Writing Tip: Use Variety

Example 1:

The stage was lit by a thousand lights, all resting on Adriana. The fact that she couldn't see the huge audience because of the blinding light was a mercy. The music started up, and so did the sweat on her palms. The voice instructor, Miss Helaina, peered at her from behind the curtains, nodding her head in time to the music. The tune trembled, soared, and then the time came for Adriana to sing.


Example 2:

A thousand lights lit the stage, all resting on Adriana. Finding herself staring into a bright nothing, she knew that the blinding light was a mercy. With a flourish, the music started up, and so did the sweat on her palms. Miss Helaina, smiled at her from behind the curtains, her head nodding to the beat. Adriana gulped. The tune trembled, soared, and then the time came for her to sing.

Look at the first example, and then the second. Do they sound different? Does one sound boring and repetitive? Is the other eye-catching and sounds better when you read them aloud? (You should answer yes =)

Actually, the two paragraphs are pretty much the same, except for one thing that may seem to be small. In Example 1, all of the sentences start with 'the'. 'The stage', 'The fact', 'The music'...if you read it aloud, you'll find that it doesn't have good flow.

Look at the second example now. 'A thousand lights', 'Finding herself', 'With a flourish'. These keep your reader interested.

I think that variety is highly important for good writing. It makes your writing easier to read, and it adds 'pizazz'. Also notice that, in Example 2, two rather long sentences are sandwiching a two-word one. This adds flow as well.

Izori

P.S. On a side note, I see that, on the poll, not many people like this current background (or at least at the time I wrote this, they didn't--this is scheduled). Does anyone have suggestions for my background? I actually am getting kind of attached to the current one, so make 'em good!

Rolling the credits

Of course, I have to thank all of the people that helped me write my NaNoWriMo book, intentional help or otherwise.

Mom and Dad: For giving me plot suggestions, granting me extra computer time, editing offers, and (Dad on this one) for saving my story to his computer just in case this one crashed.

Erestor and Luthien: Sorry I had to kick both of you off the computer multiple times! You guys were both so patient (ahem, most of the time) when I had to turn down offers to little soccer games in the basement because I was writing.

Galdor: Thank you, kiddo, for not banging on the mouse too terribly hard while I was trying to hold you and type at the same time. If the mouse had broken, I wouldn't know what to do!

Andrea, igirl, Enna-Rin, and various friends: For discussing my book with me, and for helping me along with things. (What!?!? You killed your main character!? Great, Izori! ;) Also thanks to three friends in particular, who patiently waited while I had to postpone writing our movie script for the month. Sorry, ladies!

The girl that inspired both Angela and Skye: Thank you! You don't know that you helped me come up with two thirds of my main characters, but you did!

And, of course, thanks to the Lord for getting me through all of this!

(don't forget my trusty alarm clock, blaring in my ear at 5:30 AM every morning so that I could get up and write! It actually inspired the beginning of my story.)

Also, results for the poll ('What would you like to see more of):

Book Reviews and Opinions on books...........5 people voted for this

Writing Tips............7 people voted for this (38%)

The last Elandai book..........4 people voted for this (30%)

Small samples of Sarea (working title)..........7 people voted for this (53%)

Tags..........3 people voted for this (23%)

Caption Contests..........5 people voted for this (38%)

I don't care!..........1 people voted for this (7%)

So, it's a tie between the small samples of Sarea and writing tips! Alright, I'll work on those.

Izori

Poll Results

The poll for 'Should I end Elandai with a book based on Revelation' (or something along those lines) has officially closed. 5 people voted yes, 0 people voted no. So...I think it's obvious that the yes people have it.

Izori

Results for Poll

The "Should I end the Elandai Series, and then write more series' based on Elandai" results have come in! Three people voted yes, and one voted no, so the yes-people have it!

What I think I'll be doing after 'The Return to Elandai' is writing one more book about Ben and Kaela's adventures in Elandai. Then I'll write a trilogy about there parents, Michael and Katherine (I thought I named them somewhere, but I guess not, because I can't find anything about their names. If I come across it later, I'll make an edit).

And I'm going to be checking e-mail a lot today. I had a dream last night that I got an e-mail from this publisher-dude who asked if he could publish all of the books I've written and am going to write, and then he offered, like, a million dollars! *dollar signs appear in my eyes* That was a very good dream

Izori