Stuart Aken's Blog, page 197

Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 47.

We writers share ideas to improve our craft. This series aims to trim our writing. Readers will appreciate the absence of these common redundancies and flabby expressions. Joint collaboration: Let’s dispense with the ‘joint’, unless you feel the need for a fix, of course. All collaboration is a joint affair, after all. e.g. Joint collaboration […]

Is it Time to Re-evaluate our Attitude to Religious Freedoms?

From time to time, I feel compelled to express an opinion about some matter or other. As a writer, with my own blog, I consider this the most appropriate place for such things. Please join the discussion. And, if you’re easily offended, please avoid these topics. # It has happened again: a terrorist attack on […]

Collins Complete Guide to British Birds, by Paul Sterry, Reviewed.

Regular visitors to the blog will know I usually review works of fiction. But I also do this for nonfiction, when I think it’ll be useful for readers. My recent move to the Forest of Dean has meant I’ve discovered species of bird unknown to me, so I bought this book to help my wife […]

Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 46.

We writers share ideas to improve our craft. This series aims to trim our writing. Readers will appreciate the absence of these common redundancies and flabby expressions. Meet with each other: If you’re getting together, you’re meeting. You don’t need ‘with each other’. e.g. They met with each other to discuss her offer. Try: They […]

The Influence of Place on Content.

We’ve just returned from a visit to another county where we were engaged in family research. Essex is a place I lived for 18 years, when employment took me there. I haven’t been back for 30 years, but we have ancestors in the area. Time to visit the county records office in Chelmsford, to dig […]

Creative #Writing #Contests Page Updated

Sorry for the delay: I’ve been on a family history research trip with my wife and her sister. So, here’s this week’s reminder that I’ve updated the contest table. Whenever you visit the page, the table will be as up to date as it is on my home computer, as it updates each time I […]

Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 45.

Have a great St. Patrick’s Day! Writers enjoy sharing ideas to improve their craft. Here are some tricks to trim your writing. Readers will appreciate the absence of these common redundancies and flabby expressions. Eradicate completely: When something is eradicated, it is completely removed, so we don’t need ‘completely’. e.g. We must eradicate completely all […]

Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 44.

Writers enjoy sharing ideas to improve their craft. Here are some tricks to trim your writing. Readers will appreciate the absence of these common redundancies and flabby expressions. Equal to one another: Wordy! e.g. The authors were equal to one another in terms of books published, but she was a better writer. Try: The authors […]

Creative #Writing #Contests Page Updated

Here’s this week’s reminder that I’ve updated the contest table. Whenever you visit the page, the table will be as up to date as it is on my home computer, as it updates each time I ‘save’ to the table. You can access it by clicking here.Filed under: Author, Creative Writer, Prizes Tagged: Author, News, […]

Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 43.

We writers often share ideas to improve our craft. Here are some ways to trim your writing. Readers will value the absence of redundancies and flabby expressions. Emergency situation: Situation is extraneous here, so we can manage without it. e.g. They have an emergency situation at the flower festival; all the petals are falling off! […]