A Week in the Writing Life, 7 October 2023
Fall finally arrives in Iowa and the words keep coming.
Hi, there.
On The Home Front
Finally, there’s some proper fall weather around southern central Iowa. I attended the homecoming game for my school district and ended up needing not only a coat but knit hat and gloves as well by the end of things. Wearing my full winter parka might have not been a poor decision either. And this weekend is sweatshirt and shorts weather. I’m hoping this past week will be the last time we see 80 degree weather in Iowa for the remainder of 2023.
Not much else is going on for me, but my son Jacob is in the final steps of earning his heating and air conditioning (HVAC) journeyman certification, and my daughter Madeline, currently in her senior year of Chemical Engineering study at University of Iowa, has begun interviewing for jobs for after graduation. I’m looking forward to their further adventures.
What I’ve Been Writing
The situation on the writing front is much the same as it was last week. I have been dabbling with a little fanfiction, but not to the extent I am not working on other items.
In fact, although I haven’t done much of a review of my writing numbers for the past year, I do get the feeling I have been dedicating my writing time more to my fully original projects like The Yank Striker 2 and this page rather than fan fiction. I do think fanfiction, as I have mentioned previously here, is a valid form of artistic expression, but I want to concentrate on getting the sequel done as soon as possible. I am doing well on the writing goals I set for myself this year, but I’ll wait until 2023 is done before talking about totals here.
This may seem counterintuitive, but next year I might consider not even setting a word count goal for the year. In some ways, I want to make sure I’m writing so much and that I’m being productive I worry I’m not dedicating enough time to getting TYS2 project done. Sometimes that doesn’t happen without thought, planning, and pondering, and it is not always a word-intensive process. In considering the situation, it’s very likely I’ll be spending a good portion of 2024, if I am serious about trying for a June 2024 release as I’ve toyed with, in revising mode.
Writing Advice for the Week
This week, it’s time to talk about the third of George Orwell’s six rules of writing. During the past couple of weeks, I’ve been reviewing the first couple of rules. Orwell, the author of 1984 and Animal Farm, is a longtime idol for me, even though he died just when my parents were born.
So, number three on the list is:
If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
Words are important to convey information to readers. However, not all words convey meaningful information to readers. They simply… clutter up the page or the screen. In an analogy I often use with my students, it’s as if someone wrote a perfectly legitimate sentence and then scribbled masses of words around it in random areas. Even if those words had some connection with the meaning of the sentence, it’s too confusing to pick out the real meaning and wrestle with it.
Let’s take the following examples from Ann Wright’s article on Orwell’s rules as an example.
“It is important that you shall read the notes, advice and information detailed opposite then complete the form overleaf (all sections) prior to its immediate return to the Council by way of the envelope provided.”
Ugh, right? A much better and simpler version is:
“Please read the notes opposite before you fill in the form. Then return it as soon as possible in the envelope provided.”
Wright also (helpfully) provides some easy examples of words to keep out of your writing:
“that” is redundant in most sentences [EDITOR’S NOTE: This is absolutely spot on. I was the most horrific abuser of the word “that” and this caused me to have to go one last strenuous revision of The Yank Striker to remove the infestation of the word “that” in my sentences.]
“whether or not” generally means the same if you remove “or not”
“this point in time” can be replaced with “now”
“during the course of” means the same as “during”
“basically”
“essentially”
“the majority of” can be replaced by “most
“as a means of” is the same as “for/to”
“due to the fact that” can be replaced with “because”
And finally, “bring to a conclusion” can be replaced by “conclude”
In writing, as in life, cutting out the clutter will do wonders for your mental health. And in your writing, it will do wonders for your readers’ enjoyment and understanding of it.
What I’ve Been Reading/General Recommendations
I’ve sung the praises of Laura Jedeed in this space before, but I think she had a very astute analysis of the dismissal of the Speaker of the House this week by his fellow representatives. And unlike most high profile journalists on this beat, she’s quick to not only acknowledge she got a prediction wrong, but helpfully explain to her readers why she got it wrong in the first place.
Writing Quote(s) of the Week
I’ll go with two this week that seem to speak to me.
Your intuition knows what to write, so get out of the way.
Ray Bradbury
So long as you write what you wish to write, that is all that matters; and whether it matters for ages or only for hours, nobody can say.
Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own
Where I’ll Be and Where You Can Find my Books
Now that we’re deep into fall, we are getting into what I understand to be the last phases of the book fair season before it slows down in winter.
So, here we go:
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, [WHOOPS LIES as my daughter would say, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15, full explanation here] at MERGE, 136 Dubuque St., Iowa City, as part of the Iowa City Book Festival that week, a week-long festival throughout Iowa City from Oct. 8-15. I’ve always been proud of my former school, the University of Iowa, cultivating a worldwide reputation as a supporter of literature, and the community of Iowa City also plays its part.And from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, I will be at the Elwell Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds as part of the 8th Annual Indie Author Book Expo. It will be the first time I’ve spent any time at the Iowa State Fairgrounds after more than 40 years of living in Iowa.
I’ve got links to my books in paperback and ebook format in the sidebar here, but you can get them in person at these fine Iowa bookstores:
Beaverdale Books, 2629 Beaver Ave # S1, Des Moines
Pella Books, 824 Franklin St, Pella
The Book Vault, 105 S Market St, Oskaloosa.
All three are great independent bookstores who deserve your support.
Final Thoughts
As time goes on, I’m hoping this newsletter doesn’t become too repetitive. Please feel free to email me or talk to me in the comments about what’s working and what’s not.
Since I have something of a long weekend this weekend, I’m somewhat hopeful I might be able to get started on some new paid subscriber exclusive posts. Right now, I’m leaning toward some possible excerpts from TYS2. We’ll have to see.
Take care, everyone.