Term Lessons

Yep, I've been absent. Not because I'm being lazy, or went on vacation, but well, holidays and my son visiting from California, and finishing up the first term of my Master's degree. I've drafted a few posts, but then forgot to post them. I'm sure you understand. 

Photo by Pixaby, courtesy of Pexels

But it's time to get back into the routine. Here are five things I've learned after finishing my first term (which you can apply to high school or secondary school):

1. It's better to order the MLA citation book rather than try to figure it out online (even with those sites that offer to put it in the right format; you either have to go through your school or pay for it). The book shows you in a simple, easy to understand format how to cite anything. It was well worth the $20 I spent. And surprisingly it's quicker than going the online route.

2. Start reading ahead of time- don't wait until the first day of class (or even the day before). There are novels and articles, videos, and so many other resources that you need to be familiar with just in the first week. If you wait to read, you'll run out of time when you have to write your papers and submit them. 

3. As you read, even the novels, first write down the citation. It's best to keep a Word document with the citations listed in MLA format so when you write your paper, all you have to do is copy and paste the citation. Saves a LOT of time.

4. Also, as you read, take notes on your novels. I use Post-Its with notations on anything that I think is important, like plot twists, characters, etc. Then I do a chapter-by-chapter summary, a few sentences so I can quickly determine where certain information or quotes I need for my papers is located.

5. Print out copies of articles for easier reference. When I have to write a paper, it's easier and quicker to have the articles at hand rather than going back online to access them, even if they are bookmarked. Plus, I can keep them for future use.

Let's see what I'll learn by the end of next term. But I'll be checking in before then.

Char

Tools of the Trade

Or rather, tricks.

Every profession and hobby has little secret ways to do something, a shortcut unknown to the amateur. We on the inside like to keeps these tricks to ourselves- it makes us feel like we're in on the 'know' while others aren't, and it's a big help that we hope gives us an edge.

When I was a house painter (a very short career), I worked with my mom and stepdad in his business. He had all these little tricks that the average homeowner didn't know that helped him be a better painter than they were, which is good for business. Nothing a lay person does looks as perfect as when the pro does it.

One of those tricks was to tint the primer as close as possible to the paint color. Back then, primers and paints were separate- first the primer, then 2 coats of paint were required for a perfect finish. But tinting the primer usually meant you could skip the second coat of paint.

One of my tricks that I'm going to share with you is how to stop in the middle of a writing run, and be able to pick right up when you get back. You've been there; you're writing up a storm, the muse is dictating faster than you can type and you don't want to lose the momentum.

But life intercedes.... Gotta make dinner. Have to go to work. Must take care of kids/parents/pets etc. Some say stop in the middle of a sentence. Sorry, but that just doesn't make sense. How are you to know where you were going in that sentence? It might be obvious if you're in a situation like where the lookout on the Titanic spots the iceberg, or your characters are in the middle of a love scene. Or, if the previous sentence was something like, 'She pulled the gun and aimed right between his eyes.' All these examples pretty much set you up for when you return. However, unexpected breaks in writing sometimes leave you in unexpected places and you won't remember where the plot was marching.

Trick of the trade: First, finish that sentence. (I don't know too many authors who can stop in mid-sentence anyway.) Second, jot down a few sentences about where you're heading on that page. (Sometimes sticky notes get lost or pushed off, so put these notes on the page where you'll pick up.) I think 3 or 4 are good, and you can write them in shorthand like: she shoots, misses. they grapple over gun. gun goes off, him dead. Twelve words, and it feels like at least one chapter. No more guess work, or trying to wrack your brain (what was I thinking here? where was I going?). This is especially helpful during NaNoWriMo when you're attempting to write a whole book in 30 days and you have to get words down whenever you can to stay on track. If you get interrupted numerous times, it's hard to get back in the zone and that's why a few notations on where you're going can be a life/story saver.

Photo courtesy of Start Up Stock Photos by Pexels

Back to revisions... Now where was I....