Thursday Thirteen #130

Thirteen Things about writing by Aaron Crocco

1. Completing any portion of writing generates an amazing feeling.

2. Never rely on spell check or grammar check. There are too many words you'll mis-type that are real and you'll never catch.

3. Sometimes you need to see what you've done to continue what you're doing. I constantly look at my page & word counts to keep myself working on 'the beast'.

4. A great tip I've heard is as you complete each chapter of editing, print it out. The sight of a growing stack of papers is another source of great inspiration.

5. You're allowed to suck. We're not all Hemmingway or Poe, but you're not allowed to tell yourself you suck. Only outside, impartial critiques are allowed. Every author automatically thinks they suck.

6. Keep a side-file of notes as you edit so you can go back and implement the suggestions & ideas you come with as you edit.

7. Bounce your ideas and current hurdles off of another writer. If you don't know one, ask someone who reads a lot.

8. Join a writing group. They are the best place to hone your skills and you can find a ton at meetup.com.

9. A quick way to find odd facts is to use Wikipedia. I keep it open at all times.

10. If you're on a mac running Tiger or Leopard, keep the Dictionary widget open for quick definitions. Don't forget it's a thesaurus too!

11. Use your search function on a chapter to ensure you're not using a particular word too often.

12. It's okay to walk away from your book to do something else. A clear mind works wonders.

13. Take Nike's advice: Just do it!