Writing Best Practices

This best practices post is a component of the PIP Program which is being developed with the intention of combating any mainstream stigma associated with self, or independent, publishing that exists in the market place.

We have created this post to gather input on criteria associated with this topic and its place within the PIP certification process.

We would like to encourage you to contribute your opinion, advice, and expertise on this subject, as a way to help the independent publishing community establish a qualitative process of evalutation for the PIP Program.

If you are interested in contributing to other topics associated with independent publishing, please visit the PIP index and do not hesitate to participate by contributing to those topics that are of interest to you:http://www.spannet.org/page/pip-input-criteria

To read, or critique, the current PIP statement of purpose, visit: http://www.spannet.org/group/PIPcertification/forum/topics/pip-stat...

Tags: Best, Independent, PIP, Practices, Professional, Publishing, Self, help

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Permalink Reply by Bradley Flora on June 14, 2011 at 1:36pm

To start the off this thread I would like to share an essay on the "rules" of writing by Adam Haslett:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/8c60799c-24e2-11e0-895d-00144feab49a.html...

I am sharing this essay because it does a good job of illustrating the evolution of both the teaching of written skills and the art of writing as they progressed throughout the 20th century.

In a nutshell, the bluntness and straightforward nature as encouraged by the college elite grew into an earthy saturation of prose, in which proper use of language was only defined by the rhythmic cadence of emotionally elucidated sentences.

That's me trying to take an aprox. 1200 word essay on modern writing style and distill it into a single sentence. Personally, I recommend you read the article (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/8c60799c-24e2-11e0-895d-00144feab49a.html...), because it does have a number of very good examples that break down modern prose and illuminate a number of writing styles.

Permalink Reply by Bradley Flora on July 6, 2011 at 1:33pm

A Best Practice for any writer, but especially for any fiction writer, is to read Stephen King's On Writing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Writing

In this non-fiction book, King autobiographically charts his rise as an author while also documenting his own writing best practices.

I recommend it in this context not just for King's list of writing do's and don'ts, but also for how it can impact your own perspective on writing, and help you to grow as an author.

King does a good job of illustrating the difference between good writing, and from his perspective, bad writing.

I think that this book can help any author, further develop, and mature, their narrative voice.

Permalink Reply by Bradley Flora on September 3, 2011 at 7:32am

For those times when you get writers block, have trouble getting in the flow, or are struggling to document a particular concept or narrative, SPAN member Wolf Hoelscher, shares with us his blog post 7 Tips for Getting Back Into the Habit of Writing, which offers great advice for those looking to stimulate their writing process.