One way writers can dramatically improve their work is by putting their prose on a diet. Every word must count. One bit of extraneous flab will weigh down the whole piece. That means substituting a word for a phrase, eliminating redundancies, and cutting material that doesn’t move the piece along.

Common mistakes include saying the same thing in different ways; using throwaway words like “very,” “quite,” and ”certainly;” sticking in words that are understood, as in “the car’s headlights” (what other headlights would they be?); and using extra words (“some seven or more hours later” rather than “a few hours later;” “without a moment’s hesitation” rather than “without hesitation”).

A quick way to check is to look for long sentences, although junk can lurk in the shortest too.

Write tightly, and all your work will seem poetic, even the most utilitarian.

A writer I know laments that he has scads of ideas, but he doesn’t know how to flesh them out. The best he can do is write little scenes.

Perhaps this will help. When you get an idea, try it out as a detail, a plot point, and an entire concept. For example, years ago I got this this crazy image of a woman dropping a piece of cake into a toaster. I thought it was funny and wanted to use it somewhere. But what was I to do with it? Was it a quick throwaway, the basis of an entire story, or something else? Why not try imagine it all three ways?

1. Detail. While a character talks on the phone, she absent-mindedly cuts a slice of cake and drops it into the toaster. This detail shows that she’s original and playful.
2. Plot point. When a character drops a piece of cake into the toaster, it burns and starts a fire.The fire leads to the character moving house andmeeting new people.
3. Concept. A character is struggling with her weight, a problem that threatens to destroy her social life and adversely affect her career. The cake becomes a symbol of that struggle.

According to the Association of American University Presses, in the three months following September 11, 2001, the three best-selling books in the United States were all published by university presses:

Try not to use the verb “to be” so much. In other words, avoid using “is,” “are,” “was,” and “were,” as in “Wikipedia’s contributors are volunteers.” Instead, come up with more interesting ways of saying the same thing, like “Wikipedia relies on volunteer contributors.” Try it, and see how much more vibrant your writing becomes!

• Our reality shows, "Getting Published, with Jean Tennant" and "Getting Published, with Mark Leslie," are in full swing! Don't forget to give us your feedback on Jean's and Mark's work. Check it out on our blog, then comment there or write to me.
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--Paula B.

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