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Sara's 10 Basic Writing Tips

bookworm107

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Wow! These are some pretty amazing tips, though not exactly things you havn't heard in one way or another before. Its nice to have them pointed out though...
 

Jiggs

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Hi, Sara,
I posted this question in the "Ask Editors" area but got no response. I would like to know what format to use when submitting a rhyming manuscript (think "I'm Gonna Like Me" by Jamie Lee Curtis). Do I single space the two rhyming lines and double space between stanzas or use / to indicate ends of lines? Thanks for any guidance.
 

Sarita

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Hi, Sara,
I posted this question in the "Ask Editors" area but got no response. I would like to know what format to use when submitting a rhyming manuscript (think "I'm Gonna Like Me" by Jamie Lee Curtis). Do I single space the two rhyming lines and double space between stanzas or use / to indicate ends of lines? Thanks for any guidance.
Hi Jiggs,

My best advice is to just follow submission guidelines to the letter. If they say double spaced, then go for that. Most prefer everything to be double spaced. If you do that, then your standard spacing between stanzas will be bumped up to quad spacing (I think.)

I haven't had any experience submitting rhyming manuscripts, though. It might be best to shoot an email out to submissions at the agency in question and ask for their preference if you're unable to find the appropriate information on their website or writer's market listing.

Thanks and good luck!! :)
 

Jiggs

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Thanks so much, Sara. I'm thinking I don't want too much space in between lines especially when submitting via e-mail. It would make for a long, skinny letter. I'm not confident that publishers actually respond to questions about format but since this is an issue that I have not seen addressed anywhere I may give that a try. Now I'm wondering how poetry (versus a picture book manuscript) is submitted to publishers. That might give me a clue.
 

zubee

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These Tips are great, how we can manage our words in sentences, and suing special words for my love :) anyway, I often do better starting from a small detail or phrase and build outward, rather than trying to write to a larger topic.
 

Starby

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Read. Read. Read. In a variety of genres and styles. Fiction writers can learn from everyone, fiction and nonfiction alike.

This is such a good tip. I read so much as a child and I learnt about sentence structure and the mechanics of good dialogue without even thinking about it. It's only looking over my old stories that I can see how much I was influenced by what I read at the time. My reading material is a lot more varied now and I'm getting so much from it.
 

DecSigns12

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I have a question , hope this is the proper place to ask or mods can move this to the correct place.

My situation is when writing a paragraph for example about college. When you list the courses are they in capitals or lower case?

For example: I am taking geography , algebra 1, world history and English.

Thanks bunches!
 

Sarita

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According to the MLA, you should capitalize course titles.
 

DecSigns12

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According to the MLA, you should capitalize course titles.
This is reply to my question? If so, that's what I thought. Thanks smile

I am a Sign Language Interpreter, my assignment is in an English class. The instructor said, to my deaf student don't capitalize these titles. English being a second language to my deaf student was puzzled as why the instructor said that. I was puzzled too as an Interpreter.
 
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FennelGiraffe

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Capitalize course titles. Don't capitalize general subject areas used as shorthand to refer to a course. (Unless the subject is capitalized for a different reason, such as English or Latin.)

For example, if "Fundamentals of Geography" is the official course title, write either "I'm taking geography" or "I'm taking Fundamentals of Geography." On the other hand, if "Geography" is the exact title, do capitalize it.
 

DecSigns12

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Capitalize course titles. Don't capitalize general subject areas used as shorthand to refer to a course. (Unless the subject is capitalized for a different reason, such as English or Latin.)

For example, if "Fundamentals of Geography" is the official course title, write either "I'm taking geography" or "I'm taking Fundamentals of Geography." On the other hand, if "Geography" is the exact title, do capitalize it.
If I said, in general, In college you can take geology, computer science and Spanish. Leaving the other two lower case?
 

dropsofjup2

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Reflections

Thank you for your guidance. It all sounds practical, especially from Maryn and Cassie. Putting knowledge into practice gets a bit tricky for me but, experimenting and creating good habits of those tips that work best is a winning formula for me.
 

scriptor

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So, Kristie, let me get this straight, you are the naked novelist, and you're drinking alcohol.

Hmmm, well, in my world, that makes you the perfect woman!


Yes Sara, good stuff !


HAHAHA... could not have said it better !!! Yup, Yup, Yup.... now I just have to convince my wife... hehehehe..... though she does have an occassional drink.. naked would be better...


Yea, I can't help it though..... slow and a bit rough... sand paper and I have alot in common.... :)
 

lovemyoldhorses

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In order to move forward, drop your guard at the door!

I wrote a little story for children and even drew the corresponding pictures many moons ago and let my brother in law read it. He told me I should take lessons in grammar. My own kids liked it, but I stuck the draft in a drawer and have left it there ever since!

Another time I wrote a few chapters and at a conference let an editor read it. He handed it back and said it was too "contrived". I stuck it in a drawer and have left it there ever since.

I wrote a full novel and let my friend read it. She said she loved it. Then a member of the writing group I was in read it - a historical writing "expert". She said my facts were screwed or scued . . . I stuck it in a drawer and have left it there.

To date, I have the makings of a good murder mystery/light romance outline.

My point? I'm not letting others decide what I should or should not do during the draft processes. I'm finishing this one if it kills me or I die first. I'm not so thinned skin any more and if I ask for an opinon, I'm asking those who know something about the industry, which is why I'm here now, and I'm thinking this too is a "basic writing tip", that is, write and don't worry so much about it and don't be so afraid of the results.

Wasn't Jaws rejected like 20 times?
 

scriptor

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I have a question , hope this is the proper place to ask or mods can move this to the correct place.

My situation is when writing a paragraph for example about college. When you list the courses are they in capitals or lower case?

For example: I am taking geography , algebra 1, world history and English.

Thanks bunches!

That is a bit tricky and I have had problems with it myself, Like Sara said the MLA is a great and handy tool to have. I had to go and buy a MLA handbook just to have it on-hand when I need it.
 

RJK

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I'm not an expert, but I did sleep at a...
If you are describing a subject i.e. geography, earth science, english, you would use lower case. If you were describing course titles i.e. History 304, Algebra 212, etc. you would use the upper case. I could be way off base.