Writing a Query or Covering Letter to a Literary Agent

Writing a Query or Covering Letter to a Literary Agent

What is a Query or Covering Letter?

A query or covering letter [1] is your entry point to the traditional publishing world. In most cases, publishing houses do not accept unsolicited manuscripts or, at least, any manuscripts not endorsed and represented by an agent, especially so for the Big Five publishers.

The query letter is a one-page note asking a literary agent if they’re interested in representing your book ‒ and getting them excited about it. Securing an agent for your manuscript is the first step in your publishing journey if you’re going along the traditional publishing route. Agents may receive hundreds of queries a month, and they might only sign four or five authors per year. This means your query letter is a significant document.

The Challenge

A query letter is about making a good impression and generating interest. The goal is to sell your story, and then yourself. The challenge is to condense the essence of your entire book into approximately 300 to 400 words at most. Keep the letter short and to the point.  It’s recommended that you write no more than a page.

The Format

There’s no standard format that all authors use for their letters. However, a query is a business document and as such should look like a formal one-page business letter.

Set the margins to 2.54 cm (one inch) an all sides. Block format the text, left-justify and use double-space between paragraphs.

Don’t handwrite the query letter. Type it on white paper using a black, 12-point standard font, like Times New Roman, Arial or Courier, nothing unusual, exotic or flouncy.

Format with your address, email and telephone number at the top of the page, right justified. Next, type the agent or publisher’s address, this time left justified.

Add the date below that on a separate line.

Use a personalised greeting where you acknowledge the agent by name.

The Structure

Keep the body of your query letter from three to five paragraphs.

Paragraph One: 

Start with the reason why you’ve written the letter: it’s topic and purpose. Mention your book’s title (in italics or in quotation marks), genre, word count and target audience. The word count is an essential piece of information. Provide a very brief one-sentence summary of the book and why you wrote it.

This paragraph is your opportunity to hook the literary agent and make them pay attention. Your hook should show them how your book is different from the thousands of others in your genre. If you’ve published before, you may want to mention that upfront.

Share any connection you have with the agent or add a referral from an established author or a publishing insider. Personalise the letter to the agent by referencing their existing clients or quoting something the agent has written or said in public.

Paragraphs Two and Three: 

Now that you’ve hooked the agent, it’s time to summarise your story. Provide a somewhat longer introduction to the book. (Do not include too many details here; they belong in the synopsis. [2]) You may need more than one paragraph for this. Explain what your book is about and why a reader will feel compelled to read it.

The ‘what’ element is about information: discuss your settings, your premise, your main characters (no more than three or four) and outline the plot. Show the conflict of the story as much as possible.

The ‘why’ element is about the emotional themes, tensions and atmosphere in the story. Agents want to see the connections between characters, their relationships, etc. Don’t give away the entire plot, though. Leave the agent wanting more and eager to learn about the outcome.

Paragraph Four: 

Add your biographic information, but make sure it’s relevant to writing. Briefly indicate why you are uniquely qualified to write the book and what separates you from other authors; it’s especially important if you’ve written non-fiction.

Mention any critical recognition or awards you’ve received for your previous work. Refer to your writing credentials (e.g. education, courses and conferences) and related writing experience, i.e. your writing history. Detail the names of authors with whom you may have studied. This is a good tactic to use if you don’t have many publishing credits.

If you are writing a series, you should say so. Agents will like the fact that you recognise the series potential of your work and that you are committed to taking the steps needed to develop it.

Paragraph Five:

Write the closing statements. Tell the agent why you have chosen to send the query letter to them. Mention what drew you to them and why you think you would be a good fit as one of their clients. Be as specific as possible.

Indicate that you have understood the submission guidelines and, if you like, list what you have attached in the submission package (given you’re doing so by email). Thank the agent for their time and consideration. Sign off with a simple closing, such as Sincerely, Cordially, Warmly, etc.

What you should do when writing a Query Letter

Use short paragraphs and short sentences, when possible. Make it easy for the agent to read your letter by writing clearly and concisely.

Your query letter should be written in a similar tone to your narrative. Write it so that it embodies the spirit of your book.

Make sure that your hook and summary make up around half of your query letter.

Your query letter must be error-free and written in a focused, professional and realistic style. Show the agent that you can write well.

You can list possible readers demographics, e.g. “Readers of Stephen King and Dean Koontz will be drawn to my story.”

Research agents so you can personalise your query. Show the agent that you put in the time and have targeted them in your search for the right agent for your book. 

Try to indicate why you’re pitching your book to that specific agent. Whether the agent represents other authors you love or the same genre as your book, it helps if your book is a good fit with their area of interest.

Follow submission guidelines. Be careful about reading agents’ individual guidelines; they vary. Their specific requirements will always be spelt out for you at their websites.

Address each specific agent by name if possible. Using a “to whom it may concern” address is unprofessional and careless.

Above all, before you even write a query letter, it’s essential to have a completed and polished manuscript or a non-fiction book proposal with 30 to 50 polished sample pages.

Mention that your book has been reviewed by a professional editor and copy editor. Agents love that; it makes you appear more serious about your writing and it adds more weight to your query letter.

What you should not do when writing a Query Letter

Don’t go beyond one page; it’s presumptuous and unprofessional.

Don’t oversell your book or sound arrogant; it’s rude and agents don’t appreciate the attitude.

Don’t self-deprecate or be overly modest, either. If you don’t believe in you book, why should the agent?

Don’t forget to include your SASE (self-addressed, stamped envelope), unless you’re emailing your query and expecting an email response

Don’t turn your bio into a memoir. Only discuss information that is directly relevant to the novel you’re pitching.

Final Thoughts

Aside from the near constant rejection writers face (persevere!), crafting the perfect query letter is one of the hardest parts of trying to get published. Writing it might feel even more daunting than authoring your novel, but it doesn’t need to be. Use guidelines in this post to get your query letter noticed by a busy literary agent and get closer to achieving your publishing goals.

Please review the services I offer to learn more about how I can help you prepare your manuscript and query letter. Contact me at email: renellj@proofperfect.co.nz or M: +64 29 1230 158.

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 [1] In New Zealand, Australia and the UK, authors, publishers and literary agents tend to use the term ‘covering letter’, whereas in the USA and Canada, its commonly referred to as a ‘query letter’. It is the same thing.

[2] The synopsis is a separate document that forms part of your submission package. It is a short summary of your story in its entirety (including the ending and any twists) that follows the same broad structure as your novel. It is usually about 500 to 800 words in length.

Guidelines for Writing a Memoir People want to Read

Guidelines for Writing a Memoir People want to Read

Although based on actual events, memoir is more like fiction than non-fiction. To be publishable, a memoir must make use of fiction techniques that pull the reader along and elicit an emotional response. A good memoir begins with the author’s perspective but doesn’t end there. It leaves the reader with a decision to make or an action to take.

If you are not a celebrity, you need to be able to write extremely well in order to place a memoir with a publisher. Memoirs can be very complex pieces of work.

Memoir vs. Autobiography

First-person accounts of people’s lives are often categorised into two main genres: autobiography and memoir. An autobiography covers the trajectory of an entire life, while a memoir is just one story from that life.

An autobiography spans one’s entire life; it’s much like a ‘historical document’ and is more formal than a memoir because it strives for factual accuracy. Autobiographies often tell stories close to or exactly how they happened, which means they often feature straightforward language and chronological narration. Autobiographies usually cover multiple themes. There’s not just one life lesson learned, but many; not just one significant event covered, but several.

A memoir usually revolves around one or few significant memories; it’s rarely all-encompassing. Where autobiographies emphasise facts, memoirs focus on personal experience, intimacy and emotional truth. These most often concern a specific time, or an event, or series of events, or a choice that changed the course of a person’s life, all of which are tied together with one theme. A memoir is heavily thematic, and this overriding subject is often the moral, i.e. the lesson learned, or a significant transformation of self (e.g. finding out you’re adopted, or losing a leg to a shark attack), as examples.

The requirement for a strong autobiography is a life that’s out of the ordinary in some way, whereas a memoir can be about an ordinary existence told with profound insight; it doesn’t depend on having lived a traumatic, eventful or dramatic life.

Choose a theme

The starting point for writing memoir is to pick a theme, occasionally more than one, from your life that you feel is worth writing about. A theme is a universal idea we all grapple with, something anyone can understand; it answers the question, “What is this memoir about?” Having a theme not only helps your reader connect to your work, but also makes the writing process much easier.

What you shouldn’t do when writing a memoir is tell a bunch of stories tentatively connected in some way. A memoir is more than that. Good narrative non-fiction always connects the reader to a deeper truth. Use your theme to tie events together and include only those stories that illustrate the theme.

Narrow your focus and develop a plot line

Identify one or perhaps a few events in your life to develop the plot line, the story you tell to illustrate the theme, the ‘big universal thing’ your story is about. ‘You’, as the subject, is not what the story is about. The story is about something universal and you are its illustration.

Of course, our lives are not comprised of solitary, isolated bundles of experience. Rather, the repercussions of our life choices and events all form threads which bind together to create experience. But it is necessary to select one or a core few to focus the plot around.

According to highly regarded academic, teacher and writer William Zinsser: “My final [reducing] advice can be summed up in two words: think small. Don’t rummage around in your past — or your family’s past — to find episodes that you think are ‘important’ enough to be worthy of including in your memoir. Look for small self-contained incidents that are still vivid in your memory. If you still remember them it’s because they contain a universal truth that your readers will recognize from their own life.” [1]

Establish a story arc. The best way to accomplish that in a memoir is by showing how you, the main character, grew and changed as a person. Even though it’s a story about your life, it still has to have some of the elements and structure of fiction to make it compelling. You need character development, a compelling struggle and a resolution.

Your memoir is not all about ‘you’

Your memoir should focus more on a story than simply your own subjective experience. It should be about the lesson you’ve learned and your insights that can be share with others. Readers will become bored hearing only about you; it’s too egotistical. But don’t ram your lessons down their throat, either; be subtle.

A memoir is about something bigger than you. It’s about a part of life we can all connect to. Your story’s details are conveyed in such a way that readers can enjoy the universal elements within your own personal experience.

Don’t begin at the beginning

It’s recommended that you start your memoir from the end or at the point of highest drama. Don’t tell your story chronologically; that’s too predictable. And don’t include every detail of your life. Readers become impatient with memoirs that meander through a backstory to get to the interesting parts. Some memoirists find it helpful to start from the end of their story first. Write about how you got to where you are.

Or, begin your memoir with an incident that is powerful and makes an impact. Even if this means beginning in the middle of the story, you can retell events out of chronological order. Perhaps start with the major turning point, and cycle back to explain how you came to that point later, or simply progress from this point to the resolution.

Be honest and fair

Vanity and self-obsession can ruin your memoir. Don’t embellish try to make yourself look better or appear more interesting, or ignore your own flaws and faults, or fabricate to justify your past. Doing so makes your memoir sound biased or even self-pitying. Memoir demands that you write about what really happened and what you’ve learned. It’s about retrospection, trying to figure things out, about exploring the truth as seen through your eyes.

The value of your story is in its raw and vulnerable honesty. It’s okay to be human and it’s required when writing a memoir. Readers will sense when you’re lying anyway. Your memoir should strive for your personal emotional truths, and it should feel far more personal that an autobiography.

What to keep and what to cut

Carefully choose what to leave in your memoir and what to cut. The most important elements to keep are any concerning transformation, growth or transcendence. It’s a minimum requirement of the genre. Don’t confuse transcendence in this context with a religious or spiritual experience: it’s more about progressing, even evolving.

It is important to understand the turning points (i.e. the events which have inspired the memoir) which are significant to the story and require deep examination to succinctly convey their emotional significance.

Make your book episodic, describing in detail events that are of interest or highly poignant to your story. Cut all meaningless details and the mundane (unless it is an intrinsic part of building the scene) which have no relation to your overarching theme. What this means is that at times you may have to skip forward months or even years in your narrative to deliver only the aspects which are relevant to the wider message you want to convey to your readers. A memoir can have a short or long timespan. The events could happen in days or over a lifetime, but the focus must remain on those events and be tied to the theme.

Have a target audience

Not everyone will enjoy or be drawn to your memoir, and that’s understood. You’re not trying to reach all readers, only those who relate to or benefit from your story. Write for that target audience as if you’re speaking directly to them. Memoir readers are not interested in rambling, self-indulgent pieces. Memoir readers tend to prefer:

  • A sympathetic main character
  • Vividly depicted scenes
  • Emotional tension
  • Increasing sense of drama/conflict
  • A satisfying ending

They like evocative content that provide a glimpse into someone else’s life. They want writing that enlightens them on experiences which they may not have had, and with a moral, a lesson or a message attached.  

Don’t use real names

Whenever possible, use a pseudonym rather than the real name of a character in your memoir. Also avoid sharing easily identifiable information about the ‘characters’ you mention.  This is the one time when it’s better to blur the truth. Using real names can get you in a lot of trouble and become a legal wrangle. You could face a defamation lawsuit even if you’re telling the truth. Just as serious, you could damage close relationships by your portrayal of them.

Editing is essential

Most of us don’t have the objectivity or, perhaps, the skill needed to strip away parts of our story to find the true turning point or the core of our truth. Even though you have distance from the events in your memoir, it’s still a part of your experience.

That’s where an editor plays a role. Because memoirs are so personal, you need a fresh, impartial perspective to help you create a stronger narrative. I can help you fine-tune your memoir ‒ developing a theme, selecting life events, learning writing technique and so forth.  Contact me to discuss your project. M: +64 29 1230 158 and email: renellj@proofperfect.co.nz

Final Thoughts

Keep in mind that a memoir doesn’t necessarily need to be strictly about your own life. It can also be about a person other than the writer, or about a given place, or it can be a ‘hybrid memoir’ combining a personal story with other non-fiction subject areas; it can cross genres, too.

Renowned authors Jeanette Winterson and Helen Macdonald state that a memoir does have to ‘fit the genre’ ‒ it can cover more than one genre if the writer is skilled. Nor does a memoir have to “conform to chronological order; both [authors’] books whip sometimes furiously from past to present, in an order set by a progression of emotions and themes, not constrained by a linear idea of time”. [2]

[1] ‘How to Write a Memoir’ by William Zinsser, The American Scholar, 12 May 2015: https://theamericanscholar.org/how-to-write-a-memoir/#.XcEicDMzYT5

[2] ‘How to write a memoir: Jeanette Winterson and Helen Macdonald’, by Alex Clark and Sian Cain, The Guardian: 4 June 2015: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jun/04/how-to-write-a-memoir-jeanette-winterson-and-helen-macdonald

What does Tone mean in your Writing?

What does Tone mean in your Writing?

What is tone?

Tone is an aspect of writing style that refers to the author’s attitude or approach toward the reader and the subject matter or central theme in the literary work. It is expressed through the author’s writing and is a powerful tool that a capable author can wield to great effect.

To be more precise: Tone in fiction is the attitude of the narrator or viewpoint character toward the theme, story events and other characters. In non-fiction, tone is the author’s attitude and approach toward the subject matter and the reader.

Note that literary tone and literary mood are not the same, although they are closely associated. Tone has to do with the way the author approaches the theme or subject matter, whereas mood is how the writing makes the reader feel.

In The Oxford Essential Guide to Writing (originally published in 2000), Thomas Kane describes it as a “web of feelings stretched throughout the essay”. Kane also says: “Tone … is unavoidable. You imply it in the words you select and in how you arrange them.” In brief, tone is the author’s feelings on their subject as represented by the text.

All writing has a sense of tone, and since tone describes an attitude, adjectives are used to describe tone. The tone of the writing may be formal, informal, serious, humorous, sarcastic, cynical, sincere, melancholy, sad, cheerful, playful, angry and so forth — the whole range of human emotions. Writing’s tone is akin to a speaker’s tone: when we speak, we can say one sentence in a number of ways to produce different meanings; so too for writing. The author’s intentions, emotions, and personal ideas about the theme or subject matter reveal themselves in the tone of their writing.

Consider the following example of tone:

The last stanza of The Road Not Taken, a poem by Robert Frost.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Frost tells us about his past with a ‘sigh’, giving the lines an unhappy, melancholy tone. This tone suggests that the speaker in the poem had to make a difficult choice and is reconciled, even at peace, with the decision he made.

How tone operates in fiction

The tone may remain constant throughout the written piece, or it may at times vary in degree of intensity, or it may perhaps shift entirely at some point, but when the written piece is viewed as a whole, the overall tone should be purposeful and consistent.

While tone can change over the course of the story ‒ since the viewpoint character/narrator grows or their perspective changes, or the plot becomes more complicated or dramatic, etc. ‒ every scene should have a recognisable tone that’s generated by the attitude of the viewpoint character, and that could hold fairly steady for much of the story. A scene that has few tone indicators or that has a mixed tone will either fail to engage readers or leave them confused. The story as a whole, however, should still have an overall tone, a particular feel. Works of fiction, though, can have more than one overriding tone ‒ there may be more than one tone that an author takes toward a work at the same time. For example, a novel can be both humorous and dark, or both sentimental and formal.

In fiction, tone within a chapter, section or scene is created or altered by the way the viewpoint character or narrator interacts with the storyline’s complications/conflicts and other characters, and by the way he/she responds to the events surrounding him/her. Tone can be manipulated by changing what the narrator focuses on and through the narrator’s changing reactions to what is going on in the story as well as by the choice of words used for his/her thoughts, action and dialogue. The tone of a scene, for example, can be affected by manipulation of the sensory elements. The viewpoint character’s perception of and reaction to sensory stimuli helps to create the tone.

The function of tone

Tone determines the lens through which the reader views and comprehends the piece of writing. Tone clues readers into the essence and the purpose of what they’re reading. Authors set the tone of their work to match not only the content of their writing but also to suit the purpose they intend for it to serve. The tone stimulates the reader to read the piece in the manner the author had in mind ‒ as a serious, or light-hearted, or cynical, etc. piece of writing.

In this way, authors make use of tone to demonstrate their attitude toward, or views about, their subject matter, often driving a particular point of view or agenda, such as one sees in social, economic or political commentary. Tone is one of the many methods an author uses to communicate their argument. And, if the author creates a tonal shift in their work, he/she must be mindful that they are doing so. Even a tonal shift should support the argumentative purpose.

Plus, tone lends shape and life to a piece of writing because it creates a mood: it suggests how readers should feel while they are reading it. Authors use tone as a useful tool to shape their readers’ experiences. For instance, if an author wants their readers to feel happy, they will use words and imagery with certain positive connotations to create a bright, cheerful tone.

How is tone conveyed?

Tone is conveyed largely through diction (word choice), syntax (sentence structure and word order), point of view and level of formality, though other writing mechanics, such as punctuation and word styling (e.g. bolding, capitalisation), can help convey it as well. The tone of a piece of writing depends on a confluence of different factors, including:

Diction: the words that the author chooses. A word can have an emotional charge or association that creates a secondary meaning (its connotation), in addition to its dictionary definition (its denotation). In fiction, for example, word choices have to match the character and the moment to create a tone that works in each scene.

Figurative language: is there a lot of metaphor, hyperbole or alliteration? Does the language sound lofty and poetic?

Syntax and ‘sentence sounds’: how words are arranged in a sentence to form its ‘shape’ and how the sentence sounds in readers’ minds when they read it. According to Robert Frost:

In writing, we can’t indicate body language, but we can control how sentences are heard. And it is through our arrangement of words into sentences, one after another, that we can approximate some of the intonations in speech that tells our readers not only information about the world but also how we feel about it, who we are in relationship to it, and who we think our readers are in relationship to us and the message we want to deliver.

Imagery: the pictures that an author creates suggest the tone; descriptive language helps us understand what the author thinks. The descriptive details in the setting, such as colours, time of day, weather, season, sounds and symbols, all suggest feelings, set a tone and create a mood.

The mood: how does the language make you feel, as the reader? This can reveal a lot about the tone of the piece.

Characterisation: tone bestows voice to characters and throws light on their personalities and state of mind, helping readers understand them better. In addition, the various elements of characterisation are a way for the author to send messages, create meaning and set the tone. This is done through the characters’ actions, reactions, thoughts, dialogue, appearance or even what other characters say about them.

Plot: what tone is created by the way the author structures the content and arranges the sequence of events that occur? What feelings are created by the conflict, the climax and the denouement?

Theme: consider the author’s approach and orientation ‒ what attitude comes through in the author’s main point and conclusion?

All these elements work together to determine the tone of a piece of writing. After collecting evidence in all these areas, a reader forms an opinion about the overall attitude or feeling that the author is expressing in these subtle ways.

Final Words

As you examine your own writing, decide whether you are using all the tools available to create a unified tone for the work as a whole and for the various chapters, sections and scenes. The tone (and attitude) used in your writing can be detected and identified by an attentive editor, who can help you figure out how your reader might interpret your writing, and how to refine the tone.

11 Tips for Clear and Concise Writing

11 Tips for Clear and Concise Writing

This article supplements information provided earlier in the blog ‘Eliminate Clutter and Improve your Writing’. The aim is to improve clarity and comprehension by helping you correct wordiness in your sentences and paragraphs. Concise writing delivers greater impact.

1. Eliminate redundant pairs

When the first word in a pair has roughly the same meaning as the second, choose one. Common examples of redundant pairs include the following: full and complete, each and every, end result, hopes and dreams, whole entire, first and foremost, true and accurate, always and forever, basic and fundamental, worried and concerned, anticipate in advance, joined together.

Example: For each and every toner you purchase, you receive a free ream of paper.

Revision: For every toner you purchase, you receive a free ream of paper. 

2. Delete unnecessary qualifiers

Qualifiers are adverbs that show degrees of moderation. We frequently use qualifiers that aren’t actually necessary to express our meaning (such as ‘actually’ in this sentence). They often fail to add meaning, so avoid them. By deleting unnecessary qualifiers (‘filler words’), you can eliminate one or two words per sentence. It may not seem significant, but filler words quickly add up and bloat your prose.

Common qualifiers include the following: actually, like, really, basically, probably, very, definitely, somewhat, kind of, extremely, practically. 

3. Use the shortest form of the word or phrase

Why say ‘close proximity’ if you mean ‘near’? Why say ‘conceptualisation’ if you mean ‘concept’? Using a longer form of the word can also be a trap for the unwary; you could be using the wrong word, or you may be using the word incorrectly (i.e. in the wrong context).

Many popular phrases can be replaced with single words. These phrases are commonly used in more formal writing, but they detract from, rather than add to, meaning. For example: ‘The reason for’, ‘due to the fact that’, ‘in light of the fact that’, ‘given the fact that’, and ‘considering the fact that’ can be replaced with ‘because’, ‘since’, or ‘why’. 

4. Reduce prepositional phrases

Overuse of prepositional phrases (which begin with words like ‘in’, ’for’, ‘at’, ‘on’, ‘through’, ‘over’, ‘beneath’ and ‘between’ ‒  words that indicate relations between nouns, pronouns, and verbs) can obscure the main subject and action of a sentence. Sometimes prepositional phrases aren’t necessary at all, especially when you use them (instead of an apostrophe + s) to denote possession of an object.

You could eliminate prepositional phrases by using active voice, or by substituting an adverb or a genitive (possessive form) in its place. You could also do so by eliminating nominalisations, or by deleting the prepositional phrase altogether and rephrasing the sentence. For example:

Revise ‘The lawyer responded to the testimony with vehemence’ to ‘The lawyer responded vehemently to the testimony’. 

Revise ‘The violin solo was obviously played by a maestro’ to ‘A maestro obviously played the violin solo’.

5. Use the active voice

In an active sentence, the subject (the person or thing doing the action) comes first. In a passive sentence, the order of the words is inverted ‒ the object (the thing that is receiving the action) appears at the start of the sentence, and the subject appears at the end or isn’t included at all. Starting sentences with the subject makes your writing clearer because it’s immediately obvious who or what the sentence is about. This is not to say that every sentence should start with the subject, but it does make for a more powerful sentence.

The passive voice is not a grammatical error, and it can be useful, but writing in the passive voice often leads to using more words than necessary. The passive voice should only be used in situations where there is no causality or agency (the subject isn’t making things happen or making choices). 

6. Change negatives to affirmatives

Write affirmative sentences because they are usually clearer than negative sentences and require less words. With negative sentences, your readers have to comprehend the important words in the sentence and negate them. Sentences with more than one negative are even harder to understand. 

Example: If you do not have a tertiary qualification in a subject, do not call for an interview for the teaching position.

Revision: Applicants with a tertiary qualification in a subject can call to be interviewed for the teaching position.

You will often have to change certain words when you ‘translate’ a negative sentence.

Example: The politician did not consider the region’s history.

Revision: The politician ignored the region’s history. 

7. Replace vague words with specific ones

Vague or abstract words tend to conceal your meaning. On the other hand, specific words convey your meaning exactly, without ambiguity. Simple language is usually clearer; it is more precise and concise than complex language. Identifying ineffective vague description is a matter of deciding whether your writing contains an appropriate level of detail and specificity to convey meaning precisely to your reader.

Example: The clothes we wore were smart, sort of interesting and seemed different to what we see men wearing here.

Revision: He wore a dark tailored suit and a crisp ivory cotton shirt, with a distinctly European flair. 

8. Avoid overusing expletives at the beginning of sentences

Expletives are phrases of the form it + be-verb or there + be-verb, i.e. phrases or sentences that begin with ‘There are’, ‘There is’, ‘It is’, or ‘It was’. The verb ‘to be’ is also part of many of these uninspired sentences. Such expressions can be rhetorically effective for emphasis in some situations, but overuse or unnecessary use of expletive phrases creates wordy, boring sentences. In this type of sentence, the word ‘it’ or ‘there’ acts as filler for the real subject of the sentence, and the verb is passive. The result is a sentence that doesn’t engage the reader since the subject and verb have no real meaning.

Example: There are five edicts that should be observed.

Revision: Five edicts should be observed. 

9. Keep your sentences to 25-30 words

You should keep sentences short for the same reason you keep paragraphs short: they’re easier to read and understand. It’s almost impossible to keep control of a sentence that’s over about 40 words, and it’s difficult to follow for the reader. When sentences are long, most readers will have to read the sentence at least twice to understand the presented ideas, and they may find it tedious. If you tend to write long sentences, breaking them into two or more will make your thinking clearer and your writing more effective; your readers will appreciate it too.  

10. Only explain one idea at a time

A common mistake that authors make is trying to include too much information in their sentences. For clarity, the sentence should only convey one idea at a time. More than that creates complexity and invites confusion. If you try to discuss too many factors together, they are likely to get confused or at least become confusing for the reader. Then you’ll need more (unnecessary) words to explain them. 

11. Don’t repeat yourself

Redundancy and repetition tend to go together, and both interrupt the flow of your prose, causing your reader to become distracted and annoyed. Write something once; don’t write the same idea several times, a different way each time. Don’t ramble either; stick to the topic on hand. Nor should you use more words than necessary to express an idea (viz. pleonasm) or excessively describe something.

Pay close attention to what your words signify and what tasks they accomplish. Start thinking about the words you use in terms of the function(s) they perform in the sentence. 

Final Thoughts

Concise writing helps you and your readers do more with less and stay focused on the topic. You can communicate your ideas more effectively and keep your readers’ attention longer. Sometimes the easiest way to revise a wordy sentence is to ask yourself “What do I really mean here?” and then write a new sentence; this approach can be more efficient than just tinkering with your existing sentence.

If you need help perfecting your writing, please contact Renell at renellj@proofperfect.co.nz
or M: 029 1230 158.

17 Online Resources to Help you Improve your English

17 Online Resources to Help you Improve your English

Credible and Effective Online Resources 

Learning English grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary is not an easy task. Whether you want to improve your English so you can write more effectively, converse with greater clarity and accuracy, or read with deeper comprehension, here are a few websites you may wish to visit. Note that some refer to North American English grammar and language usage, while others relate to British English.

  1. British Council – Grammar and Vocabulary

This site provides a wide range of online resources. With short, clear grammar rules and a range of exercises, it is a great site for practising your English grammar skills. It is a comprehensive site that covers every aspect of reading, writing and speaking British English. Probably one of the very best sites available.

  1. Cambridge English Online

A site loaded with tools to help you learn fundamental English through fun activities. This too, is one of the best websites when it comes to learning British English. It is the website of Cambridge Assessment English (CAE), which is part of the University of Cambridge. CAE provides the world’s leading range of qualifications and tests for learners and teachers of English.

  1. EnglishGrammar.org

Whether you are a beginner learning the basics or an advanced learner trying to perfect the more complex aspects of American English grammar, this site is excellent with a great range of guides and videos. It is thorough and updated regularly. You can also download lessons or do online grammar practise sessions.

  1. Grammar Girl

Grammar Girl is both a blog and podcast that provides short, friendly tips to improve the grammar in your writing. Grammar Girl (also known as Mignon Fogarty) makes learning grammar fun and simple with memory tricks. This makes it easier to remember and use difficult grammar rules.

  1. English Club – Grammar

English Club has resources for grammar lessons, pronunciation, vocabulary, writing and many other topics. Great for beginner to intermediate levels. Some lessons have quizzes, and others have special tips that explain commonly misunderstood facts about each topic.

  1. Oxford English Dictionary’s Grammar Tips

This site provides blog-like articles that present straightforward advice on some of the trickier points of English grammar.

  1. Purdue OWL: Writing & Grammar

One of the best sites for improving your American English grammar and punctuation. The site covers an astonishing range of topics and is highly regarded, being used by everyday people, students and academics.

  1. Perfect English Grammar

A grammar website and blog written by an English language teacher. Select your grammar focus, read a description and examples, and then practise with online exercises.

  1. Grammarly Tips

This site has collected many rules, facts and tips on every possible grammar topic you can imagine. Explanations are written in a blog-like way. It’s an excellent resource for more advanced learners and is directed at native English speakers who want to improve their grammar. Therefore, the tips might be a bit overwhelming for beginner/intermediate learners.

  1. English Grammar 101

English Grammar 101 is structured like a grammar textbook. Each easy-to-understand lesson (or chapter) only covers one topic at a time, and it is followed by an online exercise section to test your understanding of the topic.

  1. Using English

This site specialises in English as a Second Language (ESL) and presents a large collection of tools and resources for students, teachers, learners and academics, covering the full spectrum of ESL, EFL, ESOL, and EAP subject areas.

  1. English Grammar Secrets

Another site where you can select a topic, read a short description of the rules and then practise with a lot of activities. It is suitable for leaning basic English at a beginner’s level.

  1. Grammar Bytes

Grammar Bytes has mini grammar lessons and exercises presented in a friendly and even entertaining way. Interactive exercises let you test your skills, and they contain easy-to-understand explanations with the correct answers. The site also posts a daily grammar workout on its Twitter account. Its focus is on American English.

  1. Education First’s English Grammar Guide

Education First offers a collection of free English learning resources. Its grammar guide is well structured and is a good starting place to learn how to use the parts of speech. The rules themselves are short and example sentences are used to show how English grammar works.

  1. English Central

Considered to be one of the best websites for learning English as a second language. The site utilises videos and encourages you to learn through online conversations and interaction. Learning is through a four-step, web-based process.

  1. BBC Learning English

This popular and comprehensive website presents a variety of superb learning exercises and incorporates videos, tests, vocabulary primers, crosswords, etc. It covers everything ‒ business English, conversational English, English for teachers, and so on.

  1. English Page

While not structured very well, English Page has some of the best American English grammar exercises you’ll find online. The exercises require you to write the answers, so you apply what you’ve learned. There’s an excellent section with grammar rules as well, with many sample sentences.

Final Words

I hope you find these sites helpful as you learn, practise, improve and perfect your English. It is important to incorporate the grammar, vocabulary and spelling you are learning into all four language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Read as much well-written English as possible, listen to good-quality English broadcasts, and watch the better-type of English-language TV shows and movies (those that do not rely on slang or vulgarity) to immerse yourself in the language. And, try to engage in conversations with people who speak the type of English you aspire to.

If you need assistance with fine-tuning and polishing your written English, contact Renell on +64 29 1230 158 or renellj@proofperfect.co.nz