Get to the point

We recently finished our final edit on April’s Breakthrough column by Susan DeBow and I was struck again by one of Susan’s observations. The article traces how, amid a series of family losses and her experience at an Irish retreat for writers and artists, Susan found her writing voice. She is now a veteran freelancer (and painter), based in Maineville, Ohio.  

Here’s one thing she decided:

“Rather than dip my toe into my leads, I come in full blast. Timidity is the enemy of a writer. Don’t use two paragraphs to clear your throat. Phlegm is not fun to read.”

Well put! At The Writer, where our style of presentation is quite straightforward and direct, we like to advise contributors, “Avoid navel-gazing. Don’t meander.” But Susan said it better with her throat-clearing analogy. Read more about her journey in the April issue, due out in early March.

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