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    No Average Writer: How to Stand Out in the Writing Crowd and Write Your Best
    No Average Writer: How to Stand Out in the Writing Crowd and Write Your Best
    No Average Writer: How to Stand Out in the Writing Crowd and Write Your Best
    Ebook79 pages19 hours

    No Average Writer: How to Stand Out in the Writing Crowd and Write Your Best

    By Susie Yakowicz

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    About this ebook

    Are you a writer whose words fail to come to life on the page?  Does your research lack substance or credibility? Can your grammar and usage use a facelift?  Has your attempt at self-editing fallen short? If you answer yes to any of the above, you may be an average writer. The good news is, you don’t have to be. Whether you’re a new writer or a not, you can improve your craft and break out of average-writer status with a little determination and know-how. No Average Writer offers important tips and tricks for how to stand out in the writing crowd—and write your best.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSusie Yakowicz
    Release dateMar 15, 2014
    ISBN9780965254649
    No Average Writer: How to Stand Out in the Writing Crowd and Write Your Best
    Author

    Susie Yakowicz

    Susie Yakowicz has written hundreds of stories and articles for the web and print publications and has published four historical books. She holds a degree in English from the University of Colorado and has taken numerous post-graduate courses in writing and publishing.  Susie writes from her home in Eagan, Minnesota, where she lives with her family and pets. She enjoys writing about writing dogs, history, health, and a variety of other topics. For more information on Susie’s background and work, please visit her blog, Writing from Minnesota, at www.susieyakowicz.com/blog.

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      Book preview

      No Average Writer - Susie Yakowicz

      A note to readers

      The information for No Average Writer came from a combination of previously published articles and blog posts I’ve written over the years as well as my reflections on how I’ve learned to stand out as a writer. The purpose for writing this book was to gather all these instructional pieces and ideas together, in one place, and organize them in an easy-to-understand, accessible format for anyone who cares to read them, but mainly for writers looking for ways to improve their craft.

      Every time I receive a comment of thanks from another writer, I feel blessed and honored that I may have made a difference in that writer’s life. But I can’t take all the credit. I too have received plenty of help, advice, and teaching throughout my writing life. One thing I’ve discovered is that writers like to share, so I hope this book will give you some useful tips that, one day, you can pass along too.

      Introduction

      I believe that great writing is a gift, that you’re born with this exceptional ability to express yourself on paper. Your gift may not be clear to you right away. In fact, you might first hear about it from others—teachers, parents, and peers, all of whom praise your work. Eventually you too come to recognize your gift. It’s empowering and gratifying, and it helps make up for some of your shortcomings. But here’s the catch: possessing this gift won’t automatically make you a great writer. The truth is, being a great writer doesn’t come without hard work, patience, and an unceasing desire to improve. Any gifted writer who thinks otherwise will likely turn out to be an average writer at best.

      But what if you’re one of those writers who weren’t born with the gift? You may aspire to be among the greatest writers of all time, but how can you be when you lack the natural talent?

      Well, let’s face it, even some of the most gifted writers won’t reach writer greatness. Still, you don’t have to throw away your dream. Any writer who puts forth the effort can learn to write well, even better than well. The trick is to not strive to be the next Stephen King or Toni Morrison or C.W. Lewis. You can’t be them, so why knock yourself out trying? Your energy is better spent working at becoming the best writer you can be. It’s a lot easier, and success is still attainable, because when you hone your writing skills and develop your unique writing style, it’ll show. Not only will readers and editors begin to notice you among the swarm of other writers, you’ll feel confident, rewarded, gratified...and gifted.

      Which leads me to the point of this book. In it I share what I’ve learned over the years about how to improve my craft. Not every facet of writing is covered in this book, not by a long shot. But what is covered are those things that have helped me stand out in the writing crowd and write my best—things like how to avoid common grammar and usage errors, where to find quality research, ways to draw in readers, why self-editing is vital, how and with whom to network, and more. Using a conversational style and simple language, I believe I can help you stand out and write your best, too.

      So sit back and get comfy. Whether you’ve got the gift or not, learn what it takes to become no average writer.

      1

      Rebuilding a foundation

      Let’s say you’re going to rebuild your house. Once you tear down the old structure, you’ll want to take a good look at the foundation. Likely, it will need some repairs before you can start reframing. At the very least, parts of the foundation have probably weakened and will need reinforcement. If you want your new house to be sturdy, functional, and long lasting, you’ll have to start with a strong base. 

      It’s the same idea with writing. If you want to write well, you have to begin with a strong foundation. And in most cases, that means rebuilding the old one.

      So how exactly does a writer rebuild a foundation?

      In a nutshell, you take everything you learned in school about the basics of writing—grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, and paragraphing—and learn it all over again, only this time to suit the modern reader. Today’s readers have high expectations. But expectations are even higher among today’s editors. If you expect to grab their attention, your writing foundation must be up to date, consistent, and accurate. Trust me, it’s the first thing an editor will notice—and the first step to becoming no average writer.

      If you expect to grab the attention of today’s editors, your writing foundation must be up to date, consistent, and accurate.

      Ready to get started? Let’s begin with the three most basic components or building blocks, if you will, of your new writing foundation.

      Grammar, spelling, and punctuation...oh no!

      Oh yes. These are the big three that many writers grapple with. (And yes, it’s okay to end a sentence with a preposition.) Even though grammar, spelling, and punctuation were drilled to death in school, today’s writers don’t always get these basics right. Of course, that’s partly because some of the rules and practices have changed over time.

      First, consider the four major parts of speech. We know that nouns are persons, places, or things; verbs show action or a state of being; adjectives

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