Share your tips & tricks of the trade

[Jonny Ryan Mac]

I recently view a reply post by a jamesarichie about what word count really is. This got me exited because, like many of you, I never really knew. Maybe under this heading some of our “Sages”, can share more useful knowledge they think I first timer like me and some of you can use.



Go ahead big dogs, light this post up, tell me the tricks you have hidden under your sleeve.

[SRHowen]

Write until you hit "the end" and don't edit or second think yourself on the way there--the only way to learn writing is to do it.

[Tish Davidson]

Write until you hit "the end" and don't edit or second think yourself on the way there--the only way to learn writing is to do it.

This works for fiction, but it can be a disaster for non-fiction that requires absolute accuracy or when you are writing to a specified word length. I'm an edit as you go person and it works for me, although I think I'm probably in the minority.

[Jamesaritchie]

This works for fiction, but it can be a disaster for non-fiction that requires absolute accuracy or when you are writing to a specified word length. I'm an edit as you go person and it works for me, although I think I'm probably in the minority.

Wrinting without editing as you go can gve some writers problems, but I find hitting a specified length is much easier when I don't edit as I go, and for me, absolute accuracy is why you proofread.

I think it's really a matter of style, practice, and training. Early on, I had a gig writing a short story a month that had to come in at 1,500 words, an article a month that had to come in at 1,800 words and a column that had to come in at 750 words. This on top of my regular writing.

I also worked in journalism where being able to write very fast, absolutely accurate, and at length is not only good, but a requirement for fast-breaking stories. This probably helped to no end.

It didn't take long before I learned to hit any word length on the first try, fiction or nonfiction.

[Jamesaritchie]

This works for fiction, but it can be a disaster for non-fiction that requires absolute accuracy or when you are writing to a specified word length. I'm an edit as you go person and it works for me, although I think I'm probably in the minority.

Wrinting without editing as you go can gve some writers problems, but I find hitting a specified length is much easier when I don't edit as I go, and for me, absolute accuracy is why you proofread.

I think it's really a matter of style, practice, and training. Early on, I had a gig writing a short story a month that had to come in at 1,500 words, an article a month that had to come in at 1,800 words and a column that had to come in at 750 words. This on top of my regular writing.

I also worked in journalism where being able to write very fast, absolutely accurate, and at length is not only good, but a requirement for fast-breaking stories. This probably helped to no end.

It didn't take long before I learned to hit any word length on the first try, fiction or nonfiction.

[James D. Macdonald]

We're talking about fiction here. This is, after all, the novels board.

[victoriastrauss]

Write until you hit "the end" and don't edit or second think yourself on the way there--the only way to learn writing is to do it.This works for fiction, but it can be a disaster for non-fiction that requires absolute accuracy or when you are writing to a specified word length. I'm an edit as you go person and it works for me, although I think I'm probably in the minority.I edit as I go (I write fiction). The disadvantage is that it takes me longer to complete a piece. The advantage is that once I do complete it, the time I need to spend on re-writing is minimal.

Here's a tip--no one method works for everyone. Don't force yourself to a particular method just because someone told you it was the right thing to do. There are better ways and worse ways, but there's no right way. Trial and error will allow you to discover what works for you.

- Victoria

[willietheshakes]

Don't turn on your computer until you've done your BIC for the day (of course, this only works if you work longhand, but hey, it's my tip & trick).

[Christine N.]

Buy that book I love.. LOL. I think I've mentioned it about three times this week, but that's because there's so much good stuff in there.

Self editing for fiction writers. Go. Buy it. Now.

[Pencilone]

Choose to do your writing on a computer that is NOT linked to the Internet.

[Christine N.]

Ayuh. I have recently discovered the joys of taking the laptop outside. Got tons done. Change of scenery AND no internet. Good.

[Jamesaritchie]

We're talking about fiction here. This is, after all, the novels board.

Yes, but I will say that the absolute best training I ever had for fiction writing came from writing nonfiction journalism, primarily human interest pieces. And that accuracy is as important in fiction as in nonfiction.