Psst! The Secret to Good Writing

“What did you do in class today, sweetheart?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Oh, we just sat around rereading our stories and fixing them up.”

“That, Chili Bean, is not ‘nothing!’ It’s the SOME in something!” I answered.

Always the editor, I launched into a short exhortation extolling the value of revision. “It’s the spit and polish that give pizazz to a ho-hum pile of words,” I explained. “Instead of an article which resembles a pair of old scuffed shoes with untied laces, your writing  can rock like a pair of red-soled Louboutins.” (It helps to use a teen’s vocabulary.)

I stopped short of a full harangue, since my younger daughter has heard this editing advice before. She just needed a refresher course.

However, for those who have not been privy to my writing revision checklist, here are a few tips. Whether 8 years old or 80, following these pointers will make your words pirouette instead of slog along. (Of course, you must have a  solid idea or plot outline in place before you get to this point.)

7 Revision Reminders

1. Read your text aloud. Do your thoughts flow with rhythm? Hearing your own voice will help you ferret out missing words and homonyms. It helps those wrestling with punctuation, too.

2. Transitions can make or break an essay. If thoughts jump around on paper, it’s hard for the reader to follow. Make a list of transition words and use them. They are like the clutch, when shifting gears manually in a car. Grinding gears make people cringe, as do abrupt changes in thought.

3. Double check each proper name, as well as facts and numbers. Do they make sense? Is the spelling of the name consistent throughout the piece?

4. Let your writing sit for 12-24 hours. Fresh eyes can locate redundancies. Use a highlighter to note repeated words. Then go back and substitute synonyms, but only if they seem natural. Never force it. Underline action verbs and consider whether a stronger verb would convey your thoughts better.

5. Check your work for spelling errors. Use your computer or trusty Webster’s. When writing, learn to trust the little voice in your head. If you hesitate over a word’s spelling for even a moment, look it up. The key to being a good speller is not necessarily having a great memory. Knowing when you don’t know something is equally important.

6. Have a friend or family member read your writing. Ask them if anything is confusing. Where would they like more details? Do you go on and on about an unimportant point? Flesh out your ideas where needed and learn to use your eraser or delete button.

7. Three is the magic number. If you are making a point, three examples are  much stronger than a single example. …Cue the Three Dog Night lyrics:

“One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.
Two can be as bad as one.
It’s the loneliest number since the number one.”

Revision is perhaps the most underrated SECRET to good writing. Add frequent exposure to good books and essays, and your writing is bound to improve. …Now, please let the cat out of the bag!

Big Universe is the perfect place for young ones to hone their writing skills. Not only can they read more than a 1,000 quality books, but they can create stories, too.  The website’s  graphics library stimulates ideas, and young authors can use the author tool to write their own tales. Each version of a book can be saved, allowing revision the next day or the following week.

A Guy, A Gal and a Jeep

I was walking through the parking lot at the local high school and caught sight of a familiar mud-spattered jeep parked in a tight little spot beside the football concession stand. As I walked closer, I spied something in the back that made me smile. It’s not what you might imagine.

As I moved past the all-terrain vehicle, I peeked in. Nestled beside a tripod and camera and some other guy stuff was a brand new children’s picture book – not something you typically find in a four-wheeler owned by a single guy in his mid-20s.

Although this young man drives around the state taking video and thousands of photos each week for the local newspaper and the premier running website in South Carolina, he is also a full-time uncle to a sweet 13-month-old. (I don’t think the guy ever sleeps.)

I stopped beside the jeep and reached in. “Uncle John” walked up just as I started flipping through the pages of “Me with You,” a newly published picture book by Kristy Dempsey with charming illustrations by Denise Christopher.

“That’s for Baby E,” he explained – quite unnecessarily. “A co-worker said it was a good book, and I thought she might like it,” he smiled.

Although not a parent, he is 100 percent vested in spending time with his young niece. He “loves on” that little girl with unbridled affection and spends many of his off-work days with her in tow. She doesn’t know it, but she is a very blessed baby indeed.

It is not uncommon to see him tooling around town in his jeep with Baby E strapped happily in her car seat. He takes her to the zoo and the playground, talks to her, and shows her new things and interesting places. Quality time, quantity time, cuddles, care and books – now there’s a winning combination!

Whether friend, family, teacher, or neighbor, there are countless ways to spread a little love and invest in the next generation. Who is the “Uncle John” in your child’s life?

“Me with You” is a book aimed at 3- to 5-year-olds. Its simple rhyming text helps young readers learn that they are unique and so are their grandparents. Big Universe offers a variety of online pro-family books too. I suggest: “A Mango for Grandpa,” “Grandma’s Feather Bed,” “One Smile” and “Am I a Color, Too?” Or, you can write and illustrate your own book with the website’s easy-to-use Author tool.