Scribblings Blog

Avoid Mindless Patterns in Your Writing

3/8/2023

Your writing can slip into a mindless pattern like those associated with certain activities in your life, such as getting dressed in the morning and driving to work. These mindless patterns indicate that you are acting without conscious thought. You are relying on past experiences to handle your needs in the present.

One of the most obvious ways in which these patterns express in your writing is through using worn-out phrases. These can be clichés, but they can also be buzzwords that are thought to be stylish or trendy for your target audience. There are two problems with trendy and stylish phrases or words:

everyone else has used them – many times! Your audience has become immune to their original intent. Consequently, your message is lost.
sometimes it is taken for granted that the meanings of such words/phrases are known by all when the truth is that no one has bothered to define these terms in so long that their meanings are vague to most of your readers. Again, the full impact of your message is lost.

Another way in which mindless patterns emerge in your writing is through the repetitive use of your own pet phrases. These phrases are peppered through article after article without your even realizing it. In a manuscript I read recently, a writer used the word basically followed by a comma in nearly every paragraph. It was not only a mindless pattern for him, it represented lazy writing on his part: he was unwilling to take the time to be creative in his writing.

To avoid these mindless patterns as a writer, you must stay in the moment. Be aware of every word you write. Make the conscious choice to be creative in how you express your thoughts. After all, writing is not about the number of articles or manuscripts you complete; it is about the message within each work and the uniqueness with which you express it.

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A Writer’s Superpower

2/22/2023

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Writing is more than putting words on paper. It’s reaching into your innermost thoughts and feelings and expressing them in a way that entertains and enlightens the reader. It’s creating a place where someone can go to escape from reality for a little while. Your words can also educate or inspire or empower a person to see things in a different light.

Our words are powerful. They can do so much more than just entertain readers, especially the younger, more impressionable minds. Books can open children’s and teens’ eyes to experiences they have never dreamed of, discover places they have never been, and experience feelings their souls have not yet felt.

Everyone knows that reading to children is instrumental in their cognitive development. This practice aids in an essential part of brain development in the first three years of a child’s life. Reading to children from the earliest age enhances vocabulary and communication skills.

But that’s just scratching the surface.

At the same time, exposing our kids to books that help develop character and conscience is equally important. These stories are their first life lessons. Memorable characters will shape their perceptions in ways they carry throughout their lives.

That’s where we, as authors, come in.

For kids, concepts such as sharing, caring, honesty, kindness, individuality, gratitude, love, empathy, and so much more can be introduced at an early age in ways they’ll enjoy, accept, and adapt to their lives. Whether the books are read at home, during circle time at school, or at the library, life lessons will be absorbed into their open minds through the magic of storytelling.

The more books a child is exposed to, the more life they experience. Books not only introduce kids to the world around them but also help them connect with it. Stories can show kids they aren’t the only ones who’ve ever been afraid or sad. As authors, the words we write can bolster a child’s confidence and empathy as they realize others share the same feelings.

More difficult life lessons such as fear, death, and bullying are challenging for any aged child or adolescent to wrap their minds around. Parents, teachers, or other grown-ups can offer good, sound advice. However, it doesn’t make the same impression on young thinkers as a character in a story experiencing the same quandary. Reading about someone else making it through similar hardships allows the readers to deal with the difficult issue in the safety of their own home at their own pace. It can also open up a channel for conversation when they feel comfortable talking about it.

Another thing writers need to keep in mind — our words can help young people learn valuable life lessons without subjecting them to boring lectures. For instance, Coming of Age is a popular genre for middle-grade and teen audiences. These books usually cover a protagonist’s journey from adolescence to adulthood, focusing on his loss of childhood innocence as he matures. The plot generally revolves around inner conflict and turmoil that eventually results in personal growth.

Add in the part where parents suddenly become extremely stupid, and this genre portrays a teenager’s life to perfection. No wonder they relate so well with these books! A teen’s journey echoes the hero’s arduous quest.

Trials, challenges, temptations, and curiosity can sometimes overwhelm common sense, causing problems similar to the protagonist’s experiences. A few well-placed words of advice in the story can go a long way in guiding the reader over his own personal humps. Since the words of wisdom come from a fictional character, they don’t come across as a lecture. Back in my time, Yoda was a lot smarter than my parents. I never realized they were both saying the same thing until I got older.

It’s kind of scary to think that as authors, we have our very own superpower. Our words not only entertain our readers but can also influence their lives.

It doesn’t matter whether you write for kids, adolescents, or adults — books teach life lessons.

Our words help readers form identities and confirm values in a way no amount of preaching can ever achieve. Books build a bridge between experience, imagination, and emotion. Time spent reading is time invested in growing and maturing, creating a channel for the good things to enter — empathy, compassion, forgiveness, and love.

So put your superpower to good use and create books that inspire readers to be the best they can be.

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Writing Is a Birthing of Ideas

2/8/2023

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Writing is more than putting words on paper. It is the birthing of ideas. When a child leaves the womb, it is beautiful to the mother despite its being covered in the unappealing remains of its sojourn in utero; however, the dispassionate bystander may react only to appearances, unable to see beyond the superficial. Unless you learn to “clean up” your writing, your potential readers could all remain dispassionate bystanders, unwilling to see the beauty in what you are trying to express.

If you desire others to truly experience your writing, then you must develop an internal relationship with the process. Writing is not like sitting down at a table filled with pieces of a puzzle and struggling to find the ones that fit together, trying first one and then another. Writing is the building of an emotional and intellectual relationship with the idea you are trying to express. In other words, it is an internal process.

As you begin to write, take your time: do not speed write. Take the time to experience each sentence. Read it aloud or to yourself and allow your mind to lead you into the next sentence. I know it sounds crazy, but it does work. Allow yourself time to “feel” what you’re writing. When you do this, your intuition kicks in, and you will often find yourself following a path that had not occurred to you before that moment. Speed writing gives you a false sense of accomplishment, which is nullified by the time you spend trying to make sense of this jumble of ill-thought-out sentences.

Your writing is your creation. You are giving birth to it: so treat it as a living organism. Give it the opportunity to develop “in a manner analogous to the natural growth and evolution characteristic of living organisms.” Nurture your seed idea. Give it the time and attention it deserves so that it develops into an expression of your unique voice, one that is unambiguous, rational, and speaks to your intended audience.

There are “tricks” for improving your writing that you will learn along the way. One of the methods I have always used is reading my work slowly, staying totally in the moment, and listening for what I call the “hiccup.” The “hiccup” is when there is a break in the logic chain of ideas. If you were reciting the alphabet and skipped from b to d, a listener would immediately home in on the fact that you left something out. If you started at the wrong end of the alphabet, the listener would notice this, too, because they would not be able to easily follow your recitation. When listening to your own writing, you should listen for the missing piece or for an unsound presentation of ideas.

Writing is usually about selling an idea. Therefore, you are actually presenting an argument or a persuasive discourse designed to influence the thoughts and/or behaviors of others. To accomplish this, you must dot your i's and cross your t's so that your readers will understand what you’re saying, not focus on a point you omitted, or become distracted by poor grammar, spelling, and punctuation. So, clean up your writing from the inside out – from the idea to the presentation.

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Wait For It!

3/24/2022

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I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying “There’s someone for everyone.” Are there going to be those who don’t touch your soul the way someone else does? Absolutely! Well, the same holds true for books in my opinion. Not everyone will relate to the emotional situation of a character; however, others will immediately be drawn in.

Since I entered the writing arena a couple of decades ago, I have heard about “the hook” ad nauseam. Those who seek to instruct other writers are very big on the hook as essential. Many limit their concept of a hook to one or two sentences. Others are a bit more expansive and allow for a situational hook. Regardless, the hook seems to be the only avenue for ensuring the reader gets beyond the first page. In reader/writer groups, I see so many readers who comment they tossed a book because the first couple of pages didn’t titillate them. All I can say is that they have deprived themselves of many a great read.

Entering into a relationship with a book is similar to getting to know a new neighbor. You watch out your window while they are unloading the moving van. You see members of the family milling around. In your head, you’re already imagining who they are and what they’ll be like even though you haven’t yet stepped into their world. Maybe you’re not impressed one way or the other. Still, you leave yourself open to the possibility things will change once you know more about them.

Some books are like this. Initially you watch the mundane happenings, but you aren’t truly invested yet in the characters. Instead of being impatient, you stay in there, and suddenly you don’t know when it happened, but you are totally caught up in their story! This has happened to me so many times, and I was so glad I gave the story the benefit of the doubt.

The bottom line of all these words is that there will be some books that don’t suit you at first glance and others that click with you immediately — rather like people. Just don’t make snap judgments based on the lack of an immediate “hook.” Have a little faith. There may be rewards you never expected.

Be sure to subscribe to the Sweet & Sassy blog, so you never miss out on any of our posts!

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Avoid Mindless Patterns in Your Writing

A Writer’s Superpower

Writing Is a Birthing of Ideas

Wait For It!

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