However, perhaps I shouldn’t be so self-conscious and deprecating of my chosen path, especially when it maybe wasn’t much of a choice. Just as my sister was always destined to become a nurse (which she’s incredible at), I think I was always going to be a writer. It could have come from growing up across from a library, visiting there every day, and eventually working there for two years in high school. It could have come from my mother reading aloud to my sister and I nearly every day when we were children. I definitely had the childhood for a writer, but then again, so did my sister. There was something different, then, that drove me to pick up a pen throughout my life every time I was upset or ecstatic or bored, and eventually drove me to major in writing.

A lot of my writing teachers talk about feeling the need to write, the burning for it; how they write because they must to survive. And I get worried because I’m not always sure I feel that. I get paranoid that maybe I’m just writing because my mom’s always told I’m good at it. Maybe I was really meant to be a dancer, or a marine biologist, like I wanted when I was 9. Or a unicorn, like I wanted when I was 5.

However, I don’t always feel most of my primal urges. I don’t always want to eat, or sleep- okay, maybe those are bad examples for a college student. But as many times as I feel my well of creativity as dried up, there have also been times where the only way I was going to stop typing was if my fingers fell off, because I just had too much to say. Inspiration may wax and wane, but I believe the heart of a writer is always true, whether or not they know it, and whether or not a difficult industry may discourage them.

Just as Sandor said, we write to communicate and to communicate well, and we also write because we have to share our common human experiences. That’s why, when one of my sister’s dearest patients passed away, she was compelled to write an essay about it. For my sister and I, as well as millions of others, there is a therapy in writing that can be found in few other places. I hope you keep this in mind when you write creatively; that while it’s good to stay mindful of your audience, you’re also writing for you. Let what other people think influence your third or fourth draft, but let that first one be yours. After all, that’s what editors are for!

From Cambridge Editors,

Katie (the one the right)

Well I’m here to right a wrong, and make clear an issue that a lot of people tend to take for granted.  When it comes to the many skills that people can choose to hone in order to make themselves a desirable candidate for almost any professional career, writing is by far the most useful.  And this isn’t my own humble opinion either, when you compare the number of science students being accepted to top medical schools to the number of english and philosophy students being accepted to top medical schools, the results may surprise you.  English majors beat out the science majors every year.  Why is this the case?  The answer good reader, is writing.

Writing is crucial to our everyday lives and professions.  In any endeavor you might undertake:  a term paper, a dissertation, a novel, or even a project proposal, writing takes precedence as the key medium through which we communicate our ideas.  True, being a well spoken individual is impressive, but writing is by far a more demanding form of expression than verbal communication.  You probably have experienced this first hand, what seems like an incredible idea will pop into your head and you will try to convey it verbally.  Now try and write down that idea and try to be as clear and concise as possible.  You’ve probably found that once you sit down at your desk, or wherever you do most of your work, your idea, which was once so clear and well thought out, is suddenly muddied with vague assertions and half baked phrases that you thought would sound great on the page. Still don’t believe me? Well how about another example.

Tape record a conversation you have with one of your friends, or even better, Turn on CNN or FOX, or MSNBC.  Write down word for word what the newscasters or you and your friend say. The result will be an incoherent babble of ambiguous buzzwords that carry little to no meaning.

The truth is unavoidable. Writing simply demands a higher level of cognitive thinking to produce clear and concise ideas, that no other form of expression requires.  Because of this undeniable truth, everyone, and I mean everyone, should know how to write.  Not just for professional purposes, but so that we can better understand each other as human beings.  Who are we? What do we believe? What do we want?  It’s crucial that the answers to these fundamental question are clear to everyone, which means that when it comes to intelligent and humane discourse good writing is the cement holding the building together.

Stay active, writers.

CambridgeEditors

Sandor Mark

Often my writer’s block comes out of an impatience; a desire to express an excess of ideas and emotions urgently! The ideas are without definition. They are disorganized, and there doesn’t seem to be a clear starting point for the project, let alone a readable path for it to follow. Often, designing a project with rules can help to get ideas flowing because you can focus on the rules of the game, rather than the overwhelming sense of not knowing where to begin. You begin with the rules!

Here are two projects that often help me to shake loose these thoughts from the unreachable tangle, and to begin to organize them:

1. Write a letter. Ideas seem to flow more easily when the writing takes the voice of a speaker in conversation. The letter can be addressed to a real person, but it doesn’t have to be. You can write it to one of your characters if you are creating a fictional world. You can write it to your sister. You can write it to an inspiring figure; one who you would love to share your ideas with, if you had the chance. Whomever you address your letter to, I think you will find that writing about your project, or about the themes that your project is focused on, will help you focus. The most salient ideas will condense in your mind as you write your letter. You’ll be able to understand your thoughts more fully; to write about them more accurately, and with more assurance. Sometimes it is just easier to express your ideas to a person, imagined or real, rather then to the potentially massive hypothetical and judgmental audience that your finished work will eventually be read by. The letter is really a workshop, or discussion with yourself, on the topic which you wish to write about.
2. Blackout Poetry. This project works especially well in writing poetry, but it could potentially be applied to other forms of writing as well. In this exercise, you find a newspaper or magazine article, maybe even a page from an old book that you don’t mind writing in. First I read through the text, marking words that I find interesting or pertinent to my theme on a scrap piece of paper. (The association can be loose! The idea is to make connections between your idea and the words on the page!) Then you slowly work through the text, blacking out words with a pen or marker, and leaving some visible, until you are left with a (sometimes rather abstract) piece of writing composed out of the writing of the original found text. This method of extracting my idea out of found text often helps me to solidify my thoughts on the subject, and opens me up to expressing my own idea in ways (and words!) that I never would have thought to otherwise.

Below I have attached a sample of a Blackout Poem that helped me compose a series of poems about the sun, and the fractal qualities that permeate nature, and sometimes, our relationships.

Poem that emerges:

I painted a dusty spiral.

Spiral.
The way seeds are distributed
within the head of a sun:

nautilus temples
to order their pictorial spaces,
satisfying in this shape.

*

Slowly in his chair
he notes natives deserting
their myths.

With his own strange demons
loss occurs daily.

I don’t think I felt this relation more acutely.
I just kept the feeling
on warm rocks.

*

There was a meteor
that certain philosophers thought
but couldn’t feel.

I sympathized with
all of nature,

so attracted to
the Nile:
universal glue-
parallel in every man.
The basic particle
groping after

invisible familiarity
first leans forward
toward a back, covered,
abstract.

*

He needs
character of the plant.
Drawing on my own
ample
stalk
of rhythm
he introduced me,
he forced me
at its texture.

He turns,
folds his hands in his lap.

From CambridgeEditors,

Alex

Now, I’ve heard some people say that they don’t believe in writer’s block. These people are somehow blessed with the self-discipline to sit down in front of their computer or notebook at a certain time every day (probably before noon, too), and stand up a few hours later having produced a considerable amount of decent, solid material. I imagine that these people also actually floss after every meal and remember to change their Brita filters however often people are supposed to do that.

However, I do believe in writer’s block, and not just because there’s a Wikipedia page on it. No, fellow writers and readers, I’ve been there. Whether it’s an essay due in 4 hours or a certain story that just won’t come out, I’ve definitely had those moments where I start to wonder if repeatedly hitting my head on the keyboard might be more productive.

Whenever I get that feeling while trying to begin some creative writing, I usually turn to the internet for some inspiring, (and most importantly) free prompts, and I thought I would share some of what I’ve found. Kathy Steffen over at The How To Write Shop wrote an article a couple of months ago about getting over that “getting started” hurdle, and here are some of the prompts she came up with, for either fiction or nonfiction:

1. Write about waiting for a baby to come
2. Write about a birth
3. Write about being a child at the turn of the century. Next, a child in 1920. 1930? 1940? 1950? 1960? You get the idea…
4. Write about going to school for the first time
5. Write about a teen-age fan and the icon they adore (person, character, movie, etc.)
6. Write about a dance in a gym
7. Write about a first date
8. Write about a first kiss
9. Write about a party
10. Write about a graduation (high school, college, beauty school, driving school, etc.)
11. Write about a wedding
12. Write about a marriage
13. Write about a breakup
14. Write about a divorce
15. Write about a family reunion
16. Write about waiting for death
17. Write about fighting death
18. Write about a death
19. Write about the morning of a funeral
20. Write about a family ritual

The life events listed above tend to be changing points in a person’s life, moments full of drama and urgency, and as such writing about them can imbue your prose with the same qualities. Write about yourself or a character of yours, and don’t get tangled up in concerns about whether it’s the beginning of something larger or if it’s going where you want it to; just keep writing! Because when you’re a rich and famous author, you can always pay someone to buy your Brita filters for you.

From Cambridge Editors,

Katie

Laura Paquette holds an MA in Writing and Publishing from Emerson College. She has written for publications such as New England Film, e-how.com, and Step-by-Step Marketing. She has also worked as an editorial assistant for the non-profit magazine Teen Voices, which encourages young women to think about the role of media in their lives. While receiving her BA in English Literature, she completed a thesis on Shakespeare’s progressive use of jealousy and served as head intern at campus publishing house, Fiction Collective 2.

Katie Walsh

You may remember me from such well known works as the “January Inspiration” post I did two days ago! As before, I’m a senior writing undergraduate from Emerson College with a minor in psychology, which makes me a blast at parties. I’m a fan of old movies, Jackie Chan, big dogs, and books of all varieties, from graphic novels to Victorian literature. I’m excited to be here at CambridgeEditors and looking forward to helping out wherever I can!

Alex Beuscher

I graduated from Connecticut College in 2010 with a degree in English Literature. I moved to Cape Cod for a year during which I taught art classes to female inmates at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility. After traveling through Southeast Asia for several months, I have recently settled here in Cambridge. I am an occasional poet, and an animal lover. I make ceramic sculpture mostly inspired by animals and skeletons.

Sandor Mark

I am a Junior at Boston University, studying English and Philosophy.  In addition, I am an executive member of the Boston University Literary society and the Vice President of the BU Writers Workshop.  Although I grew up in New York, Boston has become the fertile soil of my literary destiny and education. Some of my interests include, spontaneously reciting lines from Woody Allen movies, trying to grow facial hair that can rival Ernest Hemingway’s beard, and old typewriters.  It’s great to be here at Cambridge Editors!

I’m one of Cambridge Editors’ new interns, Katie! I’m an undergraduate writing major at Emerson College with a focus in non-fiction, and I’m looking forward to/dreading graduation in May of this year. I’m also a bit of a social media enthusiast (which is the fancy term for someone who specializes in whiling away hours online), so you might be seeing me posting here from time to time.

Anyway, today I thought I’d let you know about our current January special we have for all those creative types out there: a 10% discount for professional assistance with your memoir, novel, short-fiction, or any other creative writing! So if you’ve made New Year’s resolution to finally start that book of poetry, now might be the time; it’ll probably be easier than keeping that “healthy eating” promise we all make to ourselves every year. Just email us at harte@cambridgeeditors.com, describe your project, and mention the special for your 10% off!

For some inspiration, here’s the always-entertaining Stephen Fry with his thoughts and feelings on language:

So, as Oscar Wilde said, leave us to “tidy up the woulds and shoulds, wills and shalls, thats and whiches, etc.,” so you can get back to enjoying the language!

From Cambridge Editors,

Katie

The summer has brought along a (thankfully) large number of new inquiries, and we are currently meeting with authors across a truly broad spectrum of disciplines. We helped two of our ESL clients rework their dental school applications. One woman’s story had begun in rural India, the other’s in South Korea by way of New Zealand.

On the more technical side of things, we collaborated with a budding neurobiologist to ensure that his book chapter, on iron’s role in strokes, was absolutely perfect for publication.

On the creative side of things, we just finished edits on an author’s personal experiences with 9/11. The volume of poems, orginally written ten years ago, will appear in print this fall. We are currently reading a set of short stories, to be gathered in a collection, and several chapters of a Cambridge-area professor’s novel.

We met with one of our clients from MIT Sloan to perfect his business pitch for a new website to revolutionize online transactions. Equally creative was the search for the right name for his forthcoming, gamechanging website.

To check in on the changes, visit our website and our blog, and feel free to contact us at editors@CambridgeEditors.com, or (617) 876-2855.

We here at CambridgeEditors are proud to announce some exciting new revisions to our staff:

Anna Hofvander, our new Managing Editor! She is studying English and Philosophy. She has the habit of using outdated phrasing and drinking a lot of tea (Earl Grey being her favorite). She has a serious sweet tooth.

And although Robert Louis Stevenson said of editing, “There is but one art, to omit,” we’ve actually decided to add two new interns here!

Judy Norton is a senior at Regis College and looks forward to earning her bachelor’s degree in Communications this spring. She enjoys literature, expanding her already roomy music library, and writing. She shares with Jason a love for dinosaurs, and couldn’t live without Pablo Neruda or (as a lifelong resident of Allston, Ma.) the Boston Red Sox.

Last night, with the help of our new staff, we met with students and alumni of theHarvard Extension School for their Spring Employer Networking Night. It was a pleasure to meet the many young and diverse professionals who had an interest in Cambridge Editors. For those of you who were able to attend, thank you for stopping by to learn a little more about our company and the services we have to offer.

We look forward to updating the blog weekly with news, updates, grammar tips, and more, so check back soon!

When revising or editing a manuscript for publication, decide first upon your Audience. This topic is so significant that it requires some specific attention.

Questions to Ask Yourself:

Are you writing to satisfy a course or degree requirement?

Who are your readers?

Are you aiming at a wider educated audience, a wider academic audience, or are you hoping your manuscript will have commercial appeal? Those that have larger commercial appeal tend to have a wider, more general audience.

Content

The more general the audience, the more accessible the material will be. This normally means simply filling in background material which is obvious to insiders.

Language

The wider the hoped for audience, the more press you hope to get, then the more attention-getting you must be. Do not take this the wrong way! The more press you hope to garner, the jazzier, and savvy you must render your language, including references to popular culture.

Give the narrative as a whole a sense of currency by incorporating current news obsessions, object references, and recent trends. I encourage building a rapport, through word choice, with your younger readers, while never compromising your personal stance, voice or viewpoint.

In summary

Be sure to visualize your audience whenever you write, and certainly when you rewrite, with publication in mind. Fill in information which you could safely assume the specialized would know, bringing it up from the footnotes and smoothly weaving it into the explication. How much you explain, how much background you offer, should depend on how closely the wider audience resembles your first readers.

 

By Dr. Weiner, Lead Editor