The Modern Wordist Blog

The last couple of weeks have been really busy. Lots of book editing happening. When editing isn't happening, I've been reading tons of articles from independent journalists and non-profit news organizations, and listening to a variety of podcasts to keep up with the everything  of the last few weeks. I also regularly remind myself that kindness and awareness of multiple viewpoints make life easier, and make art more interesting. That's a longer way of saying I'm behind on blog posts this week. Since I only write posts that are fully produced by my own brain and typing fingers, you'll have to wait until next week for a full-fledged post. In the meantime, I can recommend some reading. Two Book Recommendations for this Week If you've turned to creative writing as a form of comfort, good choice! If you want to try editing your work on your own, check out Self-Editing for Fiction Writing by Renni Browne and Dave King. The book contains lots of helpful examples. You...

Want to strengthen your observation and description muscles? Try keeping an observation journal.  If you have kids, for example, or little nieces or nephews, you can use your observation journal to keep a record of the funny and sweet things they do and say. In my family, because we're a silly lot, mispronunciations of specific words and phrases from our learning-to-speak years are still sometimes used in conversations as part of our love language. Out of respect for my family, I will not publish any of those gems on an Internet-wide scale. Your Journal, Your Imagination You can also use your observation journal to record things like amusing mispronunciations or misunderstandings from adults. (We all have those moments, right?) You can use it to practice writing an exact description of your dog’s snore. Or the quality of the sky at different points in the day. Follow your mood. Pay attention to one thing, or multiple things. Write down whatever you like. The goal is to practice pay...

 I’ve been thinking about paper a lot in the last few days. I think about paper more than the average person. Stocks, weights, textures, colors, the smell of new paper, the smell of old paper. I’ve been known to walk library aisles and take long, blissful sniffs.   When I worked for my local B&N, customers would always ask me how I could concentrate with the smell of coffee in the store. I honestly didn’t notice the coffee that much. (I’m not a coffee drinker, and nose blindness is a thing.) But I could always smell paper. And I was surrounded by paper. Yay! Now, I’m in the process of rediscovering using paper to help my own writing process, after many years of word processing software use.  So here’s my question for this week — Why is paper a good idea when Google Docs and Microsoft Word and other word processing software are so convenient? Let me offer a few reasons. Nine Ways Using Paper and Pen Can Help Your Writing Writing by hand stops stage fright. It’s diffic...

A few weeks ago, I noticed how many rough drafts of posts I've written on writing and preparing to write. I also noticed that my topic list keeps getting longer.  Yes, writing is complicated. But yesterday, after I sat down to polish up a final draft of a post on considering perspectives, I just couldn't do it. After the plane crash in DC on Wednesday night, my heart hurt for all the families broken and all the dreams ended.   And given what's happening in and to the US government, I can't bring myself to give you writing tips at the moment. We can work on improving our craft another day. I spent a good chunk of the weekend looking into how to make a difference right now. As I said last week, use your own authentic voice to write. Write where and when it makes sense to write. You may have noticed that certain online chatter is low at the moment. Stay hopeful. Think positive murmurs. Stay on top of what's happening, and contact your reps at the local, state, and fede...

I was going to write about an entirely different topic this week, but screechingly fast changes at the federal level compelled me to take a different path for today's post. A Call to Action Artists and colleagues — we’re thinkers, right? We tend to reflect on everything, no matter how large or small. We reflect so much that the non-artists in our lives say things like, “Does it hurt to think that hard?” and “You need a real job.” But we do have jobs, even if the work isn't about earning a steady paycheck. If you've really been wanting to put your creative muscles to work, there has never been a better time. We can: - Use our skills to inspire innovative overhaul, not overhaul with a wrecking ball. - Use those wink-wink creative skills to share important (and factually accurate) info. - Bring joy and laughter. (It matters.) People tend to underestimate the power of art, which always baffles me. But it’s crucial now.  Stir inquiry. Spark inspiration. Be a source of light and ...

The biggest downside to my work as an editor comes in those moments when I have to  tell a writer that the manuscript or draft they think is done actually needs more work One way to avoid an "it needs more work” conversation and spare yourself a blow to the ego is to discuss your idea with someone before you even start writing.  In modern terms, you could call it beta testing your idea.  Who to Ask  To save time, reach out to someone who has professional writing and/or editing experience. You can do this either through a connection to someone who works in publishing, or by seeking out a freelance editor with at least a few years of experience. A mixture of education and practice builds crucial developmental and analytical muscles, and editors and experienced writers have them. If you’d rather not chat with a pro about your idea, then, at minimum, I recommend seeking out friends who read a lot.  If you have one friend who isn’t afraid to be honest wi...

This blog is for all writers, whether you are new to writing or you've been writing for years. If you choose to read this blog regularly, you will discover that I'm a person who prefers to get to the point. And I prefer honesty – kind honesty. The articles you'll find here are not meant to grab your eyeballs. I have no intention of triggering emotional roller coasters like social media scrolling does. I don't want to work you up. This will not be a blog full of angry rants. (We all know there's more than enough of that on the internet already.) My goal with this blog is to help you think. I hope to help you approach writing in ways that you may not have considered before. If you're old enough to remember life before the commercial internet, I hope to remind you of all the possibilities of  experiencing , internally and externally, in our day-to-day lives.  But no matter your age, I hope to help you rediscover the many ways of using our senses that digital life h...