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April 22, 2006

Writing Tips From Children’s Writer, Margot Finke

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by Diane Samson

Me3_DSC01123Attention, writers! Have you ever had someone tell you to cut the number of words in your work, and you don’t know where to begin? Children’s writer, Margot Finke, has some great tips for editing weak, troublesome words from your fiction and nonfiction.

Here are just a few of the kinds of self-editing tips Margot offers at her website called Margot Finke’s World of Writing for Children. These tips are great if you write for adults too.

Margot suggests using the “find” application on your word processing program to track down these words and replace or delete them:

DOWN: If the verb implies down, “down” is unnecessary.
*She sat down in the chair.
*She sat in the chair.

UP: If the verb implies up, “up” is unnecessary.
*He stood up.
*He stood.

OUT: If the verb implies out, “out” is unnecessary.
*The cloth was spread out over the table.
*The cloth was spread over the table.

THEN: If an action follows, “then” is implied.
*He aimed the gun, then fired.
*He aimed the gun and fired.

BEGAN - STARTED: *He raised an arm and began to scrub viciously at his skin.
*He raised an arm and scrubbed viciously at his skin.
*He lifted the pen and started to write.
*He lifted the pen and wrote.

FELT - FEEL: Weak words can often be replaced to create a clearer image
*The chill of the night air had little to do with the cold she felt.
*The chill of the night air had little to do with the cold swirling inside her.

Visit Margot’s website and go to the SECRETS OF WRITING FOR CHILDREN page, then click on SELF-EDITING TIPS SHEET for more of these troublesome words. On that same page you’ll also find other POWERFUL WRITING TIPS.

Margot updates her site regularly, so plan to visit it often for other helpful writing tips, author interviews, etc.

Thanks, Margot, for such a helpful (and fun) site!

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One Response to “Writing Tips From Children’s Writer, Margot Finke”

  1. Margot Finke Says:
    June 28th, 2007 at 1:15 am

    Diane, thank you for the kind words you wrote in this article about my website’s writing help.

    No wonder I am beig swamped with manuscripts needing a critique - BG! The Lieurance Group is just great, and I am a fan of Suzanne’s from way back. I even have an article by her on my website’s “Great Information for Children’s Writers” page: http://mysite.verizon.net/mfinke/Writing%20Information.htm#CW

    Thanks again.

    Margot Finke

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