Don’t Be a Turkey-Writer!

 

By DiAnn Mills

 

’Tis the season of the turkey. If you savoring the Thanksgiving bird, then you love the season. If you’re the turkey, well not so much. You’ve probably spent the past year hatching ways to disguise yourself—how to disguise yourself or where to hide. For the turkey, I commend his ingenuity. For the turkey-writer, well not so much again. Disguising poor writing habits doesn’t make a good story, nonfiction article, poem, or blog post.

So how can we avoid falling into the category of a turkey-writer and not falling prey to an editor’s ax?

• Fossils indicate turkeys have been around for about 10 million years. A turkey-writer refuses to change with the times and techniques necessary to be successful in the publishing world.
• Not choosing to be a wild turkey-writer. These beautifully colored birds seek to avoid confrontation. Who wants a ho-hum story that is predictable and lacking in conflict?
• A turkey’s eyes are located on opposite sides of its head. While this allows the bird to see two objects at once and have wide vision, for the writer that means plot lines that go nowhere.
• A turkey is missing ears. Instead it has holes behind their eyes. While they have impeccable hearing, a turkey-writer hears everything and can’t focus.
• A turkey doesn’t have a keen sense of smell or taste. They can only discern whether something is sweet, sour, bitter, salty, or acidic. Turkey-writers are a bit lazy. They fail to use all the senses so the reader can experience the story.
• Turkeys are an excellent source of protein and taste good, but what about a full meal? A turkey-writer creates new information, story lines, and information from one manuscript to the next.
• Turkeys have highly sensitive beaks and feet. They prefer no one touches either one. Do I need to say more? A turkey-writer can’t take criticism and interprets suggestions as being stepped on.
• Turkeys eat during most of the daylight hours. Turkey-writers refuse to keep their bodies and minds at peak performance. They opt for junk food, and exercise is off limits.
• Although only the male turkeys gobble, it is a common problem with turkey-writers. These people complain about the industry and make excuses for their non-published work.
• The “turkey trot” was created by observing the short jerky steps of a turkey. Don’t be a turkey-writer and not have a plan and a purpose for your craft.

When the story is complete, the manuscript needs to be carved or edited to ensure the best flavor for readers. Have you decided you’ll be eaten in the publishing world, or are you a smart writer who’s looking forward to eating a turkey?

 Photo by Meelika Marzzarella on Unsplash

 

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists, won two Christy Awards, Golden Scroll Awards, and finalist in the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. DiAnn teaches writing all over the country. Connect here: diannmills.com