When Words Don’t Say What You Want Them To

How to Avoid Embarrassment Using the History of Words

When Is Nice Anything but Nice

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the newly released
Third Edition of The Frugal Editor

My favorite resources for keeping up with ever-shifting English grammar appear to be games at first glance, something I prefer not to waste my time on but somehow also get hooked on. Still, I have several quickie newsletters that appear in my mailbox because with the first few—the likes of Word Genius and Word Smart—I realized they were great tools for editors—and for those occasions when all writers choose to break that rule about always hiring a professional editor. You know when you do it, and I know when I do it—usually when I’m in a hurry or when I’m writing promotional material. Ahem! 

I sometimes break another rule, too. I subscribe to these letters when new ones arrive unbidden, unannounced, and unrecommended. As an editor who knows that smart editors need to hire editors whenever possible, too, I find they help me keep my skills ahead of the curve. That I have never unsubscribed is informal proof of their value.

Sometime in about 2023 one of these letters asked,  “Have you ever stopped to think about the true meanings behind the words we use every day? While we may use these words without a second thought, they often carry deeper significance and historical context that we may not be aware of… .”

That quotation lead me to the word nice which I have long subconsciously avoided. And I have recently been annoyed with a new series of TV ads—probably a very expensive one—that assumes women everywhere prefer the word “nice” over “artistic,” “stylish,” or any of the other possibilities listed in about any thesaurus a writer might use. The producers must have no notion of the word’s history or even a built-in awareness that there might be times it is better avoided.

Of course, we have all used nice to mean something agreeable. But originally it meant something quite different and, as words are prone to do, morphed over time. Think of the  word bad as a recent example of just such a change. Occasionally one of those alphabetical generations who began to use it to mean its opposite. I am aware of it, but it still throws me for a loop when they do! 

A caveat: When you’re writing, you can’t count on the tone of voice to indicate satire. There are ways to do it with dialogue, description, context. But you have to identify the problem to use one of those techniques. 

Nice derives from the Latin nesius which means unknowing or ignorant. That eventually changed to suggest foolish or simple before landing on its current most-commonly used meaning. Still, occasionally we become aware of its double meaning, usually from the tone of voice used to indicate irony as in “Well, ain’t that just nice.” When the word nice comes to mind for us writers, it might be a good time to click on the synonym feature of your word processor to find a word that is less loaded with hidden meanings. 

Take special care with some words or phrases being used in the news these days. They have come to be referred to as dog whistles. In politics it might be referred to as code. You might not catch the meaning, but the most radical members will. Some of their history might impart an unintended association with the humankind’s least admirable tendencies. Of course, when you spot one it’s your decision to use it…or not.

-----

With each issue of Karen Cioffi’s #WritersontheMove blog, Carolyn Howard-Johnson shares something writer-related she hopes might save some author from embarrassment (or make the task of writing more fun or creative). The third edition of The Frugal Editor from Modern History Press includes a chapter on some of the words most misused by the very people whose business it is to know them and to give publishers and authors the exposure needed to reach bestseller status. It is the second multi award-winning book in her HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers with lots of those important changes in it like the new uses for gender pronouns and a chapter on how backmatter can be extended to inform readers as well as nudge book sales all within the realm of acceptable practices—ancient or new. Find it on Amazon’s new buy-page offered in for paper, hard cover, or e-book series. (The availability of that new page for book series Amazon offers authors is another of the #FrugalBookPromoterTips she posts on Twitter (X).)

 

Writing for Children - 10 Rules

 

Contributed by Karen Cioffi, Children's Ghostwriter, Rewriter

 Before I became a children’s writer, I wrote marketing and health articles. Writing in multiple genres, writing for children can be much more challenging. 

When writing for children, there are guidelines to keep in mind to help your story avoid the editor’s trash pile. And if you’re self-publishing, the children’s writing guidelines help you create an engaging and marketable book.

Here is a list of 10 rules to refer to when writing for young children:

1. Keep it safe.

Be sure your story does not suggest dangerous or inappropriate behavior. Keeping children safe is the most important item on this list.

Example: The protagonist (main character) sneaks out of the house early in the morning while his parents are still sleeping.

This is a no-no!

2. Age-appropriate words, dialogue and action.

-You wouldn’t use the word remote for a first grader. You would use far.  
-A seven-year-old wouldn’t speak like a twelve-year-old. 
-A seven-year-old wouldn’t walk a half mile alone to go to a park or go in a pool without adult supervision. 

3. Age-appropriate problem.

The protagonist should have an age-appropriate problem or dilemma that’s established at the beginning of the story. 

Let the action/conflict rise. Then, have the protagonist, through thought process and problem-solving skills, solve it on his own. If an adult is involved, keep the input and help at a bare minimum.

Kids love action and problem-solving! 

4. Point of view.

The story should have a single point of view (POV). Writing a single POV means that it doesn’t exist if your protagonist can’t see, hear, touch, or feel it.

Example: “Mary crossed her eyes behind Joe’s back.” If Joe is the protagonist, this can’t happen because Joe wouldn’t be able to see it.

5. Sentence structure. 

When writing for young children, keep sentences short; keep adjectives and adverbs to a minimum. And be careful of your punctuation and grammar.

6. Show rather than tell.

Write your story by showing through action and dialogue rather than telling.

You can use your imagination for this one. Picture how the child might behave or react. Will his arms flail? Will he narrow his eyes? Will she cry? Will she run away or stand her ground?

If you can’t seem to find the right words to show a scene, try using dialogue instead; it’s an easy alternative.

7. Write tight.

Don’t say something with ten words if you can do it with five. 

Watch for unnecessary words (adjectives and adverbs). Use strong verbs. And pay special attention to “ly” words.

8. Watch the timeframe for the story. 

Picture books should be kept within several hours to a day or two. On the outside, a week or two. 

A fun story, Stephanie’s Ponytail by Robert Munsch, has a timespan of five days. 

9. A character arc.

Along with the protagonist’s solution to the conflict, she should grow in some way as a result of the journey.

An example would be if a protagonist starts out unsure and afraid but becomes confident by the end of the story.

10. Use a thesaurus and a book of similes. 

Finding just the right word or simile can make the difference between a good story and a great story.

Summing It Up

Using these techniques will help you create effective children’s stories. Another important tool to use in your writing tool belt is joining a children’s writing critique group. No matter how long you’ve been writing, you can always use another set of eyes. 

If you’re a beginning writer and unpublished, you should join a group with published and unpublished members. Having published and experienced writers in the group will help you hone your craft.


 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

 

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author, working ghostwriter, rewriter, and coach (picture and chapter books). If you need help with your story, visit Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi. 

You can check out Karen’s books HERE.

You can connect with Karen at:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kcioffiventrice/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karencioffikidlitghostwriter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarenCV
 

 

Tips to Avoid Common Pitfalls in your Story

When is this book going to come out?
Only time will tell!

By Linda Wilson   @LinWilsonauthor

How long does it take to write, edit, and polish a children’s book—or any book—for publication? This is a question I’ve been grappling with for several years now as I seek to complete the second book in my Abi Wunder Mystery trilogy, Secret in the Mist.

The book seemed to be finished many times through countless edits by critique groups, hours of self-editing, and reviews by two beta readers. Lately, the manuscript was reviewed by professional editors—www.chriseboch.com and https://two4onekidcritiques.wixsite.com/mysite/rates, both offering very helpful comments.

Upon receipt of each critique, I made the appropriate changes and set the manuscript aside to “rest.” Each time I picked it up again I discovered more edits, some quite extensive. This process has taken years.

My feelings have ranged from pure frustration—the desire to pull my hair out and yell, when will this ever end—to acceptance; as in, every change brings a more entertaining, tightly written, page-turner. 

My goal with this article is to outline the pitfalls I’ve encountered in preparing Secret in the Mist for publication. Being aware of these pitfalls will hopefully save you time and effort.

Editing Challenges to Avoid

• Stick to the overall plan of the book: Perhaps the most important challenge for me was to keep track of the “whole picture.” I told myself I was following my outline (I’m not a pantser). But I got caught up in week-to-week changes suggested by my critique group. I would edit the changes and move on to the next section for them to read. I got lost. I didn’t know where my story was going, and I included too many unimportant events that I thought made the story exciting. It wasn’t true. I had strayed from what the story was really about. Now I realize I should have hung my outline on the wall in front of my desk to remind me where I was going. I will do that from now on.
• Stick to the story problem: Make everything that happens in the story about the story problem. I like to use the example of an edit Chris Eboch did of my first Abi Wunder book, Secret in the Stars. I had an entire chapter about kittens, which was an adorable addition and very entertaining, I thought. Chris let me down lightly. She understood how much love I put into that chapter. But she said it didn’t move the story forward. It had to go. The removal of that chapter didn’t make an iota of difference in the book--it had nothing to do with the plot. But I’ve kept the chapter for possible use in advertising or even in another story.
• Know which details to include: I’ve fit in necessary details to show what the characters look like, what they wear, etc.; a rich sense of the setting in a country town, including trails in the woods; and other details as important elements in the story. But in my zeal to include details, I included minutia, details that turned out to be unimportant, and didn’t move the story forward. 
• Remember to include the senses: I find “taste” to be the most challenging sense. One way is to describe a meal, which I think readers enjoy.
• Scrutinize for any passages that slow or stop the action: Action parts are not the time to describe anything. Short sentences give the feeling of immediacy. Keep the story moving forward. Delete any passages that bog the story down.
• “Telling” and “Showing”: Study up on how to handle “telling” and “showing.”  Both can be effective if you know how to use them. What has surprised me is how many “telling” passages I use when “showing” would be much more engaging.
• Watch overuse of certain words: Here are some of my favorites: just, down, back, look, to name a few. I do a word search and reword sentences to avoid using certain words too often.
• Tie up loose threads: One of the ways I try to carry through with characters, themes, symbols, is to do a search of each word. I give each character an arc. The main character needs to grow, so I follow her path through the story to make sure her growth is achieved. The other characters have story arcs, also, with a beginning, middle, and end. Mention of symbols such as ladybugs for good luck, a treasured locket given to Abi by her grandma, the appearances of the ghost, need to have follow-through and a satisfying ending. Each needs a reason to be in the story, needs to help move the story forward, and also needs to keep from being repetitious. 
• Be on the lookout for any descriptions or actions that are vague. Make them specific.

If you're like me, you will take the time necessary to produce a book worthy of your readers, no matter how long it takes to complete.

Before I knew about shredding,
these were the drafts I edited
before publishing Secret in the Stars.

Linda's two new releases are Botas Altas, the Spanish version of Tall Boots, translated by Graciela Moreno and Adriana Botero, and Cuna en la Naturaleza, the Spanish version of Cradle in the Wild, translated by Adriana Botero. Visit Linda at https://bit.ly/3AOM98L.

The Mental Shifts That Sets You Free at the Page

by Suzanne Lieurance

You don’t need more time to write.

You don’t need a fancy writing desk.

You don’t need a new planner, a course, or a writing retreat to give yourself permission.

What you really need is a shift in mindset.

We’re taught to approach writing with pressure.

We’re supposed to be productive, perfect, polished.

But that mindset doesn’t create freedom—it creates friction.

Every sentence becomes a test.

Every blank page feels like a mountain.

If you want to feel free at the page, you have to change how you think about writing.

Start with these three simple mindset shifts:

#1. From outcome to expression

When you focus only on the outcome—a finished novel, a polished essay, a bestselling book—you put a weight on your writing it was never meant to carry. 

Instead, try writing just to express something. 

Let it be a release. 

Let it be for you first. 

The magic happens when you stop forcing your writing to “do” something and allow it to simply be.

#2. From pressure to play

Writing isn’t a test.

You’re not being graded.

If you treat writing like a performance, you’ll always be nervous.

But when you treat it like play, you relax.

You explore.

You try new things.

That’s when the real freedom shows up—when you give yourself room to play on the page again.

#3. From fear to trust

You already have everything you need inside you to write something meaningful.

But fear will tell you you’re not ready.

That you need more experience.

More validation.

That fear is lying. 

The truth is, your voice is ready now. 

Trust yourself.

Write the thing.

You can always revise later—but don’t self-reject before the words even get out.

These are small shifts, but they create big changes.

When you step into your writing time from a place of expression, play, and trust, you don’t just write more—you write better.

More honestly.

More boldly.

So, if writing has started to feel like a burden, ask yourself: What mindset am I bringing to the page? And what could I let go of?

You don’t need to earn your freedom to write.

You already have it.

The trick is remembering that.

And, for more writing tips and resources delivered to your e-mailbox every weekday, get your free subscription to The Morning Nudge.

Suzanne Lieurance is an author and a Law of Attraction coach for writers.

Learn more at www.writebythesea.com.

 

The Hidden Costs of Publishing

By Terry Whalin (@terrywhalin)

Because we have computers and can produce stories, everyone assumes writing is easy. From my experience, any skill (including writing) takes hours of practice to become excellent. For example, one of the most successful basketball players of all time is Kobe Bryant, the winner of five NBA championships and two Olympic Gold Medals. He accomplished this success through deliberate practice with a purpose. Bryant was on the 2012 Team USA. One of the trainers, Robert, talks about his first experience with Bryant, who started his conditioning work at 4:30 am. He shot baskets for several hours, then did conditioning work for the next hour, then made 800 jump shots between 7 am and 11 am. Bryant was a skilled professional yet took nothing for granted in his practice and work outs. His work showed because Bryant knew how to grind then grind some more. This type of effort in sports is generally lost in the writing world.  There are hours of work and effort behind the scenes that no one sees but is necessary to achieve success.

There are many things in the world of publishing which simply add to the cost and effort to happen but are never documented or talked about. In many ways, these elements become some of the hidden cost of publishing. In some ways publishing is like an iceberg. We can see the top on the water but don’t realize all that is below the surface. In this article I wanted to tell you about a couple of these hidden costs and then give you some tools and basic principles for your own writing life.

People look at my large X/Twitter following (over 175,000) and would like to have that ability to influence and touch others. Yet are you willing to do the work to build that following?  I’ve written in my blog about the five actions I take every day. I use a program called Hootsuite (other people use Buffer) to schedule 12 to 15 posts every day. I’ve developed a pattern or system which I use repeatedly to handle these posts—and it only takes about 30 minutes a day to handle. 

Many people have started on X/Twitter but have given up the consistent posting. It’s the same with my blog on the Writing Life. I’ve been writing my blog articles each week since 2004. It has totaled over 1,700 articles. Several years ago, I found an article which estimated there are over 600 million blogs and named the top 27 content producers. My name and my blog were one of those listed. You can get my new articles on your email with this form.  The consistent effort pays off. 

Over the years, I’ve created a number of online information products like Blogging for Bucks (http://bucksforblog.com/ ) or my Write a Book Proposal course (http://bit.ly/wbkpro). I’ve automated many of these products through autoresponders and other tools. Each of these products include my 100% Love it Or Leave It Guarantee. If the buyer isn’t satisfied in a period of time, they can send an email and ask for a refund. This guarantee is a key part of selling products online and it is rare that someone will ask for a refund. One email arrived at a time when I was challenged with other things—yet I took the time to make the refund. Carrying through with your promises is a key part of having an online business and successfully selling products online. It doesn’t make it simple or easy.

Here’s some basic principles for every writer to get beyond the hidden costs of publishing:

* Understand the costs and keep going in spite of them

*Automate when you can. Investing in tools like Hootsuite allows me to continually grow my presence and saves time. I’ve recently added PodMatch and in six months I have booked or recorded over 50 podcasts.

*Keep growing in your craft of writing, attending conferences, taking online courses and reading books. I’ve got shelves of how-to books I’ve read over the years and continue to read them.

*Timing is critical and often out of your control. Numerous times I’ve had authors who have looked for an agent for years (not found it) then return to Morgan James and ask if they can sign our book contract. A recent author signed, who I have been speaking with off and on for three years about her book. 

*Take the long view of success yet keep doing the little things and working to promote your writing. 

Over and over, I speak with authors who continue promoting yet have stopped telling their publisher about their promotion (big mistake in my view). The publisher is going to assume they are not promoting and have stopped talking about the author with their sales team and the sales team to the bookstores since it is tied together. Yet if the author continues to promote and tells the publisher, then the communication and promotion to the bookstores can continue. Consistent communication matters. No little elves come out and write this material for us. Active authors are the ones to tell the stories and complete the work.  

What proactive steps can you take to learn a new skill or try some new way to sell books? It doesn’t matter if your book is brand new or has been in print for a while. Keep the experimentation going until you hit the elements which work for your book.

Tweetable:

Publishing has a series of hidden costs. In this article, prolific author and editor Terry Whalin details some and provides basic principles and resources to move beyond them. (ClickToTweet)

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. Get Terry’s newsletter and a 87-page FREE ebook packed with writing insights. Just follow this link to subscribe. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. Get Terry’s recent book, 10 Publishing Myths for only $10, free shipping and bonuses worth over $200. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Overcoming Objections: Defeating Your Top Book Writing Hurdles

 

You know you need to do it. You’ve had it on your to-do list for years. Your own coach has told you time and again that this is the year you must get your book in print.

And yet…nothing.

It’s not that you don’t recognize the benefits, or that you don’t want to have a published book on your resume. You just struggle with it, and probably for the same reasons many other coaches resist publication.

You don’t have time. Here’s a biggie. Everyone is busy. We all get that. But that’s not a good excuse when it comes to growing your business.

Rather than lamenting your lack of time, you should be prioritizing your day to accommodate the important things, like writing your book. Maybe that means getting up 30 minutes earlier for a focused (if short) writing stint every morning, or turning off the television after dinner so you can write, or even setting aside several hours each Sunday morning until your book is done.

The point is, you must make this a priority. Block out the time in your calendar, and treat that time as sacred. Pretend it’s an appointment with your most important client, and do not allow anything to get in the way of keeping it.

You can’t write. Many, many people claim they cannot write; yet when you look at their blogs, there are hundreds of posts. What it really means when someone says they can’t write is that they don’t like to.

Luckily, you have plenty of options for overcoming this particular hurdle. Hire a ghostwriter. Start with PLR. Repurpose your blog posts into a book (Darren Rowse of Problogger.net did this with great success).

And if all else fails, speak. Use software such as Dragon Naturally Speaking, or simply record using your favorite MP3 app and then have it transcribed.

You can’t organize a long project like a book. Ok, so you’re great with blog posts, and you don’t mind writing them, but the thought of writing an entire book makes you stare at your blank screen like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.

First, if you can write a blog post, you can write an entire series of books. The process is all the same, after all. It’s just putting words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, and so on.

But if you really feel you can’t manage a long project, then an outline is going to be your best friend. Start with a broad overview of your project, and then break it down by sections, then chapters. Make notes about what you’ll cover in each, and then it’s just a matter of filling in the blanks.

There are dozens of reasons to write a book. It’s important for establishing your expertise, for growing your audience, and for solidifying your message. But none of that will happen if you don’t actually write it. So it’s time to get beyond your hurdles and get your book done.

 

About Rebecca

Rebecca Camarena is a Book Coach, author, self-publishing expert, editor. Helping authors – bring clarity to book chaos, elevating their words, and simplifying self-publishing to make their book shine. Let’s bring your book to life – your story deserves to be told. Contact me here;

https://bookcoachingwithrebecca.start.page/

 

Should Dialogue Be Used For Exposition and Description

 

Contributed by Karen Cioffi, Children's Writer

 I read an interesting article on Nathan Bransford’s site (link below), which discusses the use of dialogue to deliver exposition.

But whether delivering exposition or description, the answer to the title question is no.

Dialogue should be a natural conversation between characters, and it should be specific to the scene. 

Each character will have his own motivation for the back and forth. 

Once you force the conversation to include exposition, description, or backstory, the characters become more like “chatbots” than people.

Here is an example of dialogue and description from Chapter Four of Walking Through Walls:

Captivated by the clouds, Wang walked further into the room. When he noticed the master watching him, Wang stopped in his tracks. He lowered his eyes and bowed. 

“Come forward, young man. What brings you to my temple?” Remaining in a bowed position, Wang stepped forward. “My Honorable Master, my name is Wang. I have come seeking an apprenticeship. I am from a village to the west. It took many days traveling over difficult roads to find you. For years, I have read everything I could about the Eternals and wished for this. Please accept me.”  

The master studied Wang. 

Feeling like an intruder, Wang stood motionless and stared downward. He could not help but notice the spotless floor. It looked like it had never been walked upon. 

After a long silence, the master spoke. “Learning magic is a long hardship, one that you cannot imagine. It takes many years and much sacrifice. I can see in your heart that this will be difficult for you.” 
Wang knelt on the ground, afraid to look up. His eyes darted to and fro, desperate to find the words the master needed to hear to accept him. 

While there’s a bit of backstory in the above excerpt, when Wang blurts out why he’s there, it’s easy to see that Wang is desperate to convince the Master Eternal. It doesn’t feel forced. It’s a natural conversation.

Later in the book, Wang looks through a window and witnesses magical events. The information in this scene is conveyed through description, internal dialogue, and a bit of dialogue in the form of crying out.

Conveying the description as it’s happening brings the reader into the story. It’s engaging. 

But suppose the narrator didn’t describe what was going on when it happened, and later Wang discussed it with a friend. 

To convey the description through dialogue, it might go like this:

Wang: “I saw the most astonishing things tonight. Magical things.”

Friend: “What did you see?” 

Wang would go through a long and drawn-out speech, giving details of what he had seen.

Friend: “What else happened?”

Wang would go on.

Friend: “That’s amazing. Go on, please.”

Wang would go on.

This scenario has the friend asking questions to interrupt Wang’s dialogue, purposely to avoid a super-long uninterrupted block of dialogue. 

There are two no-nos going on here:

1. The friend is feeding Wang the questions specifically to get the information to the readers. It’s forced, and readers will know it.

2. Relaying comprehensive description through dialogue is forced and tedious.

This is why writing dialogue to deliver exposition and comprehensive description should be avoided. 

On the flip side, you wouldn’t want large blocks of description either. This can also be boring and cause the reader to pause.

Keeping the reader engaged should be one of a writer’s top priorities.

As with all things, balance is needed in writing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author, working ghostwriter, rewriter, and coach (picture, chapter, and middle-grade books). If you need help with your story, visit Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi. 

You can check out Karen’s books HERE.

You can connect with Karen at:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kcioffiventrice/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karencioffikidlitghostwriter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarenCV