THE CRAFT OF WRITING

RETURN TO NOVEL FICTIONS

Douglas L. Simmons
Abecedarian
Presents:

The Craft Of Writing

Notice to web page owners: You may link your site to this page or to any of the articles listed below. You may not Copy or "Mirror" these pages without the express permission of the Author.

My writing is comprised of fiction, articles about writing and posting on the web and my own personal brand of philosophy each article, story or thought may be viewed individually and taken for its own, or be viewed as only another stop along the way...a part of the journey.

If you please: "Begin the journey...."

THE CRAFT OF WRITING

by
Douglas L. Simmons

All rights to this work are reserved and this book, or any portion of it, may not be reproduced, copied, mirrored or displayed on any public web site without the express written permission of the author. This text may not be reproduced in printed form and made for sale without the express written permission of the author.

Parts of this work have been published as articles in the Internet News Letter of Global Publishing Company and in several other on line publications.

It is my expressed hope that these articles might be of help to aspiring writers in improving their writing and, thus, furthering their careers as writers.

All of the advice and instructions contained within this book are the thoughts of the writer and should not be taken as gospel. All writers should continually study and research their craft through as many sources as possible.

INDEX OF ARTICLES ON THIS PAGE

ADULT LANGUAGE?
LET THEM SCOFF?
(It's a dinosaur's last defense.)
A BRIEF WRITERS GUIDE TO WEB PAGES
WHERE SHOULD I BEGIN?
I AM SO TIRED OF POSTING PAGES!
HOW TO WRITE HTML
(Without Knowing What You Are Doing)
IF I CAN'T READ, IT MEANS; YOU CAN'T WRITE!
SOME THOUGHTS ON TITLES
WHAT FREEDOM WE HAVE?

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ADULT LANGUAGE?

by
Douglas L. Simmons

Along with grammar, spelling, syntax, punctuation, and all the various means of presenting oneself upon the page, language is one of the tools used by every writer.

When I speak of language in the context of this article, I am expressing my personal opinion about what is appropriate language. I am expressing my professional opinion about what is effective and (most importantly, from a commercial point of view) what sells.

* * *

When I was a youth (some long time ago) many of the fellows with whom I spent my days could not open their mouths without spouting something vulgar, disgusting, or demeaning. This was a common practice among older children and young adults; from our limited experience we had surmised that speaking thus would make us appear more "grown up". This belief was reinforced by the behavior of the adults around us. I do not mean to say that all of the adults we knew spent their time cursing and putting each other down. To the contrary: most did not.

The point is: "Whenever they would catch us using such language, they would immediately "bring the hammer down" and chastise us for such behavior.

In many instances, today's children behave much the same as yesterday's. For much the same reasons. Today, however, the belief that using foul language is an adult behavior is based much more on truth than it was in my own youth. Many adults today do not know how to speak to others with grace and manners. They have little "couth" and less respect.

* * *

In many instances (in the eyes of others) you are what you say. If you speak, or write, like an uneducated, ill-mannered slug, that is how others will take you--or not!

Meaning: "If you do not write with style and grace, address your audience with respect and aplomb, attract readers with attractive words, you well may not be read. Or; if you are, be read by only those who display those very same qualities.

When you write, consider; would you want your children to read what you have published?

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LET THEM SCOFF?
(It's a dinosaur's last defense.)

By
Douglas L. Simmons

* * *

Are you a "Real Writer"?

Let them think, or say, what they will. They are a part of an establishment which is trying vainly to protect itself from the future. One which does not include them, or their monopoly, in its picture.

They are fighting to remain in control. Control not of who may speak, instead, of whom may be heard.

Tradition states: "If we do not publish in print (with a "real publisher", we are not "real writers"!

Tradition: definition; the handing down of opinions, doctrines, practices, rites and customs....

Let us take a look at the words comprising the definition of Tradition: hand down: to pass on...to deliver to a lower court opinions: a judgment or belief that is less firm than positive knowledge...a judgment of persons regarding their character or qualities.

Could it be that the "publishing establishment" looks down upon writers as being "tenants" who owe them "dues" for being allowed to inhabit a page or two of their land; the printed page?

The first stories were "Published" on the walls of caves, with illustrations, none the less.

When the Summerians began writing on clay tablets, doubtless, they were accused of "breaking tradition", protest as they might the advantages of being able to take your records with you when your had to leave the cave (for whatever the reason) and move to another location.

When the Egyptians invented "Papyrus" they were likely accused by the Summerians of "breaking tradition", no matter that they attempted to explain that now you could write much faster, since you didn't have to chisel your messages by hand into stone tablets. But could simply, using a bamboo reed dipped into ink, "write on paper" and, in addition, transport your records with far greater ease.

Besides, papyrus didn't break (the page or your toe) when you dropped it.

When the bound book, with separate pages, was invented, by the next group of radicals to come along, they were just as likely called "tradition breakers". Everybody "knew" that books were supposed to be written on scrolls and rolled from one end to the other as they were read.

Explaining that a books pages could be numbered and "paged through" to find a specific area of knowledge without having to read your way down until you found the page you wanted probably had little effect on the "traditionalists".

Until their civilization fell and the page turners took over.

When Guttenberg invented the printing press, no doubt, he too was labeled a tradition breaker and accused of trying to cause the fall of civilization by allowing the masses to have access to books and knowledge; knowledge from which they were better protected the burden of knowing (read: controlled by ignorance).

Now "we" (writers published electronically) are "tradition breakers" because the "traditional book publishers" who, for whatever the reason (perhaps we weren't saying what they wanted the masses to hear) would not publish us in print.

We have tried to explain to them that the Internet is a much better medium for the "Transfer Of Knowledge" than is the paper book.

We spoke on deaf ears.

Perhaps; could it actually be? Is it conceivable? Possible? That, once again, the powers that be, in an attempt to protect their own position in the scheme of things, do not want that transfer of knowledge.

Let them scoff.

Let them try to intimidate us by saying: "If you are not published in print, you are not a real writer."

"If you are self published, you are not a real writer."

"If your book doesn't appeal to the masses you are not a real writer." (Do they mean; we don't write the pap they, the people who control the publishing industry, have been spooning out for years? While calling it literature.)

Could it be what they really mean to say is:

"If we don't get the biggest share of the money from what you write, you are not a real writer."

Perhaps that is written "between the lines".

Could they be afraid to say:

"What you write may be read, then people may not buy what we have to sell, and that is a threat to our existence."

Could that be the writing "on the wall"?

Well, for the support of my own self esteem, the only approval I need are the facts:

(Accepting that I have a basic grasp of spelling, punctuation, and story structure; that is to say, I know the fundamentals of grammar and syntax.)

If I write.

If others read what I write.

If I make money as a writer.

If I succeed in promulgating the "transfer of knowledge" with words.

If I speak my heart upon the page and, thereby, cause another to laugh or cry, dream or despair, grow and change:

I am a real writer!

Thank you for keeping my thoughts alive.

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A BRIEF WRITERS GUIDE TO WEB PAGES.

By
Douglas L. Simmons.

* * *

The two key elements of a "Writer's Web Page" are: Simplicity and Speed.

When creating your personal web page, keep in mind that you are designing a site to which you hope to attract readers.

You want the pages to load fast.

With that purpose in mind, do not fill your page with images and unneeded graphics. If you have a published book you wish to display, one small picture of the book cover is fine, provided it is a well designed image. One which will induce the reader to open the book (so to speak) and see what is on the inside.

You are writing for readers, and other writers. Visitors who came in search of a good book to read or information about writing one of their own. Had they wanted to look at pretty pictures they could have called up the Hubble Site and waited for the Universe to download.

You do not have that much time.

You will lose your visitor if your site takes more than a few seconds to load on their screen.

Another time, perhaps, your name alone will keep them on your site. For now, your readers will allow you only a few fleeting moments of their day. Will let you speak to them only a sentence or two.

Unless you have found the magic words with which to immediately grip their imaginations, they too, like the moment, will soon be gone. Someday, maybe, you will be the "King". For now, you are just another hopeful "Pretender". The "King" still rules the masses and "Riding the Bullet" is only a click away.

Font Type and Color:

Use a font and type which web visitors are accustomed to reading. A good standard is Times New Roman, size 12, if you are writing in a word processing format. This will generally export acceptably into HTML when converting to post on the web.

If you familiar with the use of HTML, all well and good. If not, learning the basics of HTML is well worth the effort. You can create a much friendlier web site when you know how to write your own pages, as opposed to using pre-formatted templates. I have included in this posting an article on basic HTML instructions:

"How To Write HTML Without Knowing What You Are Doing!"

Keep your pages formatted in a style familiar to readers of printed books. Yes, this is a new century. The Internet is swamped with sites comprised of full color graphics, sounds and videos. There are thousands of pages which are filled with these effects. Designed to overload and confuse the senses. Readers, however, are still seeking words to read, thoughts to think, ideas to imagine, and journeys to take not their own.

Write on a neutral background, using black text. Your pages might be pretty in pink, adorned with sky blue letters; or jaded, clothed in green and draped with scarlet prose. Readers likely will not even wait for them to load up; let alone read them if they do.

One possible exception being: Your links could be highlighted with color (light blue or purple is good). You should not use pictures as links. A good link tells the reader where it is going to take them; using as few words as possible.

Keep your page simple, understandable and easy to navigate. Do not fill it with advertisements and inducements to buy (your product or others for which you may receive a commission).

Itemize your links by topic, creating a separate page for each category. Someone looking for a book to read is not interested in manuals on writing. They will soon depart rather than scroll through a list of links to sites for which they have little interest.

Avoid placing links on your page which have little, or nothing, to do with the site. Any links to other sites should be to places which you believe will interest your readers.

If you have kept their attention long enough for them to reach your links; give them something more to see. Don't be selfish. Writing can become the ultimate act of giving. Speak your heart upon the page for all the world to see. Do not attempt to sell your books. Seek instead to say the words others may want to hear. Share the journey of your soul. Then, perhaps, another might open the cover, turn the page, and begin to read...

A Final Thought

The Big Three:

Spelling: Check your spelling at least three times. Then, check it three more.

Grammar: If your don't know what it is; find out. If you only think you know what it is; find out. If you are certain you know what it is; check anyway.

Style: You must work at it until you develop some of your own.

--Doug L.

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WHERE SHOULD I BEGIN?

By
Douglas L. Simmons.

* * *

Hello Fellow Writer:

Above all else, I do not attempt to constrict the flow of words when I am writing anything; whether it is a novel in progress or just random notes and ideas which I want to save for my own future reference. Do not let any thought escape the page. If you keep it in your memory, you might well loose it. Or. Change it and then not have the same thought at all.

Now: Write everything down.

Later: Edit.

One advantage all writers have today, which was not enjoyed by those who toiled with a pen in times past, is an unlimited amount of storage space. Space that is available in a format which allows what was written once to be moved about from place to place within the current document or be copied and incorporated into the body of an entirely different work without the writer having to retype the same pages repeatedly.

I still have a trunk full of manuscripts, notes, and simply random thoughts, which I have not had the time to transfer into computer files. Possibly the beginnings of a good novel hides among those papers. "Man and Chain", one of my novels which has been published on the Internet, began in just such a fashion and lay hidden for years waiting to be completed. Had I not written those first pages and stored them away the book would have been lost.

So, while you are caught up in the physical and mental act of writing, do not concern yourself with where the passages will be placed within the body of the text. Let whatever inspiration has you in hand at the moment have its way. When the screen before you is blank and, no matter how much you desire to fill it with words, not a single phrase will appear...that is the time to concern yourself with editing what has already been written. Then decide whether to outline the story from the outset and lay a pattern in which you will weave the fabric of the tale, or simply let the story flow from the beginning to an end. Writing itself as it unfolds.

Depending upon the writer, as well as the story, either method will suffice. I have written some smaller, less involved works, using the latter method. Finding little need to outline the work, or lock it into a rigid mold; pre-formatted and defined in direction or scope.

With longer works, ones in which there are many developed characters, where the scenes and time frames of the story change and evolve with the telling, I have, of necessity, found myself writing and (for the most part) following a detailed outline. For myself alone, this is done to assure that the tale does not wander into locales that have little to do with the purpose of the story. That important scenes are not repeated, or perhaps omitted from the tale. You may well have a better memory than do I. You may grasp the gestalt of the story with a clarity which eludes me, be able to separate each segment in your mind and hold them distinct without loosing sight of where the total is going or where each part has been. Each of us, as a writer, has different skills and abilities that enable us to use the same tools for better or worse. Learn your own points of weakness, know your strengths and develop methods which compliment you as a writer. Any advice given by another is certainly based in large part upon their own experience. Experience that you may hold up as example but should not engrave into stone as law.

Write exactly what you are. Tell your own tale in your own fashion. If you have done your best to master the English language, and do indeed have something to say, you will write it, and then write it again, until it becomes a story others will want to read.

It is your book.

Follow your heart.

Write with your head.

All criticism is good. Let others read and criticize as they will. It will only help you to grow and develop as a writer. In the end write what it is that you have to say, and be content to have it said.

Be advised: It might be read.

One rule I do follow: If I have reached the third chapter of whatever book I am writing and do not know in my mind (or, better yet, have written) the ending, I ask myself, "Is this story ready to be told?"

It is awfully difficult to reach your destination without getting lost when you do not yet know where you are going.

--Doug L.

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I AM SO TIRED OF POSTING PAGES!

By
Douglas L. Simmons

I'm so tired of posting pages on the Internet.

Yes I am, and (I would imagine) so are you.

Every true writer, is compelled to write. Driven by an irrational need to form letters into words, string those words into sentences, the sentences into paragraphs, and the paragraphs into pages, the pages into books, the books into volumes....

If, at some point in his lifetime, an outside force greater than the will of the writer does not intervene this sad recluse will eventually be found at his desk, body stiffened in rigor mortis, fingers, hovering in death, still curled above the keyboard. Ridged talons, silent now. Free at last from the manipulations of the fevered spirit which, for a lifetime had driven them to endlessly hammer out the story of the lonely soul that had lately inhabited this empty shell still attached to the hands which holds the fingers.

That spirit, just now, no longer alone. Gone to mingle with all those others whose words echo in the din of silence which reverberates within the halls of all the libraries in all the world. A silence pierced only by the sound of printed words. A cacophony of speech which can only be heard by readers and, for those few readers who have the bend to become ensnared, sing a lyric siren song. Compelled, they can only sing along, add their voice to the chorus. Write, until the writing's done.

Succumb to the compulsion which someday leads to nothing more than the silent witness of a writer posed in death. His final words trailing off into a meaningless tangle of random letters as the "Reaper" writes the final page....

Speechless, after a lifetime of words.

I am so tired of posting pages.

Writing is a no less horrible addiction than being an alcoholic or a drug addict. I know.

Driven by such a compulsion, against which no true writer can muster resistance enough to stay his hand, all else looses urgency. The grass will get mowed...someday. The car will get washed...when it rains. Perhaps I'll eat today. If not today, when I wake up. For, indeed, I will sleep eventually. Over that I command no power.

This moment...I must write.

And then, one day, it dawns on me; why am I writing?

Why?

To be read of course!

With this realization, I encounter a wall of resistance which even my all consuming passion cannot overcome.

I do not want to edit. I do not want to read over and over what I have already written; looking for misspelled words and improper grammar. I already know what I have written. I want others to read it. I want them to read it now.

I do not want to submit to publishers. I do not want them to tell me to do a rewrite. I want to write something new; not redo what I have already written.

I want an editor. I want a publisher. I want an agent.

I want others to read my work!

I do not want to post pages!

I want to write!

Oh my God! I've got writers block!

I might as well post some pages. Maybe someone will actually read them.

But; posting pages is not nearly so easy as writing them.

This is too much like work.

And that is the key.

If I want to be successful on the Internet (meaning: read; not rich) I must make reading my pages as pleasant as reading from a book.

First: I must learn HTML, so that I can format my pages in such a fashion that they will be easy on the eye of the reader. In addition, I must link all of my pages together so that readers can travel from one to the next as easily as they can turn those in a book.

If my readers have to search for my pages (no matter how much they might enjoy my writing) they will soon read something else.

If reading ever becomes a chore for the reader, becomes less of an adventure and a joyful journey for them than writing is for the writer, if they have to work at it, they will go read something else.

I must endure the agony of making it easy to read as well as enjoying the pleasure of writing it down.

I am so tired of posting pages.

I just want to write; it's all I've ever wanted to do.

--Doug L.

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* * * HOW TO WRITE HTML
Without Knowing What You Are Doing

by
Douglas L. Simmons

INTRODUCTION:

The Basic Elements Of HTML Needed To Write Text Using The Commands Template Which Can Be Adapted To Your Pages.

Some have suggested an unfair advantage is held by those who are able to post links on their pages and thus tie their articles together at some central point, making it easier for readers to track that one writers pages.

I agree that this is an advantage to anyone posting their writings on the Internet, however, not an unfair one. Anyone, with only a little time and effort, can learn to post simple HTML coded pages.

As I have stated in several of my articles, the only advantage one person may possess that another does not, when it comes to writing (be it poetry, novels, nonfiction or what have you), is having the ability to write and having something to say. If one can write, another will read. If one cannot, no amount of links, graphics or pretty HTML will get the unreadable read.

I do believe that all who so desire should be afforded the opportunity to post their work and link their pages into one body of work. If I find what you have written to be to my taste I do not want to have to search the web in vain attempts to locate the rest of your pages. I want to (so to speak) be able to turn from page to page as easily as I could with a paper book.

This article is intended to help those at sites such as this post their text articles (poetry, fiction and etc.) without loosing the format of the original document to the machinations of a conversion program.

It is also hoped that, after reading this article, contributors will be able to provide click able links within their article and thus make themselves more available to readers who wish to follow their postings.

It is not expected that this article will be of much use to those who wish to post pictures and graphics. I would suggest that, should you wish to go beyond posting text (poems, novels, short stories and other writings) you would do well to take a course in HTML.

The code elements needed to write a complete web document which contains images, dividers, frames, click able icons, advertisements, keywords (words not shown on the page but which are read by search engines) and links to other pages within the document (only a few of the possible elements which might comprise a web page) appear quite complicated at first glance.

My home-page contains the body of the text on a white page, interspersed with images and links to many other pages, all bordered by a black background (which is actually an image hidden behind the body of the page, if you are using internet explorer and right click on the black border you can save the image to a file and view it on your screen--pretty clever; don't you think?).

All of the codes, except for the advertisements at the top of the page, were written by hand and then pasted into the HTML edit box at the providers site.

The code required to post my web page involves quite a bit more detail than will be addressed in this article, and is not needed to post an article at this site using HTML.

Here is is possible for contributors to post basic HTML pages, without the need to write any HTML coding, other than what is required within the body of the article they are posting. On many "homepage sites" this is not possible.

Here you may post HTML pages that contain an image (without needing to know how the image got on the page, simply upload a jpeg image file, from your computer) indented text, centered text, bold text, italicized text, underlined text, and links to other pages. For most purposes, the items I have listed above are the ones needed to post articles, poetry, or a chapter novel, and ensure that it appears on the page of the viewers browser much as the artist intended it to look.

Here, you can do all of this while knowing only the very basics of HTML.

If you edit your pages in the "text only" editor you will have no way to include these elements on your page.

THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF HTML NEEDED TO WRITE TEXT

In this section of the article, I will list the basic code elements needed to post a functional page at this site. To date, I have not needed any but these commands to post my poems, articles and my novels.

Copy (print or write down) these simple codes, then clip them in a handy place where you may glance at them while writing your pages. After a time you will know them well enough to no longer need your notes. They will come as second nature and you will be able to type HTML pages as easily as you now type a page in your word processing program.

(Note: In order to show you the HTML code I had to learn how to write the code that would let me show you the code as text without letting the code to be read by the computer as code! Don't type HTML code on an edit page, unless you want your page to do what that code is instructing the program to do.)

These are the basic tools you will need to post your page. In the next section, I will walk with you through the proper use of each command.

* * *

CODES YOU SHOULD INCLUDE IN YOUR NOTES:

Paragraph (new paragraph, web style block of text, not indented as in book form):

Back Ribbon (single carriage return to beginning of line without a paragraph as in a poem):

Bold (make a word or a block or text bold):

Italic (italicize a word or block of text)

Underline (a word of block of text):

Center (Any part of document): <center> </center>

Solid line (between blocks of text) <hr> </hr>

Use a word or phrase as a link (linking word to another page will be in blue) <a href="paste URL of destination page between these quotation marks">< color="#0000ff">Title of destination page here<></a>

Indenting Text (much like a tab): <ul> </ul>

USING THE COMMANDS

I will not review all of the commands, only those which need to be used repeatedly throughout the body of your text. The rest of the command codes will be placed within your template and will not need to be used again.

Instead of using a word processing program, open a text file and, using the commands shown above, write your text. Then, when your article is completed you can simply copy and paste it into the HTML edit box at your providers site.

If you want a new paragraph (block of text) do not double space, instead write it like this:

The big dog chased the little cat. The cat ran too fast for the dog. (Typing this symbol will give you a new paragraph)

The chase resulted in nothing more than a tired dog.

Some systems require that you insert a strike paragraph command at the end of each paragraph: (Not all sites require this) At some sites, if you do not insert this in your text when writing the master program will automatically do it for you. Others will not.

If you want a word to appear as italics you will do this: your word here

Bold and Underline are much the same, you just use the different commands: your word hereyour word here

Do not forget to insert the strike command (like this or and etc.) or the command will be carried out through the rest of the paragraph or, in some cases, the rest of the document.

To center an image or text is simple:

<center>TEXT OR IMAGE</center>

Use a word or phrase as a link (linking word to another page will be in blue):

Example: This is the <a href="paste URL of destination page between these quotation marks"> Title of destination page here</a> to my page.

Will appear like this in your article, and will be an active link:

This is the link to my page.

Below is the HTML for a template to use when posting your pages. Do not copy and paste: BEGIN COPY AND PASTE!, or END COPY AND PASTE!.

Copy and paste these templates into a blank text file on your computer. When you want to post an HTML page, simply copy and paste the codes (making modifications as instructed, into the HTML edit box at the providers site.

Delete the capatilized instructions (IN RED) in the code and place your own text where shown.

BEGIN COPY AND PASTE!

<UL> Copyright © 2000 byYOUR NAME HERE!</ul> <center> <hr> </center>

POST YOUR TEXT HERE!

<center> <hr> Related articles by YOUR NAME HERE!at: <a href="URL OF DESTINATION PAGE HERE!"> NAME OF PAGE HERE!</a> </center><hr>

END COPY AND PASTE!

Below is the HTML for a template to use when posting your Article Index page. Do not copy and paste: BEGIN COPY AND PASTE!, or END COPY AND PASTE!

Delete the capatilized instructions (IN RED) in the code and place your own text where shown.

BEGIN COPY AND PASTE!

POST YOUR LINKS TEXT HERE!

<a href="POST LINK URL HERE"> POST ARTICLE NAME HERE </a>

<a href=" POST LINK URL HERE "> POST ARTICLE NAME HERE </a>

<a href=" POST LINK URL HERE "> POST ARTICLE NAME HERE </a> <center> <hr> Related articles by YOUR NAME HERE!at: <a href=" URL OF DESTINATION PAGE HERE!"> NAME OF PAGE HERE!</a> </center><hr>

END COPY AND PASTE!

URL code to copy when posting new article link on Article Link Page.

<a href="POST LINK URL HERE "> POST ARTICLE NAME HERE </a>

I do hope this article has been of help to those of you who were unfamiliar with the tools needed to install active links into your articles and pages.

--Doug L.

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* * *

IF I CAN'T READ, IT MEANS; YOU CAN'T WRITE!

By
Douglas L. Simmons

* * *

There is no such thing as a free lunch; not even on the Internet.

It used to be, if the story was good enough to take a chance that it might sell a few copies, a publisher would edit a book for the writer. Clean up the spelling and the grammar, place the text into proper paragraphs and even rework a sagging plot line.

A publisher would do this for the simple reason that: if the book did sell, the publisher stood to make far more money than the writer from those sales.

Today, if you happen to be one of the fortunate few, and I do mean few, who get their book published in print, a lot of these services are still provided. The publishers are still taking home the lions share of the profits. Editing is a minor expense to invest in a potential million seller.

If you post your work with an on-line, Electronic Publisher, do not expect anyone to do your spelling, or correct your grammar and syntax for you. Most of these publishers do not have staff editors, they do not expect to sell enough copies of your work to repay them the investment of editing. In addition, there are so many people submitting manuscripts to them that they really are under little pressure to do so. If your work is not worth publishing they will simply turn to the next one. In a hurry!

This is not to say, you can't get your novel posted on the Internet. You can. There are many sites which will post anything, and put a price on it.

Doesn't mean it will sell a single copy.

If you intend to publish a book on the Internet ....

The very first thing you must do is: Become a writer.

By this, I do not just mean that you must have a story to tell, know how to tell the story and have already written it down.

I am stating:"You must learn the mechanics of writing."

Do not imagine, because you are posting your novel on the Internet (for sale as a download able eBook, as a commercial chapter novel, or even as a "free to read web page") that you need to be any less diligent about form and style than has any other writer who ever penned a word in the hopes that somewhere, someday, another would take, from their own short life, the time to sit down and read that word.

If you post on a web page (as have so many aspiring writers, who can not write) as the beginning of your "Great Work" something much like this:

"This is my lif storie. U may red it her 4 FREE! When holliewood makes the movei u will b glad yu got tu reed it here 1st!"

Not one single person will read beyond the first line!

Not even those other "Web Slang" writers who--although they didn't have the time to pay attention while supposedly learning the basics of "Grade School English"--now have endless hours to live in the chat rooms and misspell every word in the English Language.

And. Who, because they own a computer and can type their password, are thus able to post their story on one of the many "post your novel here for free" sites, or even post their very own web page and tell "Their Life Story" (with pictures) which they firmly believe every single living human being has waited, with baited breath, all of their lives to hear.

Why will this great opus go unread? Even if, on the odd chance, it truly was a great story?

Because, when they read a book--even people who can't spell, let alone write a novel--readers want the story to have a plot; the words to be correctly spelled; the grammar to be proper and the writing structured in such a fashion that the reader knows who is speaking and to whom. They want to know what is happening and the scenes must flow, one to another, in such a fashion that the reader becomes one with the story, a part of the journey.

Check your spelling. Check it three times. Check it three more. Check after your book is posted on the web. Unlike printed books, eBooks can be edited even after they have been published!

Know what grammar is. If you don't know (before you write a book) find out. If you think you know, but are not certain, find out. If you are sure you know what it is and how to use proper grammar in your writing, take a refresher anyway.

Develop your own style. No one wants to read a book that you wrote if it reads like the work of some other author.

Do these three things before you write your novel. If your book is already written, and you want it to be read, edit it before posting it on-line.

Do these three things and post your novel...with an eBook publisher, self publish, or post it as a chapter novel...do some advertising, then sit back and wait to see if it is read.

If you have done your homework...you might hear comments like:

"Wow!"

"This is great!"

"Your book had me in tears."

"Your book had me laughing from beginning to end!"

You may be the author of a great book.

But...even if you have only penned a "good" one people will read it...because, in many instances, they have been flipping past the pages of a lot of ones which are not so good at all.

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SOME THOUGHTS ON TITLES

By
Douglas L. Simmons

The last time I looked, one of the sites I post articles on had a total of 17,552 articles listed on their main page.

On any given day, out of the 17,552 or so people who might chance to peruse that listing, I would feel successful in only a small percentage were to actually find any of my postings. Were any of that number then so gracious as to read my work, I would feel as if all of my striving had indeed paid a marvelous dividend.

The Internet is filled with millions of pages of text. Each page competing with every other for a moment of the readers attention.

Cream floats to the top. I can only surmise that the one lone page, of all the hundreds I have posted on line, which has found its way to near the top, might contain a bit of cream. Cream, perhaps, generated by all the churning (in the form of honing my craft) I have done through the years. Attempting to become a writer.

If you want your work to be read, you must give it a title which has a "hook" in it. Meaning: The title of your work must catch the readers attention and then, much like the bait used on a fisherman's hook, must be alluring enough to get the reader to "bite".

At the same time, your title should tell the truth. Your reader's will be more than slightly peeved should they decide to give your work a glance only to find that the body of the text has little or nothing to do with the flashy title used to lure them in the door.

Many trashy Newspapers and Fanzines use just such methods to convince readers to buy their rags.

The title of your article should "truthfully" describe the content of the article as well as attract the reader.

If your title is the "Big Lie" designed with the sole purpose of getting readers to click on your pages for the purpose of advertising revenues, then virtually every person who mistakenly does view the page will form the opinion that you are, indeed, the "Big Liar!" and, whenever they see your name attached to other works, will pass on by.

In the long run, using false, or misleading, titles to index your writings will come back to haunt you in the form of lost readers. If your intention is to publish meaningful and lasting works which will be read time and again and lead the reader to seek out your future writings, whether they be fiction, factual stories, news items, poetry or simply advice or one form or another, you must write with grace and style while, above all else, addressing your audience with integrity and an honesty that will stand undaunted in the light of the harshest criticism.

When your work is criticized (and, if read by any number of people, without a doubt it will be sooner or later) the proper response is not, "flick of buddy!"

I usually respond to negative criticism by replying, "Thank you for your criticism. I will consider what you have said, attempt to determine if your opinion has merit (that is are you honestly criticizing my work or are you simply being spiteful) and, if you are correct in your appraisal, attempt to grow from your comments."

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WHAT FREEDOM WE HAVE?

By
Douglas L. Simmons

I have read the opinions of some who state they feel that having "just anyone" publish work on the Internet will (somehow) take away from the quality of their own works. Or, that it might cause readers to decline reading their work, which they (the authors of such articles) describe as being of a quality above the average.

I have to disagree.

I feel, the worst having free access to posting on-line will do is waste a few moments of the potential readers time. Personally, I suspect, the reader will read a few pages and they will know whether any particular piece is worth more of their attention, or not.

If I see that an item is not worth reading, I simply go on to the next article, poem or book. Much as I do in a paper book store. I read the flyleaf, maybe a page or two, and I can tell if I am going to buy the book.

On the Net is no different. The reader alone (as an adult) should be the judge of what is fit for them to read.

In conclusion:

I firmly believe, it is a great circumstance that all can freely (as long as they do not, with their publication, intend to subvert the morals of others) publish their thoughts, ideas, dreams, adventures, life story, fiction story, poetry; or whatever, on the Internet.

The right to speak freely is the single most important of all the freedoms written into the Constitution of the United States of America.

This new freedom of speech, provided by the Internet, ensures that good works, which heretofore would not have seen print, may now be available to the reading public.

Isn't that what many of us writers have complained about for years: That publishers are denying us the ability to publish, by judging who and what sees print? Who are we to now turn about and try to judge other writers?

Let us all write away!

If we have something to say others will read. If not....

....CLICK!

What freedom we have!

--Doug L.

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Thank you for keeping my thoughts alive.

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(Save this page in your favorites. Check back from time to time for new articles or something you may have missed along the way.)

Thank you for keeping my thoughts alive.

An astute writer once advised all readers: "If you are reading and come upon a word which you do not know the meaning of, immediately, go to the dictionary and find out. Else you might well miss the single most important message in the book!"

I believe this advice could indeed apply to every aspect of our lives.

Dictionary.com...don't leave your homepage without it!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

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