Writing – Page 4

Writing Mysteries . . . Is It A Mystery?

Your first sentence, your first paragraph, should grab your reader . . . maybe even by the throat, like a good murder!

Writing a mystery book or series is akin to putting together a puzzle with a thousand pieces. Where should you begin? Do you start the puzzle with the corner and edge pieces, providing details on the main characters including the heroes and criminals? Or do you start in the middle, revealing upfront the murder and complexity of the story plot?

Whether you start with corners, or centerpieces, what matters is sticking with your structure and then pacing the plot. You need to keep it moving forward by creating suspense with clues and mysterious happenings.

In the television mystery series Columbo, the murder always took place at the beginning of the story. The seemingly flustered but persistent detective follows various suspects and clues to eventually catch the murderer. In other television mysteries, you follow the path of an ordinary citizen — writer, baker, doctor, librarian, or florist — who is captivated by certain events and incidentally gets involved in solving crimes. These amateurs just can’t seem to help themselves, even when following the clue leads them to danger.

From these types of mysteries known as cozies to film noir with gangsters and hard-boiled detectives to terrifying thrillers, mysteries have long appealed to the reader and viewer. As a writer, you can choose your own style, your own way of creating characters and stories of murders and mayhem, and your own way of presenting clues and suspects leading toward solving the crime. Yet, there are certain elements essential to a good mystery, which can take the reader on a fascinating ride through a criminal’s mind and the minds of those who reach into that mind to catch them.

Yes, everyone has a right to remain silent! Even you . . . right to the end. Of course, you eventually have to get the bad guys to talk or confess or have someone give them up. Along the way, you are also on the chase with your characters through conflict, danger, and mystery. However, your intent is to capture your readers!

You want your readers to become involved and interested in your story so they follow the clues you leave, and they attempt to solve the crimes along with you. Don’t make it too easy: there should be a number of possible suspects. Enhance the plot with character conflict and red herrings that might confuse and steer the reader away from the real murderer. The bad guy can also lead the reader astray by placing suspicion and blame on someone else.

A good mystery story includes an intriguing plot, interesting characters (often with unique characteristics), descriptive places and locations that set a mood, interesting and controversial dialogue, clues (real and false) leading to the bad guys (and gals), and a bit of humor. Be clear about your point of view. Is it from the perspective of the main character as in Sue Grafton novels or a third person as in Raymond Chandler mysteries?

Ultimately, you want to be able to explain your characters’ motivation for their criminal behavior. Common sources are anger, hate, power, money, and, of course, revenge. Revealing truths, secrets, and lies with stories of betrayal and vengeance with surprise endings leave your readers wanting more — especially in a series!

Although you might think it strange, I suggest you ask yourself what your motivation is for writing or wanting to write mysteries. In my mystery series, The Senior Sleuths, the actions of my senior characters, Dick and Dora, often reflect my truths about life and relationships.

Marcia Rosen (aka M. Glenda Rosen) is an award-winning author of eleven books including her newest one, An Agatha, Raymond, Sherlock and Me Mystery: Murder at the Zoo plus The Senior Sleuths, Dying To Be Beautiful Mystery Series, and The Gourmet Gangster: Mysteries and Menus (menus by her son Jory Rosen). She is also author of The Woman’s Business Therapist and award-winning My Memoir Workbook. For 25 years, she was owner of a successful national marketing and public relations agency. Marcia has frequently been a speaker or program moderator at organization meetings and conferences, bookstores, libraries, and Zoom programs. Topics she has taught and presented over the past twenty years include Encouraging the Writer Within You, Marketing for Authors, Writing Mysteries…Not A Mystery, Writing Your Memoir, and recently Anatomy of Writing a Murder. Many articles on these topics have been published on mystery reader blogs and in newsletters and magazines and her newest articles relating include Location, Location, Location: Murders Have Their Places; Hearing Voices of Past Famous Detectives: Their Impact and Influences; and Writing Mysteries at a Zoo: With Caution. She is a member of Sisters in Crime National and New Mexico (Croak & Dagger), Southwest Writers, New Mexico Book Association, Women Writing the West, Public Safety Writer’s Association, Women’s National book Association, and National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.

How Do You Sell More Books?

Thursday, July Post a comment

Let’s take this question from the 30,000-foot view for now and ask the bigger question, how does anyone sell more of anything? It comes from a conversation expressing a need and finding a solution. Whether your need is to have your battery replaced in your car or the need to buy a gallon of milk, you identify the pain point and offer the solution. Not everyone will have the same need, so not everyone will be interested in your book. The key is knowing your target audience and reaching them on an emotional level.

Let’s use the car battery as an example. There are probably dozens of mechanics in your area that can replace your car battery, just as there are probably many books available on the topic or genre that you’ve written about. Garage A has an ad that pops up online that has bullet points about them like *satisfaction guaranteed, *cheapest rates in town, and *award-winning service. None of which address your specific needs. This is salesy business-focused marketing. While they may be true, they are not making an emotional connection to your needs. You can probably get that same service at a number of garages. However, Garage B has a video ad that pops up that says when you have car trouble, they know every hour you can’t drive can mean that you can’t get to work, you can’t pick up your kids from school, and it basically has you held hostage! This is the difference between traditional book marketing like trailers and ads and relationship video marketing.

Let’s face it, no one is going to sell your book better than you, the author! Whether it’s a short TikTok or IG Reelsvideo of you popping on and sharing your thoughts, or a longer YouTube interview video, you begin to build a relationship with your followers. If you consider that 93% of communication is non-verbal, it really makes sense that people seeing your expressions and hearing your voice will make them connect with you on an emotional level. You want them to see themselves in your story. There’s no greater win than when your followers think “you feel that way, I feel that way too,” or “oh, I’m going through that, too.” You want to find common ground and meet them where they are. It’s so important to shift your thinking from being author-focused to others-focused. Why will they care? What’s that common ground we have? You’re overweight? Hey, I’m overweight too. Do you suffer from depression? Hey, I do too. Let’s sit down as friends and chat about it.

As a radio personality for 30 years, I’ve received hundreds of books from authors asking to be interviewed on my shows. They almost always send me copies of their books and randomly placed author one-sheets in the pages. Those one-sheets are always author-focused in my experience. They tell me how many books they’ve written, drop important names of people they’ve been interviewed by, and I’ve even seen how many grandchildren they have! I could never understand why they would share things like this with me, as they had none of the qualities I was looking for in order for them to gain access to my audience. I wanted to know how well they speak? Why will my audience care what they have to say and will my audience feel a connection to their book content? Video can answer all these questions and more for big stage requests like radio, TV, podcast, and speaking opportunities. You’re essentially asking to borrow their audience, and a video link embedded on your one-sheet or press kit is a great way to set yourself apart from other author requests.

That same video can be used for your “small stage” opportunities as well, to demonstrate that you can make that emotional connection. Think about using it on social media, chat rooms, your website, newsletters, email blasts, and your Amazon author page! The key to selling books really is finding common ground and meeting people on a personal level. And in my experience, nothing can do that better than video. It really is an author’s marketing secret weapon!

Suzanne Lynn Cheesman has been in radio for the last 25 years, in New Jersey, South Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, and Florida as well as having hosted her own nationally syndicated show. She now runs a digital media company that helps authors sell more books and build their brand with video and radio interviews. She currently hosts the Triangle Spotlight radio show on WQBQ 1410-AM, a Central Florida radio station that has a coverage area of half a million people. On this show, you can hear authors from around the country and around the world share their heart behind the writing of their books.

“Everyone Has a Book in Them”: Ways to Tell if Your Book Should Be Published

Saturday, July Post a comment

One of the most frequent responses people have when they find out I am an author is something along the lines of “Oh, I’ve always wanted to write a book about XYZ.” While that can get annoying, it’s perfectly valid. There’s a reason that the phrase “everyone has a book in them” exists.

Try It Out

But how do you know if you really do have a book in you? The easiest way is to try out writing and see what happens. What do you want to write about? Write down every idea you may wish to cover in your book. If it’s fiction, can you shape it into the rough outline of a plot or at least the beginning of one? If it is nonfiction, can you group your ideas into chapters? Once you have this roadmap, you’re ready to write.

Start small. Don’t freak yourself out by thinking now you have to write this whole book. No, you don’t. At this point, you are just writing for you. Every chapter tells a story. Look at your outline and think about what the story is for your first chapter. Maybe it is how your hero got himself into his current mess or an overview of how you came to be interested/trained in the subject you’re writing about. Concentrate on telling that story right now. The other chapters will come in their order.

What’s the Answer for You?

If you find that this exercise is fun or that it comes easy to you, you may well just have a book in you. Or you may find that what you are writing morphs into something else entirely; you may have a short story, poem, song, or screenplay in you instead. Wherever your muse takes you, follow.

There are a few other ways to tell if you might have a book in your future:

You enjoy writing. For most authors, writing is like breathing; we couldn’t survive without it and get anxious when we aren’t working on one story or another. It’s a truly transportive experience.
You’re passionate about your subject/story. This will come through in your writing and readers will be able to tell. They can also tell when you’re not. Plus, you need to have passion for it because you’ll be with this story for a long time.
You can stick with it. It can take years to write a book, especially when you are just starting out. Not to mention all the edits that go into making it great. If you aren’t the kind of person who can maintain interest for a long period, writing long-form things like books may not be for you.

You do not have to write every day, in spite of what some people say. When the muse is there, grab it. Write early in the morning or late at night after others have gone to bed. Write on your lunch hour, when you have a few spare minutes (even 10–15 will yield you a few words), or when you’re waiting at the doctor’s office. Eventually all those words add up.

And you get better as you go along. If you keep at it, don’t be surprised if by the end of your book, you hate the beginning. That’s because you’ve grown along the way. And it happens to most writers with every single book they write.

My last piece of advice is to read. Read as much as you can in the genre in which you are writing. Believe it or not, you become a better writer the more you read because you begin to see the commonalities in plot and character structure, what works well and what should never happen again. You’ll see turns of phrases you like and descriptions you want to imitate. There is no training ground like the page.

Now, get your butt in a chair and fingers on that keyboard. (After you’ve outlined, of course.)

Nicole Evelina is a USA Today bestselling author and biographer who writes historical fiction, non-fiction, and women’s fiction. Her six books have won more than 40 awards, including four Book of the Year designations. Nicole was named Missouri’s Top Independent Author by Library Journal and Biblioboard as the winner of the Missouri Indie Author Project in 2018 and has been awarded the North Street Book Prize and the Sarton Women’s Book Award. One of her novels, Madame Presidentess, was previously optioned for film. She also has four non-fiction books due to be published from 2022–2024.

Science Writers Not Certain Enough, Study Claims

Sunday, April Post a comment

Writing about scientific findings and data? You may not be coming through so strongly, according to a new report. But before you worry about your writing, consider the source of the insights: It’s from a computer model.

A University of Michigan report says journalists often understate the claims of scientific papers.

The authors evaluated studies and news articles using a computer model.

They say that journalists tend to downplay the certainty of study findings. For instance, instead of using a specific number in the study, they’ll use words like “roughly” with the figure—as in, instead of writing “82.73 percent,” reporters may write “nearly 83 percent.” They may write that a study’s findings “indicate” something instead of saying it’s “definitely” so.

Real Reporting on Science

So, what’s the deal—are we going too light when reporting on studies?

Maybe some of us do. Publications and writers differ. Some have higher scientific writing standards, and some have different audiences.

As a health writer who covers medical studies often, I contend our writing on the whole is fine just the way it is. In my experience, a journalist has to be careful when covering science. After all, that great study—as robust as the design and findings may be—is still just one study. So you can’t exactly claim that something is “definitely” so based on one study.

Also, as reporters, it’s our job to report the facts. When writing for some publications, the writer may have more leeway to explain how the study may or may not fit into the big picture of things. But for the most part, depending on the type of article you’re writing, it’s just “report on the facts clearly” instead of doling out a bunch of interpretive insights. (I definitely prefer to let the reader make up their mind on something, anyway.) Some publications don’t want you to get into too much detail or make claims. Some articles are not a deep dive solely on the latest study.

One reason they may think our language isn’t as definitive is because publications are generally careful about science reporting. The publication can get a bad rep if that new egg study says eggs are “totally bad” when they can just report the findings of one study that claims eggs are bad.

I have editors who don’t want an entire article detailing a study and instead just want to springboard it into a larger piece, so the study may only get a paragraph of coverage. Also, style guides may dissuade the reporter from using highly technical numbers. And when you’re writing for a consumer audience, you’re often told to stick to a certain reading grade level to ensure all people can understand the content.

Materials Matter

The authors also looked at “journal impact factor,” which is their way to measure the quality of the science. They say reporters didn’t seem to be influenced by the journal where a study originated.

They may have a point there, because health writers know that the study design and authors are just one part of what makes it strong—where it’s published is another, because certain journals have more rigorous review processes.

There are a lot of differing factors that can play into how much certainty a writer exudes in an article that features a study. One thing is for certain: Their model may give us insights on what science writing is, but ultimately, the prose best written is interpreted by humans. And as writers, we can always improve upon our craft.

Kristen Fischer is a copywriter and journalist living at the Jersey Shore. She worked as a reporter and copyeditor for Gannett before launching her full-time freelance business in 2005. Her work has been published in Parents, New Jersey Monthly, Prevention, Woman’s Day, SheKnows, and Healthline.

Passive Voice, Static Voice—What’s All The Fuss About?

Friday, March Post a comment

As writers, we naturally write the way we write naturally. But readers can’t hear the cadence of the words playing out in our heads as our fingers fly across the keys. Readers’ minds merely decipher the little black marks on the page or the pixels on the screen. So “Mom was calling every week; Dad was emailing every day” cannot possibly convey the sense of urgency the author wants to impart because the reader can’t feel it—it’s over, it’s way in the past, it’s a “was.” It’s passive.

Ah, but suppose the line read: “Mom called every week; Dad emailed every day,” with no extra “it’s all over” verb standing between the doer and the deed? Now the reader feels the author’s irritation and can sympathize, snicker, or simply roll their eyes. It’s active.

And “static writing is . . . ?” I hear you ask. Extra words, albeit not necessarily “to be” verbs, that stretch out the sentence or obfuscate its meaning. “I extracted a sample of both of their DNA from the inside of their mouths.”

The line is static: it has no life, it has no energy, it just relays flat, lifeless information. Maybe that’s okay for a textbook or dissertation, but for commercial writing? Ugh.

But suppose the line read: “I extracted DNA samples from inside both their mouths.” Doesn’t that sing a little sweeter? It provides the same information without holding the reader hostage for an extra six words and so pumps the material forward. It’s active.

And that, in 200 little words, is what the passive/static voice fuss is all about!

Claudia Suzanne is a consummate ghostwriter/teacher, understanding what authors need in order to successfully complete their book dream, and she has a finely honed talent for communicating what she knows to her students and clients. Popularly dubbed “The Einstein of Ghostwriting,” Claudia has entertained and informed tens of thousands of writers, editors, journalists, and aspiring authors at countless writer and professional meetings, conferences, radio and BlogTalk radio broadcasts, webinars, and podcasts. Claudia was an invited expert on Penguin’s Author Solutions Expert Video series and a featured entrepreneur in Orange County Business Journal and Norwegian Business Daily. Her signature title, This Business of Books: A Complete Overview of the Industry from Concept through Sales, earned her a 2018 Author of Influence Award from Connected Women of Influence.

Why Do I Teach Ghostwriting Certification Training?

Friday, March Post a comment

That’s what one of my students asked me a couple week ago.

“It can’t make you much money,” she said. “Not for the amount of time and work you put in over the three months.”

She’s right; it doesn’t. I spend three hours a week teaching each class—in the fall, that’s going to go up to four hours/week. My students tell me they put in between 6 and 10 hours on their homework every week—homework that I then have to go over, comment on, discuss, and correct. If I add up everyone’s tuition and divide by the number of hours I put in, I’m making . . .

Damn little.

So why do I teach Ghostwriter Certification Training? Not sure. Let me muse as I write.

If we go back to the beginning, I started teaching the basics of the book business and a little bit about ghostwriting back in 1993, I think. Maybe 1996. Don’t remember. My motive then was to pass on some information and sell my book, This Business of Books: A Complete Overview of the Industry from Concept through Sales, then in its 3rd edition.

Maybe I was looking for referrals. Maybe I just wanted to share. I honestly cannot remember. But I found I enjoyed teaching. It was fun. It was stimulating. It was educational for me. And people paid me a little bit of money. A win/win.

Over the years, the class ebbed and flowed. I taught sometimes, didn’t the rest. Tried to put together Professional Book Writing School, but life got in my way. Remember, I spent over two decades struggling with serious health problems, which I have now, Baruch Ha’Shem, completely overcome. But during most of the past two decades, I was inconsistent and intermittent with my work habits, my clients, and my teaching.

Looking back, it’s amazing to me how much I managed to get done by just bulldozing through. When faced with allegedly insurmountable odds, some people take it easy, some people rely on the medical community, and some people give up. I just put my head down and worked. Not fast, not always well, but through the best and the worst of it, I worked.

And then I was facing the end.

It was 2000 and I had one of those “life-changing” episodes during a downward health spiral that told me I was coming to the end of my days. But I had a client! How could I transition to the next world and leave my client up in the air? So I handed the client over to one of my interns and started pricing funerals.

I won’t keep you in suspense—I didn’t die. In fact, with the help of my beautiful sister-by-love, Bera Dordoni, N.D. (Bastis Foundation), I began the long journey back to perfect and total health. But it was an eye-opening experience and I realized I had to write a book. And so I did.

And I rewrote it.

And rewrote it.

And so and so forth and scooby dooby do.

The final edition of said book, Secrets of a Ghostwriter: World’s First Step-by-Step Guide to the Theory, Skills, and Politics of Ghostwriting, is at long last complete and exhaustively emended by five wonderful, nit-picky editors. And Ghostwriter Certification Training has evolved from a 5-week to a 7-week to a 14-week and soon to be 16-week program that details exactly what the job is, how to do the job, how to find aspiring authors to do the job for, and how to convert those authors into contracted clients.

Which may be the actual reason why I continue to teach Ghostwriter Certification Training. After putting in all this time and effort to develop what Cora Foerstner called “the seminal text” on the subject and honing the program to the point that I’m confident it’s turning out skilled, competent ghostwriters, how can I stop?

But I warn you now, the price is going up. Because yeah—I don’t make enough money at this right now!

Copyright Registration and the Author

Tuesday, March Post a comment

Did you know that your work is automatically covered by U.S. copyright law as soon as you set it in a fixed format?

According to Title 17 of the U.S. Code, all works are protected under copyright law from the moment they are placed in a fixed, tangible medium and can be perceived either directly (on paper, canvas, or other “solid” medium) or with the aid of a machine or device (computer, e-reader, or electronic music player). What does this mean? Essentially, you do not have to register your work with the Copyright Office to have some measure of protection. U.S. copyright law exists to help protect content creators and to help “promote innovation” in the sciences, technology, and creative arenas nationwide.

That said, you might want to formally register your work, as there are a number of benefits to this:

It establishes a public record of the copyright claim.
If registered within five years of creation, it provides “prima facie” evidence of the validity of the copyright and the facts stated in the certificate.
If registered within three months of creation or prior to infringement of the work, it will allow for statutory damages to be awarded to the copyright owner in an infringement suit.

And, perhaps most importantly:

Registration allows an infringement suit to be brought forward in court. In the coming year, individual creators will be able to take advantage of the newly minted Copyright Small Claims Board for suits with damages up to $30,000 instead of going to federal court.

You might be thinking, “Well, can’t I just mail my manuscript to myself via the U.S. Postal Service and therefore, as a government agency, I’m covered under copyright law?” Unfortunately, all that this will do is prove the date you mailed it to yourself. There are no legal benefits to sending a manuscript to yourself in the mail, as the U.S. Postal Service is not an agency of the U.S. Copyright Office.

Note that you also do not have to pre-register your new book with the U.S. Copyright Office before you publish it as you have some protections from the moment you put pen to paper or cursor to document program. You may certainly choose to do so if you feel that your work may be infringed before you publish, but it is not necessary. Pre-registration also does NOT replace the registration once you have published your work, so it will not save you any time later on.

Not only is the process of registering copyright easy, but it’s relatively inexpensive. For example, for a simple registration (let’s say a book, with one author or artist), the fee is just $45 for registering online on the U.S. Copyright Office’s online registration portal. The Copyright Office has also made it easier to register a group of unpublished works at one time, which is especially helpful if you have a batch of poems or titles that you haven’t yet published and want to protect.

Perhaps the best part of the online registration portal is that you can register works on your own without a lawyer. The Copyright Office has some very useful tutorials to show you just what to do, and if there are any questions regarding your application, a copyright examiner will reach out to you with clarifying questions and help you complete your registration.

Mary Jo (“MJ”) Courchesne is the owner and principal consultant of Gryphon Publishing Consulting. A publishing veteran with more than 20 years of experience in trade, academic, and direct-response publishing, she has spent nearly two decades specializing in licensing, subsidiary rights, and permissions. MJ is a frequent and polished presenter on licensing and copyright. When it comes to intellectual property, she firmly believes that everyone from authors to publishers to corporations should know their rights. To that end, MJ has instructed on copyright and permissions in the George Washington University’s Masters in Publishing program for the last 15 years. She currently serves on the Board of Experts for the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors and is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association and the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators. MJ has also held memberships with other publishing organizations such as the American Society of Picture Professionals and Washington Publishers.

Podcast Marketing for Authors

Saturday, January Post a comment

How do you reach your potential market? Especially now with limited opportunities for in-person events at bookstores and many writers’ conferences cancelled. As a marketing/public relations professional and agency founder, I know authors are like other businesses and authors should create a presence and consistent message by implementing various marketing strategies.

Let’s face it. It ain’t easy writing a book.

First, you write the book with, hopefully, a plausible idea.

Then, there are the rewrites, edits, more rewrites, more edits, and, much of the time, some level of concern about deadlines, publishers, distribution to bookstores, and—fingers crossed—sales.

Then what?

Wait? I don’t think so. Not the best idea. Having owned a marketing/public relations firm for many years, I know that good marketing campaigns work.

As an author I agree that, oftentimes, writing the book is the easiest part; it’s what comes next that involves anticipation, hope, and serious effort to get the word out about our words.

There is a truth to our ambition: most authors have a story to tell, created from life experiences or imagination. Our love of words and how they’re put together allows us to create the magic of a book. Our own book.

So . . . how do you reach your potential audience? There are many good ways, some not so good, and some that are just scams. Beware of the scams! Ask seasoned writers what they recommend and what to stay away from. You’ll save time and money.

I have found that book-signing events, some online promotions, publishing articles, blogging, and guest spots on blogs are good options. All of these give you visibility and establish your potential reader’s awareness of you and your books. As an agency founder myself, I know authors need a strong voice promoting their work, for both visibility and relevance.

One fairly new and valuable book marketing approach: podcasts.

Millions of people are listening to podcasts. Online surveys have revealed over 70 million Americans listen to podcasts each month on tablets, smartphones, home computers, and other listening devices. Online statistics assert that “beyond any doubt, podcasts are a potential goldmine for promoting your book(s).”

The following are my tips on booking an appearance as a podcast guest:

Be prepared.
Know what podcast is best for you.
Connect with podcast hosts.
Pitch the host or booker. Tell why you believe their audience will find your books, and you as a guest, entertaining.
Ask the host what is expected of guests.

The following are my tips on being a successful podcast guest:

Be prepared.
Provide the host with information about you and your book prior to the podcast. (You want the host to create audience interest when introducing you.)
Be able to discuss why you wrote the book, along with
- what motivated, inspired, and interested you in the story or subject
- what type of research you did
- your writing process
- your top three favorite authors and why.
Sound enthusiastic and excited about being on the podcast.
Never say anything negative about other authors or publishers.
Tell listeners where they can purchase your book.
And be sure to thank the person interviewing you! You may want another visit for your next book.

Marcia Rosen (aka M. Glenda Rosen) is the author of 10 books including The Senior Sleuths, the Dying To Be Beautiful Mystery Series, and her latest offering (which she wrote with her son Jory Rosen and was a 2021 New Mexico–Arizona Book Awards winner), The Gourmet Gangster: Mysteries and Menus. She is also the author of The Woman’s Business Therapist and award winning My Memoir Workbook. For 25 years, Marcia was owner of a successful national marketing and public relations agency and also facilitated numerous writing programs. She continues to work with aspiring author clients, providing manuscript reviews and advising them on book development and marketing, as well as writing articles, appearing on author blogs, and presenting writing programs on Zoom and in person. Marcia was co-presenter of “About Being an Author” for The National Steinbeck Center. She is a member of Sisters in Crime Albuquerque (2022 vice president), Southwest Writers, Women Writing the West, Central Coast Writers, New Mexico Book Association, Public Safety Writer’s Association, and National Association of Independent Writers and Editors—for which Marcia is also a current board member.

More Edits Needed? How to Get All You Need the Second Time Around

Tuesday, November Post a comment

Reporters typically connect with a source once, get what they need, and go on their way to write a story. Sometimes you have to revise a story based on your editor’s suggestions. What happens when you don’t just need to edit, but have to ask a source for additional information? Maybe you realize you didn’t have everything you needed once you start writing the story, or your editor comes back with questions during the revision process. Either way, returning to a source for more information can be tricky.

Mostly because you want to make sure you get exactly what you need out of your second interaction.

I’ve been there — not too frequently, but it has happened to me. Sometimes the editor raises additional questions when reading your story, or they weren’t clear about what they wanted when they assigned it. Writers can equally be to blame, because sometimes we realize what we need — and don’t have — only when we start putting an article together. And sometimes, you simply forgot to ask a question or didn’t prod the source for enough details.

Whatever the case, here are some insights to help if you have to conduct a second interview with a source.

Define what you need. Whether your editor is requesting more information, or you are the one inquiring, it’s essential to know exactly the information you’re looking for. This may involve doing more research or more work — or combing through other interviews — to ensure you know specifically what you need. Writing out bullet points helps you pinpoint the concepts that need to be addressed.
Devise exact questions. As you know, the information you obtain largely depends on the types of questions you ask. If you need a yes-or-no response, ask a yes-or-no question. But if you need more, be specific in your question. Ask for a real-life example of a situation. Explain that you understand the subject but need more information about what that means or does. It can help to “bullet-point out” some concepts and have your questions prepared. While you can go back to a source for information, you want to interrupt them as little as possible. Even if they say they’re there to help, it’s your job to get what you need.
Consider the interview. Will you be emailing additional questions, or do you need to set up a call or meet in person? Sometimes the conversation during a live interview could lead you off track, so you’ll want to be mindful of time to ensure that your priority questions get answers.
Examine the answers. Be prepared to do some digesting on the spot as the source’s responses to those questions may prompt you to ask additional questions.
Ask for information. Not understanding something? That’s okay. It’s your job as the reporter to ensure that you do, and most people want everything to be accurate (especially what they say) and will take a moment to explain things. If you are unclear about something, the best thing to do is just ask. Keep in mind that if the source spouts off something like an acronym, you can probably figure it out within the context of the subject you’re talking about by doing a quick internet search. But if you’re really lost, ask.
Double check. When you have answers for all your questions on the list, check to verify everything was asked. Remember, you don’t want to have to go back and forth with a source to get more and your editor will appreciate fewer rounds of revisions.

Writing can be a long process, especially when the editing process requires conducting more interviews. With a little planning and finesse, you can turn around a draft from the initial interview that has everything it should.

Kristen Fischer is a copywriter and journalist living at the Jersey Shore. She worked as a reporter and copyeditor for Gannett before launching her full-time freelance business in 2005. Her work has been published in Parents, New Jersey Monthly, Prevention, Woman’s Day, SheKnows, and Healthline.

What Kind of Writer Are You?

Saturday, August Post a comment

I remember going to lots of writers’ conferences, back when I lived in Philadelphia. And then going to more writers’ conferences after I moved to Los Angeles. And also taking writing courses and attending writing workshops by the dozens.

Along the way, I met a lot of wannabe writers (and also a lot of don’t wannabe writers, but that’s a different story).

I remember reading a lot of their work, some of it quite good. But much of it was quite bad. And I remember thinking: “How can you claim you want to be a writer and then ask someone to read something put together so sloppily.”

I’m talking about errors in punctuation and spelling, poor and repetitive sentence structure, and inadvertent subject-verbs disagreements. I’m also talking about unclear references and — more fundamentally — disordered thinking.

I never had to resolve to become a more professional writer; it was a drive that just came naturally to me. Like a carpenter who made straight cuts in the wood, or a plumber who produced tidy solder joints in the pipes, in my bones I felt it was important to master my craft and write at least professionally, if not well.

I make the distinction because writing well is all about touching your audience and leaving them changed. Not everyone can do that.

Anyone who claims to be a writer can crank out professional quality work. And once you’re capable of cranking out professional quality work, adhering to all of the rules is no longer of prime importance.

Think of Picasso. He could draw like nobody’s business, a single line conveying a tremendous amount of image and information. But after he mastered that skill, he broke free of realism and could produce images no one had ever seen before, presumably the exact images he wanted to show to the rest of us.

I can create a nonsense image, too. But since I can’t draw very well, it’s more random than Picasso’s and unlikely to reflect exactly what I’m trying to convey.

So what kind of writer are you? Are you comfortable stringing together some words in hopes your production touches your audience and leaves them changed? Or are you the kind of writer who wants to master your craft so that you have the best chance of conveying your fullest depth of meaning precisely?

Over the years, in some cases, I have helped aspiring writers clarify their thought processes, delve deeply into their innermost feelings and ideas, and dredge up some powerful material that they might never have been able to produce on their own.

But in almost every case, I have been able to teach aspiring writers to craft better material, reflecting more precisely their intended meaning and often carrying more power to change their readers than the works they had previously been producing.

I don’t take any credit for this; it’s just a gift I have learned to share. But I think it’s an important calling, and I hope to continue sharing this love of mastery for many years to come.

Robert Moskowitz is an award-winning independent professional writer who has written and sold millions of words in just about every format over five decades. He instinctively sees the big pictures, breaks each one down into coherent slices, meaningfully prioritizes and sequences those slices, and then executes the tasks inherent in each slice in very productive ways. Put more simply, Robert knows how to succeed as an independent writer, covering all the bases from soliciting assignments to delivering polished work, from pricing jobs to budgeting and managing personal finances, from organizing a conducive office environment to establishing and following sensible guidelines regarding life, work, and productivity. Having done all this, and having paid attention to how he did it, Robert is now in a position to pass along what he knows to others.

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