Guest post by Frank Viola
Many people have asked me for advice on writing and publishing. I’ve written six books published by four different publishers, and thankfully, each one has done well. While I claim no expertise in this area, I can share from what I’ve experienced so far.
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In 1959 an American schoolgirl wrote to C. S. Lewis asking him for advice on the craft of writing. He sent her a list of eight rules, and I add my own editorial comments to each of them.
1. Turn off the radio.
Today, writers also need to turn off the TV, the iPod or the music streaming over the Internet. I know that some writers claim that background sounds enhances their creativity, but I don’t believe it for a minute, and apparently Lewis didn’t either. Writing is a solitary activity, where words are formed in a special space of the brain, and anything that competes for that space will result in a decrease in writing quality. Good writers are able to be alone with their thoughts and don’t need filler or distractions.
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It seems every writer has created a top 10 writing tips list. I have viewed dozens of these lists and compiled the best of the best for Christian writers. Collectively they contain valuable insight about the writing process.
1. Write only when you have something to say. (Playwright David Hare).
2. The reader is a friend, not an adversary, not a spectator. (Jonathan Franzen)
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Author Denis Waitley said, “The reason most people never reach their goals is that they don’t define them, or ever seriously consider them as believable or achievable. Winners can tell you where they are going, what they plan to do along the way, and who will be sharing the adventure with them.”
The ability to set goals is an important skill for writing success. Once you have a goal, you can establish the intermediate steps (sub-goals) required to achieve it. Goals have a way of bringing order and purpose to your writing life. There is hidden power in setting and achieving goals.
Why do some writers avoid creating goals? Let’s examine some causes and cures.
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Nothing demonstrates the change more than the fact that the publishers of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary has removed hyphens from 16,000 words in its latest edition. For the most part, the dictionary dropped hyphens from compound nouns, which were unified in a single word (e.g. pigeonhole) or split into two (e.g. test tube), according to a report by Reuters.
Is there a rule you can apply to know if words have been unified or split? Nope. You’ll need to look up each word in the two-volume Shorter Oxford English Dictionary to know for sure.
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