There Is = Lazy Writing

When I see "there is" and "there are" in an article, I want to throttle the writer for being lazy. Yes,coming up with a descriptive noun and an active verb often requires extra thought and creativity. But that’s what good writers are supposed to do.

Take a look at how just a few changes give these sentences more life.

- There’s a show at ABC Theater for all tastes.
Whatever your taste, ABC Theater has a show for you.

- There’s always something exciting going on in Our Town.
Something exciting is always going on in Our Town.

- There are numerous self-guided trails to enjoy the spectacular views of the lake.
Numerous self-guided trails lead to spectacular views of the lake.

If you catch yourself using "there is" or "there are," ask yourself, what noun can replace "there" and what verb can replace "is" or "are." Do that and your writing instantly improves. And you become an active instead of a lazy writer.

Write Now! Early Registation Ends June 25th

Get sizzling summer savings now for five weeks of group instruction, coaching and discussion.

Early registration savings for Write Now! Jump Start Your Writing Project ends midnight tomorrow, Friday June 25th. Sign up today on the Group Coaching page.

All sessions are conducted by phone so you won’t even need to leave home. Classes run Tuesday evenings, July 13 to August 10.

Just think how wonderful you’ll feel at the end of the summer when your writing project is zooming forward -- or even completed!

3 Ways to Make Writing Easier For You

Writing doesn’t have to be a struggle, but all too often it is.  

The culprit? Starting to write before anchoring the process by answering these basic questions. 

• Why are you writing this essay, novel or how-to book?  Are you writing it for a contest, publication, assignment? To chronicle your family history? To heighten your professional credibility? To express your opinion about a topic dear to you? The more you understand your "why" and the more compelling your “why,” the easier it is to start and keep writing. 

• What are you writing about? Can you describe your theme in 25 to 50 words?  These few words serve as a helpful guide, especially if you get stuck or off track.  

• Who is the ideal reader? When you can envision your ideal reader, you can write as though speaking directly to him or her. The words start to flow naturally. 

Taking time upfront to answer the questions “why, what and who” will give you a solid base for launching your writing process and guiding you to completion. Instead of struggling, you may even find yourself experiencing the sheer joy of being in the flow!    

Power Your Writing With Dynamic Verbs

Verbs — run, talk, sleep — drive a story forward. They describe actions. The more specific the verb, the more your reader can see the story you're telling.

For example, "run" is a general verb which creates any number of images. What do you see when you read this sentence?  The girl ran down the street.

Let's see what happens when we choose specific verbs, like these:
The girl skipped down the street.
The girl dashed down the street.
The girl sauntered down the street.

Verb choice makes a huge difference in the mood and energy of the image, doesn't it. The more specific your verb selections, the more control you, the writer, have over the image your reader sees.

See what specific verbs you can use instead of "talk" and "sleep."

How about chatter, gossip, whisper ...

And snooze, doze...

Go ahead. Give it a try!

Act Now to Propel Your Writing Project To Joyful Completion

The 1:1 Writing Program With Rose is now accepting registrations for June start dates.

Is your story, essay, memoir or other piece of writing screaming to get out of your mind and onto paper? Did you start a project and lose your momentum mid-stream?  

Give it life and get it done!

The guidance and support provided through the five-week 1:1 Writing Program With Rose helps renew your focus, confidence and enthusiasm for writing and completing your project.

For details and to register, visit the Private Coaching page.

Its Magic - It's Magic!

Every writing contest judge, editor and instructor has a grammatical pet peeve. And so do readers. Mine is the misuse of "it is" and "it's." It's bad enough when I see their misuse in email and other casual communications. But when a reportedly professional publication misuses them, I cringe! It's enough to make me quit reading. I catch myself thinking, "If they can't get this right, how valid are their facts?"

If its and it's confuse you, here's an easy way to test which is correct.

• If you can replace the letters i-t-s with "it is," use it's, which is the contraction for "it is." For example: The liquid removes the stain immediately. It's magic!  (It is magic.)
• If you cannot replace the word with "it is," use its, which is a possessive pronoun. For example: The liquid removes the stain immediately. Its magic comes from a secret ingredient. Would it make sense to say "It is magic comes from a secret ingredient"? No. In this example, "its" is a possessive pronoun referring to the liquid. Instead of saying, "The liquid's magic comes from a secret ingredient," you can say, "Its magic comes from a secret ingredient."

The test: If you can replace the letters i-t-s with "it is," use "it's." If you can't, use "its." 

And never, ever use its'. The writing gods will have a hissy fit!

What Color IS Green?

As I look at the leafing trees on the Ozark Mountains, I'm struck by the question, "What color is green?" The slopes sport a full range of hues, from the palest, softest greens to the deepest, most vibrant ones.

A major challenge of descriptive writing is selecting the precise adjective to use. It needs to show the reader what's in the writer's mind. If I write "green," each reader will see what the color green looks like to her. But if I write "lime green," most readers will see green that is the color of a lime.

For a general audience, I like to choose words that most readers will identify with. For example: celery green, emerald green, forest green, iridescent green and so on.

Despite the wide selection of words available, when I look at all the beautiful shades of green as spring unfolds in the Ozarks, I'm at a loss for adequate descriptive adjectives. What color IS green?