About Writing Right Series

Here's everything you always wanted to know about the mechanics of writing right but were afraid to ask. Or questions you asked on the Internet and received gibberish in return. Or questions you asked but never received any reply at all. Finally, here are the honest, unvarnished, authoritative responses to questions from writers around the world from one of the leading grammatical authorities and most widely published authors, teachers, editors, and book doctors working today. True, the Internet is a prolific source of information. But it's not always reliable or accurate, and people who look to it for answers often come away frustrated and disillusioned.   Recognizing that the need for precise information has never been greater, the author draws upon half a century of know-how and experience to provide honest, relevant answers to questions such as how to beat "writer's block," how to get motivated to write, how to create a dynamic opening line, and how to find a literary agent or publisher. He talks about self-publishing and marketing; locating a good professional editor, and writing efficiently and effectively. He brings unique and wide-ranging experiences to the table, drawing upon his years as a book, magazine, and newspaper editor as well as a college-level instructor of everything from analytic grammar and business correspondence to Creative Writing Workshop. He has edited, ghostwritten, and book-doctored for numerous major celebrities, politicos, and corporate scions while conventionally publishing more than 90 books of his own. He has fielded questions from all major social media and Websites from Bella Online and The Authors Guild to Pen America and many North American newspapers for decades. As one of his students remarked, "If D. J. doesn't have an answer, the question doesn't exist."   Fascinating reading and invaluable information--that's what The Mechanics of Writing Right has to offer. Broken down into easily assimilated Q&A's, it's a classic resource, an invaluable reference work, and a sheer joy for writers and readers of all backgrounds and ages.

Here's everything you always wanted to know About Writing Right but were afraid to ask. Or questions you asked on the Internet and received gibberish in return. Or questions you asked but never received any reply at all. Finally, here are the honest, unvarnished, authoritative responses to questions from writers around the world from one of the leading grammatical authorities and most widely published authors, teachers, editors, ghostwriters, and book doctors working today. The Internet is a prolific source of information. But it's not always reliable or accurate, and people who look to it for answers often come away frustrated and disillusioned. Recognizing that the need for precise information has never been greater, the author draws upon half a century of know-how and experience to provide honest, relevant, and unbiased answers to questions such as how to beat "writer's block," how to get motivated to write, how to create dynamic promotional copy, how to write an effective letter, how to create memorable characters, how to generate a gripping opening line, and how to find a literary agent or publisher. He also discusses self-publishing and marketing, locating a good professional editor, and writing efficiently, bringing unique and wide-ranging experiences to the table. Drawing upon his years as a book, magazine, and newspaper editor as well as a college-level instructor of everything from analytic grammar and business correspondence to Creative Writing Workshop, he is a gifted editor, ghostwriter, and book-doctor for numerous major celebrities, politicos, and corporate scions while conventionally publishing more than ninety books of his own. He has fielded questions from all major social media and Websites from Bella Online and The Authors Guild to Pen America and many North American newspapers. As one of his students remarked, "If D. J. doesn't have an answer, the question doesn't exist." Fascinating reading and invaluable information–that's what About Writing Right offers. Broken down into easily assimilated chapters, it's a classic resource, an invaluable reference work, and a sheer joy for writers and readers of all backgrounds and ages.

In writing, "structure," or the physical form that a piece of writing takes, varies depending upon style, choice of words, storyline, and author skill. Yet, all writing includes structure. It forms the framework of the written piece, in much the same way as a foundation, rough framing, and roof trusses form the framework of a building. An author employs the elements of plot, setting, characters, and theme to define the structure of a written piece. Going back to ancient Greece and its three-act tragedy, structure has a beginning, a middle, and an end. A modern short story, for example, follows that basic narrative construction. The author introduces a plot, creates a crisis, presents a turning point, and provides a resolution. A novel, which is far longer, includes more descriptive and explanatory passages to paint with a broader stroke, but it still contains a beginning, a middle, and an end. Many different elements go into determining the structure, or the physical appearance, of a piece of writing. Length is one of them. Under 10,000 words, and a fictional piece is considered a short story. Under 50,000 words, and it's a novella. Over 50,000 words (or 60,000, depending upon who's doing the labeling), it's a novel. Each structure employs the use of characters and their development throughout the work, the sustainability of plot, the placement of individual scenes, the author's choice of words (which also comes under the auspices of "style"), along with other elements. Audience is one more element in structure: Is the book written for a general adult audience (an adult trade book) or juveniles? For a scientific or technical audience or students? A book's intended audience plays a significant role in determining its structure, what elements the author should include, where to put them, and how to develop the work. From novel to self-help book, from biography to business correspondence, using appropriate structure marks the difference between a successful writer and a miserable failure. Author/educator D. J. Herda answers some of the most significant structure-related questions plaguing writers since ancient times.

When I began writing back in the Dark Ages, I never understood the phrase, "the business of writing." To me, writing was the last thing in the world I wanted to do as a business. It was far more glamorous than that. It was far more poetic and esoteric and exotic. Writing to me was what it is to many young writers just starting out: a chance to express your creative spirit without bounds. And a chance to win admiring glances from the opposite sex, too, of course. I must confess: I haven't met a woman yet who isn't somewhat impressed with a man who writes for a living. And vice-versa, I'm sure. So, there is something otherworldly about an author, something alluring, charming, frightening, and mysterious. But those things are all the part of writing that's visible from the outside. From the inside, it's more like unbelievably tight deadlines, paltry compensation, and cranking out material you couldn't have dreamed of tackling a couple years ago—all because someone agreed to pay you a few bucks to do so. Ahh, welcome to my world. My writing world. My real world of what writing is all about when you decide to turn your passion into a day-to-day quest for survival. You've seen those nature shows filmed in Africa where the poor, wily gazelle falls prey to the hungry gaze of a lioness or hyena or some other savage predator. Well, meet the gazelle. Except that the real gazelle at least has a herd of compatriots to which it may hope to steer the wolf at the door. Writers work alone. True, not many freelance writers are successful enough at their craft to make writing a full-time career. But I have been blessed, although not without some painful missteps. My first trek into the world of full-time freelancing came when I was still in my twenties and had just quit my job as a magazine editor. Three months later, I had cranked out a book, received the second half of my advance, and felt pretty good about life in the fast lane. Until I realized that I had nothing else in the pipeline, and my funds would be gone in a matter of weeks. Back I scurried to the real world—to newspaper writing and teaching at a local college. I couldn't wait to get a chance to venture into the icy waters again, convinced that the next time, I would have a backup project sold before I finished my main project and then a backup to the backup and so on. Full-time freelance writers have to be flexible and plan ahead. Oh, we're still romantic and alluring and mysterious and like to fly by the seat of our pants. At least, we are when we sit down, turn on our inner selves, and begin working our magic. For the rest of the day, the week, the year, though, we have to be a little more practical, put our business beanies on, and scratch around the scorched earth to make a living just like everyone else. And, let me tell you, it ain't easy! Fortunately, I'm a fast learner. Today, I enjoy a career as a freelance writer uninterrupted by side trips down Editing Lane and Teaching Boulevard. I also picked up some invaluable pointers on how to write to succeed. How to write to stay alive. How to write to prosper. In this, the third part in the series, "About Writing Right," I share what I've learned about the business side of writing—the publishing, marketing, and legalities end of the business. It's all the invaluable stuff writers hate thinking about let alone putting into practice. Invaluable stuff? I know that's a formidable phrase, but the questions I've received over the years from amateurs and professionals alike tell me it's justified. If you can think of a query even remotely related to the business side of the craft/art/glory of writing, I've already heard it. And now, responded to it.

The final book in the "About Writing Right" four-book series, Volume 4 offers one of the least tapped and largest sources of information on writing right: the author's personal experience. If anyone sets out to be an author at the age of 14 or 15 and makes a go of it for the next half-century and then some, he has some stories to tell. And some information to impart. And some inspiration to share. In this book, D. J. Herda offers all that and more. Based upon his years of teaching various writing courses and Creative Writing Workshop, plus publishing, editing, and ghostwriting experiences, he is the ultimate source of information available in this book for the first time ever. Here you'll find tips on writing, editing, publishing, marketing, self-publishing, landing a top literary agent, and much more from a ninety-book author who has spent half a century in the industry. Are there really secrets in the pages to come? Yes—some never revealed before. And everything you read about here, as well as in the other "About Writing Right" series books, is one hundred percent accurate and based upon first-hand experience and relentless investigation. No hunches masquerading as truths. No realities hiding behind suppositions. As Sgt. Joe Friday used to say on the old television series, Dragnet: "Just the facts, ma'am. Just the facts." Read what the author has to share based upon some of the thousands of questions asked of him over the years. Read, enjoy, learn, and prosper.