Our Ottawa Christian Writers’ Fellowship’s Facebook page’s new Writing Tip of the Day feature – Denyse O’Leary

One must apply to join the group here.

But here are some recent tips, for either technique or marketing:

1. Writing tip of the day: Words for sounds, fiction and non

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From Reference for Writers: bang, bark, beep, bellow, blare, blast, bleat, bong, boom, bray, buzz, cackle, cheep, chime, clack, clank, clap, clatter, clink, cluck, clunk, crack, crackle, crash, creak, dingdong, drop, drumming, fizz, glug, gnashing, gobble, grating, growl, grumble, gurgle, hiss, hoot, howl, hum, jingle, jangle, kachink, knock, mew, moan, mod, murmur, ... zap

http://referenceforwriters.tumblr.com/post/51422933610/word-list-taste-smell-sound

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Explore this list and others, linked, before you decide to go with a word that doesn’t sound quite right.

2. Writing tip of the day: New Christian Writers’ Manual of Style (Zondervan 2016) http://www.zondervan.com/the-christian-writer-s-manual-of-style-2 https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Writers-Manual-Style-4th/dp/0310527902

Now in its fourth revised edition, The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style provides answers to writers’, editors’, and proofreaders’ most pressing questions about language, style, and usage, focusing on the particular issues involved in religious writing. US$34.99

3. Our Christmas gathering: Dear Christian Friend, You, your family, and friends are cordially invited to attend Festive Fundraiser 2016, at the home of Honorary David Kilgour, in Rockcliffe on December 6, 2016, 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm.

The entertainment features a biblical dramatization by David Kitz, surprises, beautiful music, refreshments, decadent desserts, engaging fellowship, and an enchanting ambiance. Donations are gratefully accepted on behalf of The Word Guild, Canada’s Christian writers’ association.

Our local focus is building a community of Christian writers in our nation’s capital, which include teaching, mentoring, and raising seed money for our popular annual conference. We would love to meet you for an evening of merriment, so mark your calendars now and see you then. Reply to: ocwffundraiser@gmail.com

Sincerely yours,

David Kitz Ottawa Christian Writer’s Fellowship - a Chapter of The Word Guild - Building a community of Christian writers in our nation’s capital

Join the Word Guild: Discover the writer in you

4. Writing tip of the day: The art of understatement, fiction and non

Saying more by saying less, from Carmel Bird:

-- “It is seldom advisable to tell all.” —The Elements of Style by Strunk & White

One of the most useful and powerful devices for the fiction writer is understatement. You tell the reader less so that the reader knows more. Instead of having everything spelt out, the reader is given, in a very careful way, just enough information for the imagination to go to work. From understatement the reader can derive great pleasure and satisfaction. https://janefriedman.com/understatement/
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5. Writing tip of the day: Christian market online newsletter here: (It’s a curious fact that many people who want to succeed in various fields do not read industry news Yet that IS the news that matters to their own proposed futures.)
http://cbaonline.org/?wysija-page=1&controller=email&action=view&email_id=18&wysijap=subscriptions&user_id=1940

6. Writing tip of the day: Everyone is familiar with Groaner Boy, the guy who is always coming out with puns on some typical statement someone made - a charmless way of drawing attention himself.

On the other hand, puns are used in serious literature and sometimes even in the Bible: http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=755777

From Matt Willard at Indie Writers: Make Your Writing Funny – Using (And Not Abusing) Puns

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I spilled spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.

This pun has a double effect - not only does it play with an alternate meaning of the phrase "spot remover", but it can also create a mental image of this guy pouring something on his dog and making it disappear. Note that the alternate meaning of "spot remover" is imaginary. That's perfectly okay - the best jokes often break the rules of reality and logic. http://allindiewriters.com/make-your-writing-funny-using-and-not-abusing-puns/

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The main question is, is the pun worth it?

Join the Word Guild: Discover the writer in you https://thewordguild.com/join/membership/