Adverbs, Filter Words, and Query Letters, Oh My!

Between the Thanksgiving holiday entertaining, and preparing report cards I have had very little time available for writing recently. What little free time I’ve had, however, I’ve spent finding and reading blogs on writing. With each new blog I read I become a little more overwhelmed and find myself asking “Why did I ever think I could do this?!” After one particular blog surfing session I looked at my writing and despaired at the many ‘filter words’ I had peppered throughout. And adverbs-- the great mortal sin of writing! [I’m even looking for these two horrors of bad writing in the books I read--and finding them!] As I clicked on one blog it would lead me to another and another, and before long I found myself reading up on how to write a good query letter, which is something I am far from ready for. Take note fledgling writers: a good query letter will take at least two months to write according to one writer. Despite the daunting discoveries I’ve made lately, I am not one to give up and I plan to continue to accept the challenge. (Some of the more helpful blogs I’ve read are linked at the bottom of this post.)

I’ve also searched Amazon for highly recommended books on writing, two of which arrived in the mail yesterday! I look forward to delving into Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies For Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark, and The Writer’s Notebook: Craft Essays from Tin House, by a plethora of excellent writers.

I would love to hear from other fledgling writers out there. If you are new to writing please click that COMMENT button and share your experiences. The teacher in me knows we learn from one another. And next time I plan to post a little about what I’m working on.

Thought for the day: “The first draft of anything is always s**t.” Ernest Hemingway 

I take solace knowing that even Hemingway had his struggles.

Blogs on Writing:

Write It Sideways: Includes many excellent articles on writing; this is where I found the information on ‘filter words’, as well as very helpful information on query letters.

Writer’s Digest: This long respected resource is practically a one stop shopping site for writers.

Fiction Factor: This link will take you to their article on “The Reason Editors Reject Manuscripts” by Vicki Hinze.

Happy Reading and Writing!

Monica