One of the best ways to edit your writing is to read it aloud. A member of my writer's group suggests an improvement on the technique: have the computer read to you while you follow the text to check punctuation. Both Mac and Windows operating systems have this feature under "accessibility" options. On the Mac,… Continue reading Editing? Let your computer read to you.
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The value of writer’s groups
Earlier, I posted about The value of critiquing the work of others. Two weeks ago, it was my turn in the barrel. The South Pittsburgh Writer's Group critiqued the first two chapters of my WIP, Sins of Omission. I got some attaboys--"Thanks for the correct punctuation," and "An interesting story that I will buy when… Continue reading The value of writer’s groups
Scrivener vs Ulysses
As I've posted before, Scrivener is my writing environment of choice. I use if for my current book project and for client reports in my consulting business. It's chief competitor is Ulysses, which I have not used. Writer Chris Rosser uses both and provides this comparative analysis of the two. While portions are a bit… Continue reading Scrivener vs Ulysses
More thoughts on fundraising letters
A friend and colleague, Mark Laskowski, a copywriter for WGBH in Boston added some salient thoughts. "Forget yourself (your tastes, predilections and pet peeves), you’re not writing this for you, you’re writing it to persuade donors to take action. Get inside their heads and think about why they do (or would or should ) value… Continue reading More thoughts on fundraising letters
An effective fundraising letter
I was asked by one of my followers on Quora last week, "What makes an effective fundraising letter?" I answered: -A strong case that makes readers want to give to you. -A strong lead sentence/paragraph that pulls them into the story -Either an ask or an indication that you are going to ask by the… Continue reading An effective fundraising letter
Editing with ProWritingAid
Earlier, I wrote about the advantages I've found using Scrivener, a complete writing environment, rather than a word processing program. Now that I am revising my first draft, I've discovered an editing tool that is proving invaluable. I researched several tools before settling on ProWritingAid. Grammarly is considered the industry standard, but the desktop version doesn't… Continue reading Editing with ProWritingAid
First draft finished; now the work begins
I completed the first draft of my novel, Sins of Omission, two days ago -- 74,000 words across sixteen chapters. Now the real work begins. As many a teacher will tell you (less politely), the first draft is drek. My first four pages already look as though a chicken stepped across it after wading in blood. That's okay. It's… Continue reading First draft finished; now the work begins
