Want a tip for fine-tuning your writing craft?

By Cam

The title of this post is a rhetorical question, mainly because I don’t know any writer who doesn’t want to improve their craft. But this isn’t going to be me lecturing you about how to take your writing to the next level. No. Instead, I’m going to point you to someone much more capable than me — behold the tip master of all tip masters: MARGIE LAWSON.

Margie is a psychotherapist. A writer. An international presenter. She uses her psychologically-trained mind to help writers edit for a more page-turning experience. And since I’m currently in revisions, this is where my head has been lately.

Now, I don’t know Margie personally, or even in passing. But I came across an interview she did on the Andrea Hurst Literary blog’s new AUTHORNOMICS feature (which you really should check out, btw), where they interview various notable publishing people. Margie’s interview was so full of helpful material, giving clear examples that MADE SENSE TO ME, that as soon as I finished the interview, I immediately went to her site.

Y’all. This is a big fat cookie jar of writerly nuggets just waiting for you to devour. I spent my entire lunch hour on her Deep Editing Analyses page where she takes examples from NYT Bestselling authors (mostly in the thriller and romance genres) and provides an in-depth analysis of the techniques and devices the writer used.

Here’s an example taken from her site, where she analyzes a passage from Harlan Coben’s book, Caught:

Example: From CAUGHT, March, 2010, end of the prologue

And that w as when Marcia started to feel a small rock form in her chest.

There were no clothes in the hamper.

The rock in her chest grew when Marcia checked Haley’s toothbrush, then the sink and shower.

All bone-dry.

The rock grew when she called out to Ted, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. It grew when they drove to captain’s practice and found out that Haley had never showed. It grew when she called Haley’s friends while Ted sent out an e-mail blast—and no one knew where Haley was. It grew when they called the local police, who, despite Marcia’s and Ted’s protestations, believed that Haley was a runaway, a kid blowing off some steam. It grew when forty-eight hours later, the FBI was brought in. It grew when there was still no sign of Haley after a week.

It was as if the earth had swallowed her whole.

A month passed. Nothing. Then two. Still no word. And then finally, during the third month, word came—and the rock that had grown in Marcia’s chest, the one that wouldn’t let her breathe and kept her up nights, stopped growing.

Analysis:

Visceral Response Shared Through Anaphora: He threaded the rock growing in her chest through the passage, ending the passage when it stopped growing. He doesn’t tell the reader what that news of a difference means. But ending the prologue with those words, stopped growing, is as powerful as the soundtrack for Jaws.

Anaphora: Using the same word or phrase to start three (or more) consecutive phrases or sentences.

Compressed Time: The long paragraph compresses time by listing what they did during the first week to try to find Haley. The last paragraph compresses the passing of over two months into forty-one words.

Power Words: rock, bone-dry, panic, blast, protestations, runaway, FBI

White Space and Creative Paragraphing: Coben spotlighted the initial growing doom with white space around stand alone lines.

Varied Sentence Length and Structure: Used to enhance cadence, provide variety, draw the reader into the scene.

Cadence: The use of anaphora, sentence structure, and creative paragraphing contributed to a compelling cadence.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I learn best when I can SEE real examples, and not just the definition of what something means. Margie includes more than 20 Deep Editing Analyses on her site and I read ALL OF THEM. And then I purchased her Empowering Characters’ Emotions lecture packet, which has more than 250 pages of material to it. When I’m through with that, I’ll be adding her Deep Editing packet to my homework queue. I’ve never been so excited to revise in my life.

So if you want a tip on how to fine-tune your writing, go check out Margie Lawson and her deep editing analyses series.

You’re welcome.

(Note: I was not paid to endorse Margie’s site, nor did I receive any of her lecture packets or online courses for free. I just came across her via the blogosphere and wanted to share here. There. Disclaimer over. )