Before the tips, a quip:

“You know what bad writing is, I know what bad writing is, everybody knows what it is,” writes Bill Stott in Write to the Point. “But so far as I know there is no definition of it.”

It’s not enough to define “bad writing” or recognize that a piece of writing is lifeless or erroneous. Successful writers take it a step further, and identify exactly what cripples their writing. Successful writers know — and can fix — their wobbly transitions, flabby descriptions, and knotty nouns. If you aren’t comfortable editing your work, you may find Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing (pictured) helpful. And, check out these signs of bad writing to help you recognize and fix your poorly written words, sentences, and paragraphs.

5 Signs of Bad Writing – How to Recognize Your Writing Problems

When you’re editing your work, watch for one of these these oft-overlooked writing problems at a time….

1. Illogical, confusing, or nonexistent transitions. Whether you’re writing a book chapter, magazine article, blog post, or email to your grandpappy, you need to connect your sentences, weld together your paragraphs, and unite your sections/book chapters/ideas. Confused readers jump ship, and there’s nothing more confusing than ideas that aren’t clearly explained. To make your writing flow, eliminate leaps of logic or black holes. (This is why putting your writing aside for a few weeks or months is helpful, because when you edit something you’ve just written, you’re less likely to see those problems with transition).

2. Vague, unclear writing. Are you writing about happy people (too vague), or relieved cancer survivors (better, because it’s more specific)? Is the dog in your chapter nice, or does the Shitzu save people from burning buildings? The more specific and clear you are about the events, places, and characters in your writing, the happier and more loyal your readers (and editors) will be. Poorly written work often contains words and ideas that are nebulous and difficult to comprehend. To eliminate this sign of bad writing, be specific and concrete.

3. Lack of purpose. “The chief weakness in most writing is lack of purpose, point, thesis, argument,” writes Stott in Write to the Point. “You must make claims. That’s the point [of writing].” What’s the main point of your blog post? What are you trying to convince the magazine readers to do, think, or believe? Why are you including Chapter 10 in your book? Find your purpose, fellow scribes, and make sure everything in that piece of writing points to it.

4. Unconvincing statements or poor arguments. You don’t need to be writing a nonfiction argumentative essay to be unconvincing! A character description can be unconvincing, a blog post can be feeble, even an email can be seen as “poorly written” if it lacks concrete examples to support its point (for example, if you email your hubby after she leaves for work in the morning to tell her about the state of the kitchen, you’re better off describing the oatmeal dripping off the counters and the grape jelly on the floor than just complaining about “the mess”).

5. Lifeless writing. More than one editor has asked me for edgy and quirky writing, because it keeps readers hooked. Lifeless writing isn’t necessarily bad writing (depending, of course, on how you define bad writing!), but it’s not interesting writing. And, some writers argue that if writing isn’t interesting, then it’s poorly written. When you’re revising your writing, look for ways to add a little pizzazz!

What do you think about editing your own poorly written work or recognizing signs of bad writing? Please comment below! And, if you spot examples of poor writing in this blog post, feel free to mention it…I welcome your feedback.

Before the tips, a quip:

“Being a writer is like having homework every night for the rest of your life.” – Lawrence Kasdan.

If you like homework, you’ll love being a writer. And if you love being a writer, you’d best learn to love (or at least tolerate) the editing and revision process. The following editing help is from Thanks, But This Isn’t for Us: A (Sort of) Compassionate Guide to Why Your Writing is Being Rejected by Jessica Page Morrell. Click the book for details – I suspect this will become my favorite resource for writers; it’s full of great writing tips – and read on for several editing tips.

Editing Help – Tips for Revising Articles, Essays, and Short Stories

Save all versions of your drafts. I do not do this, and I suspect I’ll live to regret it. When I edit, I totally wipe out the earlier versions of my articles, query letters, book proposals, etc. This tip for revising your articles or essays helps when you need to reinstate what you deleted (which I haven’t had to do. Yet). Morrell recommends numbering and/or dating all your drafts.

Be strategic and practical as you edit your work. This is one of the best editing tips I’ve tried: focus on one thing at a time when you’re revising your work. After you’ve let your writing age for some time (Stephen King recommends letting your writing sit for six weeks), find the major mistakes. After correcting those, fine-tune the individual scenes, pacing, and minor mistakes. Focus on your overall style and readability. Then, clean up your grammar, sentence, structure, and mechanical mistakes. The idea behind this editing help is to revise your article, essay, or short story with one “editor’s hat” on at a time.

Make sure questions are embedded throughout. Sprinkling unanswered questions throughout your article, essay, or short story will keep your readers hooked. Of course, part of editing and revising is making sure you answer those questions before the reader forgets about them or gets frustrated!

Check your transitions. This editing help seems obvious, but it’s often overlooked – and if you don’t transition your thoughts and ideas, your reader will be lost. A transition is like a thread that runs from the beginning to the end of your article; if you read articles in magazines like Time or The New Yorker, you’ll probably see the thread throughout the article.

Print your article, essay, or story in a different font. I don’t do this either! I edit on screen (except when I wrote my potentially life-altering sample chapters for a publisher). Not only should you print out your writing on paper, you should use a different font, font size, and spacing than you did on screen.

Revise your writing in a different location. When I printed my sample chapters, I edited them as I walked through the forest. This tip for revising your article or essays gives you “editorial distance”, says Morrell, and helps you get out of your normal work space – which will help you edit more effectively.

Don’t edit the life out of your writing. “…too much rewriting can drain the life right out of a piece,” writes Morrell. “Don’t strive for perfection; it doesn’t exist.” When you’re editing your writing, try to retain the spark or spice that makes the piece yours. Don’t revise your work so much that you hear your writer’s voice.

If you have any questions or thoughts on these tips for revising articles, essays, and short stories, please comment below!

Before the tips, a quip:

“Nothing is more satisfying than to write a good sentence,” says author Barbara Tuchman. “It is no fun to write lumpishly, dully, in prose the reader must plod through like wet sand. But it is a pleasure to achieve, if one can, a clear running prose that is simple yet full of surprises. This does not just happen. It requires skill, hard work, a good ear, and continued practice.”

Tuchman’s sentences flow for a variety of simple reasons, which we’ll explore below. For more info on good writing skills, click on Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark – one of my favorite writing resources. And, read on for five tips to make your sentences flow and keep your reader hooked…

5 Tips to Make Your Sentences Flow – Good Writing Skills

1. Balance “edgy and quirky” with “simple and lean.” Editors, publishers, literary agents, and readers love edgy and quirky writing – but not at the expense of writing flow. As a writer, you need to balance your unique voice and style of writing with clean, simple, effective prose. The easier your writing is to read, the more flow it has…and the longer your reader will stay with you.

2. Avoid alligators and transoms. A classic fiction writing mistake is “throwing alligators down the transom”, which means saving your hero at the last minute with a totally unbelievable escape. That can be seen as an ineffective transition, which disrupts flow. Effective transitions are part of good writing skills – and this doesn’t just mean using words such as “however” or “additionally”! Yes, there are certain words that glue your essay or article together, but transitions aren’t just words. Effective transitions are thoughts and ideas that are strategically connected. Good writing skills require more than alligators and transoms, fellow scribes.

3. Identify the underlying writing problems. To make your sentences flow, don’t just identify the choppy bits or correct grammatical errors. Take it a step further, and figure out why your sentences are choppy or you keep dropping alligators down the transom. Once you identify your bad writing habits, your writing skills will improve at an organic level.

4. Write short sentences, write long sentences. Reread Tuchman’s writing advice above. Her first three sentences are long and stylish…and her last two are short and staccato. Varying sentence length is not only a classic tip for making sentences flow, it’s a good writing skill. Readers get bored when all sentences are the same length! Shake it up a little, fellow scribes, and find a natural balance for irregular sentence lengths.

5. Learn to edit and revise for content, and separately for structure. Developing good writing skills involves editing and revising with different hats on: content (information), and mechanics (sentence flow, literary techniques, grammar, etc). These are very different aspects of good writing, and few writers can edit for both at the same time! For specific tips to make your writing better, read How to Edit, Revise, Rewrite Your Writing.

Are these tips for making your sentences flow new to you? If you have any better or different tips for good writing skills, I hope you share below…

Before the tips, a quip:

“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug,” said Mark Twain.

Writing for publication involves finding the exact right word — and stringing your sentences together carefully and deliberately. For more ways to improve your writing, click on Elizabeth Lyon’s Manuscript Makeover: Revision Techniques No Fiction Writer Can Afford to Ignore (the revision techniques work for nonfiction writers, too). And, read on for seven tips for writing for publication…

7 Tips for Writing for Publication

1. Detach. When you’re revising or editing your writing – the stage I’m at now with my sample chapters – you need to detach. Take a cold hard look at how your sentences work together to capture the reader’s attention, how your paragraphs flow, how your whole article or chapter is linked together. Writing isn’t just about expressing yourself and playing with metaphors and creating sentences for readers to drool over. Writing for publication is about tightening your ideas with specific strategies.

2. Drop crumbs throughout your writing. To keep readers (including editors, agents, and publishers) reading, sprinkle crumbs of your story throughout your piece, starting with the first sentence. For instance, here’s how one of my chapters of See Jane Soar opens: “k.d. lang likes seeing football players get knocked down – but not because she’s a lesbian.” Hopefully, readers will wonder why lang likes watching men in tight pants (that’s the first crumb). I dropped another crumb in the next paragraph…and the next one.

3. Learn which crumbs tantalize readers. Think about the last novel or article you read – or even the last movie you watched. What kept you there? Darin Strauss’ crumbs in the novel More Than it Hurts You involved unanswered questions, suspicion, mystery, foreshadowing, and end-of-chapter hooks. This tip for writing for publication involves analyzing your writing make sure your crumbs are tantalizing enough.

4. Tie your crumbs together with the same thread. If I mention lang’s love of football players in the intro – and then go into her reasons for loving football players – then I’ll refer to both topics again in the body of the chapter, and at the end. If you’re writing for publication, you need to tie your whole article or chapter together with one thread, into a tight little muffin package. To practice this, notice threads in the magazine articles or book chapters you’re currently reading.

5. Look for ways to include literary techniques. Learn how literary techniques such as personification, alliteration, dialogue, symbolism, contrast, parallelism, oxymorons, etc can improve your writing. Here’s the most recent example of personification I’ve read: “Normality strolled back into the Goldins’ home, then hung around as if it’d never left.” (From More Than it Hurts You). Take your writing to the publication level by keeping a list of literary techniques nearby, and looking for ways to insert them in your writing – naturally.

6. Be aware of your writing weaknesses. I tend to use too many run-on sentences. So, when I edit, I deliberately look for places to insert short, snappy sentences. Do you struggle with grammar, sentence fragments, verbiosity, excessive flowery language? Figure your flaws. Fix them. Read Writing Help for Common Non-Fiction and Fiction Mistakes for more tips.

7. Send it out with a kiss. This tip for writing for publication isn’t about craft as much as the writing life: after you’ve poured your heart and soul into your work, after you’ve detached yourself to revise and edit with specific strategies, and after you’re satisfied that you’ve done the best you can…let go of your writing. Give your manuscript a big fat smooch, and send it off to the editor or publisher. It’s not yours anymore.

It’s hard work, this writing for publication thing. But it’s also stimulating and satisfying – especially if you can put aside your desire to get published and just enjoy the writing process. The more you enjoy your writing, the more entranced your readers will be…and the hungrier they’ll be for more.

What do you think about these tips for writing for publication – and do you have anything to add? I welcome your comments and questions below…

If you found this article helpful, you might want to read 5 Ways to Improve Your Writing.  And – if you’re serious about writing for publication – read 17 Reasons Book Manuscripts Are Rejected.

The best way to write great articles, essays, and research papers is to edit and revise until you can edit and revise no more! These tips for rewriting apply to all types of writing — from nonfiction papers to short stories. Knowing how to edit and revise is the key to being a successful writer (or earning an “A” on that essay or research paper!). These tips are from published authors, freelance writers, and writing coaches. 

But first, a quip from two famous published writers:

“Omit needless words,” say Strunk and White in Elements of Style – a must-have guide to good writing.

But, omitting needless words is easier said than done — and the trick is determining which words are needless. To learn more about revising your work, refer to The Elements of Style regularly. And, here are several editing, revising, and rewriting tips from successful writers… 

Tips for Editing and Revising Articles, Essays, and Research Papers

Take a break from your writing before editing and revising. “After getting your basic ideas onto screen or paper, pull back.  Shift your focus in a small way.  Pour yourself a nice cup of coffee or tea; check your email; or, if time permits, go for a short walk.  Return later and try to look at what you’ve written as if you’ve never seen it before–you’ll be surprised at your perspective.  This technique was especially valuable to me when writing my own books.” – Tracey McBride, book author and blogger.  

Write as tightly as possible. “See how many words you can take out and still have it say the same thing.” – Bella Stander, a book publicity consultant.

Let your writing flow. “When you write, don’t stop – don’t self-edit as you go along, just write, even if you think it’s junk.” – Penny C. Sansevieri, a writer’s coach.

Use effective transitions. “The best writing tip I ever received was simply to make sure every sentence naturally flows from the one previous to it.” – GL Hoffman  

Let your writing gel.  ”I leave all copy for 24 hours or at least overnight. By waiting to reread, I am more likely to see errors, typos or vague generalizations.” – Nicole Amsler, freelance copywriter   

Let someone else edit your articles, essays, or research papers. “An editor told me, “The best way to improve as a writer is to have someone rip your work to shreds.” As a journalism professor, I agree. You can’t be married to your words. You need to be open to feedback and even harsh criticism. In fact, you should invite it. It will make you a better writer.” – Mark Grabowski.    

Get used to rewriting, revising, editing. “When I took a creative writing class in college I heard some bad news.  On the first day, our professor informed us that 90% of all good writing is (gasp!) re-writing!   I did not want to believe him at the time. But, hard experience has taught me the truth of this statement.” – Tracey McBride, book author and blogger.

Distance yourself from your work. ”A renewed mind brings renewed objectivity. Nothing else makes me as quickly aware of the places for improvement in my text than to remove myself temporarily–overnight, for the a.m. or p.m., or even for 15 minutes.” – Niki Anderson, author and speaker 

If you have any questions or thoughts on revising or rewriting, please comment below…

Revising and editing your writing may be more important than writing in the first place! (almost). These tips for editing and revising your article or book manuscript apply to all types of writing: magazine feature articles, short stories, chapters, novels, scripts, essays, and even songs. 

Before the tips, a writing quip from Annie Proulx, author of The Shipping News: 

“The book is a perfect form, a physical thing that you can carry with you, that survives power outages and doesn’t need batteries. It’s simple, it’s aesthetically pleasing, and you can use it again and again.”

Before a book can become a perfect physical form, it needs to be revised and edited – perhaps dozens of times! These tips for revising and editing your writing are based on Monica Wood’s The Pocket Muse: Endless Inspiration & New Ideas for Writing – a Writer’s Digest book. Click on the book cover for more info, and read on for the editing tips… 

Tips for Revising and Editing Your Writing 

• Make sure your article or book chapter contains a rise and fall. Not every event in your story should get equal weight. 
• Ask if you can follow the emotional line of the piece. Make sure it makes sense. And, accept that editing your article or book manuscript may involve major revisions.
• Ensure your article isn’t too obviously constructed (too formulaic) to deliver an emotional wallop.
• Triple check that there are no factual inaccuracies in your nonfiction articles or book manuscripts. Refuse to trust your memory when you’re editing your writing!
• Make sure your characters – whether fictional or real – are sympathetic, with motives that are recognizable, understandable, and believable. When you’re revising your writing, you need to let go of your attachment to the piece.
• Don’t just tell your readers about your characters and setting; imply some information. Editing your writing involves leaving something to the imagination for readers.
• Plant a universal truth in your article or book manuscript…something that resonates beyond itself, something that readers can relate to.
• Ensure that the key points in the article or key moments in the manuscript are given enough time. To revise your writing, you need to read it objectively.
• Triple check that your point of view is consistent and well-chosen.
• Learn how to make your writing edgy and quirky.
• Make sure that your article or manuscript is valid as it stands – apart from the clever gimmicks (eg, an article as a diary or a book manuscript without any punctuation). When you’re editing your writing, you need to make sure your content is solid.
• Figure out what’s most interesting about this article or manuscript – and why it’s so interesting – and stay focused on that key point.
• Make sure you’ve used active verbs, correct grammar, proper spelling, and strong sentence structure (these tips on revising your writing shouldn’t need to be pointed out – but many writers including me need this reminder!).
• Force yourself to face what you don’t want to know: the lead of your article doesn’t hook readers, or the final chapter in your book manuscript is a big yawn. Revising your writing requires you to face your demons.
• When you’re editing your article or manuscript, ask yourself: Is this really the final version, the one to which you’ll be proud to attach your name? Or does it need a few weeks to settle before your pronounce it “finished”?

If you have any questions or tips on revising or editing your writing, please comment below!