Falklore: Final Reading

I just finished for the third time re-editing and rewriting parts of a manuscript of a book that has been accepted by SterlingHouse Publisher. I'm giving a final reading before sending it back. Corrections I found were for punctuation; others for structure - commonly called "effective writing." Do yourself a favor if you want to write interesting and clean. Type the following list in bold face, then frame it and hang it near your word processor. Refer to it after every scene you write. Remember, this column is basically for seniors, and many interested in writing may not have had the benefit of the college novel or short story writing classes. Our writing club members agree that effective writing displays the characteristics listed below. So heed them, utilize them and it just might mean the difference between selling and not selling your work.

1. Does it provide exciting reading? Passive to active will often do the trick.
2. Does it t each something - offer a learning experience?
3. Does it use at least a few words that are intriguing?
4. Is it accurate, grammatically and mechanically?
5. Is it thought provoking?
6. Does it paint a picture - draw a reader in?
7. Is it created with a sense of craft and care?
8. Does it have both simplicity and complexity?
9. Is it concise?
10. Does it make the reader want to read more?
11. Does it create emotion - make one feel the emotion?
12. Does it show attention to sentence structure?
13. Is it organized so that it flows properly?

These might seem like a lot of things to check, but all of them will not be part of one scene. If you stick to the process, it will become second nature as you edit to check for these things.

Questions/Comments? Contact Jim at james@jamesfalk.net, or visit www.jamesfalk.net.

James Falk, as a teen-ager, used to dream of being a big-time racketeer. Fortunately, his dream didn't come true. A 10th grade dropout, he finished highschool after four years in the Marines and went on to earn a B.A. in Journalism and an M.A. in Communications.