Tips and Tricks for Writers

Writers can use all the help they can get. Here are some of the tricks I use to get my writing and research tools to work for, not against me.

Make Word Work for You

The word processing program the majority of writers use is Word. If, like me, you grew into Word rather than ever learning it properly, you may not know how helpful some of its features can be to writers. (I’m still using Word 2003, but most of this applies to Word 2007.)

Readability

If someone suggests your children’s story’s readability level changes, try this.

1. Divide the story in two at that place where the level is supposed to have changed, and make two separate documents, A and B.

2. With document A, go to Tools/Options/Spelling and Grammar, and check Show Readability Statistics.

3. Run your spell check through (looks like ABC on my toolbar). When finished, it will display a window with Readability. There will be two scores, Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade level.

4. Repeat with document B. If the two scores are similar, you don’t have a problem.

Go to Help in Word, and type in Readability Scores, where you will find a section on how to interpret your scores.

Comparison of two documents

If you want to read two similar articles about the sasquatch, to find similarities and differences, or you need to compare two of your drafts side by side, try this.

1. Open both documents.

2. Go to Window on your menu bar, and check Compare Side by Side. This will split your screen and allow you to view both at once.

NB. If only one document is open, then the Compare Side by Side command is not available.

Word Count Toolbar

Most people know to use the Tools/Word Count command on their menu bar to figure out how many words are in a document. But did you know you can open a word count toolbar that keeps track of the number of words as you increase them?

1. Go to Tools/Word Count and check Show Toolbar.

2. An extra toolbar will pop up on your screen. Drag it to where you want. (I like mine at eye level rather than the top of my screen.) Each time you want an update on your word count, click Recount. Do it as often as you like.

3 You can also choose to update the number of pages, lines, characters, whatever you want, by checking the drop down list inside the small word count toolbar.

Formatting

You’re trying to format your novel to make it look as professional as can be. You’re peering at the screen, unable to tell if there are two line spaces or three between chapters. Here’s a way to make Word show you exactly how many spaces there are and give your eyes a break.

1. Go to Tools/Options/View.

2. Find Formatting Marks and check All.

3. Click OK. Your document will now have marks to show all your space bar presses and hard returns.

4. Don’t forget to go back to the same place, uncheck All and hit OK when you’ve finished. All those squiggly marks can be distracting when you simply want to read.

Make Email Work for You

Some people go to extreme lengths to promote their product, spamming forums and lists, and generally doing their best to alienate a reader. Others forget to use a simple idea that allows any recipient of an email to find their site, or the place to purchase their book. It’s called a sig line, and I first told you about it in April 07.

Signature Line

This is an easy way to market yourself by adding a customized signature to all outgoing emails.

1. In Microsoft Outlook, go to Tools/Options/Mail Format.

2. Click on Signatures. A new window will open where you can create a signature, which will automatically appear on either all outgoing emails, or all new outgoing emails (i.e. not replies or forwards.)

3. It’s your choice but most writers put their name, contact details and web site. Some add another site where their book can be purchased.

4. Click Apply when you’re happy with the preview.

The signatures I admire most are ones where a writer puts brief contact details and includes a catchy sentence about their product, one intriguing enough to entice me to their website. That is clever promotion!

Make Google Work for You

Use the tilda sign (~) if you want Google to find synonyms as well as your original search term. Google tells you that if you want food facts and nutrition and cooking information, type “~food~facts”.

You can ask Google a question by using an asterisk (*) to show the missing word. So, if you type in “Mona Lisa was painted by *”, you’ll get a more specific answer than simply typing “Mona Lisa”.

There are more commands to help refine a search. Here’s a Google Cheat Sheet you can print and save. http://www.google.com/help/cheatsheet.html

Everyone can use a helping hand. Streamline your life by using these tips and tricks to show your writing tools who’s boss.  

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JOKE of the MONTH

Did you hear about the dyslexic devil worshipper?

He sold his soul to Santa.

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QUOTE of the MONTH

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

Dr. Seuss

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Take a look at these sites.

Sniplits

http://www.sniplits.com/

Sniplits is looking for great storytellers!

We're looking for stories between 50 and 10,000 words.

We pay $30 to $150 paid on publication.

We're looking for Literary Mainstream, Mystery/Thriller, Humor, Romance,
Speculative/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Historical,
Horror, Western, and Young adult.

The Canadian Federation of Poets is calling for submissions to ten different anthologies.

http://www.federationofpoets.com/

Between the Cracks Flash Fiction Contest

Prompt : Rites of Passage.

This could be a coming of age story, a sci-fi about alien warrior initiations, a divorcee’s first date in twenty-five years, an assassin’s first kill...Well, you get the idea. Possibilities are endless.

For guidelines, prizes etc, see http://www.kimmcdougall.com/Co_New.html

The Verb Contest

http://www.readingwriters.com/contest.htm

When storytellers give us good guys, bad guys and at least one conflict, we’re happy. But when storytellers also give us a surprise—when they twist suspenseful plots like salt-water taffy—we hit our foreheads in awe. “Holy cow! I didn’t see that coming!”

It’s a thrill readers never outgrow.

So tilt your perspective, shake your plot and stretch your imagination. Give us a thriller that highlights your skill with the element of surprise.

Prize: $100, publication in The VERB and a signed copy of Lee Child's thriller, Persuader

How to Write a Great Query Letter

Download Noah Lukeman’s excellent free ebook here:

http://www.lukeman.com/greatquery/index.htm

Patchwork Path: Grandma’s Choice

http://www.patchworkpath.com

Choice Publishing Group seeks original stories and essays up to 2000 words about and by grandmothers and the choices they make. Submissions chosen according to creativity, originality, concept, and style. No entry fee.

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