Use New Words

Writing can be spiced up by the addition of interesting recently coined words ... within reason. A recent example:

Greenwashing

Apparently a combination of "green" and "brainwashing" it is used to describe false or misleading claims about a "green" (pro-environment) practice or product.

An Editor Should Be a Writer

I do both. In fact, all the editors on my staff also write. I believe that all editors should also be writers.

Not everyone agrees with me—mostly editors who don't write. I've seen many good pieces ruined by editors who understood vocabulary, grammar, and syntax but not writing. Being edited by someone who doesn't also write professionally can lead to wooden, uninteresting writing.

A copyeditor or proofreader is something different. That level of editing doesn't require writing abilities. But if the editor has any authority to change the content, you had better make sure he or she understands writing—not by reading it, but by writing it.

Throw That Controversial Line Away

Many authors of otherwise good articles risk losing their audience when they are tempted to use their platform to make a controversial point not necessary or helpful for the article.

Ask yourself, Is this really worth it? 

Is it worth it to lose readers just to feel good about making your point? The answer is no.

Lose that controversial line if it's not needed for the article. Your goal is for people to read your article, not for you to feel self-satisfied. You can make your point in another venue.

Make Sure Your Sources Are Accurate

As the editor of a national magazine, I have long had a rule for our reporters and writers: Never use Wikipedia ... and by extension, use only credible sources.

The Internet can be deceiving. Do a Google search and much of the time the first result out of the box will be Wikipedia. Yes, Wikipedia is big, popular, maybe the most-used reference site on the Web. But it is not reliable.

Reuters distributed this article today:

Student's Wikipedia Hoax Fools Newspapers

"When I die there will be a final waltz playing in my head," Oscar-winning French composer Maurice Jarre once said, according to several newspapers reporting his death in March.

However, the quotation was invented by an Irish student who posted it on the Wikipedia website in a hoax designed to show the dangers of relying too heavily on the Internet for information.

Shane Fitzgerald made up quotes and entered them on Wikipedia — an encyclopedia edited by users — immediately after Jarre's death was first reported on March 30.

Read the entire article.

Don't accept Internet proclamations without serious evaluation of sources. Never use Wikipedia (or like sources) in writing. Anyone can add or edit content, so how reliable can it be? Make sure your sources are always credible.

(Read my earlier post on Wikipedia.)

More Headlines That Could Have Used Some Thought

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers

Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant

War Dims Hope for Peace

If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile

Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures

Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge

Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft

Kids Make Nutritious Snacks

Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors

Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead

Give Your Titles Some Thought

Especially if you are writing news. Always look for ambiguities and potential double meanings.

The following are actual newspaper headlines:

Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half

Prostitutes Appeal to Pope

Red Tape Holds up New Bridges

Collegians Are Turning to Vegetables

Miners Refuse to Work After Death

Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Ax

Obesity Study Seeks Larger Test Group

Practice Sampling

I do what I call "sampling" on a regular basis. This can be done any time for a brief period of time, and it is profitable to you.

Look through a book or Web site you are interested in, or some notes you have taken, and find a good illustration or bit of information. Then write it out in your own words, in a form you can plug into an appropriate piece later.

Be sure to keep track of these. It keeps you writing, even when you don't have a lot of time, and provides you a ready source to augment future articles. I do this a lot!

Don't Overwork Adjectives

"When you catch an adjective, kill it." —Mark Twain

I was just reading a biography for review and was put off by a large number of gushy adjectives. It brought this quote by Twain to mind. Read the context below and you will see it is not quite so harsh as it seems. But it makes the point.

"I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English—it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don't let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them—then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart. An adjective habit, or a wordy, diffuse, flowery habit, once fastened upon a person, is as hard to get rid of as any other vice." —Letter to D. W. Bowser March 20, 1880

Pulitzer's Words of Wisdom on Writing

"Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it, and above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light."

—Joseph Pulitzer

Perhaps the best short synopsis of how to write, from someone who should know. Though this was written years ago, the advice in this quote is still relevant. Take Pulitzer's advice and you will be ahead of the game in writing style.

Read Your Writing

Before sending off an article or chapter—and even before mentally stamping "ready" on your work—read it over and over and over again. Always take notes or make changes as you read. Try to improve it each time.

There is a point at which you have read it enough and you need to let go. But many writers err in the other direction, by not giving their work sufficient careful reading.

And be sure to read your article in its entirety. Computers and word processing have made it really easy to make changes. Sometimes writers don't consider how an inserted sentence or changed word can affect the whole of the document.

Write to Be Understood

Don't write to impress your readers. Write so they will understand you. If you communicate well, you will impress them.

Good content clearly presented is always more impressive than language that is flowery but unclear.

Keep Titles Short

As a rule, keep titles short. If you have a long title idea that is too good to waste, use it as a subtitle.

Titles Must Grab the Reader

They are worth spending time on, especially if you are a freelancer who needs to attract a reviewer's attention. The title may be your only chance.

I once received an assigned article that was titled, “Alcoholism in America: Ubiquitous but Not Innocuous.”

Huh?

Never use a title like this, one a reader has to figure out. Titles should be clever or straightforward, or both.

In this case, a far better title was “Alcoholism in America: It’s Everywhere.” Though not a clever title, it is straightforward and clearly conveys what the article is about.

Interact With Other Writers

Join a Writers Group

Stretch yourself by interacting with other writers. I just returned from a conference where I was one of the guest speakers. I was struck by the potential for growth that exists in interacting with others who are gifted in the same craft.

Many of these writers were quite accomplished, while others were new to the craft. All of them had something to share, from experience to enthusiasm to perspective.

Interacting with other writers will energize you ... and you just might learn something. Don't try to do it all alone. Get some feedback.

Diffused Influence

I am both a writer and a public speaker. As such I have learned that speaking can be a lot more satisfying than writing ... even if one's writing is reaching a lot more people.

The reason is something I call diffused influence.

I have spoken to groups as large as several thousand and as small as a handful. What all public speaking events have in common is the ability to get immediate feedback. If you speak well, you will surely get a significant amount of positive feedback, mostly after your message but sometimes also during it in the form of spontaneous audience reaction.

I almost always feel more fulfilled after a good public message than after a good article is published.

That's because of diffused influence. Your readers are not all together reading your article at the same time and reporting their feelings back to you almost immediately. They are in different places, reading at different times. But if you have done well, your writing will hit more people and stay around longer than your messages, even if they are recorded.

There is a certain elation to being published. There is an even greater elation to being noticed.

Don't be discouraged because your feedback isn't as strong or immediate as you would prefer. Diffused influence, in most cases, means you're having a greater influence than a public speaker... if you are doing it well and have significant distribution.

Get It Right

If you're going to write, be sure to always get your facts straight. This means not furthering urban legends that eternally circulate on the Internet until they show up in your in box screaming for exposure.

Speakers have embarrassed themselves by using anecdotes that are just not true. There are also many quotes that circulate and have homes in quotation Web sites that are false.

Demand verification. Hold yourself to a high standard before you pass along info ... especially in print. You can't "unprint" a magazine or book.

I do not allow my staff to use Wikipedia as a source. Quality control is impossible there since anyone can edit. (Wikipedia can be useful for links.)

Use a site like www.truthorfiction.com or snopes.com. They specialize in checking things out.

Be a Wordsmith

Don’t make common grammatical errors.

There are lots of excellent writers who are poor grammarians. You may be one of those. But the editors you submit manuscripts to will probably never get far enough to know. Poor grammar or spelling will stop them before they find out how wonderful your manuscript is.

A synonym for a good writer is wordsmith. Does that word apply to you? Don’t submit an article until it does.

The term implies you are:

• Good with the writing craft, arranging your words (editors help with this all the time, but the less work your manuscript will be the more chance you have of getting it accepted)
• Good with grammar and spelling (get a good book and learn it). I have taught master's level courses and had students with terrible grammar.

Grammar and spelling are building blocks of the writing craft.

The Writer-Editor Relationship

I am regularly on both sides of this coin. If you are a freelance writer, there are some things you need to know about how editors think. I share a couple of them in this post.

Choose your battles. In the cosmic order of writing the big picture is most important. Don't expend your energy fighting for a word here or there, when there may be bigger issues of style or, especially, content you need to fight for. You can only move an editor so far. If you spend a lot of time getting him or her to concede on small things, he or she may be unwilling to listen to you if there are larger issues later.

Don't be defensive when you are defending things that are important to you. Editors have a lot of work to do and they detest working with difficult writers. If you do defend something, be courteous. Never get the reputation as a writer who is difficult to work with. With my editor's hat on, those kind of people just take too much time and energy. I remember one excellent writer who was a major pain on everything he wrote. Despite the fact that he was an excellent writer with something to say, I quit accepting his articles. I even remember a brand-new writer who put up such a fuss on the edits on his piece that we never published it.

Pick your battles, then wage them courteously. Editors will appreciate it and the door is more likely to stay open for you.

More Interview Guidelines

Be prepared. Do your homework so you don't waste time on basics and also so you won't miss valuable implications during the interview itself. Have a list of questions prepared in advance. Jot down notes for follow-up questions during the interview.

Conduct the interview in the best place possible. I have done my share of interviews in hotel lobbies and similar places. Often, circumstances dictate or you must meet where the interviewee chooses. If you can select the location, find as quiet a place as possible, and position yourself as close to the subject as is comfortable. Do everything you can to evoke the atmosphere of a casual chat rather than a formal question-and-answer session.

More on Conducting Interviews

Don't ask yes or no questions. The answers you get may be "yes" or "no," and that really doesn't make for a great published interview. Ask questions that require a thoughtful response.

Actively lead the conversation. Short-circuit, politely, any sidetracks to subjects not of value to your publishing intent. Gently, tactfully, refocus the conversation. A lot of time can be wasted if you don't do this. I have had interviews end abruptly when something demanded an interviewee's attention. Use your time wisely; if the interview is cut short, you want to have as much usable material as possible.

Know when not to lead it. Be tuned in enough to know when a sidetrack may be taking you to valuable ground.

Keep the tape running. Many of my best story ideas and interview segments have come in casual conversation after the interview is over, when the subject is relaxed. Many times I have said, "That's a great thought. Would you mind if I started the recorder again?"