Month: February 2024

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Energize Your Writing

Do you know that your choice of words is as important as how you use them? Also, writing a compelling sentence often has a higher priority than writing a literally correct sentence. These concepts are part of what makes the editing process so powerful, and what makes the editor so valuable. Identifying weak areas and refining/editing the work can transform a good story into a great story.

The following is an example of weak narrative.   

George looked out the window. He saw an airplane flying very low, and wondered if it would make it to the airport. 

The author should find a way to infuse life into the narrative. There are many ways that can be accomplished, and here is one idea:

George couldn’t believe what he saw. “You’ll never make it to the airport; the plane is too low! Bring it up!” George yelled at the closed window. He couldn’t hear the crash, but a massive fireball and cloud of black smoke erupted as the commercial airliner plowed into the forest at 165 mph.

Changing the sentence structure not only energized the narrative, it also added depth to the story. This kind of writing prompts readers to keep turning the pages.

Let’s not waste our time by writing boring stories for bored people. Let’s offer them a dynamic adventure by …

Writing Creatively

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Today, You Get a Short Note

If you’ve read my blogs on either web site for a while, you’ll note that not all of them are pertinent to your situation. You’ll also note that a few seem redundant, and many of them overlap.

That’s okay. Accept and learn by what applies/appeals to you, and let the rest go.

One of my newspaper column readers called the managing editor and complained, “I really do not agree with Mr. Linzey. I don’t like today’s article.”

The editor asked, “Did you like his column last week?”

“Oh, yes, I did.”

“How about the week before?”

“Yes.”

“Then, you’ll like his column next week, too. So just throw this one away.”

In like manner, you folks are encouraged to use whatever information you can and ignore the rest. And all of us will do our best to …

Write Creatively

Oh, and if you have an extra 10 minutes, you can look us up and find out more about us at https://plpubandlit.org/.

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I’m Going to Write a Book …

Do you hear people saying that? Are you saying it?

If “yes” is the answer in either question, what does it mean? I’ll tell you. It means the book isn’t being written. And in many situations, it won’t be written for some time. In order to write a book, the proposed author must decide to get moving. For example …

An airplane, be it propeller-driven or jet powered, can sit on the runway for years and never fly if it doesn’t move. And if it does move, it must reach a critical speed related to it’s type and weight to lift off the ground. (Note: I am not referring to anyone’s size or weight.)

A watercraft, be it a kayak or a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, has a critical speed for the rudder to take effect. If the craft moves, but hasn’t reached its critical speed, the helmsman can turn the rudder all he wants to, but the boat or ship will not turn.

Writing a blog or book is similar: we can talk about it all we want to, but if we don’t get moving, it will not get written. And if we do move, we must “reach that critical speed” to see our situation change.

So, what are you going do? Change your thinking and you will change your activity. Then you can say, “I’m writing a book.” And then …

Write Creatively

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Write About Your Passion

I suppose that is a goofy way to start this blog, but let’s talk about it in a literary sense.

One of the reasons I had difficulty writing when I was a kid was simple: I had to write about the topics teachers gave me. I wasn’t interested and my writing proved it. But with the help of my 7th-grade teacher, I developed an interest in history. Later, I got interested in several areas of science. Then, the Bible came alive to me in a way I never dreamed possible, and it became my foundation.

With the Bible, history, and science as my passions, the process of writing became not just meaningful, but fun! It was enjoyable because that same passion drove me to read more, and my well of knowledge began filling. Reading and writing became a major direction in my life, but it was the passion – the love of the Bible, history, and science – that motivated me.

However, I still had a difficult time writing what people wanted to read. I didn’t have their passions, and my writing was a little flat. Call it boring! So I decided to write about my own interests. My newspaper columns, my scientific endeavors, my teaching, and my preaching all revolved around the Bible, history, and science. And would you believe it? I had stumbled onto a very important principle, and people wanted more.

Bestselling author Jerry Jenkins said in his blog, The Secret to Compelling Writing, “Write the book you would read. Write it in a way that would keep your interest, and your book will find all the readers you want.”

So I encourage all of you, find your literary passion. Go with it, and …

Write Creatively

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Are You a Writer or Storyteller?

In a proverbial nutshell, there is a difference between a writer and a storyteller.

A writer uses words in various styles and techniques to communicate ideas. A writer’s prose and/or poetry can be so polished that by using imagery and metaphors the writer can enrapture people with their literary brilliance even without a well-defined plot. The emphasis is in the choice of words.

A storyteller is someone who communicates about events in images, and sounds. Excellent storytelling resurrects old worlds or creates new worlds. Storytellers enable us to watch the forces of Attila the Hun clash with the Roman Legions. They help us to walk through the distant past and watch the pterodactyls fly overhead. People are enabled to experience fear as they see and hear the battle between imaginary interstellar forces.

Storytelling is a social activity that draws the listener to a different dimension of time and space. The wording can be rough and crude, and that’s forgiven because the emphasis is in the plot.

But can a person be both a writer and a storyteller? The answer is a resounding YES.

I think it’s something we should all be striving for, because that would enhance the quality and the value of our work – and the number of sales of our books.

I want to be both a good writer and a good storyteller. I’ve got the verbal storytelling down okay; it’s the writing part that I’m still working on. So, yes, I’m still endeavoring to …

Write Creatively