American Messiah by North Star Publications

1.      Relish every word, their sounds, cadences, and tones.

3.      Be consistent with your POV  (point of view).

4.      Show, don’t tell. Use sensory words that entice the reader’s senses. Yet, don't over season.

5.      Be simple in your writing, but cut deep.

6.      Don’t be afraid to take risk. Experiment with themes, styles, and characters.

7.      Seek beauty in the world. Rise each morning with eyes that seek love and beauty in all things. A writer’s eyes are constantly exploring new vistas, even if they are right at your feet.

8.      Find the right pitch. It helps to try and use the first word that comes to you.

9.      Avoid the use of cliches or overused phrases.  

10.   Avoid gluttony. Try not to use two words where one word will do. Don’t pass over a strong word in favor of phrases made of nouns and adjectives.

11.    Don’t try to impress you audience with your intelligence prowess. The goal is to write a compelling story.

12.   Writers that become preoccupied with their diction, loses sight of the goal.

13.   Avoid being vague or abstract, unnecessarily.  

14.   Avoid euphemisms that conceal reality, not reveal it.

15.   Verbs add verve. They are the engine that drives every sentence.

16.   Don’t develop a reliance on the verb “to be” (in all of its forms).

17.   Avoid overusing adverbs with an -ly ending. Instead, look for the verb that will get your point across without an adverb to qualify it.

18.   Fine tune you modifiers. Don’t use weak adjective to prop up weak nouns.

19.   Avoid thumbnail sketches in the author’s point of view whenever a new character enters the story.

20.   Strike a balance in the use of dialogue, action, and narration in your writing.