Inspired Writer Loses Sight Of All Else, Including Respect For Others

Dear Tazi:

My wife considers herself a budding author, and I want to be supportive of her in her attempts to write a novel.  She has always been supportive of me when I have had dreams to follow, but I feel I have reached the point where I need to put my foot DOWN.  My wife, on the other hand, is arguing that I am not trying hard enough to see her side of things and that I owe her an apology for being controlling and stepping on her dream.

"Nancy" decided she wanted to write a book when she saw how successful some bloggers can be when they publish their work in e-text format.  Since self-publishing is free, Nancy decided that she would follow her lifelong dream of writing a novel, since publishing it would not dip into our household budget.  With my wife being a stay-at-home-mom to our one year old daughter, money is tight.  However, I realize the need for a creative outlet and have tried my best to be supportive.

I have worked to respect Nancy's "creative time" and am helping out more around the house and with our daughter's care after work.  I am enjoying the extra Daddy time, and feel that by doing this I am being both a supportive husband and a good father.  Nancy has not complimented me once, saying as a father it is my job to help out when I am home (I work 12-hour shifts).

Nancy has taken to carrying a notebook with her wherever she goes because "you never know when inspiration will strike!"  Nancy keeps the notebook by our bed and writes when she wakes up in the middle of the night with ideas for her story.  My sleep is interrupted as well when this happens, but I keep quiet about it and try to be supportive.  Nancy will be struck by inspiration while we are out on a date (a rare treat), eating dinner, and other times that are inconvenient.  I have tolerated these interruptions until now.

Last week there was a memorial mass at church for my dearly departed mother.  During the middle of the pastor's sermon, Nancy got up and moved to the back of the church.  I was not sure if she was okay until I saw that [darn] notebook of hers!  Apparently, "inspiration" had struck right in the middle of my mother's mass and Nancy felt that it was OK to follow it!

After mass, I told Nancy that from now on when we go out the notebook stays home; that her behavior during mass was inconsiderate and inexcusable.  Nancy got upset and told me that if she didn't stop to write she would have been unable to concentrate on anything but her idea and would not have been fully engaged in my mother's mass anyway.  Nancy furthered that I should be complimented that the memory of my mother "brought on an inspiration" for her book.

It has been a week and things are still tense between us, with each of us believing the other owes an apology and an attitude adjustment.  How do you rule on this one, Tazi?

Signed,
Not a Writer

Dear Not a Writer:

Nancy's behavior was way off course.  She should never have brought her writing notebook to church.  A memorial mass is generally one hour.  If she was unable to be both physically and spiritually present during this important event than she should have excused herself and left the church, not sat in the back of the church while journaling her ideas.  Ideally, she would have shuffled her idea into the back of her thoughts until after the mass!

I often assised my Mommie in the writing of research papers and scholarly commentary, both of which can require a great deal of inspiration (which is what I provide!).

Inspiration can strike at any time or place, so your wife is smart to carry a notebook, but one must also learn to control the urge to immediately act on those inspirations.  Rather than write an entire page (or more) of text, Nancy should simply file away the main point(s) and - at a more appropriate time - jot them down on a memo pad for future reference.  Once the idea is further examined and fleshed out, not every point of inspiration sounds as great as it initially did.

An unobtrusive way to take notes is to excuse yourself to the restroom and record your thoughts.  Many phones offer a voice-record memo feature that can be used for this purpose.  Since speaking is quicker than writing, it will take Nancy much less time to record her thoughts; thus lessening the creative intrusion.  Furthermore, hearing your idea played back in your own voice can confirm or contradict your original feelings on just how brilliant an idea really is.  I believe that this could make for a fair compromise between you and Nancy.

As for who owes who an apology: It appears to me that Nancy is throwing herself into her work with great fervor - to the point where she is not considering your needs.  For this, she owes you an apology; not only for her poor showing in church but for her attitude towards you at home.  I believe that you owe your wife an apology for losing your temper with her; she is not a child, she is your wife and your equal.  Talking down to her was not right, but understandable considering your lack of sleep.  I suggest you both try to start fresh by offering each other a kiss and a snuggle - or whatever it is you humans do behind closed doors.

Snuggles,
Tazi

P.S.  Nancy might find inspiration in my list of Tazi's Rules for Successful Writing, a compilation of lessons learned from the Writing and Rhetoric professors at the University of Rhode Island!

Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.

Student Dreams Of Being A Successful Writer; Asks Tazi How

Dear Tazi:

I am a senior in high school, and I love to write. It doesn't matter what kind of writing it is (creative or non-fiction, poetry, journalism, short-stories), I just enjoy the creative process and emotional release it offers. I would like to be a professional writer one day; but the problem is, I think I might not be that good of a writer.

My parents have never allowed me to take writing classes as electives, preferring I take extra science and math courses so I have never had any formal training. My school has a literary magazine that is published twice yearly, but my stuff has never been chosen for publication. It is a blind process (the selection committee does not see who wrote what), so I know it is not a popularity contest, with the most popular kids getting their stuff published...I just feel like maybe I am chasing a dream that will never be realized. I could self-publish, but that stuff is done on consignment and I do not want to invest my college money into something that may flop big time.

I will be going to college next year, and I know that the school I will be attending has a required freshman writing class where I can learn what I am doing wrong, but I would like to major in writing and I am just not certain if I am good enough to do it. I love your column, Tazi; it is so creative and is always fun to read. You have mentioned in the past that you sometimes have to re-work the letters for structure, to make them easier to read, and it is obviously working - I have seen your page view map and people from all over the world read your column! Do you have any tips on how I can be a better writer? I have enclosed a few samples of my stuff for you to review, if you don't mind.

Signed,
Future Rowling, Collins, Or Meyer...I Hope!

Dear Future Rowling, Collins, Or Meyer:

Oh, my! You do seem to have an appreciation for current popular fiction! Have you discovered any classic authors yet? My favorite is T.S. Eliot, who wrote about cats. Lloyd Alexander did the same, although his work was geared more towards children. I also enjoy Stephen King - my favorite is Pet Semetary, which features a zombie cat. I am somewhat obsessed with my own kind, as all cats tend to be obsessed with themselves; at least us male cats. Female cats tend to be more nurturing. Speaking of nurturing versus self-centered, my lady friend came by to visit tonight; but I was too busy napping to pay her any mind...but I digress, which happens often when I am writing. I was supposed to address your question, wasn't I?

The above paragraph is an example of my unedited work. Did you notice how I started to ramble off topic? Did you lose interest, because my writing was turning into a self-absorbed soliloquy? I left the above paragraph unedited to show the importance of editing, which is the greater part of successful writing. So often, when we write, we cannot see past our own point-of-view. We fall in love with what we have written and cannot see the need to edit it - we assume that it will be of such great interest to others, too, and declare our first draft to be perfection! So why mess with it, right? Because - to be quite honest - a first draft is something nobody but the writer (and possibly the writer's Grandma) will find fascinating. Most people find a first draft of something confusing or downright uninteresting - both of which can be hard to follow.

Successful writing is like successful cooking - you can't just throw all of your ingredients in one pot, stir, and serve. You have to add the right elements at the proper time, taste-test to make sure you have the right blend, and then walk away to allow the flavors to blend and marinate in their own juices. When you write, you take an idea and work on developing it, adding background to the story-line and deciding on where the plot is going by creating an outline of the story.

As your idea develops, you add the plot points in at the proper time to ensure continuity. Then, when you think you have everything in place, you write a rough draft and then walk away from it, to let it sit and allow your excitement over your creation to dissipate. Return when you feel you can view your work with a critical - but not overly judgmental - eye. You will notice changes that need to be made to make things flow better and to make for a more interesting experience for the reader. Once you finish your second draft, put it aside and then lather, rinse, repeat! If you feel additional changes are not needed, run your work by someone in your potential audience who would be willing to evaluate it and give you constructive criticism; make further edits based upon the comments you receive. As you can see, several drafts may be needed before you reach a final, finished product.

Once you reach your end-point with a particular piece, compare the completed work with the first draft and make notes on what was changed, what was kept, and what was completely eliminated. Over time, you will see a pattern developing and you will be able to learn more about your strengths and weaknesses as a writer, building towards the success you seek.

Do not feel discouraged by the process, or by those who make the process look easy - writers who declare their work to be perfect on the first try and/or who pump out stuff overnight very rarely receive wide, sustained, commercial success for their work. For more tips on commercially successful writing, visit People I Want To Punch In The Throat: My Blogging Advice. By pure chance, her blog today happens to be on how she has managed to successfully (read: go viral and get paid) work as a professional freelance writer.

Snuggles,
Tazi

P.S. with regard to your writing samples: Vampires have been overdone. Try not to stand on the shoulders of giants, but to build your own ladder to reach the stars. The full narratives are somewhat disjointed - especially the two poems you included to start and end of the story. They are obviously quite personal; perhaps a little too personal, as one would have to be able to crawl inside your mind to fully understand their meaning.


Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.

"Perfect Life" Leaves Student Wishing For Writer's Angst

Dear Tazi:

I am a junior in college and I want to be a serious writer but my problem is that my life is too perfect. All the great writers of the world have had major issues, from Emily Dickinson (reclusive, possibly Autistic) to Ernest Hemingway (alcoholic, depression, etc.). I had an amazing childhood; my parents are putting me through school so I don't have any students loans to burden me once I graduate; I have an amazing boyfriend who wants to marry me once I am done with school. I seriously have no major angst from which to draw!

I am seriously thinking of moving into a homeless camp this summer in order to live a life of hardship among people who know how harsh the real world is. My friends all say I am crazy, and my parents are dead set against it, saying that it is too dangerous, but I think I need to see how the other half lives if I am ever going to write a truly amazing novel, one that is destined to become a classic!

I have asked my Writing professors for advice on finding a way to dig deeper into my soul for inspiration, but they have all told me that each person's journey is their own; that rather than looking into my soul I should try looking into another person's soul in order to work on my character development. To me, this is basically telling me to go ahead with my summer plans!

My parents know that I am strong-willed, and have offered to send me to Spain for the summer, to study the footsteps of Hemingway. As tempting as this sounds, I still feel like it is taking advantage of privilege, not adversity. Which path do you think I should take?

Signed,
Future Author

Dear Future Author:

You have been very blessed in life, and I believe that in spite of your complaints about it that you are truly grateful for the opportunities with which life has graced you. While it is true that a lot of great writing has sprung forth from a well of sorrows, not all great writing has been inspired by suffering. Alice in Wonderland, for example, was actually a political satire. Some Historians hold that The Wizard of Oz is a propaganda against the gold standard and in favor of the silver standard (while this is not universally accepted, it does make for some though provoking reading).

To be "mad as a hatter" has historical, as well as literary, meaning

If political theater is not your cup of tea, there is always science fiction - H.G. Wells and Jules Verne are both considered classic writers, with some believing that they were predicting the future of mankind through the guise of fiction. Jules Verne had particular success in this vein - check out 8 Jules Verne Inventions That Came True to see for yourself!

If what you truly want to do is concentrate on the human condition, why not share the stories of those who has suffered as you seek to suffer? You could write non-fiction profiles, or utilize the experiences of many to create a composite character about whom to write. This would satisfy your curiosity about "how the other half lives", satisfy your parents desire to know you are sleeping safely under a roof at night, and allow you to plunge into the depths of another's soul in order to improve upon your character development. For more advice, check out my Tips For Successful Writing, as learned from the University of Rhode Island Department of Writing and Rhetoric. As a Writing student, I am sure you have heard many of them, but it is always good to review and refresh your knowledge!

Snuggles,
Tazi


Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.

Aspiring Journalist Must Learn To Ignore Discouragement

Dear Tazi:

I am a junior in high school and have worked on my school paper since middle school. I love journalism, and my goal in life is to be a professional journalist someday. My classmates all want to work for papers like the New YorkTimes or the Washington Post, but my dreams are a little less…I guess the word is “dry”. My dream is to have a byline with the New York Post.

I love The Post’s over the top style and ability to present the news as it is, with its no holds barred headlines, human interest stories, and awesome celebrity news and photos I think it is one of the more interesting newspapers out there, and I want to be a part of making it all happen!

In the past, my journalism teachers have all been supportive of my dream, but this year’s teacher is not. “Miss Jones” has told me that she only teaches serious journalism students and that the time has long passed for me to give up my “childish dream of working for a tabloid”. I do not consider The Post to be a tabloid newspaper simply because it does not conform to the stuffy image of other newspapers.

I feel like Miss Jones is not being fair to me and am upset that she keeps telling me to set my sights in a “more serious direction”. I feel like she is refusing to take me seriously as a student because my dream doesn't come into focus on her radar. I have tried talking with my academic counselor about the unfair treatment, but it got me nowhere. The counselor told me not to put all of my eggs in one basket, that there are a lot of opportunities out there that I am ignoring by focusing solely on one paper. Tazi, do you think this is true? Should I give up on my dream of one day writing for the New York Post? Or should I follow my heart and accept whatever consequences come my way.

Signed,

Cub

Dear Cub:

My lifelong dream is to one day be famous enough to make it onto Page Six of the New York Post. In my case, the fact that I am far too shy to ever leave my yard and travel to New York makes my dream much less realistic than yours.

Every successful newspaper fills a niche, and while the NewYork Post is not in the same class as the New York Times, it is hardly the WeeklyWorld News. The Post brings people the news in a less pretentious, easy to read manner, and sprinkles it with a style that makes people feel good about themselves for reading the news. I think your goal to be a part of this is quite admirable!

My advice to you is not to give up on your dream, but to steadily work towards that dream. Try starting by writing for your local paper – print or online. Papers from your community newsletter to Patch are always looking for people who are willing to write in return for experience and additions to their portfolio – something like an internship, except without the professional guidance. I also suggest that you speak with your career counselor about internship opportunities. Many of these positions are unpaid, but some offer a stipend and all offer the opportunity to learn from the pros while you work on improving your professional skills.

The New York Post is a very large paper centered in the largest news market in the world; to hope to start your professional career with them would require starting at the very bottom – several steps below where you might start with other, smaller papers and possibly outside the departmental range of where you would like to work. Rather than make your dream job your starting point and set yourself up for disappointment, why not make it a second or even third step in your career? By doing this you will have already proved yourself worthy of the job by climbing your career ladder rung by rung instead of reaching several levels above your current skills. Experience is a wonderful teacher!

Speaking of teachers, I suggest that you ignore your teacher’s criticism. She may mean well, but she cannot predict what future successes or failures await you. Twenty years ago, my Mommie failed Chemistry. Her teacher passed her with a “D” because he felt badly for her and figured she would never be taking another Chemistry class again; she now tutors the subject professionally and works as a Chemistry Laboratory Teaching Assistant.

I wish you much luck, and hope to one day see your byline in the New York Post! Let me know when it happens!

Snuggles,

Tazi

Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.

Tazi's Rules For Successful Writing (As Taught By U of RI!)

Dear Tazi:

I am married to a very successful local author, who has been blessed with enough success that he has been able to quit his day job and work from home as a full-time writer.  Although I am extremely happy for my husband, I am also very jealous.  I, too, am a writer, but not a successful author.  Everything I have ever written, from short stories to a full-length novel, has been met with multiple rejection slips.  Still, I keep plugging on, hoping one day to publish the Great American Novel.  In the meantime, I write copy for a local newspaper.  Our bills are paid and we have money in the bank, but my lack of professional fulfillment is starting to affect our marriage. 

Tazi, I have visited your ghostwriter’s website (I presume she is your Mommie) and was very impressed with the work she has posted there.  Obviously, it is mostly academic, she being a student and all, but it is well researched stuff and very interesting to read – and I don’t even like non-fiction!  Could you tell me her secret to keeping readers interested in what she writes?  It seems to me like my family and friends enjoy what I write at the start, and then lose interest halfway through the piece.  When I ask them what was wrong, they just tell me that they could not follow the story or that my characters lacked depth. 

I wish I had the time to take classes in Creative Writing, but between work and home I do not have the time to commute to the nearest college campus, an hour away from where I live and work.  I suppose it would be an investment in my marriage, but I am afraid the time commitment would leave less and less time available for me to spend with my husband…which right now may be a good thing.  What do you advise, kitty?

Signed,

Struggling

Dear Struggling:

I ran your letter by my Mommie, and she thanks you for your praise!  Like all writers, Mommie loves praise.  (I should give her some praise, too!  Praise!  Praise for Mommie!).  The reason why a lot of what Mommie writes is so interesting is because I dictate to her what to say.  That’s right; the secret to my Mommie’s success is that I, Tazi-Kat, let her know when her work is something that should line my litter-box!

Seriously, my input is only a part of Mommie’s academic success as a writer.  In speaking with her about what makes somebody’s writing interesting, we talked of many things (of ships, shoes, sealing wax; of cabbages and kings) and several points that she has learned in school stood out, including:

Rule #1: Write what you know; but know your audience, as well.  Although this sounds simple enough, the truth of the matter is that many writers choose to write about what they find interesting, even though it may not be of interest to their target audience.  Balance is the key to finding joy in success and success through your joy.

Rule #2: Assume that your audience knows nothing about your subject.  Because writers usually write about what interests them – their passion, if you will – a novice mistake is to leave out vital information, assuming it is common knowledge.  By building your audience’s knowledge you can also build their curiosity – and their continued interest in your work.

Rule #3: Write your thoughts, your every thought, and leave the editing for later.  This is what is called "pre-writing" or a “zero draft”.  By spewing everything onto the written page you will be able to clear your head of all the great ideas you are certain will work for whatever it is you are writing and think clearly about the direction in which you want to head.

Rule #4: Let your work mentally marinate and return to it a few days later.  By letting it sit and coming back to edit it a few days later, you will be able to pick through the truly great ideas and leave the so-so stuff behind. 

Rule #5: Make an outline draft of what you plan on writing.  As your story develops, return to the outline and look for places where more detail is needed and decide what will be plugged in where.

Rule #6: Put yourself in your readers’ shoes.  Look at your drafted work with a critical eye and examine it for shortcomings.  Is your plot developed enough?  Does the story flow from one moment to the next with proper use of segue?  Are the characters both interesting and realistic? 

Rule #7: Never submit a first draft for publication; you are only setting yourself up for failure. Once completed, leave each draft for a few days (see Rule #4) and return to it with fresh eyes for a critical review.  You will be surprised at how many edits you will want to make!

Rule #8: Ask for trusted outside opinions on your completed draft.  Give a copy to someone you know is not afraid to offer you constructive criticism on your writing, and what can be done to make it more interesting for the reader.

Rule #9: Be open to heavy edits to your draft.  I understand that your writing is your baby – you created it, you put your heart and soul into it – and edits can sometimes feel like an amputation, but this is the step that separates the successful writers from the hopefuls. 

Rule #10: Take a class – or several classes – in writing and its many genres.  Not only will you be learning from experts in the field, you will also be granted the opportunity to work with other aspiring writers while developing your own professional processes for success. 

Snuggles,

Tazi

P.S.  Big thank yous to Mommie’s Writing Professors at the University of Rhode Island for teaching her all of these important lessons!

Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.

Tazi's Corner Issue #12: The Sad State of Writing Proficiency in America

Dear Readers:

This week I had a revelation – I CAN have cheeseburger!  What joyous news!

Yes, little brother, you CAN!

While marveling over this wondrous discovery, my light little heart sunk like a balloon as Mommie started reading the newspaper aloud; the story left me both disgusted and chagrined.  It stated that only 27% of junior high and high school students tested“proficient” in writing – and that was with the help of spell-check and the thesaurus feature. This got me to thinking: Do people really think that cats suffer from a lack of grammatical skills so deplorable that we are only capable of LOL speak?  Sorry, I digress; as I have said in the past we cats tend to slip into self-centeredness from time to time.

I do all the grammar and spelling corrections myself!

As I was saying, twenty-seven percent of our future adults are considered to be “proficient” in writing; this means that 83% are below the minimum standard set by educational experts.  I thought about this and a cold shiver ran down my body as I wondered, “Who will be left to write Cat Fancy once this generation of writers retires?”  I immediately looked to my Mommie, pleading with her to pick up the torch, but she thought I was pleading for a treat and ignored me.  Darn diet! 

As Mommie continued to read to me, I started wondering when – and why – the writing abilities of our youth have plummeted to such embarrassingly low levels of proficiency.  Is it the use of word processing programs?  Have they made us dependant upon spelling and grammar checks to catch our every mistake?  Is it because grammar is no longer taught in schools?  Is it instant messaging habits that have taught us to sacrifice quality for speed?  I decided that this issue deserved further investigation, and planned for a field trip.  To the Tazimobile, Mommie – let’s go!

I like to imagine the Tazimobile as being this cool...

As it turns out, the Tazimobile was in the laundry, so I jumped into my Tazi-Sack (a much snugger version of the Tazimobile) and accompanied Mommie to her school, a place dedicated to academic excellence...or so I thought.  On this particular day the library was buzzing with activity – the perfect setting for a kitty-cat to wander about unnoticed!  I chose to hide under the computer stations so I could peek out and view what people were writing; I am sorry that I did, for it was hard to resist the temptation to scream “GOOD G-D, I’M BLIND!”  Here is but one example of some of the stuff I saw:

I gotta diskribe a seen for dis paper, but I don’t kno what to rite about.  I am chillin at da skewl and hopin dat sumthin good will happin to rite about so my teacha won’t flunk me for fukkin dis up.

Where do I start?  First, I apologize for the profanity, if that really is what it is...it’s a little hard to tell, considering that the entire narrative is profane in my eyes.  I realize that I can get a little creative with my spelling (I like to use the Canadian “-ie” ending rather than the American “-y”) but at least I stay within the realm of proper spelling and grammatical canon!  What truly makes me sick is that my Mommie’s school (skewl?) is a college!  I’d had enough of the horrors, and climbed back into my Tazi-Sack head first, offering my opinion of the situation in the form of my rear-view. 

After returning home and begging for some treats to calm my nerves, I did a little first-hand research on the possible causes of America’s lack of grammatical proficiency.  Cozying up to a school-teacher friend Mommie had invited over for coffee, I learned that in many school systems teachers are no longer allowed to grade a paper down for incorrect spelling or poor sentence structure.  “Ummm….upon what criteria is the paper graded?” I wondered?  Thankfully, so did Mommie and ironically, the answer was “material content”.  So spelling and sentence structure are now considered immaterial to the content of a paper?  Apparently so; because, according to Mommie’s teacher friend who prefers to remain anonymous, “Not everyone speaks [proper English] in the home, so [teachers] cannot expect students to understand what is correct and what isn’t; by correcting them we are criticizing their cultural way of speaking.  Or so we have been told”.  Parents, please correct me if I am wrong but wouldn’t you prefer that teachers criticize your “cultural way of speaking” – as well as pants on the ground and backwards hats – than allow your child to enter the working world completely unprepared to succeed? 

Say no to crack!  Pull up your pants!

Song: "Pants on the Ground" by General Larry Platt

  

America’s 27% writing proficiency rate is proof that the current methods are not working.  It’s time to try something new and get back to the basics.  It is time to get real, youth of America.  I have heard that the real world doesn’t care about self-esteem; that’s a lesson that will be harder to take if you spend your formative years in a bubble.  Pay now or pay later.

Snuggles to all,

Tazi


Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.

Wannabe Writer's Work Is More Blah Than Blog

Dear Tazi:

My life partner recently read that now famous Elf On The Shelf blog that went viral and has decided to start blogging in hopes of hitting it big as a writer. The problem is, she has no experience or training as a writer; and is absolutely awful at it! Her blogs are truly abysmal (I have included the web address so you can see for yourself). Her sentence structure is downright pitiful; her spelling is so bad that even spell check can't correct it; and no matter what topic she decides to write about, she rambles on and on without actually making a point.

I want to be supportive of "Joanie's" efforts, and have suggested that she take a few courses at the local community college in order to "polish her craft" but she doesn't take the hint, instead saying that "true writers do not need training; the muse lives inside them". Compounding the situation is the fact that Joanie suffers from issues of low self-worth. Writing this blog has really helped her spirits, so I don't want to crush them by telling Joanie the truth; but every day she checks her "hits" and wonders when her blog is going to go viral. I feel that by not being straight with her I am only adding to the problem. Tazi, do you have any advice on how I should handle the situation? And what kind of training Joanie needs in order to improve as a writer? And on how to make a blog go viral?

Signed,
J.J.

Dear J.J.:

I, too, have read the Elf On A Shelf blog and am a follower of the writer, so I am always glad when I can link to her work (which you can connect to here; just remember to come back to my page when you are done!). As for your life partner's work, I am not linking to it for two reasons: the first is to protect your privacy/identity in case she - or someone she knows - happens to read this column; the second reason is because the writing really is as bad as you say and I do not wish to promote it. I read several blog entries in Joanie's blog, and although I like some of her ideas (especially the one about why it is more fun to eat with a spoon than a fork) she took a long and winding road to her point, and the humor was lost along the way.

Editing for content and length are a few keys to successful writing. You could make these suggestions to Joanie, offering them up as constructive criticism, with the emphasis on constructive. This is one way you could help Joanie follow her dream of becoming a successful blogger. Another suggestion I will offer is for Joanie to lose the 'tude. True writers do need training - and a lot of it - in order to become great writers. It takes more than a great idea to be able to successfully write an interesting essay, which is why colleges and universities offer entire degrees in Writing and Rhetoric. Your suggestion to Joanie that she take a few writing courses at the local community college is an excellent one, and I would continue to encourage her to go that route.

If Joanie feels that she does not need to take courses in writing you can suggest a few courses in Communications or even content specific courses like Writing for the Internet or Online Communications. Blogging is very different than writing for a newspaper or a magazine, and these courses will offer plenty of tips on how to succeed - including what elements to include to help a blog go viral.

As for your question on how to make a blog go viral, there is no one answer - it is a combination of things, including readability; relevance of the topic; media outlet; target audience and where to find them; and a dose of pure luck, which is what I wish you!

Snuggles,
Tazi


P.S. What many readers do not realize is that a lot of people who blog semi-professionally are professionally trained as writers. Every letter I receive gets reviewed for spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure and edited/corrected in order to make them easier for my readers to follow. Some letters - such as yours - need no editing at all; others practically have to be re-written in order to be understood. --T.K.



Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.