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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>The tips in this email are straightforward and concise. Thought I’d share.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Marcia<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> Jerry Jenkins [mailto:wecare@jerryjenkins.com] <br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, January 27, 2021 11:39 AM<br><b>To:</b> marciajwick@gmail.com<br><b>Subject:</b> 25 tips that can IMMEDIATELY make you a better writer<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=0 style='width:6.25in;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:white;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=600 valign=top style='width:6.25in;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:1.0pt'><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:rect id="_x0000_s1027" style='width:7.5pt;height:18.75pt;mso-left-percent:-10001;mso-top-percent:-10001;mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:char;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:line;mso-left-percent:-10001;mso-top-percent:-10001' filled="f" stroked="f" /><![endif]--><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
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I believe we all should commit to lifelong learning.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>One doesn’t arrive at good writing. Grow or stagnate.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Maybe your writing lacks punch. Or you’ve hit a brick wall.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Don’t give up! With help, your message still has the potential to reach the masses.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>I can’t turn you into a bestselling author overnight, and I urge you to suspect anyone who says they can.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>But I do believe <b>I can help improve your writing immediately.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>1. Don’t aim to write a bestseller.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>That’s the last thing I think about when I start a new book. To have any chance at success, my manuscript must come from my passions, the overflow of what I really care about.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>I have no control over the market, sales, reviews, and all the rest. All I can control is how much of myself I give to a writing project.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>What’s <i>your</i> passion? What drives <i>you</i>?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><i><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Write about that. </span></i><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Your passion will keep you at the keyboard and motivate you when the writing gets tough—and if you’re doing it right, it always does.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>2. Always think reader-first.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Write <i>Think Reader First</i> on a sticky note and place it where you can see it while you’re writing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Your sole job is to tell a story so compelling that your reader gets lost in it from the get-go.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Treat your readers the way you want to be treated and write what you would want to read.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>That’s the Golden Rule of Writing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Never let up, never bore. <i>Always</i> put your reader first.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>3. Avoid throat-clearing.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>That’s a term we in the writing business use for any writing that stalls a story or chapter by beginning with anything but the good stuff.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Cut the setup, the description, the setting, the philosophizing, and get on with the story.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>4. Show, don’t tell.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><i><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Telling</span></i><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'> spoon feeds your readers rather than allowing them to deduce what’s going on.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><i><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Showing</span></i><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'> triggers the theater of her mind (See No. 7).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Telling: It was late fall.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Showing: Leaves crunched beneath his feet.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Telling: It was cold.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Showing: He tightened his collar and turned his face from the biting wind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” — Anton Chekhov<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><a href="https://mx126.infusion-links.com/api/v1/click/6603401070247936/5453743990505472" target="_blank"><span style='color:#2BAADF'>Click here to read more about this.</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>5. Avoid telling what’s not happening.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>“He didn’t respond.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>“She didn’t say anything.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>“The room never got quiet.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>If you don’t say it happened, we won’t assume it did.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>6. Introduce your main character early, by name.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>The biggest mistake new writers make is introducing their main character too late.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>As a rule, he should be the first person on stage.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>7. Trigger the theater of your reader’s mind.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Ever wonder why the book is always better than the movie?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Not even Hollywood, with all its creativity and high tech CGI capability, can compete with the theater of our imagination.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Give your reader just enough information to engage his imagination, making him a partner in the experience, not just an audience member.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>8. Cut dialogue to the bone.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Unless including them to reveal a character as a brainiac or a blowhard, omit needless words from dialogue.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Obviously, you wouldn’t render a conversation the way a court transcript includes repetition and even <i>um, ah, uh,</i> etc.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>See how much you can chop while virtually communicating the same point.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Like this:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><o:p> </o:p></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=0 style='width:6.25in;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;overflow-wrap: break-word;word-break:break-word'><div><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:white;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=600 valign=top style='width:6.25in;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:1.0pt'><img border=0 width=600 id="_x0000_i1026" src="https://mx126.files.keap.app/mx126/f482c453-96e3-4a63-b49b-8f22d7746329" alt=image><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><o:p> </o:p></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=0 style='width:6.25in;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;overflow-wrap: break-word;word-break:break-word'><div><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:white;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=600 valign=top style='width:6.25in;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:11.25pt 11.25pt 11.25pt 11.25pt'><div><p class=style-scope style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>This doesn’t mean your dialogue has to be choppy—just cut the dead wood.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>You’ll be surprised by how much power cutting adds.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>9. Omit needless words.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Less is more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Tighten, tighten, tighten.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Again, you’ll find cutting almost always adds power.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><o:p> </o:p></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=0 style='width:6.25in;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;overflow-wrap: break-word;word-break:break-word'><div><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:white;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=600 valign=top style='width:6.25in;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:1.0pt'><img border=0 width=600 id="_x0000_i1027" src="https://mx126.files.keap.app/mx126/7c828a71-e765-4fcc-8e25-a6695e781621" alt=image><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><o:p> </o:p></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=0 style='width:6.25in;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;overflow-wrap: break-word;word-break:break-word'><div><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:white;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=600 valign=top style='width:6.25in;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:11.25pt 11.25pt 11.25pt 11.25pt'><div><p class=style-scope style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>10. Choose normal words over fancy ones.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Showing off your vocabulary or flowery turns of phrase draws attention to the writing itself rather than the content.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>That’s the very definition of author intrusion.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>11. Use active voice vs. passive voice.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Fix passive voice by replacing state-of-being verbs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Passive: The party was planned by Jill.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Active: Jill planned the party.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Passive: The book was read to the children by the teacher.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Active: The teacher read the book to the children.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Avoiding passive voice will set you apart from much of your competition. And it adds clarity.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>12. Avoid mannerisms of attribution.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Have people say things, not <i>wheeze, gasp, laugh, grunt, snort, reply, retort, exclaim</i>, or <i>declare</i> them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Sometimes people <i>whisper</i> or <i>shout</i> or <i>mumble</i>, but let your choice of words imply whether they grumble, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>If it’s important that they sigh or laugh, separate the action from the dialogue:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Jim sighed. “I just can’t take it anymore.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>13. Avoid <i>began to…</i></span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>…laugh, or cry, or shout, or run. People don’t just begin to do these things. They do them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Just say it: He laughed, she cried, Fred shouted, Traci ran…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>14. Eliminate clichés.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>And not just words and phrases.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Also, root out situational clichés, like:<o:p></o:p></span></p><ul style='margin-top:0in;margin-left:initial' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#343434;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>Starting your story with the main character waking up<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#343434;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>Having a character describe himself while standing before a mirror<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#343434;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>Having future love interests literally bump into each other when they first meet<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#343434;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>Having a shot ring out, only to have the shooter be a surprise third party who kills the one who had the drop on the hero<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#343434;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>Having the seemingly dead or unconscious or incapacitated villain spring back to life just when we thought the hero had finally saved the day<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Also, avoid the dream cliché. It’s okay to have people dream but eliminate the dreadful cliché of spelling out an entire harrowing scene and then surprising the reader by having the character wake up. That’s been used to death and lets the air out of your story.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Also, avoid heart and breathing clichés: <i>pounded, raced, thudded, hammered, gasped, sucked wind,</i> etc. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>If you render the scary situation compellingly enough, you need not tell readers anything about your character’s heartbeat or breath. Readers should experience those themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>15. Avoid on-the-nose writing.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>A Hollywood term for writing that mirrors real life without advancing the story, on-the-nose writing is the most common mistake I see in otherwise good writing. Eliminate small talk, banalities, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>16. Avoid the words <i>up</i> and <i>down</i>—unless they’re really needed.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>He rigged [up] the device.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>She sat [down] on the couch.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>17. Read <i>The Elements of Style</i> by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Every writing teacher I know recommends this short paperback, and it should be at the top of your list if you want to improve as a writer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>I’ve read it at least once a year for more than 40 years. Its simple truths cover everything you need to know about style and grammar.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><a href="https://mx126.infusion-links.com/api/v1/click/6090685750575104/5453743990505472" target="_blank"><span style='color:#2BAADF'>Click here to get the book.</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>18. Give your readers credit.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>They understand more than you think.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Example: “They walked through the open door and sat down across from each other in chairs.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>If they walked in and sat, we can assume the door was open, the direction was down, and—unless told otherwise—there were chairs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>So you can write: “They walked in and sat across from each other.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>19. Use powerful verbs.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Ever wonder why an otherwise grammatically correct sentence lies there like a dead fish?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Your sentence might be full of those adjectives and adverbs your teachers and loved ones so admired in your writing when you were a kid. But the sentence doesn’t work.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Something I learned from <i>The Elements of Style</i> years ago changed the way I write and added verve to my prose: “Focus on nouns and verbs, not adjectives and adverbs.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>To learn how, read my post <i><a href="https://mx126.infusion-links.com/api/v1/click/5255931367129088/5453743990505472" target="_blank"><span style='color:#2BAADF'>249 Strong Verbs That’ll Instantly Supercharge Your Writing.</span></a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>A couple of things to watch for:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>20. Resist the urge to explain (RUE)</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><o:p> </o:p></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=0 style='width:6.25in;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;overflow-wrap: break-word;word-break:break-word'><div><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:white;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=600 valign=top style='width:6.25in;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:1.0pt'><img border=0 width=582 id="_x0000_i1028" src="https://mx126.files.keap.app/mx126/3ad04732-6162-4701-9c04-6d2636428e15" alt=image><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><o:p> </o:p></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=0 style='width:6.25in;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;overflow-wrap: break-word;word-break:break-word'><div><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:white;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=600 valign=top style='width:6.25in;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:11.25pt 11.25pt 11.25pt 11.25pt'><div><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#343434;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>Avoid hedging verbs like <i>smiled slightly, almost laughed, frowned a bit,</i> etc. The character either smiles, laughs, frowns, or doesn’t.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#343434;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo2'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>Avoid state-of-being verbs: <i>is, am, are, was,</i> etc. Not: There was a man standing on the train platform. Rather: A man stood on the train platform.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul></div></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><o:p> </o:p></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=0 style='width:6.25in;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;overflow-wrap: break-word;word-break:break-word'><div><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:white;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=600 valign=top style='width:6.25in;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:1.0pt'><img border=0 width=588 id="_x0000_i1029" src="https://mx126.files.keap.app/mx126/1ab677e5-7d51-4046-91ac-d38a8f1cdc23" alt=image><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><o:p> </o:p></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=0 style='width:6.25in;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;overflow-wrap: break-word;word-break:break-word'><div><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:white;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=600 valign=top style='width:6.25in;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:11.25pt 11.25pt 11.25pt 11.25pt'><div><p class=style-scope style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>21. Don’t shortchange your research.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Though fiction, by definition, is made up, to succeed it must be <i>believable</i>. Even fantasies must make sense.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Once the reader has accepted your premise, what follows must be logical. Effective research is key to adding the specificity necessary to make this work.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Accurate details add flavor and authenticity. Get details wrong, and your reader loses confidence—and interest—in your story.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>The essentials:<o:p></o:p></span></p><ul style='margin-top:0in;margin-left:initial' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#343434;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>Consult Atlases and World Almanacs to confirm geography and cultural norms and find character names that align with the setting, period, and customs. If your Middle Eastern character flashes someone a thumbs up, be sure that means the same in his culture as it does in yours.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#343434;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>Online and hard copy Encyclopedias.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#343434;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>YouTube and online search engines can yield tens of thousands of results.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#343434;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>A Thesaurus, not to find the most exotic word, but to find that normal word on the tip of your tongue.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#343434;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif'>In-person interviews with experts. People love to talk about their work, and often such conversations lead to more story ideas.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>And remember, research detail should be used as seasoning. Don’t make it the main course—that should be your story itself.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>22. Become a ferocious self-editor.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Agents and editors can tell within two pages whether a manuscript is worthy of further consideration.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>That sounds unfair, and maybe it is. But it’s a reality we writers need to face.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Learn to aggressively self-edit using the tools I’ve given you here.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Never submit writing with which you’re not entirely happy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>23. Develop a thick skin.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Every piece of published writing is a duet between editor and writer, not a solo. Learn to take criticism, especially from professionals who are on your side and want you to succeed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>24. Become a voracious reader.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Your career as a writer can end before it starts unless you make time to read.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>You won’t <i>find</i> the time—you have to <i>carve it out</i> of your busy schedule.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>That might seem impossible with your busy life, but how badly do you want to become a published author?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Writers are readers. Good writers are good readers. Great writers are great readers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>25. Don’t let fear of failure stop you.</span></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Even the most successful writers fear there’s too much competition and they’re not good enough.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>They’re right! So don’t try to overcome that fear. Embrace it. It’s valid!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Instead, let it motivate you to do your best work. Every time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><b><u><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>You Can Get Better at Writing</span></u></b><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>I’ve dedicated most of my life to coaching writers, because I love paying forward all I’ve learned and seeing you succeed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Practicing these tips won’t turn you into an overnight success—writing is hard, exhausting, time-consuming work. And if it isn’t, you’re probably not doing it right. But all that effort is worth it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Dreamers talk about writing. Writers write. So don’t quit. Before long, you just might find yourself becoming a better writer. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=bard-text-block style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#343434'>Jerry<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><o:p> </o:p></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=0 style='width:6.25in;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;overflow-wrap: break-word;word-break:break-word'><div><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:white;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=600 valign=top style='width:6.25in;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:11.25pt 11.25pt 11.25pt 11.25pt'><div><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:1.0pt'><hr size=1 width="100%" noshade style='color:#DDDDDD' align=center></span></div></div></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><o:p> </o:p></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=0 style='width:6.25in;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;overflow-wrap: break-word;word-break:break-word'><div><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:white;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=600 valign=top style='width:6.25in;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:1.0pt'><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:rect id="_x0000_s1026" style='width:7.5pt;height:8.25pt;mso-left-percent:-10001;mso-top-percent:-10001;mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:char;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:line;mso-left-percent:-10001;mso-top-percent:-10001' filled="f" stroked="f" /><![endif]--></span><span style='font-size:1.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><o:p> </o:p></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=0 style='width:6.25in;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;overflow-wrap: break-word;word-break:break-word'><div><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;background:white;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=600 valign=top style='width:6.25in;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:11.25pt 11.25pt 11.25pt 11.25pt'><div><p align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center'><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#999999'>To unsubscribe from Jerry Jenkins promotional emails, <a href="https://mx126.infusionsoft.com/app/optOut/9/45099d53d545f45a/134607679/fa8e2f9b81584b2d">click here.</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:9.75pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center'><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#999999'>Click here to unsubscribe from all updates: <a href="https://mx126.infusionsoft.com/app/linkClick/87033/181538e6d9c2eb4e/134607679/fa8e2f9b81584b2d" target="_blank"><span style='color:#999999'>Unsubscribe</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:9.75pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center'><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#999999'>Leverage Creative Group, Inc. 2000 Mallory Lane Suite 130-77 Franklin, Tennessee 37067 United States<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></td></tr></table></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1032" src="https://is-tracking-pixel-api-prod.appspot.com/api/v1/render/4709667141648384/5010091258413056"><o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>