Month: January 2024

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Editors are an Unnecessary Expense … or Are They?

Often, what someone tries to convey in writing isn’t what the reader perceives. Also, the writer sometimes makes errors that his or her own mind glosses over. That’s why, after the document is completed, the author needs to become objective. So edit it: read it, and rewrite it . Make sure you take the time to revise it and make the story say what you want it to say. Edit the document to the best of your ability, then be willing to ask a knowledgeable friend to review the manuscript for you. But often close friends and family members don’t want to hurt your feelings, and that can color their judgment.

Marie called. She was distraught because she asked for and received advice from numerous friends about how to proceed. However, the advisors conflicted with each other and deepened her confusion. After we answered her questions and helped her understand what was involved, she hired our P&L Publishing and Literary Services editor who helped the message flow smoothly.

Editing takes time because the editor objectively reads every word. Depending on the genre, size of the book, and the level of editing the author requests, the process can take several days to a month. A good editor will not hurry because he/she wants to assure that your book is excellent. With that in mind, P&L’s highly experienced editor endeavors to complete the job within two weeks. Check P&L out at https://plpubandlit.org/.

The following statement may not surprise you, but you might not often think about it: A well-written book generates more sales than a poorly-written book. Therefore, give a lot of thought to editing. If you are good at it, you can save money. Otherwise, a good editor can help you make the sales, and therefore, earn you money. For a few more ideas, order our book, Publish Your Book the Easy and Inexpensive Way. (https://www.amazon.com/Publish-Your-Book-Easy-Inexpensive/dp/B0BVT8KWN2)

Write Creatively

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Writing Takes Time, but isn’t always Difficult

I like what best-selling author Randy Ingermanson said in his discussion about writing stories. He likes to start a story to see how it ends because when he starts one, it takes on a life of its own and he writes what’s happening. But remember yesterday’s blog about imagination? Randy has a prolific imagination, and he writes what he sees and hears.

It takes time to write – we have to make ourselves sit down and do it. But it isn’t always difficult if we set our imagination loose and write what you see and hear.

Years ago at a scientific laboratory when I wrote reports for my supervisor, he said, “I just read the report you wrote for me. I’m baffled because it looks exactly the way I would have written it. How do you do that?”

“George, I know the information you need, I know the sound of your voice, I know how you think, and I know your work ethic. Therefore, when I sit at my computer, I begin typing what I mentally hear what you say.” I got a big raise that year.

So, you should “know” your characters inside & out. Then when you begin writing, type what you “hear” them say. Allow yourself to enter the story, and as it develops, write what you “see” happening.

Writing is laborious, but not always difficult. And P&L Publishing and Literary Services is ready to help you publish your work when you are ready. (https://plpubandlit.org/)

Write Creatively

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Set Your Imagination Free

On Monday morning, the teacher gave the economics class the assignment: “You have until Friday morning to write and hand in a three to five-page article about a dime.” Many of the kids thought it was a silly topic, but it shouldn’t be too hard. But one boy just couldn’t figure what in the world there would be to write about, and went to the teacher to protest.

“What’s there to write about? It’s just a thin, little old dime. How could I possibly get enough information for three pages?”

“Well, George, let me ask you a few questions.

  1. Why is it called a dime?
  2. What’s it made out of?
  3. What’s on the edge of the dime?
  4. Who’s image is on it, and why was he chosen?”

That was enough to get George started. But he ran into another problem, and three days later approached the teacher after class.

“Teacher, I might be in trouble. I thought about your questions and looked up a lot of info, but a whole lot of other ideas popped up that I had to include.”

“What’s the problem, George?

“You gave a limit of five pages. I tried in every way possible, but I just can’t cut the page count lower than ten.”

The teacher smiled because she had succeeded in helping another student learn how to use his imagination. “Well, don’t tell anyone in class, and I’ll let you get by this time.”

So, as you write, do not limit your thinking to what you know. Climb out of your self-imposed or culturally-imposed intellectual prison. Practice writing from various points of view. Practice replacing adjectives with verbs. Practice replacing narrative with action. Look up information about writing. Study various writing skills. But most importantly, be fully informed about your topic. Writing is complex, but it can be easy.

You get the point. As you broaden your writing ability, you’ll deepen your message, and you’ll be able to …

Write Creatively

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Capture your Thoughts

Have you ever had an amazing thought, revelation, or inspiration, but it evaporated into oblivion? Yep, it happens to all of us. But if our mind is working like it’s supposed to, why can’t we remember a simple thought? Quite simply, it’s because so many other things are happening.

You might have heard that we have an average of 60,000-70,000 thoughts being processed through our brain every day, but the real number is probably closer to around 6,500. Nevertheless, at 6,500 thoughts in an 18-hour day, assuming we sleep 6 hours, that is around 360 thoughts an hour. Our mind gets crowded!

I’m not necessarily a creative person, but when an idea does bubble up out of the hidden recesses of my brain, I’ve learned to immediately reach for a pen & paper! Why? Far too many ideas have escaped from my mind and into the stratosphere simply because I didn’t capture them on paper. My dad said quite often, “Paper has a longer memory than you do, so write it down.”   

Please, do not assume that you’ll remember the idea later, because, as dad reasoned, more often than not you will forget. It’s understood that of all the thoughts that flit through your mind, you won’t write about all of them, but the ideas you keep can pay great benefits.

I have a folder in my computer labeled “IDEAS” and I visit it often. Ensconced within are Word files with one idea written in each file, and each file is identified with a word or phrase to remind me of what’s written inside. Having been a writer for several decades, writing about anything and everything, this process has served me well. A number of those ideas have patiently waited in the bowels of my computer for years before I resuscitated them, such as what I’m writing about at this moment.

So, let me encourage you once more: Capture your thoughts. Some will become encouragements to individuals, some will become blogs, and some will become books.

Capture your thoughts when they bubble up to the surface of your mind, and …

Write Creatively

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Is it Time to Write?

What are your passions? What flows through your mind every week, if not every day? What do you wish people knew? What would you tell others if you had an audience? By writing a book, you have an opportunity to impact hundreds . . . maybe thousands . . . of lives. Writing and publishing is your escalator to the world. But how do you even get started?

P&L Publishing & Literary Services was created in 2019 for four basic reasons.

  1. Definitive information about publishing is hard to get.
  2. Prices are too high.
  3. Many companies won’t communicate by phone, and it’s
    difficult to resolve some issues by email.
  4. Waiting many months to finish the job is too long.

Therefore, P&L was formed to give an excellent product at a lower price and is a lot faster than other companies. We also know that writers are more comfortable and feel more secure if they can talk with the people who publish their books. We are available by phone, text, and email. We explain the process and spell out the fees up front, and our clients enter the publishing agreement with most questions answered.

Allow us to join you on your journey of fulfilling your dream: publishing your story or message. We’re here to help.

Visit us at: https://plpubandlit.org/

Write Creatively

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Writing Creatively?

Why do I normally end these blogs with the 2-word sentence, Write Creatively?

I’ve written for newspapers, science labs, businesses, and churches for most of my adult life, and believe-it-or-not, I sometimes seemed to run dry. I put my fingers to the keyboard and words popped up, but what I wrote was – are you ready? – boring! 

It might not surprise you to hear that people do not, repeat, DO NOT, like to read boring stuff. Therefore, “Write Creatively” is a reminder for me as well as for anyone who reads what I write.

Whatever you write, make your words erupt with life, action, adventure. Let your words be the worms-on-the-hook that lures people to your blogs and and your book.

Over 50 years ago when I began teaching, preaching, and writing, my dad instructed me with this undying bit of wisdom: “Don’t bore the people! Always give everyone something to take home and chew on.” Was I always successful? No, but, that was my goal.

I want you folks to apply that admonition to your writing. Whether your theme is adventure, science, spirituality, drama, poetry, or anything else, “Don’t bore the people! Always give everyone something to take home and chew on.” And fill your writing with life, action, and adventure.

That’s why I say ……

Write Creatively

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Fulfilling Your Dream of Writing – Step 8

What have we discussed for the past 7 sessions?

Okay, so it hasn’t been a discussion; it’s been a monologue. But you know what I mean. What ideas have I mentioned and you’ve (hopefully) been considering?

  1. Choose a comfortable place to write.
  2. Develop a writing routine.
  3. Decide on a theme.
  4. Design your three basic sections.
  5. Define your characters.
  6. Draw on your imagination. (That is my favorite.)
  7. Grab your reader’s attention. (That was my most difficult.)
  8. …… Oh, we haven’t talk about his one yet. Well, let’s get to it.

The first book I wrote years ago was titled Charter of the Christian Faith. I worked hard at it. On one hand, friends and the publisher were pushing me to get it done! And, let’s be honest: I was hoping to sell a lot of them.

On the other hand, some relatives and the publisher were telling me that I was building in some fatal flaws. One interesting factor was that the publisher was on both sides – pushing me to get it done and strongly suggesting that I make major changes. Have you ever felt trapped? Yep, I felt trapped like a hungry coyote.

I gave in to the pressure and had it published – flaws and all. But I rewrote it some years later and republished it under the title, Truth not meant to be Hidden. Same basic info but I took out the unnecessary stuff, had it edited, and now the meat of the book can be found, eaten, and digested. (You can find the book at https://www.amazon.com/Truth-not-meant-Hidden-Becoming/dp/B0BRYWHZDS.)

Step 8 that I missed in that list above is simply, Give Yourself Time to Write.

Unless you’re a professional writer with deadlines to make while earning large bonuses, do not crowd your calendar. Yes, you may have a deadline, and you may need to put your pen to the paper…or fingers to the keyboard…but plan accordingly. You have a lot of other responsibilities in addition to writing, so give yourself time to relax. Allow yourself to efficiently and effectively meet your deadline without getting stressed out. If you remember to develop your writing routine, and stick with it, you will surprise yourself in how much progress you can make.

You might have already figured out that pressure can put the lid on creativity. It does for me. So develop your writing routine. Make your list of characters and let your imagination tell you what they’re doing…or going to do. And if you are writing well, your characters will grab the readers’ attention.

There are a great many other ideas on the internet. Take a class on creative writing. Join a writer’s club. Ask questions. Interacting with other writers can be a great source of inspiration and encouragement.

This 8-step series is completed, but come back Monday. And while you’re waiting for Monday, check out our web site at: https://wordpress.com/view/plpubandlit.org.

Have a pleasant weekend.

Write Creatively.

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Fulfilling Your Dream of Writing – Step 7

In my youth, I didn’t like to write. I didn’t even like to read anything except Superman comic books. Superman was action, the narrative was dynamic, and I could tell folks anything they ever wanted to know about the hero … verbally. But when it came to writing, the process of passing the information had a difficult time making it from my mind, through my hand, and on to the paper.

But friends, through trial and error, I worked hard at learning step 7.

I had to learn how to Grab the Reader’s Attention. If you don’t get people’s attention, they won’t read your book.

Have you read any of George Orwell’s books? The first lines of the first chapter of any book are crucial. George Orwell, writing the book, 1984, began with, “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”

Cold in April in the United States? Striking thirteen? Hmmm … what’s George getting at? It didn’t sound right, and that’s what got people’s attention!

How do you write in such a way that will get potential readers’ attention?

You may need to take a course in Creative Writing. I highly recommend it.

But then write about your passion! Write about what interests you. Write about what you know. If you want to write about something unfamiliar to you, study it! Become conversant with the subject. Learn to write creatively. Write in such a way that the reader enters the story through his or her imagination.

Then create a catchy title for your book. Next, generate a good writeup for the back cover of the book. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The first lines of each chapter must grab the reader, and each page must prompt the reader to turn the page. The end of each chapter must have a hook that won’t let the reader go. You hope the reader will say, “I couldn’t put the book down.”

When I was twelve years old, I finally stopped investing valuable time reading Superman because I had become acquainted with science, history, and nature. Learning history ignited my desire to study the Bible, and if you read much of my writing, you’ll learn that my writing generally revolves around those four topics. (You can find my books at https://genelinzey.com/books/)

So start writing and let it flow!

I’ll see you tomorrow.

Write Creatively

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Fulfilling Your Dream of Writing – Step 6

It’s been a busy weekend but we’ll pick up where we left off yesterday with listing and naming the people in your story. You’ll probably name the more important animals, too, because animals sometimes play a major role in a story.

In a book about ancient history I’m writing, I started by making a list of about 86 names. As I wrote a page of information about each character (step 5), I added the meaning of each name, and that gave me a little more understanding of the integrity of each person in the book. Now, let’s go to the next step.

Step 6 is a very a important concept: Draw on your Imagination.

One dictionary says imagination is the ability to form a mental image of something; to image it, or to mentally see it.

Randy Ingermanson, bestselling author of numerous books, once said, “I like to start stories because I want to see how they turn out.” Guess what? It’s obvious that the “turning out” of Randy’s stories comes from his own mind, and that’s because he has a tremendous imagination.

Now don’t tell me you don’t have a good imagination because it wouldn’t be true. I tell folks that I don’t have a good imagination when it comes to art and a few other concepts, but I am quite creative – imaginative – related to many other aspects of life.

Your imagination is limitless and it’s easy to develop, but it takes time. Develop it by reading, analyzing, discussing concepts with people.

Here’s a simple example of the process of analysis. Imagine the scene and action as you read it.

If I throw a rock at a window, what will be the result? The rock is harder than glass, so the window will break. The structure of the glass could make it shatter into hundreds or thousands of pieces. The owner of the window will be angry, and want me to pay for damages, including window replacement and cleanup. I’ll lose a lot of money because of a childish, irresponsible act. The owner might tell people what I did, and my reputation will be damaged. Some people will not trust a man who throws rocks at windows, and my business would suffer, my income would diminish, and I might even be arrested. Therefore, because of that, and many other reasons, I will not throw rocks at windows.

Now, admittedly, that’s quite an elementary rationalization, but it shows the process of using imagination. Although that would not make it into my ancient history story, it could be part of a children’s book.

Now that you mention it, David, the shepherd, hurled a rock at a giant. Some of you could write a book about that. Use your imagination to fill out the story.

Keep your imagination active when developing and writing your stories. Even while writing a historical event, write it well with exciting, descriptive narrative.

I’ll see you tomorrow.

Write Creatively

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Fulfilling Your Dream of Writing – Step 5

This step is where you start getting serious about your story. Why? You found a writing location and you have the basic idea and theme for the story. But this is where you begin to choose and Define your Characters.

After you’ve decided on a theme for the book, consider which type of characters would be best suited for the story. Write a list of their names. Write a page about each one: who they are, what they are, and their importance to the story. Identify their strengths and weaknesses. What do they look like? Any scars? Handicaps? What’s their emotional and mental temperament? What are their likes and dislikes? Write anything else about them that you can think of. Even if some details do not make it into the story, it will help you to know them better.

One well-known writer said, “If I’m not personally familiar with all my characters, they don’t get into the book.”

These are the resource pages you will refer to as you write about them. So allow your characters to come to life on these pages for your benefit. If you do it correctly, your readers will receive the benefit later.

Writing the background for your characters will enable you to keep them straight in your own mind as you write the story.

Here’s why I emphasize this effort. In a movie I saw several years ago, a man appeared with his right leg in a cast. In a scene about 10 minutes later, his left leg was in the cast. Whoops! And in a movie I saw over a decade ago, the lawyer wore 3 different dresses in a 5-minute courtroom segment. Someone forgot to do their job. Whoops again!

Protect yourself and give your book a good foundation. Bring those people to life in your thoughts as you plan, and they will be alive when you write the story.

I’ll see you tomorrow.

Write Creatively