Hello! And welcome to May – wow, this year certainly is zipping by at a rate of knots. Do you think so, too, or is it just because I’m getting older?
Apologies that you didn’t get a writing tip yesterday – we had a Bank Holiday here in the UK, so I was scrubbing the patio instead of sitting at my computer!
For those of you who were with us for the Masterclass in editing last month, you will remember this slide, when we were talking about changing everyday words to something more descriptive:
He put the book in his bag, took an apple and set off.
He tossed the book in his bag, grabbed an apple and raced out of the front door.
He sneaked the book into his bag, stole an apple and crept out of the front door.
Mull over those three sentences for a minute.
Word choice really does make a difference, doesn’t it?
So here’s your writing tip for this week: get the bones of the story down as fast as you can in your first draft.
BUT when you come to edit, spend your time mulling over some fabulous words, to add meaning and atmosphere to grip your readers.
Send me your edits – I’d love to see them!
Every blessing to you all,
Janet
P.S. As we have so many Bank Holidays this month, I won’t be running a Masterclass in May, but am planning one for June, at 7pm on 26th. Pop the date in your diary, and I’ll send you more details in due course.