It’s always a good idea to let other people, especially editors, review and critique one’s writing. I’m no exception; one of my recent pieces received a good thrashing. Although the thrashing was done in the kindest of ways, it still smarted a little. Some of the points were things I know and try to follow. For instance, I know to use active verbs – they make for stronger writing – but, for some reason, progressive verbs plagued this particular piece. I felt ashamed and vowed to do better in the future.
Writing Life
You Have to Have the Right Amount of Pressure
I worry about the tires on my car, mostly because I’ve had a tire blow while I was driving on the interstate. The incident wasn’t my fault – the tire had a nail in it – but it makes me more conscious of how my car sits while I’m driving. It’s that consciousness that has me checking my tires regularly and taking my car to the nearest Discount Tire when I have, yet again, lost one too many quarters to the air machine at the gas station.
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Why You Should Care about Better Writing
Why should a person care about better writing (and writing better) or about hiring better writers? It’s a valid question, especially when recruiters – purportedly seeking to hire writers – post the following job advertisement: “There has been an explosion in the need for online writers, regardless of skill. These companies are more interested in your honest genuine opinions when you’re writing blog entries about their company… not if you are a very talented writer.”
When Life Hands You Lemons
When life hands you lemons, the usual response is to make lemonade or to squirt lemon juice in someone’s eye. I say to forget the typical responses. Try something new.
A Dull Knife Won’t Do
If you ever have tried to slice a tomato with a dull knife, you know the inevitable result: a smushed tomato and pulpy tomato innards all over the cutting board. You now have to choose whether to be content with the pulpiness or to try again. You know, though, that the results will be the same, so why try again? Doing so won’t make any impact on the flavor of the tomato, only on the presentation of the tomato.
How to Train Your Cat (and Your Writing)
My cat, Sugar, has come to live with me. Since I don’t like her cat hair getting into every nook and cranny of my house, I have decided to return her to her roots of being an outdoor cat. She doesn’t like it. In fact, she’s fighting me almost every step of the way. She apparently takes after her owner in her stubbornness.