I write daily, mostly in the morning, while I drink my morning tea. I have different blogs. When I have finished reading a delightful book, I may review the book and post my thoughts on nooshasblog.blogspot.com. Each Wednesday, I post a letter of appreciation on my gratitude-girl blog, gratigi.blogspot.com. Every day, I add a short post to my blog afarinrava.blogspot.com: a motivational quote, a grammar feature, a line from one of my books, a photo, or a review of one of my books. If I have a work in progress, I spend at least half an hour writing or editing that.
“If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
Stephen King
I have written and published three books, all memoirs, and each has taught me a great deal about book writing. Fully aware that my books hardly near a perfect book, I have tried to do my personal best every time, and I hope that enough practice will help me improve my work and allow me to produce a work that approaches the ideal writing and reading experience.
I began writing when I first learned to trace the letters of the alphabet and form words, at the age of six, but writing to publish — which happened first when I became an editor and later when I published my own work — trained me to look at a book from a reader’s point of view. With that added perspective, I try to avoid all the nuisances I experience and to implement all I enjoy as an avid reader. I consider it my responsibility to the reader.
Author Responsibilities
Fonts & Spacing
I edit books for a living, and my hobbies include reading and writing. All of that takes a toll on my eyes, so I no longer buy, borrow, or read books with small print: I like large fonts. I also like to have enough space between the lines on a page. Why add pressure on my eyes? And why do that to my readers?
Chapter Length
Books that have short chapters work better for me as a reader. I prefer putting a book down after I complete a chapter to leaving it in the middle of a chapter, and with my busy schedule, I like books with shorter chapters better.
Cover
The cover of a book should be attractive, but it should also be related to the content in a way. I have seen book covers that attract attention just for the sake of attracting attention and that have nothing to do with the message of the book.
These constitute only three aspects of book writing that make the reading experience more enjoyable for the reader. Authors have more important responsibilities to their readers, two of which I value the most: honesty & clarity.
Honesty
“Good writing can be defined as having something to say and saying it well.”
Edward Abbey
I enjoy reading most genres but find myself spending more time on nonfiction, and mostly on memoirs. In a memoir, I want the author to be honest, and not just with the reader. I have read personal accounts in which the author assigns blame to everyone and takes no responsibility for anything. That does not work for me. I want the author to admit they have made a mistake, to take responsibility for their actions, to learn a valuable lesson, and to teach me, the reader, that lesson.
Clarity
Clear communication requires correct grammar and specific word choice.
“It’s not wise to violate the rules until you know how to observe them.”
T.S. Eliot
Grammar refers to all the rules that form the entire system and structure of a language, including punctuation.
Word choice refers to the use of precise language that conveys the exact intended message.
Without grammar rules and the right vocabulary in a written work, the reader will not have experience the clarity needed for proper communication. The best writers master the language they write in. Those who may not have the tools (knowledge and experience) to revise their work properly should hire an editor to ensure their writing follows all the grammar rules and transfers the right meaning to the reader. All writers should have their work proofread.
I find it useful to put the manuscript aside for a month and re-read it with fresh eyes. It helps the author discover the holes and inconsistencies in their writing. The author may also find sentences that they could have expressed in a better way, more effectively and/or more concisely, and rewrite them.
A suitable amount of editing results in a well-organized, consistent, and coherent piece of writing, free from mistakes and errors, which flows well from beginning to end. I would appreciate such a work as a reader, so I hope to, one day, create such a work as a writer.
