gets distorted in context and goes against your purposes.

Curious to know all 10? Click on the link below and list your favorites in the comment box. What buzzwords would you add? What ones do you want to create buzz around for yourself in 2012?

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2101344_2100571_2100572,00.html

Editor’s note: I hope you enjoy these fun ways of picking titles from Daily Writing Tips–a fabulous resource for writers.

Picking a title can often be the hardest part of a writing project. Sometimes the title just comes to you, but more often than not, you have to put quite a bit of work into finding just the right one. You may even have to sift through several titles before you find one that sits well with you. Here are a few suggestions to try:

1. Mad Libs

Think of a couple adjectives, nouns and verbs that describe your story. Write them all down on a sheet of paper and combine them into different phrases. Sometimes you can pick up on a title that works.

2. Pick a Part

Look for an important turning point in your novel or just focus on the climax. Describe this event on paper. Pick out the words or phrases that stand out to you in your description. Mix and match these words to see what works for you.

3. Live by Example

Pick out novels or short stories that run in the same genre as your project. Study the titles and how they relate to the story as a whole. Then, look at your project as a whole. Think of the theme or overall message of your book. Write down some words that go along with your theme and work them to see if you can find a fitting title.

4. Go for the Obscure

Avoid the obvious “The” titles like “The Pink Slipper” or “The Brown Dog.” Look for slight recurring themes or undercurrents in your novel and try naming your novel after those subtle nuances. JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, is a genius with titles. The titles, especially the Half-Blood Prince, all highlight under-riding themes that later play a large role in the series as a whole.

5. Appeal to the Higher

Poets usually have a way of weaving words in a beautiful tapestry of art that put prose writers to shame. Read some famous poetry and write down words and phrases that stick out to you. Song lyrics often have the same effect. You can find some powerful titles by mixing, matching and combining words from powerful lyrics.

6. A Writer’s Best Friend

Consult your thesaurus and look up synonyms for commonly occurring words in your novel. Write down as many synonyms as you can to try and get a fresh point of view on an event in your novel. Look up these synonyms in the dictionary to get a better understanding of their meaning. Use different words in context to find a combination that you like.

7. Super Easy Way

Type “title generator” into Google and see what pops up. There are several websites that will either have you type in a couple descriptive words and scramble them for you or they’ll just generate some random titles for a variety of genres. Some, like guywiththecoat.com, just generate extremely random and funny titles. Mostly, these titles are just good for a laugh, like “Pants ride the Bus,” but you may actually be able to find something that works with your project.

Reprinted from Daily Writing Tips, Dec. 16, 2011

by Barbara McNichol

Seth Godin’s ideas find a welcome place in my inbox every day. His
ability to observe our world with a twist and express his thoughts
with wit tickle my appreciation for language and his ability to think
outside the box.

I recently rediscovered his 2008 blog post Advice for Authors, which
still applies to all stages of authorship. Among the 19 points he
makes, I love his final one best:

19. Writing a book is a tremendous experience. It pays off
intellectually. It clarifies your thinking. It builds credibility. It is a
living engine of marketing and idea spreading, working ev ery day
to deliver your message with authority. You should write one.

And the runner-up is—

3. Pay for an editor. Not just to fix the typos, but to actually make
your ramblings into something that people will choose to read. 

I couldn’t agree more about the value of editing. A sharp editor
makes a huge difference in supporting book-publishing endeavors
throughout the process.

To read all of Godin’s 19 insightful points, click here.

Then send me your comments. Agree? Disagree? Which stand out
for you? Please share your comments at www.nonfictionbookeditor.com

by Dawn Goldberg (used with permission)

Editor’s note: Dawn writes a wonderful, encouraging ezine for writers called FUEL. This post from FUEL spoke to my soul because it applies to all kinds of writing, not only to marketing pieces but to the essence of your book, too. Enjoy.

You have a product or service that solves a problem and that people need, and you want to share that.

But then it comes down to communicating with your target market… that’s where you get stuck. You have to write blog posts, ezine articles, sales pages, campaign emails, affiliate materials… the list goes on. You have trouble taking that concept of your valuable product or service and confidently and powerfully communicating it.

You feel like you are not connecting with your market. (And you’re not.)

You don’t feel like anything you have to say is worth reading. (It’s not UNworthy; it just needs more of you.)

You doubt that anyone cares, will buy, will sign up…. (And you will have fewer sales and sign-ups to your list-because they won’t feel compelled. They won’t believe. Because you don’t.)

And so you stay small. Which gets you nowhere.

Sure, there are models and templates to help you with the technical aspects of what you need to write. But here’s one thing they don’t do: they don’t have room for your soul.

THAT – the soul piece – is what’s going to allow you to connect, reach more people, make a difference.

To really write from your soul, you have to claim the bigness of who you are and what you do in your business.

Because if there’s any part of you that’s playing small, wanting to hide, afraid of rejection and what people think, you can’t very well write from that place.

So, what if you believed wholeheartedly in yourself?

What if you truly accepted that you and your business are needed in the world?

What if you stood up, shoulders back, chest out, arms open wide and yelled, “I need to be here! The world needs me! Watch out! Here I come!”

What if you chose to give all yourself and put it all out there?

What would your writing look like then?

People will be attracted to you. They’ll mimic the woman in When Harry Met Sally: “I want what she’s having.” They’ll watch you. They’ll pay attention. They’ll take you seriously. They’ll notice what you’re doing.

So, how do you go from being small to stepping into your bigness?

Be bold. Be brazen. Be you.

Breathe the following statements your body. Let your heart believe them. Act from them.

• I am confident in expressing who I am.
• I am different from all the others – boldly so.
• I am confident in my uniqueness, not ashamed.
• I am proud to express that uniqueness, to claim it.
• I claim the beauty in me and in what I do.
• I am bold. I am brazen. I am me.

When you write from that place, the world is going to stand up and take notice. So feel that, feel that bigness, feel that uniqueness, feel that youness… revel in it.

Do whatever you need to do to be in that place. Journal. Create a soul map. Call your voice mail and record a lovely message about how wonderful you are. Phone a girlfriend and say, “Okay, tell me about my bigness. Tell me what I need to do to be bold, be brazen, be me.”

Whatever you need to do to claim how big you are… do that. And then, when you are in that place, write from your soul.

Want to write from your soul? Of course, you do! Because when you do, you connect more deeply and successfully with potential clients and your community.  Download your free Writing From Your Soul system at www.WritingFromYourSoul.com.

Dawn can be reached at Dawn@WriteWellU.com or via her website/blog at     www.WriteWellU.com

by Barbara McNichol

What can editors tell writers about improving their writing before they even begin the editing process? I shared my ideas and examples on a recent teleclass hosted by Janice Campbell of NAIWE.

You can listen to the full hour of “fixes” I presented by dialing dial 1-218-844-3182 and enter Recording ID: 90075555

In the meantime, here’s a summary:

Mistake #1.      Being so self-absorbed as a writer that you’re unaware of the reader’s experience. The fix? Know your core message and write to that message, leaving out the experience of writing.

Mistake #2.      Addressing readers as readers rather than a single key person whose interest you want to capture with your message. The fix? Keep a single interested person in your target audience top of mind as you write.

Mistake #3.      Skimming the surface, not going deep enough. The fix? When describing an experience, explain what you felt, what the other person felt as best you can, and what exact words were spoken. Go deeper with the details.

Mistake #4.      Having no rhyme or reason to the order of the paragraphs. The fix? Make a conscious decision about the order based on logic and facilitating your readers’ comprehension.

Mistake #5.      Overusing weak verbs and throwing in extraneous phrases and wobbly words. The fix? Rewrite using active verbs; question use of every adjective and adverb; throw out wobbly words: really, very, much, some that.  “I Really Think That We Should Not Use Some Words Very Much.”

Mistake #6.      Using multiword noun phrases when one active verb will do. The fix? Whenever possible, get an active verb to do the “work.”

Mistake #7.      Writing sentences that ramble (on and on and on and on). The fix? Limit sentences to 15-21 words max but vary sentence length.

Bonus mistake: Mixing metaphors and flat-out choosing the wrong word. The fix? Use a word choice guide like Word Trippers to help you select the perfect word when it really matters.