I have customers who don’t have their computer files in logical order. Some of them haven’t even set up folders. I think it’s important to have folders, subfolders, etc. so you can find the files on your computer when you need them. I also have an external hard drive that I plug into my computer and back up my files on every so once in a while (I suppose more often than that would be better but…). Once in a while I go through and delete the files and folders on my hard drive that I am not using. I have the comfort of knowing they are backed up on my external hard drive, so if I need something I deleted I know where to go to get it. When I buy a new computer, I transfer ONLY the files I need from my external hard drive over to my new computer. That way I am starting fresh.

There are certain things though that I want to have a hard copy of, so I print those out and put them in one of my three file cabinets. Remember when we switched from 3 1/2 inch floppies to CDs? I know I have several old books I wrote that are still on those, and I wish I would’ve transferred them over before floppies became obsolete.

I use flash drives to back up immediate stuff. But as time goes by, it’s hard to know what is on which flash drive, so I don’t find them useful for storing things long-term. I know a lot of us writers are sanguine, and organization is something we struggle with. I know I do. I would rather write a new book than organize my office or my computer for that matter.

Another pet peeve I have is the misuse of words. Following are some examples that I often see when I am editing and occasionally see when I am reading books, which is even more irritating.

Misuse of “it’s” instead of” its.” I see people using “it’s” as a possessive all the time.” It’s” a contraction for” it is.”

And people often make a word plural by adding “‘s” instead of just an “s.”

And what about desert for dessert. Having spent quite a bit of time at my mother’s in Phoenix, I don’t think I’d like to eat the desert!

And although it seems acceptable today, I don’t like people to be “thats.”
Cindy is a girl that has a sense of humor.
Cindy is a girl who has a sense of humor. [Correct version]

And what about singulars used as plurals:
No one comes to dinner late. [Correct version]
No one come to dinner late.

A group of children is standing on the corner. [Correct version]
A group of children are standing on the corner.

Let’s discuss this last one a little bit.
Everyone has lost his sense of humor. It’s actually grammatically correct.
Everyone has lost their sense of humor. This version keeps it from being politically incorrect.

Ahhhhh-the English-language. I feel sorry for immigrants and foreigners who are trying to master our very difficult English language which doesn’t play by the rules much of the time.

“There are just so very many little words that irritate me as an editor and reader” —and the previous sentence used most of them!

“There are,” “there is”, etc. can almost always be eliminated. Use forms of the verb “to be” sparingly.
The word “just” can also usually be eliminated. It’s just useless.
“So” can almost always be eliminated too.
“Very” is another word that accomplishes nothing.

The word “little” should also be used sparingly—especially in children’s work. Children don’t want to think of themselves as little, nor do short adults.

“That” is another word that can often be eliminated, but what I suggest you do is go on a “which” hunt. If the phrase sets off parenthetical material, [My dog, which is black and furry, ran down the street] then you use the word which. Whereas, [The cars that were parked in the back had trouble getting out]. Here, you would use that because the cars in the front had no trouble getting out, we would assume. However, you can eliminate “that” and “were” by saying, [The cars parked in the back had trouble getting out].

I think burnout is something we all have to be careful of, especially if our offices are in our homes, and we seldom get away from them. If I’m home, I’m aware of all the paperwork, household chores, etc. that are not getting done. Often it is hard to concentrate on my writing.

My husband is retired, and we have a fifth-wheel trailer, so we are able to get away quite often. I think this helps to prevent burnout. If I’m sitting in a campsite in the woods or by the beach, there are few distractions. We have a generator, so I have electricity, and I have a hotspot on my smart phone, so I have an Internet connection. I really relax when we are camping, and that helps the creative juices to flow. Plus there are very few household duties to perform in our little 27-foot home-away-from-home.

Another thing I do to prevent burnout is keep the Sabbath and not work on Sundays. I try not to turn my computer on unless it is absolutely necessary. Also, I try not to work too close to bedtime, or else I go to bed all wound up. I try to read for an hour or watch TV with my husband to unwind before going to bed.

I firmly believe to be productive and creative, we need to learn to balance our lives. If we work all the time, we will suffer burnout, and our families as well as our bodies will suffer.

I think the reason writers are often given conflicting advice is that writing is not an exact science. In math, 2 + 2 always equals 4 (how boring). I guess that’s one reason I love the Christian writing profession. There is so much room for creativity and literary license. Thus, there may be several ways of doing things, and none are necessarily incorrect.

I believe one reason those trying to teach writing go wrong is they think it’s” their way or the highway,” and they often stifle budding writers’ creativity. What has worked for them may not work for their students. As has been mentioned, they need to differentiate between what is their opinion and what is a hard and fast rule of writing. I know I’ve worked with students who have been given information that just didn’t work for them.

However, I’ve also seen students given blatantly incorrect information. Since I tend to be brutally honest, I struggle to correct the mistake without calling down the “professional” responsible for the misinformation. Yet, at the time, I feel like screaming and tearing out my hair.

Bottom-line: We, as professional writers and editors, need to keep abreast in our ever-changing craft and carefully consider the information we pass onto our students, conferees, or friends.

Encouragement is so important in Christian writing, and I love to encourage budding authors. When I meet with writers during 15-minute appointments at conferences, I try to find something encouraging to say about their writing or at least their concept. When I edit a manuscript that was sent to me, I always write a note or letter to accompany it. My first sentence always starts on a positive note, no matter how bad the manuscript is.

Often a writer has a good idea, but the manuscript needs a lot of editing. When I do extensive editing, I usually say, “For me to spend this much time on a manuscript, it has to be worthy of publication.” And if they are totally out in left field I say, “Had you thought of taking a different approach to your subject?” Nevertheless, I’m careful to be honest and not offer false hope, but at the same time I encourage them. I’m convinced that with enough practice and training, anyone who is willing can become a published author.

Here are my last four ways to end an article, story, or book chapter. Of course you may come up with others, and that is fine. I just want you to think of different ways to conclude an article or story. You don’t want the readers turning the page at the end and expecting more. You want to bring what you have written in your article to a logical conclusion. However, in writing books, you want them to turn the page and continue onto the next chapter.

9. The Summary Close – This ending attempts to cover the highlights of the story or to tie up all the loose ends.

“How wrong my first impression had been. I was aware that God planned that therapeutic evening. He knew I would run out of wood, and although I hadn’t specifically asked Him for more, He provided anyhow” (“A Surprise Encounter,” Rest Stops for Single Mothers).

10. The Straight Statement Close – This editorial close consists of a few sentences or a final thought in the author’s own words.

“I needed to allow others to be themselves. When I dated someone, I tried to accept him for who he was—not for who I wanted him to be. Through this time, I always felt God had someone special planned for me. When I was ready, and my ‘Mr. Perfect’ was ready, God would allow us to meet” (“Turning Frogs into Princes,” Rest Stops for Single Mothers).

11. The Stinger – This unexpected conclusion provides an ending that startles, surprises, or shocks.

“Elbows jabbed their ribs; feet tangled with theirs; the unrelenting mob moved on until they came to the place where the old man lay. Bending down, they touched the old man’s arm, now grown cold. They were too late” (“Too Little, Too Late,” Potpourri of Praise).

12. The Word of Advice Close – This warning or word of advice points a verbal finger at the reader.

“Loving too much leaves us open to the danger of being hurt, but loving too little can cause us to forget how to love and forget how to live” (“Loving Too Little, Loving Too Much,” Rest Stops for Single Mothers).

Whatever ending you chose, give your article or story a solid conclusion. Don’t just let your story die. Provide your readers with food for thought that they can digest and use in their own lives to help others and themselves move closer to the Lord. After all, that is why we are writing.

Here are five more ways to end an article or story. These may also be used for book chapters. When you go back and edit your article, story, or book chapter, it is good to vary your endings. However endings serve different purposes in articles than in books. It is important to bring your ending to a good solid conclusion in articles and stories. Regarding book chapters though, you want to leave your readers hanging at the end of each chapter, except the last one, so they will want to continue reading.

4. The Play on Words – Sometimes alliteration, a slogan, or a catchy phrase sticks the longest with the reader.

“Pastor Ananda’s burden for his flock, however heavy, is carried with joy and compassion. It fits him well. Each of us has our own divinely designed yoke—our own job to do. Suddenly I felt a renewed strength to wear the yoke God has fashioned for me” (“Pastor Ananda” Potpourri of Praise , WinePress).

5. The Quote Close – Use a quote taken from a subject, history, or other source of quotations to add finality to the article.

“Angelic flames of light and heavenly choirs, accompanied by celestial harps and trumpets, turned a scene of earthly tragedy into a scene of heavenly triumph. From what they saw that day, and from ‘God’s Carvings’, the Aucas learned what the Psalmist wrote: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” (Psalm 116:15, “Dawa’s Story,” Potpourri of Praise).

6. The Add-On – This close can make a point never made in the story—a shocker or something that seems natural for making your final point.

“As we walked toward the refreshment table together, I realized that my lack of forgiveness had cost us both a great price” (“Forget and Forgive,” Rest Stops for Single Mothers).

7. The Anecdotal Ending – You can either end with an anecdote or use the split-anecdote technique in which you start the anecdote in the lead (or the middle somewhere) and complete it in the closing.

“Looking back over the past ten years, I never dreamed my life would take the path it has. When all I had to hold onto was a thread linking me to God, I learned to step out in faith and to take risks. If I had not been forced to earn a living, I never would have developed my current programs and ministries. After six years of being a single parent, I am now blessed with a supportive husband and a thriving business (“A Thousand Ways,” Rest Stops for Single Mothers).

8. The Natural Close – Let your story end naturally. You’ve told your story. Stop.

“When Mobin visits foreign cities, as he was doing that day in the Maldive Islands, he still tells people, ‘I collect telephone directories. Do you have one I can take home with me?'” (“Telephone Directories,” Potpourri of Praise).

The last four types of endings will be given in my next post.

Next to your beginning, your ending is the most important part of your article or story. This is also true in writing books. When your readers get to an end of a chapter, you do not want them to place a bookmark in and lay down the book without a desire to pick it up again. I have a shelf full of books with bookmarks stuck in them—books I have never finished because they didn’t hold my interest at the end of their chapters. I don’t want my books sitting on other people’s shelves unread.

Here are the first three of twelve suggested endings. I have given examples of each type of ending from chapters of my own books.

1. The Lead Replay – This is a duplication or a rewrite of the lead sentence or paragraph or a restatement of the lead’s theme.

“With the Lord leading the way, FEBC expands its ministry to move to the future as it lifts its eyes beyond the horizon” (Eyes Beyond the Horizon, Thomas Nelson).

2. The Proximity Close – Tap the material immediately preceding your final paragraph for a closing.
“Next time you are in a church, look carefully at the stained glass windows. Picture yourself as part of His magnificent stained glass window. Watch the sun piercing through each unique piece of glass. Notice how many shapes and sizes are necessary to form the whole.

Remember that the Master Craftsman started with one—one piece of fractured glass. What can we accomplish for His glory if we, too, start with one?” (You Start with One, Thomas Nelson).

3. The Restatement of Purpose – Occasionally, a vivid and colorful restatement of the article’s purpose makes an effective close.

“God teaches us to pray specifically. He knew that car was important to Rich’s education, so He spared it. With what took place, I learned an important lesson: When things look bleakest, God is there, showing His presence in the smallest details of our lives” (“The Fire,” Rest Stops for Single Mothers, Broadman & Holman).

I will give the other nine ways to end an article, story, or book chapter in my next two posts.

One of the best websites where you can find research sites for writing is www.SteveLaube.com/.
Here are three of my favorite sites taken from there:

www.BibleGateway.com – The best way to search for that elusive Bible verse. Search any verse in the NIV, ESV, The Message, NASB, NRSV, KJV, Young’s Literal, Worldwide English or Darby translations. It is as good as having Bible software loaded on your computer. (You can search within foreign language translations as well!)

www.YourDictionary.com – A fabulous compendium of on-line dictionaries and thesauri of every imaginable description, including foreign language, acronyms, biographical, multilingual, and the ever-popular Pimbly’s Dictionary of Heraldry. If you can’t find it here, it’s probably not a word.

www.AcronymFinder.com is a searchable database of more than 109,800 common abbreviations and acronyms about computers, technology, telecommunications, and the military, including Department of Defense, Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, National Guard, and Coast Guard acronyms and abbreviations.

The Internet provides innumerable sites for helping us with our research. However make sure the site is credible before you quote it in your writing. This concludes our six-part series on Keeping Your Credibility through Research.