Seven Deadly Sins

As with all creative endeavors, latitude is essential to support an original approach. But, there are certain things you don’t want to do as a writer, no matter how unique your craft.

1)         Don’t fake facts. This sounds like simple common sense, but in the heat of the creative moment it’s tempting to type into a book or article something discussed at the dinner table or over the water cooler. Every author should vet his or her research. Nor should statistics be passed over or dismissed. A solid understanding of your topic, including quotes from experts, will reflect well on you as an author, instead of undermining your work with shoddy or unproven guesswork.

2)         Never dismiss your competition. Get hands-on with the best selling authors in your chosen field. Read their work. Critique their top sellers. This knowledge paves the way to success by educating you in currently popular writing. And, since editors usually seek a fresh angle on the tried and true, this study may inspire a cutting edge approach that may raise your works above the ordinary.

3)         Don’t forget the hook. The best first line of defense for marketing success is the title of your book or article. This is where you plant your initial “hook” that attracts the reader. So, get really creative when brainstorming for a headline. Make it something so attractive that any reader must read the rest of the page. 

4)        Don’t fail to edit. Editing is probably the most valuable part of the writing process. It is the act of faceting the gem, of crafting the shape of thought with precision and brilliance. The recent movie Avatar is a great example of brilliant creative concepting and execution that fell short during the editing process. It really didn’t need to be almost three hours long. In fact, if the editor had cut more the movie would have had greater impact. Granted that this was a film not a book, still the same truth applies. Editing turns good writing into great writing. So, always remember to edit.

5)         Never procrastinate your start date. Do it, today. So what if you walk around in a sweaty T-shirt, yank your dinner out of the microwave or miss that episode of Boston Legal? We can’t do everything. Time is limited. Make sure that you write for at least five-minutes, today and every day!

6)         Don’t marry your monster. Many of us get married to an idea even before we start writing. Although the excitement of passionate connection with a concept is seductive, it can also be limiting. There may be a better angle, a fresher approach, a more fascinating tale to be told…but we will miss this completely without keeping an open mind. So, don’t set yourself up for a creative divorce! If your idea is engaging today, it will be entrancing tomorrow. Wait before you commit. It’s a proven formula for writing success.  

7)         Don’t forget to finish. Wherever you are on the spectrum of talent and skill, it won’t get you far if you don’t finish. Completing the project is the most essential part of the job. Look on the shelves, in the art galleries or even at the infomercials touting new inventions, like doggy bed heating pads. If these folks hadn’t finished their projects, they wouldn’t be bringing in the big bucks…and neither will you!