Writing Tips Series Begins – Why Should I Care About Good Writing?
Posted on April 17, 2017
This post begins a series on writing tips for authors and those wanting to improve their ability to communicate on the written page.
In today’s quick-paced texting environment, good writing often takes a back seat to quick writing. That’s fine when you’re shouting out to your significant other to “get milk.” But when you sit down to communicate a thought or a story, readers have an expectation of perfection or near perfection — they will put up with a few mistakes.
You’ve had the experience of starting to read a book recommended to you by a friend. You finally have some quiet moments and you crack the book open and start to read. And right there on the first few pages is a misspelled word. You overlook it, or try to. Then there’s another . . . and another. Many readers just stop right there and move on to something else. The book goes unread. Though it was probably full of insight and inspiration, the presentation just gets in the way. Like serving filet mignon on a paper plate – it’s hard to take it seriously, unless you’re really, really hungry.
If you’re going to ask a reader to spend their coveted time with you for the next 20 or 30 hours, you best give them a treat, your most excellent work. This series of posts will provide some actionable steps you can take to move your writing to the “must read” versus the “discard” pile.
We will cover topics like:
- some basic grammar helps (don’t worry, we’ll make it easy to grasp)
- phrases and words often misused and how to avoid it in your writing
- when it makes sense to “break the rules”
- some practical examples along the way to help you assess your own writing
(First Installment)
You might be asking, “Why should I, as an author, take time from my creative process to ensure my writing is error-free, grammatically correct and all that jazz? Isn’t that why editors are paid the big bucks?”
I propose the following reasons for why good writing should matter to you as an author:
First, poor writing reflects poorly on you
You only have a few pages to make a good first impression with a publisher, and a reader. Sloppy writing, poor word choice, grammatical errors and misspelled words all take a toll on the positive first impression you’re desperately trying to establish. It’s not worth the risk.
Second, it matters to your publisher
Poor writing makes working with you and your manuscript a “high maintenance” effort. Publishers are pressed for time. Saying “yes” to correct errors in your manuscript, means saying “no” to other things. If your writing is top notch, a publisher might overlook it as ‘worth the effort.’ However, if a publisher is evaluating two equally good submissions, one full of edits and one very clean, guess which one they’re going to choose. It’s best not to force the choice. Time spent improving your writing will pay off in the long run.
Third, you can bet your competition cares about good writing
Good carpenters don’t drive in screws with a hammer, they use a screwdriver because they know which tool to use to get the job done. As a writer, your tools are words, paragraphs, dialogue, plot, grammar, punctuation . . . they are all the tools of your trade. Learn to use them well.
In the following series, I will provide some helpful tips and tricks to make your writing rise to the top. Thanks for joining me in the journey. As always, your comments are appreciated. Tell me what you think in the comments below.