The Power of Criticism

Please excuse the heavy use of correction tape on this green paper.

Tips for writers:

1. Do write the first draft off the top of your head.
2. Put it away for a week, then re-read it, fixing spelling and grammar errors.
3. Add and remove stuff without mercy (keep a printed copy of the original in case you change your mind).
4. Wash, rinse, repeat until happy with the copy.
5. Make a "pretty" copy for the editor and be ready for whatever comes your way.
6. After you get over your hurt feelings, fix it and resubmit.

In time, you will get it right.

Cool editing tools:

1. Grammarly/Hemingwayapp.com
2. Tool kit that comes with your word processor
3. Human editors
4. That stupid red English book that gets revised every year, and you are forced to buy it over and over and over again...  Aaaagghhh!!

Look Ma, I Finished My Term Paper

After much hard work, I finally got my rough/first draft done and submitted with a few weeks leeway.    This was indeed one of the hardest things I've done in a while.  Hard not for just coming up with a sustainable idea, but being able to write enough to make it a short story.  Hard too because I had a 5000 word limit.  That many words seems like a lot until one sees the barrier coming closer.

Richard Polt was kind enough to send the participants a template to test the page on.  I liked this because I can enter my digital copy and then type it out to format for the upcoming book.  That is just what I did with the above typed copy.  Since I tend to not pay attention to the bell, this prevents me from overtyping my lines.  I also lets me know when to shove another sheet of par in the typewriter,

Thanks Richard, et al!