Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach

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Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach episodes

March 13, 2018 Ep 143: If You Want to Be a Writer, Keep Showing Up
Last time we talked about getting that first pancake out of the way so you can make more pancakes. We can be so afraid of that wobbly-edged first pancake that we don’t even start, but when we overcome that fear and pour out that first blob of batter,
8 min
March 06, 2018 Ep 142: If You Want to Write, You Have to Get Started
Back in December of 2014, my first podcast episode spoke to listeners. I preached to myself, as well. - The message? Just get started. You Only Need to Know 'Enough' I’d been putting off podcasting for years.
7 min
February 27, 2018 Ep 141: Writers Help the World Begin to See
Photographer Walker Evans said, “Stare. It is the way to educate your eye, and more. Stare, pry, listen, eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long." - Pay attention to this world. Learn something. And then, I might add, give it away.
7 min
February 20, 2018 Ep 140: Listen for the Music – More Self-Editing Tips from ‘The Artful Edit’
In her book The Artful Edit, Susan Bell says editing “involves a deep, long meditation within which the editor or self-editor listens to every last sound the prose before him makes, then separates the music from the noise" (5).
We talked last time about the need to listen—we even explored ways to do so. Now we’re taking it to a more intense level involving "a deep, long meditation," as Bell emphasizes the need to listen to "every last sound the prose" before us makes.
This takes time. Attention. Focus. We're making decisions based on what we hear, listening with a discerning ear, to separate the music from the noise.
Listen for the music.
Eliminate the noise.
The Noise
Let’s start with the noise. I suspect most of us would agree we writers don’t want to add to the noise of the world, nor do we want to simply make noise with our words. No need to sound like a clanging cymbal unless that’s adding pizzazz or punctuation to drive home a point.
So we must recognize when a passage isn’t pulling its weight. Have you read something that feels like it’s sagging, long-winded, or slow? Yeah, that’s probably a sign it ought to be examined more closely and tightened or even eliminated.
Susan Bell says in a later chapter, “Develop your editor’s eye to see where your words slouch.” Though she’s switched from listening to seeing, I suspect avid readers who have grown to love the sound of words can see or sense a slouchy passage, especially when reading aloud. We may be able to spot it on the page, too, if the paragraph is packed with long sentences, too much detail, or lack of clarity or focus.
You’ve probably hit a sluggish, slouchy passage if you realize you’re speed-reading to rush through a section or you caught your mind wandering. Your text probably needs attention if you're reading and re-reading a passage because it didn’t click the first time.
Mego
And heaven forbid if your eyes glaze over.
The late Ben Bradlee, legendary editor of The Washington Post, coined a term for a bad story: “mego.” A story that bored him was “mego," M-E-G-O, the acronym for “my eyes glaze over.”
If you’re reading and your eyes are glazing over, flag that section. Come back and tighten it, condense it, or if it isn’t necessary, simply delete it. Slouchy words and passages will tire or bore your reader. You’ll risk mego.
Minimize mego. Maximize music.
Making Music
So let’s talk about the music. Bell advises, "you can rhythmically hold on to [your reader] by controlling the musical measure of your prose" (119). A balance of sentence length is a simple fix, but it’s not a science. I can’t tell you to add three compound-complex sentences followed by a short sentence for the perfect combination.
I like to think we’ll know music when we hear it.
It’s the sound of the sentences flowing from one to the other. It’s the word choices that roll off the tongue with ease. It’s the idea that engages the mind without having to read it twice and the scene that unfolds naturally so the reader practically steps into it.
The flow of the passage serves the story or the idea. The music serves the message.
Author Mary Caponegro says:
I’d always write out loud. When I got that opening, I would repeat it out loud, over and over and over…because it was so important to me that the sonic qualities were intact in every single line. A lot of my self-editing would be preoccupied with trying to maintain the standard in my head of musicality. (171)
She seems to enter that long, deep meditation Bell describes to listen to every last sound the prose makes. She’s intent on making music, first. Above all.
Beige or Purple Prose
When crafting lyrical prose—or trying to—writers are tempted to go too far and often produce "purple prose," a term for passages that have grown too flowery, elaborate, excessive, or ornate. They're overwritten and overwrought. Out of the blue,
10 min
February 20, 2018 Ep 140: Listen for the Music - More Self-Editing Tips from 'The Artful Edit'
In her book The Artful Edit, Susan Bell says editing “involves a deep, long meditation within which the editor or self-editor listens to every last sound the prose before him makes, then separates the music from the noise" (5). -
10 min
February 13, 2018 Ep 139: Tips on Self Editing from The Artful Edit
Recently I plucked from the shelf The Artful Edit: On the Practice of Editing Yourself, by Susan Bell. Already I can tell that Susan Bell's approach to editing has less to do with comma-spotting and more to do with staying attentive and open to more im...
8 min
February 06, 2018 Ep 138: Beware of These 5 Ways Curiosity Can Ruin Your Writing
Curious writers are generally creative and productive, and able to achieve their writing goals—all while having fun. This is no surprise to you—I say it every week! Curiosity can fuel our writing projects and our writing lives so we can create our best...
10 min
January 30, 2018 Ep 137: What Do I Write Next - Experiment and Expand Your Repertoire
Last time we talked about enjoying our vein of gold as we decide what to write next. - To discover our strength as a writer—writing that represents our brightest, most brilliant contributions—I proposed we may have to experiment and try new genres,
10 min
January 24, 2018 Ep 136: What Do I Write Next - Enjoy Your Vein of Gold
If you were to meet me in person, you’d find out I’m a little silly. My humor is situational, and a story grows more animated in relation to audience reaction—which I don’t have in real time here on the podcast. -
8 min
January 17, 2018 Ep 135: What Do I Write Next - Why Not a Series?
A few weeks ago, when I introduced the idea of how we can decide what to write next, I proposed several ways a writer can approach that decision. One was to write whatever’s next in sequence. Write What’s Next in Sequence If you’re writing a novel,
8 min

About Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach

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With Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach, you'll gain clarity and overcome hurdles to become a better writer, pursue publishing, and reach your writing goals. Ann provides practical tips and motivation for…