Many New Year’s resolutions involve the dreaded four-letter word, DIET. What a scary word for people who love to eat (That’s me) and for writers (Me, again). When it comes to food, I fail miserably at dieting, but with writing, I seem to have more success.  

Stephen King, in his book On Writing, encourages wordsmiths to “cut everything by 10%.” So if you’re writing a 10,000-word manuscript, trim it by 1,000 words. Why? and How? seem to be the obvious questions here.

Have you read books in which the author goes on and on with description to the point the reader is wondering What is the point? Excess words often wander, fail to promote the plot, and the reader loses interest. Some sentences and paragraphs are so long, they too create reader disinterest. Tight writing eliminates boring and confusing text and increases clarity and interest.

How do you know what to cut and what to describe in depth? Next week, I’ll look at ways to put your manuscript on a diet and achieve success. (I’m still looking for the diet that works for me.)

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

KidsBookshelf. All kids 17 years of age and younger are welcome to send in their original poems to be published on our site. All entries should be written in English with correct spelling and grammar. The poem (maximum 200 words) must be original. The form must be filled out completely for poems to be accepted.

Submission guidelines at http://www.kidsbookshelf.com/index.php?option=com_chronocontact&chronoformname=Submit_Poems&Itemid=61

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Timeless Tales Magazine publishes retellings of fairytales and myths. We will open again for submissions. Issue #4's theme is "Perseus and Medusa".

We encourage a wide variety of genres and while our audience isn't specifically targeted at kids, we do accept YA stories and we only accept content with a PG-13 level or lower.

 

Deadline: March 23.

Submission guidelines at http://www.timelesstalesmagazine.com/submissions