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Writing Practices

Emotions, editors, and jokes! More writing advice.

Published 24 days ago • 2 min read

December's Writing Voice exercise

It's the last month of the year, Reader. What's in store for you?

In this issue, you'll find:

  • The December book give-away (about writing jokes)
  • A writing voice exercise (about emotion, complete with holiday music)
  • Advice on employing editors

Let's get started.

Written any good jokes lately?

How about a fun book for the last month of the year? I'm giving away a copy of Elliott Kalan's brand-new book Joke Farming. And we're doing the drawing now (rather than mid-month) so you have time to wrap it up and give it as a gift if you choose!

Here's the review I wrote on Amazon:

It’s no surprise that this book is fun to read. Elliott Kalan is a gifted comedian. If you are simply curious about how jokes work, you’ll love reading this. It's filled with jokes and Kalan's running narrative.
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If you’re a writer—comedic or not—the book is a gem, starting with the foraging vs. farming analogy. Kalan puts his finger on something that many writers tend to ignore—we need a strong process if we want a sustainable creative practice. While the “farming” process he outlines applies to writing jokes, much of it is transferable to other kinds of writing.
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Kalan offers valuable insights into his own process and the key attributes of an effective joke.
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After reading this, I’m eager to experiment with humor writing, and feel like I have a better handle on how to make it work.

Sound interesting? Maybe there's a budding comedian in your life who might enjoy this as a holiday gift!

To win the drawing, respond to this email by Sunday, December 7 and let me know you're interested—and whether it's for you or someone else!

Channeling emotion in your writing

This month's exercise encourages you to play with emotions and their effect on writing voice. And, you get to use holiday music!

​If you prefer, ​watch the video on YouTube.

Confused about working with editors?

If you're thinking of working with an editor, be clear on what you hope to achieve in the relationship. Do you want structural guidance? Advice on voice? Someone to check the grammar and spelling?

Editing takes many different forms, and you'll want to know what to ask for at different stages of a writing project.

I cover all this and more in a short interview I did with WordRake.

​Read the post on the WordRake blog.​

That is all for now, my friend.

Happy writing, and do not forget to enter the drawing for Joke Farming!

Anne

ps: Here's one more gift idea: Give the gift of coaching.

Know someone who wants to work on a book? You can give them an hour of one-on-one time with me, which can happen this month or in the new year. For the holidays, I've discounted it for my email list.

Book an hour-long consultation for $150 through the end of the year.

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PO Box 66285 Scotts Valley, CA 95067

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Writing Practices

by Anne Janzer

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