On the QT | The Official Newsletter of GWA February-March 2016 | Page 21

WRITING

MARY-KATE MACKEY

On deadline? Three quick-time
strategies to improve your writing
Writing for me is a two-hat process. I believe
in the inelegant, but aptly named, “vomit
draft.” First, I put on my writer hat – I picture
mine as a hand-knitted beret with scruffy
faded colors. Then, I bang away. Might be
brilliant, probably not; it doesn’t matter. Until
my ideas arrive in the material world, I’ve
got nothing to work with. But after a draft
appears, no matter how rough, I don my more
elegant editor hat—perhaps it’s a sharp felt
cloche, blocked and shaped.
Whether you wear your hats separately or concurrently, if you find yourself on deadline with a
shaggy draft, these three editing strategies are
guaranteed to move you forward – fast. The first
one calls for big-picture thinking. The other two
use simple mechanics.

Define the essence of your piece and your
editing task becomes easier. Here’s how: Break
your idea into two parts – the subject and the
slant. Make a fill-in-the-blank sentence – In my
article about ________ (subject), I am saying
that _________ (slant). For instance, In my article
about plants with gray-green foliage (subject), I
am saying that the color unites all the disparate
plantings throughout this homeowner’s garden
(slant). Now you can cut away – or change – all
writing that doesn’t support that sentence.
This simple fill-in-the-blank also comes in handy
when pitching an idea to an editor. Or use it
to create a title – “The Magic Touch of Gray/
Green.” It may not be your final title, but it helps
you stay on target – or notice when you stray.
And please, resist anything with 50 shades in it.

#2. POWER UP YOUR VERBS
Switching out verbs punches up your copy. First
go through and mark every verb – I like to use a
printout for this. Then, go back and notice how
many are some variation of the “to be” verb.
These ancient verb forms – linguists know they’re
old because they’re so irregular – are acceptable,
but tend to generate a flat tone. You might need
some but you can change others.
Often these small verbs are coupled with there
or it. For instance, There were five rows of kale
across… See if you can replace the were with a

more active choice – Five rows of kale marched /
danced / wandered / straggled ac