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Wordstead
Writer's Newsletter
CURRENT ISSUE
WRITERS & YOU:
Feature article: "How to Get the Best Out of Your Ghostwriter"
Main book review: Stephen King's latest novel, Under the Dome
► "The Old Cold War Magic We All Miss by That Much"—A recently discovered CIA manual of old secret tricks
► Other Book Reviews & Must-reads
► Publishing News : "An e-Book Melee Worthy of a Soap"
and more...
► Did You Know...?
► Famous Ghostwriters
PREVIOUS ISSUE
► "Why You Should Think Before You Write"
► Publishing/Writing News
► Book Reviews
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My Blog
Read about political thinker Tim Fitzgerald's ground-breaking memoir of his days as a youth activist in the 1960s.
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► TIPS ON WRITING-
1. Active vs. passive
Many books on writing insist on the use of active rather than passive sentences (“Mary wrote that book,” not “That book was written by Mary”). Follow their counsel to the letter and you’ll end up with loosely strung sentences. It’s far more important to allow your sentences to flow one from the other. Leave some sentences passive to maintain consistency.
2. Consistency
A good way to check for consistency inside a paragraph is to underline the beginning of each sentence. Read those beginnings to make sure each ties in with the words and references toward the end of the previous sentence.
3. Information flow
Two great thumb rules to follow: (1) Put the newest or most important information toward the end of your sentence, which information you intend to expand on in the next sentence. (2) Put at the beginning those ideas you’ve already mentioned or implied in the previous sentence.
Usage & Abusage
Use “neither” to refer to only two things (persons, actions, groups, companies, etc.). For three or more, use none or not any. “Shirley, Clive and Rupert went to town; none wore blue.”
Use “loath” to mean disinclined toward something (“I’m loath to believe it”); and loathe to say you dislike something (“I loathe the smell of failure!”).
Use “incredulous” to mean skeptical, incredible to mean unbelievable. I often hear outbursts like: “It was so incredulous!” That's wrong. On the other hand, it’s idiomatically acceptable to say: “You're incredible, you know that?”
Don’t abuse “a lot of” by employing it too often in the plural. Everybody does it, of course, but "a lot" is singular, and will stay that way to the end of time. Instead of "a lot of farmers have singing talent," say: "Lots of farmers have singing talent." Better still, "Many farmers do." And I can vouch for that!
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Testimonials
Anthony has been key to developing my writing career. He has been, and continues to be, a mentor, a trusted intellectual mind that holds thoughts and words with care and insight. Yet he sees, not merely the written text, but the soul and spirit that is behind every passage that emerges from an author's deepest parts...
- Nenosi Mae
The Colour of Barashash (novel)
barashasha@yahoo.co.uk
My mother said she would like to meet you one day…I have to agree that you did an incredible job getting in sync with my memories and emotions. I am so glad that I decided to work with you! I hope we will continue to work together on future projects.
- Margot Hyland, American from
South Africa and mother
of young US marine serving in Afghanistan
Across the Color Line (memoir)
mihland@yahoo.com
I have just completed the process of publishing my first manuscript, and I must say that you have helped me find the most eloquent and highest expression for my thoughts. I want to acknowledge your tremendous contribution to my personal success and that of my book project. I look forward to using you as my resource to support all of my writing needs. You are a true master at what you do.
- Harold Davis, MscD, PhD
Inspirational speaker and success coach
Moving the Stars With Your Words: How to be the creative factor and achieve
what you really want out of Life
drhdavis@movingthestars.com
www.movingthestars.com
Dr. Shaker, I have read the manuscript and I am so darn impressed with what you have done I can't find words to express it. You are definitely a master at what you do. I hope you will allow me to include you in my acknowledgments, because I want those who read the book to know about you...You certainly deserve that if you would allow me.
- Robert Sullivan,
Georgia businessman
The Formula: Building Competitive
Advantage for the Motor Carrier
robert.l.sullivan@att.net
Read more...
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________ Wordstead Writers' News ________
HOME
The latest in writing & publishing, expert writing tips
and reliable book reviews | |
Anthony F. Shaker, PhD
writer/editor
AFS Wordstead
afshaker@aol.com
(819) 597-4072 (EST)
www.wordstead.com
Go to current Winter 2010 issue:
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Go to Autumn 2009 issue:
CONTENTS:
FEATURE ARTICLE: "Why You Should Think Before You Write"
"Maybe the answer is simply to make a better effort at thinking more deeply about what we write before sending its million-fold impressions into cyberspace...")
WHAT'S NEWS:
The end of the beginning: Yahoo has announced it will close down GeoCities on October 26. GeoCities, in its heyday the third most popular destination on the web, was born back in 1995 as Beverly Hills Internet, a small web-hosting firm...
Remember Joe the Plumber? John McCain mentioned him in the last presidential debate in 2008. Nobody knew who he was then, so everyone figured Joe was just a JOHN DOE...
Speaking of JOHN DOE, apparently there is such a man! No, it’s not a ghostly visitation by Gary Cooper. No alias or sales gimmick, either. This John Doe immigrated from...
The English-language Wikipedia, one of the ten most popular web sites with 60 million visits every month in its English version alone, plans to limit the changes that readers can make to its articles on people...
An unexpected rise in the number of literary fiction readers has caught everyone by surprise—especially writers, publishers and literary agents. In a report, the National Endowment for the Arts says that reading has increased...
Journalism and mass communication schools are granting more diplomas than ever, according to a survey by Lee Becker of the University of George....
ONLINE PUBLISHING:
Ê Companies who sell electronic reading devices couldn’t be happier. Amazon claims...
Ê Two years after its US launching in the US, Kindle—an electronic reader the bit-size of a paperback—is still unavailable in many parts of the world...
DID YOU KNOW?
A few facts you might like to know.
MUST-READS
STORMY WEATHER: The Life of Lena Horne by James Gavin. Illustrated...
LAST NIGHT IN TWISTED RIVER by John Irving...
HOW TO BE A MOVIE STAR: Elizabeth Taylor in Hollywood. By William J. Mann. Illustrated...
FAMOUS GHOSTWRITERS
© 2009 Anthony F. Shaker and AFS Wordstead
Anthony F. Shaker, PhD
writer/editor
(819) 597-4072
Afshaker@aol.com
www.wordstead.com
Please send your comments to Afshaker@aol.com, or simply reply to this message. Make sure you indicate your name, e-mail address and, if you like, your URL. Your comments will be published shortly on my web, along with the contents of this newsletter.
Anthony F. Shaker, PhD
(819) 597-4072 (Eastern Standard Time)
(819) 597-4547
Afshaker@aol.com
Visit the web site: http://www.wordstead.com/
© Copyright 2009, AFS Wordstead
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