Tag: better writing

Posted in Writing, Writing craft

Well-Selected “Quotes” Can Add Power to Your Writing

Posted on by Patricia J. Parsons

I’m sure that there isn’t anyone—even people who don’t write—who hasn’t stumbled upon something someone once said that seems to resonate. For writers, it’s often something they read that resonates deeply with something they’re writing at that moment. Wouldn’t that be a powerful addition to your writing?

Well, sometimes it is. But there are a few important considerations about using quotes in your writing that might be worth reflecting upon as you select that powerful quote. Regardless of whether you write fiction or nonfiction, a well-placed quote can be precisely what you need to add power to your narrative.

I happen to love a good quote, so I’ve given a lot of thought to the who, what, when, where, why and how of using them.

For example, I often like this one from Allen Ginsberg:

“To gain your own voice, you have to forget about having it heard.” — Allen Ginsberg

If you’re interested, I can offer you five tips on using quotes to add power to your writing.

Posted in Writing craft, Writing Nonfiction

5 Tips for Tightening Your Writing

Posted on by Patricia J. Parsons

Seventeenth-century philosopher Blaise Pascal once wrote the following:

“I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.”

Clearly, he had an innate sense that tight writing takes time―and is preferable in many ways. The concept of “writing tightly” is one that all writers have to come to terms with at some point in a writing career. The reason this is so important is simple: tight writing is more likely to be published.

When an editor tells you that you need to tighten your writing, what does that mean? If you think it means to trim your narrative of all unnecessary words and phrases, then you’d be right.

Tight writing is important because it compels the reader through your copy, whether it’s your book, feature article, blog post, or advertising copy. Loose, wordy writing slows the forward motion of the story and bores readers.

In this week’s video, I explain my five tips.

Tips summarized:

  1. Use fewer prepositional phrases.
  2. Eliminate filler words.
  3. Use strong stand-alone words instead of weak words padded by adverbs.
  4. Remove redundancies.
  5. Read everything you write out loud and listen to it carefully.

Some extra resources for you:

Common Redundancies in the English Language.  https://www.thoughtco.com/common-redundancies-in-english-1692776

Linda Alley. Why Tight Writing is Not Just for Journalists. https://medium.com/@linda_44105/why-tight-writing-is-not-just-for-journalists-bd037d907447