Miscellaneous Monday

Happy mid-August! Hope you are staying cool. Couldn't resist sharing the latest fun and fabulous finds. :)

Lay versus Lie, how do you know which one to use? Brian Klems explains here at The Writer's Dig. He even provides a handy chart to help keep it straight.

Fiction writers, having trouble getting those scenes just right? Check out Live Write Thrive's post where Rachel Scott Thomson shares How Fiction Writers Can Ramp Up Tension and Pacing.

Looking to write for magazines? I recommend Carol J. Alexander's new course, Break Into Magazine Writing. Class begins late September 2015. Visit Carol's site for details. 

What is the definition of canoodle? How about goombah? Jean Fisher defines these and other interesting words in Twenty Five of the Funniest Words.

Do you use idioms in your writing? The Grammarly Blog highlights common idiom meanings in You Can Bet Your Bottom Dollar We Love Idioms and It's a Barnyard Full of Animal Idioms.

And finally, this made me smile: "A metaphor is like a simile." Author Unknown  Yes, it sure is!

What are you up to this week?

I'm taking a break until 9/7/15.  Enjoy the remainder of August! :) 

Happy writing,
 
Karen 



Photo credit: Free Images - En Choo

August Inspiration and Links

In good writing, words become one with things.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Do you agree with Mr. Emerson? I do, and believe that we paint pictures large and small for our readers. Not an easy task always, but one that satisfies our need to communicate with others.  

Here are a few resources that might help your words become a grand image and inspiration for your readers:


Feeling unproductive and uninspired? Carol Tice offers advice for freelancers in this post, 5 Super Easy Ways Freelance Writers Can Stand Out.

Here's another "5" post from Brian Klems that might offer a boost - 5 Writing Lessons Inspired by Famous Writers.

Do you know the differences between writing for the middle grade and young adult audiences? Brian Klems breaks it down in The Key Differences Between Middle Grade vs.Young Adult. 
 
Need a break from the routine? Check out Jean Fischer's Fun Friday - 6 Quizzes for Writers. Interesting stuff!

Have you or anyone you know self published a book? The 2nd Annual Writer's Digest Self Published eBook Awards offers a grand prize of $3000 cash. Hurry, deadline to enter is September 2, 2014.

Are you a poet? Writer's Digest has a contest for you too. Their Poetry Award contest offers a $1000 grand prize. Early registration deadline is October 1, 2014, regular deadline is October 31.  Click here for details.


What do you think of Emerson's quote? Do you have any links or tips to share? What are you writing this week?

Happy writing,
Karen


Photo credit: Stock Exchange

What's Your Outline Style?

Do you use outlines? Or are you a seat of the pants (SOTP) writer?  Or a little of both?

I hated outlining in school; my brain found it difficult to narrow the info down to key points. It's much easier now - I suppose an adult perspective offers a broader view. Breaking down the process helps, and I share these pointers in two of my teen writing classes:

 
The outline can help keep the writing plan organized and on track. It is like a paragraph or a story; there is a beginning, middle, and an end. The beginning is the introduction and includes the opening thoughts. The middle contains supporting facts and the end summarizes and concludes. It helps to break the topic into categories: introduction, body, and conclusion.

Outlines should not contain every little point you intend to make. Highlight the main points as a guide. Formal or informal – whatever your preference, the outline breaks the topic down into manageable and organized pieces.

For small projects, most of my writing is SOTP. I often have a mental outline or a scribbling of notes to aid the process. Larger projects get at least a rough outline. Usually. :) When revising, I often categorize the info as I review the material to make sure I covered everything.

Here are a few links that offer help with outlines:

Perdue Online Writing Lab - This site offers info on outlines, writing, research, citation, and more. It's a valuable resource for junior high through adults; my students and I use it often. 

Jeff Goins - Mr. Goins shares wisdom for writers of fiction and non fiction. One tip he shares on this page is to write a table of contents as an outline guide for a book. Hey, this is what I did with my book!

6 Secrets to Writing a Novel Without Outlining - Brian Klems confesses how when in school and required to write an outline for his story, he'd write the story first. I'm pretty sure I did that too. 


What's your outline style? Were outlines hard for you in school?  Have any tips to share?
 
Happy writing,

Karen

P.S. A few of you asked me to let you know when my book, Homeschool Co-ops 101, came out in paperback. It was released last week. :)  Check it out here.
 
Photo credit: Stock Exchange

Text content copyright Karen Lange 2013. No part of the text may be used without written permission from author Karen Lange.