They're Tools, Aren't They?

Yes, I know. You say, “Well, these are things I do when I have to get background material for a novel. It's really nothing. They're tools, as far as I'm concerned”.

Writers have many research skills. We learned some of these on the job, and maybe we took a couple of courses. Finally we give them as much importance as our keyboard, the stapler, or the tape dispenser. They're tools.

Think about where we get this background information, and how we get them. Ok, so we don't use them all every time we do background research---but we do use them all at one time or the other. The skills are there, and where there are skills there's the possibility of turning them into income.

Skills Writers Know and Use:

Sources

• Know the difference between Primary and Secondary sources.
• Know how to read them, and extract information from them.

Evaluate All Types of Sources

• Museum and expo visits

Preparation and Follow-Up

• Use museum or expo websites to their fullest in order to extract as much information as possible.
• “Long-Distance” museum visits, because the information we need for our novel is not always within “walking” distance.
  

Conferences

• Be able to go to a conference, understand, ask intelligent questions, and come home with the right information.

Digital Camera

• Every body takes pictures, but taking pictures for research is not exactly the same thing.

Films and Documentaries

• Films in general and documentaries specifically seem like good places to get background information for our novels. Think again! Film makers are in it for money, not for accuracy. Propaganda has a strange way of sneaking into documentaries.

Interviewing

• Writers talk to all kinds of people all the time for background information. Some of these people are volunteers, caretakers, speakers, other writers, or scholars. Sometimes writers talk to these people face-to-face, and sometimes on the phone. There's a technique to this.

Available Options

• Renting out your services
• Classes
• Workshops
• Articles

Who Wants These Skills?

• Other Writers

  A Writer, who juggles a full time job, a family, and a novel, doesn't have time to do research. Such a person might be interested in renting your services. 

• Newbies

  Consider giving classes and workshops to budding writers. New writers have to learn the techniques of writing, but also how to do background research. Community Centers could be interested in having you teach a class.

• Specialized Magazines And Websites

  There are a lot of “How to Write” articles around. There are very few “How to Novel Research” articles.

Conclusion:

Don't let those skills sleep. Put them to work.

While waiting for our dream to come true, we can sharpen our skill of writing by reading as many books as we can. These books are available at the library. If you cannot find it, talk to the librarian, and he/she will find it for you from other libraries.

Voice Lessons by Mimi Schwartz

This is a fantastic book to have as you starting out in your writing career. There are many tips such as deciding who you are in the story, and finding your place in the story, as well as strategies to find that voice.

How to Create a Strong Voice by Patricia Cornwell

Here is a quote from this book: "Whatever your story is, if you write enough, Certain Themes will reappear. Watch for them. Don't be afraid to face them." The author offers many other wonderful tips, and the aspect of writing.

7 Steps to a Powerful Opener by Sam McCarver

To capture the readers, your opening must be powerful and grab their attention right away. This book is important to read, as it is applied to article writing, blog writing, and writing in general. There are so many tips in this book to learn from to craft a powerful first page.

How to Make a Scene by Quinn Dalton

"Scenes are units of significant action that provide new information and advance a story. Compelling scenes contain many elements." This quote was from the author, and you must read the book to find out what elements he is talking about.

5 Steps to Turn Facts into Fictions by Jordan E. Rosenfeld

The author gives five simple and direct steps to create your story from the facts of life. This book is worth looking in and to learn from. We all turn to fiction from our own experiences at one time or another.

These are books that I have read over the years. If you want to keep current on what is new in the market, the Writer Magazine is a wonder place to start. Carry one of these books around for when you find yourself waiting to pick up your children from school, or sport events. Not only you will be focus on just reading, you are also using your time wisely.

Here are some quick and easy ways to improve your article writing skills:

1. Establish Your Theme and Stay Focused

   Learn to express one central theme in your article and develop that theme to its fullest potential. Don't start with one idea and then move onto an entirely different one. This will confuse your reader. As you write your article, continuously ask yourself if you're still focused on your original topic.

2. Express One Idea Per Paragraph

   You've chosen the theme you want to develop in your article. Once you've established your overall theme, use each paragraph to express a single idea about that theme. Don't try to express several ideas in the same paragraph. You want your thoughts to be discrete and well defined so our reader can identify exactly what point you're trying to make.

3. Keep Your Paragraphs Short

   When you're writing for the online market, you want to keep your paragraphs brief with lots of white space on your page. It can be tedious reading an article on a computer screen and white space makes your writing more restful on your reader's eyes. If possible, restrict your paragraphs to no more than four sentences.

4. Make Your Writing Specific

   When you write, your readers want more than just regurgitated facts. Give them details and examples to support the points you're trying to make. This adds interest to your writing and helps you to both educate and entertain your reader.

5. Remove Any Unnecessary Words

   After you've completed your article, go back and remove any excess words that are acting as useless filler. A prime example is use of the word "that". Many people sprinkle their articles with this word in a repetitive manner that serves no useful purpose. Remove as many filler words as you can from your article. It will make your article much easier to read. This is a quick and easy way to improve your writing skills.

6. Write In An Active, Not Passive Voice

   Give your article impact and drama by writing in an active voice. Which sounds better?
   

   "The burly man lifted the massive car from the snake infested waters using his bare hands."

   Or,

   "The car was lifted from the snake infested waters by the burly man using his bare hands."

   The first example has much more impact and gives your reader a clear and concise picture of what you're describing. The drama of the second sentence is weakened by use of the passive voice.

7. Read and Reread Your Article

   After you've completed your article and reviewed it for the first time, put it away and reread it again the next morning. You'll be amazed at the mistakes you'll notice upon reviewing your writing with a fresh perspective.

8. Have Someone Else Review Your Work Before Publishing It

   Ask a trusted friend or family member to read your article and give you feedback. Does it hold their interest? Take their feedback seriously as they're relating to your article in a manner similar to your prospective reader.

9. Add Personality to Your Writing

   If readers want just the facts, they'll consult an encyclopedia. They want to hear your unique voice on the subject you're discussing. Don't be afraid to let your personality shine through and even be a bit controversial. Let people know where you stand in your article.

10. Run Spell Check

    It sounds basic but you'd be surprised at how many people skip this step. Spelling errors and typos in your articles can undermine your credibility. Don't develop the reputation of being a sloppy writer.

Use these tips to improve your writing skills and watch your page views on your articles go up.