Most of us hate housework.
Nevertheless, even the most hopeless slobs amongst us would agree that we love having a clean, organised house. It looks more inviting. It's easy to find what you want, when you want it. If only it didn't take so much time to get it that way!
If you're lucky enough to have a cleaner, then you've solved the problem. It's someone else's job to clean up and get rid of the dust and the mess. Most of us don't have that luxury. If we want a clean and clutter-free environment, we have to work to get it that way.
It's exactly the same when it comes to writing. If you want a fresh, clutter-free piece of text - you have to clean it up yourself. Readers don't like to be surrounded by clutter any more than you do.
What Is "Clutter"?
"Clutter" in writing may be described as anything that clogs up the channel between the writer's imagination and the reader's experience. If you have a hard time identifying what is clutter and what isn't, use these points to guide you.
Gasping for air, Marcy raced through the dark green forest, not daring to look behind her in her state of raw panic. Tripping on a protruding root she half-fell, but recovered quickly and maintained her reckless headlong course through the knotted vines and lashing branches that were taking evil swipes at her as she ran. She had to get away from her pursuers.
"Ouch!" she yelped as yet another branch attacked her, the 'thwack' of its savage assault echoing through the half-light. Almost falling again she managed to recover, grabbing on to a handy nearby swinging vine to save herself. Wishing she had never set out on this trip, she decided to stop to catch her breath. Taking the opportunity to look around, she suddenly saw a strange plant, its leaves an odd mottled purple that was at odds with all the greenery that surrounded it on every side. What a strange plant, she thought.
Going over to take a closer look, she was intrigued by the way the plant seemed to be in a space of its own. No other plants grew close in the dim light of the forest; this one was entirely by itself. What's Wrong With The Above Scene?
Plenty! I'm amazed you've persevered this far. (It made me nauseous just having to write it.) Okay, I've exaggerated the problems in the above excerpt somewhat to make my point - but I've seen worse. Much worse, actually.
Here are some of the problems in the scene I created:
(c) copyright Marg McAlister
Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/
top rated cleaning service Lake Forest ..Verb and SubjectIncorrect:"I bet you two had a fine time,"... Read More
Golden Rules For New Writers - Things you need to... Read More
During my 25-year career in a variety of professional positions... Read More
How many times have you forced yourself to sit in... Read More
Many of us have always wanted to write. We have... Read More
Many of us dream of writing a book. Why not.... Read More
A few magazines refer to their written idea sources in... Read More
Word processors are so widely used now that I tend... Read More
ELICIT, ILLICITElicit means to extract or draw out; illicit means... Read More
So you want to be a writer, except you don't... Read More
Every morning I excitedly get out of bed. Just a... Read More
Writing can be more difficult that just compiling your thoughts... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?By now you should have an idea... Read More
Prolific authors write; they don't just dream about it. A... Read More
~TYPES~You Want Us to Write What? Understanding the Task AssignedWhich... Read More
Dave, I just got a contract for a book... Read More
Do you want to publish something? An article, a non-fiction... Read More
You've decided to write your very own Newsletter to promote... Read More
Freelance writer STANLEY BURKHARDT has a passion for animals. He... Read More
Great writing transports one vicariously to realms that the reader... Read More
Plagiarism has been condemned lately by all types of experts,... Read More
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More
When you run an online agency for freelance writers, editors... Read More
Do you suffer from writer's block? Is there a pending... Read More
The creativity of Jaisini is not designed to be preaching... Read More
insured cleaning company Morton Grove ..Agents and publishing houses have their best interests at heart,... Read More
"If you want to change your life," Harry Beckwith wrote... Read More
No matter what your fifth-grade English teacher says, some grammar... Read More
Freelance writer STANLEY BURKHARDT has a passion for animals. He... Read More
Technology vendors often contribute bylined articles to trade journals. The... Read More
I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of... Read More
Don't they drive you nuts?You can visit all the rules... Read More
As an International language, English has been used widely in... Read More
Be careful when you write.Words you use, sentences you phrase... Read More
Right off the bat, I want to say that there... Read More
At first, I noticed that I could have written many... Read More
How many of you take the time to really write... Read More
If you think proofreading equals editing, then you're wrong! Editing... Read More
Any article, report or book which is bought or sold... Read More
Taming the Book Proposal: The BasicsOh, that most maddening of... Read More
Or do you?Writers write. You shouldn't wait around for inspiration... Read More
Beginning writers often tend to think of a book as... Read More
Interested in breaking into writing or breaking into a new... Read More
FERRETING OUT WORK You keep hearing that there's work out... Read More
Day after day, writers tend to sit for hours writing... Read More
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More
Peter Abrahams is the author of thirteen novels, including "The... Read More
Writing is a muscle that needs exercise to stay in... Read More
In his book, "Achieving Financial Independence as a Freelance Writer,"... Read More
The following rules are essential if you want people to... Read More
Writing |