U is for Universal Writing Truths
There are many universal writing
truths out there so I am going to share some now. You’ll find writing tips
(some that you may know, some that you may not know) as well as facts, quotes and
other words of wisdom.
Enjoy!
"No
one is asking, let alone demanding, that you write. The world is not waiting
with bated breath for your article or book. Whether or not you get a single
word on paper, the sun will rise, the earth will spin, the universe will
expand. Writing is forever and always a choice -- your choice." -Beth
Mende Conny
STASTIC: From the time a person begins
writing as a hobby, it takes them an average of eight years to become
traditionally published.
Exclamation points are used to express
strong feelings.
Capitalization is the difference between
helping your Uncle Jack off a horse and helping your uncle jack off a horse.
“Description begins in the writer’s
imagination. But should finish in the reader’s.” –Stephen King
FACT: Reading improves your vocabulary.
Five of the 26 alphabet letters are vowels:
A, E, I, O, and U. The letter “Y” is sometimes considered a vowel.
Fiction means the story is fake. Nonfiction
means the story is real.
“The
difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large
matter - it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” –Mark Twain
FACT: William Shakespeare invented the word “hurry".
A palindrome is a word or phrase that is
the same if read forward and backward. Example Sentence: A Santa at Nasa. Example Word: Racecar
A noun is a person, place, thing, animal,
or idea.
“Books aren't written—they're
rewritten." -Michael Crichton
FACT: Pencils are yellow because the best graphite
in the world comes from China. The Chinese believe the color yellow represents
royalty and respect, so in the 1890’s American manufactures painted
their pencils yellow to symbolize those feelings and to announce their pencils contained Chinese graphite.
Punctuation marks—including question
marks, commas and periods—go inside quotation marks.
FACT: When they are trying out a new
pen for the first time, 97% of people will write their own name.
"Success comes to a writer, as a
rule, so gradually that it is always something of a shock to him to look back
and realize the heights to which he has climbed." -P.G. Wodehouse
STASTIC: Agented authors send an average of 65 queries
before gaining representation.
Stress kills creativity.
FACT: C.S. Lewis received over 800
rejections before he sold a single piece of writing.
“A critic can only review the book he has read, not the
one which the writer wrote.” –Mignon
McLaughlin
There are hundreds of universal
writing truths from common grammar rules to wisdom from the great writers who
came before us.
SHARE: Your universal writing truths.
A to Z Blogging Challenge:
CS Lewis knew perseverance.
ReplyDeleteStill laughing about jacking off a horse...
CS Lewis was amazing!
DeleteThat "Capitalization" line killed me. :)
ReplyDeleteI was hoping people would get a kick out of that one. :D
DeleteThese are all great! Although, I did laugh at the statement that the world isn't waiting for my article...I have five articles due at 1pm today...so one person is waiting, I guess! But you're right...we write not because we have to but because we feel compelled to.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Usually our editors or publishers are waiting. And sometimes readers may wait for the next book in a trilogy or series, but if we can't write the world won't end. Only our "world" would end.
DeleteThis is a great collection of truths, especially the ones about perserverance!
ReplyDeleteNancy
Thank you, Nancy!
DeleteI liked the compilation here
ReplyDeleteNice mixture of truths in your list.
ReplyDeleteI think one truth I write by is: Learn what the rules are before you try and break them.
Sophie
Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles - A to Z Ghosts
Fantasy Boys XXX - A to Z Drabblerotic
That is a good truth. I've found that some rules aren't really "rules" though but opinions that may not make sense for every writer. Of course, grammar rules should never be broken! ;)
DeleteI like the truth…In order to write well you must read well.
ReplyDeleteExcellent truth!
DeleteSometimes it takes twice as many years of writing and queries to get represented/traditionally published. Case in point. :)
ReplyDeleteIt sure does!
DeleteI love that Stephen King quote. :)
ReplyDeleteSo do I. :)
DeleteStress kills creativity...well, that explains my constant writer's block...
ReplyDeleteIt explains mine too!
DeleteI enjoyed this post so much! I especially like the Beth Mende Conny quote. I'll have to nab that and put it on my wall somewhere:)
ReplyDeleteThank you! Whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed with writing, I like to read her quote. :)
DeleteWow, I had no idea about C.S. Lewis! Great post for the always difficult U day. I loved the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteU was a difficult post. But not as hard as X, which will be coming very soon. lol
Delete"Agented authors send an average of 65 queries before gaining representation."
ReplyDeleteThat is truly frightening! That is a whole lot of rejection to handle!
Isn't it? I've sent out a lot of queries for my series, but I don't think I'm anywhere near 65!
DeleteI am trying to think of a universal truth about writing - other than those listed. Scriptus interruptus is not good. Find a place and time, so it won't happen. I thought I'd come up with that phrase, but to be sure I Googled it. It was the name of season 1 episode 11 of "Becker". http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0520632/
ReplyDeleteOh, well, it is still a good thing to avoid.
Donna Smith
The A-to-Z Challenge
Mainely Write
It is a good thing to avoid, Donna! Thank you for your comment. :)
DeleteI think the best universal truth is to write what you love, instead of deliberately writing what's trendy or popular. You also should believe in your story, and not start radically, frantically rewriting or revising just because someone else doesn't like one element of your book or thinks something needs changed. Ultimately, the decision to revise, rewrite, or restructure should come down to what the writer thinks, not the opinion of someone who didn't write it.
ReplyDeleteIndeed! There is no writing truth better than writing what you love.
DeleteI always say "It's your book, it's up to you." :D
Those are fantastic facts and truths! John Irving wrote 8 novels before getting published. I always find it fascinating how much rejection famous writers have taken. I also believe writing is the single most difficult vocation.
ReplyDeleteSo do I, Lisa. It gives me hope that after all of my tries and rejections that it can still happen for me. :)
DeleteThese are fun! And CS Lewis...800 rejections??? Wow.
ReplyDeleteThank you. :) Yes! I'm nowhere near that many rejections and I hope I don't reach that number before I get an agent!
DeleteI didn't know Shakespeare came up with the word hurry. You have some wonderful little facts here. I'm not shooting for 800 rejections, but then…
ReplyDeleteDeb@ http://debioneille.blogspot.com
I not shooting for 800 rejections either, but you never know.
DeleteWe learnt in school that Y is a vowel. In our language, we also have three more Wovels appended at the end of the alphabet: Æ, Ø and Å >:)
ReplyDeleteCold As Heaven
That's interesting and confusing. haha
DeleteIt's not true. There are several people asking, begging, demanding that I write. They want the sequel and third installment in this series. (Not that I'm complaining. ;)
ReplyDeleteTrue Heroes from A to Z
Yes, but the universe would still go on if you couldn't write.
DeleteI'm in the 3% of people who don't write their own name when trying out a new pen. I tend to write a character's name. :)
ReplyDeleteThe Immarcescible Word
Ever since I read that statistic, I've been wanting to test it out. ;)
Delete"Capitalization is the difference between helping your Uncle Jack off a horse and helping your uncle jack off a horse."
ReplyDeleteBWWAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Seriously made me pee my pants. No joke. Sorry, but just HAD to share that TMI.
HAHA! Your comment is about to make me pee my pants. :P
DeleteVery interesting about why pencils are yellow and about the 97%. Thanks for sharing the quotes and truths.
ReplyDeleteI also found the pencil fact interesting. :) You're welcome.
DeleteThese were great! Thanks. I needed to be reminded that it takes time.
ReplyDeleteAlso, we BOTH wrote about Universal Truths today...mine being the opening line of Pride & Prejudice.
Leanne Ross ( readfaced.wordpress.com & @LeanneRossRF )
You're welcome. Sometimes it's good to be reminded to be patient. :)
DeleteGreat minds think alike. ;)
Truth: You will always find mistakes in your work. Even if you've gone over it a thousand times.
ReplyDeleteOH YES!!!! Boy, is that ever true!
DeleteThe line about capitalization cracked me up! Wonderful collection of truths.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I could give you a laugh, Loni. :D
DeleteI laughed at the capitalization one too, and got a couple more smiles at some of these other truths. And I can never hear enough times about how long and hard a writer has to work, on average, before they make any of the "milestones."
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to make you laugh and smile. :) It does take time before a writer can reach their true success. And it's something we should all hear to be reminded it can still happen. :)
DeleteHe was sure determined with those 800 rejections, can put thing in perspective
ReplyDeleteHe sure was. We should all be like that. :)
DeleteWow. That was so interesting, about the yellow pencils!
ReplyDeleteDamyanti, Co-host A to Z Challenge April 2014, My Latest post
Twitter: @AprilA2Z
#atozchallenge
I found that so interesting, too! :D
DeleteWonderful post, Chrys! I love the quotes, facts, and statistics. It gives me great encouragement to know on average a writer sends 65 queries before gaining representation. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kristin! It also give me encouragement. And hope. :)
DeleteGreat U word choice, and I am all for selling reading as a way to increase one's vocal. I harp on it with older son--he actually has not tuned me out on this topic.
ReplyDeleteAnd I had no idea about the yellow pencils thing.
Reading is a great way to grow vocabulary, imagination, and if read aloud it can help one's speech. :)
DeleteWow, this was a really interesting post. I think it's my favourite so far, and you've had some great ones. I had no idea about the pencils, and those stats about rejection are so comforting.
ReplyDeleteMy universal writing truth is the book "On Writing." So I can say, with full confidence, "What he said."
Really? Wow! I like that! Thank you!! :D
Deletelol @ Uncle Jack
ReplyDeleteThanks for compiling these facts, statistics, and quotes.
I'm so glad everyone enjoyed that one. :D
DeleteI used to be a programmer, so if I was trying out a new pen I'd probably write "Hello World" since that is the first program you usually write in a new language :) I'm not sure writing is a choice, I'd go bonkers if I didn't write, but writing for other people definitely is. *snigger* at the Uncle Jack example :)
ReplyDeleteTasha
Tasha's Thinkings - AtoZ (Vampires)
FB3X - AtoZ (Erotic Drabbles)
I love that! "Hello World." :D
Delete