Editing & Ghostwriting Services
I do all the editing & ghostwriting.
In most cases, a hard copy is required.
Email me at
pswriter1@netzero.net
& ask about my reasonable rates.
SO YA WANNA BE A WRITER?
Well, you came to the right place.
No talent or schooling is needed.
All that's necessary is a passion to write,
a notebook, pen & a computer.
Bring the first three out into your world
& begin to gather material.
Then take it home,
sit at your computer,
& let 'er rip.
Don't be surprised
if your direction changes
once you get going.
Trust wherever your spirit takes you,
& keep writing until it tells you to stop.
Whatever you write,
fall in love
with the whole writing process
- the planning of your story
with its powerful hook,
desire & conflict,
struggle & ending -
as well as your characters with all their endearing qualities & flaws.
Create crisp dialogue,
& make it real.
Become passionate
about words & language.
Buy a dictionary & thesaurus,
& use them.
When you become fully involved
in your current story,
your writing will flow.
Oops!
I almost forgot
to mention
one more essential ingredient
for your writing.
It's a commitment to your craft
- or else you'll never hang in there
during the tough moments.
Yes. There will be times when you'll ask,
Did I write this junk?
Or you'll murmur,
This is too hard.
But the truth is,
this is a test
to find out who you really are.
Are you a writer?
Or a wannabe?
Writers make sentences.
Wannabes make excuses.
If you're a writer,
you'll keep on keeping on,
& continue to perfect your craft.
One day,
maybe 1,000 pages down the road,
you wil discover your own unique voice
- the real deal -
that no one can imitate.
Congratulations!
You're on your way.
WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT
When writing the first draft,
just do it.
Don't hold back.
At the beginning,
you may write from your head.
Keep going. After a few minutes,
you'll kick into high gear
& come from your heart.
It's like tapping into the mother lode.
Your story will go beyond you,
& often,
that is where it really begins.
Do your best to write through
any painful or difficult memories.
You will become free as you break down those walls, &
the act of writing will generate
more ideas.
Respect your impulses.
Even if you begin
with a certain idea in mind,
you will be amazed at how your story takes on a life of its own.
That's okay.
Always go in the direction that
your spirit takes you.
Surrender all & let it flow.
Put your first draft in a safe place
where it can marinate for a few days.
Then go back & look at it
with a critical eye.
Read it out loud,
or have someone else read it to you.
It'll make a difference in
how you view the piece.
Now put on your editing hat,
& find your red pen.
Go through & cut out all redundancy, overdone dialogue,
overrun sentences, & modifiers,
such as very, so & just.
Is your language colorful?
Exchange words like
beautiful, happy, nice & good
for something richer.
Now write your second draft,
& clean it up a bit more.
Clarify points.
Omit cliches.
Fill in the missing parts.
Be mindful of tense
(past, present, future)
& point of view (POV)
(I, you, he/she).
As you continue this paring down process with
draft after draft after draft,
you'll hone your writing skills
& uncover your story's heart.
It's like shaping a piece of clay
into a magnificent work of art.
REAL PEOPLE
Characterization
Have you ever finished reading a novel & felt a letdown,
as if you just lost your best friend?
If the answer is yes, then that author did a great job with characterization.
Usually what we take away from a story is a character.
The way they look, speak, & view the world are crucial.
When you begin to plot your storyline,
you may not know your characters well.
A good way to become acquainted is via a detailed character sketch.
This can be done by keeping a notebook & pen handy.
Whenever you encounter an interesting character
in the real world, jot down whatever makes him special.
It's amazing how many distinctive personalities,
bizarre behaviors & haunting one-liners you can stumble upon
during a random afternoon at the mall.
Notice things like mannerisms, hairstyles, bad habits,
& how folks chew their food - you get the idea.
When you have time, fit some of those personality pieces together,
& create believable, multi-dimensional individuals.
Now when you need something original,
glance through your pages, & the perfect composite will be there.
By the time you complete your in-depth sketches,
you may feel that you know more about your characters
than you will ever reveal.
However, the difference in your story will blow you away.
Both your characters & your plot will gain intricacy & intensity.
For instance, have you ever met someone & thought you had him pegged
until discovering an additional dimension to his personality?
I met a quiet, seemingly conservative man at church -
a C.P.A. who always wore a three-piece suit.
I visualized him holed up in his den on weekends,
wolfing down glazed donuts & coffee,
taking care not to drop crumbs on his silk robe
while reading political nonfiction.
I was knocked out when he told me he was an avid scuba diver,
as well as a competitive snow skier. Wow!
There was more to him than I expected.
I believe that would be true for all of us,
& so it should be for the individuals we create in our stories.
Your protagonist will reveal what she's made of
as she struggles through life's difficulties.
Make her three-dimensional,
so your reader can see her various ways of dealing with pain, confrontation, loss, etc.
Your main character must exhibit good points & sub-par qualities,
like real humans do.
Have fun with your characters & their quirks.
Hopefully, when your readers finish your book,
they will feel like they just lost their best friend.
That is the best compliment an author can receive.
SCROLL DOWN
ALL THE WAY
WHICH CHARACTER SHOULD YOU INHABIT WHEN CHOOSING A POINT OF VIEW?
It's up to you,
the writer & crafter
of the story.
However,
most often the POV
is set in
the character with the biggest conflict.
Why?
Because he is having
the biggest
experience.
Consider carefully who will tell
your story.
POGO, the cartoon character, once said,
WE ARE SURROUNDED
BY INSURMOUNTABLE OPPORTUNITIES.
Doesn't that sound hopeful?
If you're willing to make a plan
& work towards your goal,
you can make anything happen -
whether it be writing a short story
or
redesigning your career.
So go for it,
& give it your best shot!!!!!
WHAT IS A WRITER?
A writer is someone who writes every chance he gets.
Not for the dough, or the celebrity or even to see his name in print.
He does it for the love of words, story & its crafting.
Building a story - or essay or whatever - is like breathing,
although often labored.
Some small incident may come to mind,
& boom! we're off & writing!
Story-writers create characters,
& often prefer them to some of the people in real life.
Coming up with interesting dialogue for a quirky character
may become a challenge.
If we can't dream up anything jazzy for him to say,
we may hop into our cars & head for the mall.
No, we don't go to shop - in fact, many of us dislike crowds.
We go to eavesdrop on conversations.
Our mission is to pick up gems to energize our work,
& we often carry a pad & pen to jot down such nuggets.
Then we don't have to depend on our memories
as we rush back to our computers.
Some may say that a writer is like an absent-minded professor -
totally into his own thing, & oblivious to the real world.
Most of the time, I would agree.
But what a great world a writer can create!
LONG LIVE THE WRITERS!!!
