CHAPTER 3: STYLE AND CLARITY

Following this chapter we'll go through the benefits of:

- Reading more stories.

- Using dialogue within the action.

- Showing, but not telling.

- Writing what's on your mind.

- Reading aloud.

- Making sense of the material.

- Active/passive voice.

- Beats.

- Contraction rules.

11. Reading more stories. - 

   Until the characters in each story run from you in terror, a true writer is a true reader. Reading a variety of writing styles (fiction and nonfiction) helps you understand structure, tone, and story flow, painting a picture of how each aspect affects the others.

12. Using dialogue within in the action. - 

   Nothing is more boring than reading a long narrative with no verbal reactions or thoughts in between. Real people utter or mumble something in just about any situation, even if it’s one word. If they can’t talk (for example, the character is gagged or mute), you can at least have the character “say”a few words in their thoughts.

13. Showing, but not telling. -

   To “show” rather than “tell,” incorporate the five senses (touch, taste, smell, hearing , and sight) into your prose.

14. Writing what's on your mind. - 

   Worry about editing and polishing later. The important thing is to extract whatever’s clogging your head into a written format . Plus, you want to write down your great ideas before you forget them. You’ll have plenty of time to edit.

15. Reading aloud. - 

   When you hear your words, you are alerted to what sounds clunky or awkward. This is a good time to practice in front of the mirror . Public readings just might be in your future. Consider this your dry run.

16. Making sense of the material. - 

   As you continue to write, think to yourself:

Is what I am trying to say clear and to the point? Does it advance the story in some way? How could I write this differently?

17. Active/passive voice. - 

   With active voice, the subject performs the action. In passive voice, the subject receives the action (is acted upon). Active voice is less clunky and more direct. In active voice, you know “who did what” in the sentence. That’s not always the case with passive voice. For example: The body was carried. (Passive) The hit man carried the body. (Active)

18. Beats - 

   Answers the questions about the scenes, and or chapter of the story. Beating is a way to make a ton of decisions about your novel without the added pressure of making it "sound good."

19. Contraction rules. -

    A common mistake is confusing “its” with “it’s.” The dog wagged it’s tail? So, the dog wagged “it is” tail? Be careful, “Its” signifies ownership; the other is a contraction for “it is.”