Category: Writing

#pg70pit – What are the judges looking for?

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Our MG cohost for this year’s #pg70pit shares his thoughts and what he’s looking for in #70pit16.

jdburnswrites's avatarA writing spot for JD Burns

Hi there, contest fans!

So you’re thinking about entering the amazing #pg70pitcontest run by theCaKwTtfWAAQDkjm incomparable Lara Willard.  Awesome.

You’ve got your manuscript ready to roll – you read the contest rules (like twice already) – you’ve been stalking followingLara on twitter– you’ve got a sparkly Page 70 ready to submit….and then it hits you: what are the contest judges looking for anyway?

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Revision Checklist for Writing Contests

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On Wednesday’s last 7th on 7th, I reviewed the previous pages I’d revised and winning pg70pit entries I’d deconstructed, showing you what to do, what not to do, and how to fix red flags in your entries. Today I have a checklist for you to improve or strengthen the style and voice for one page (and hopefully beyond).

Revision Checklist for Writing Contests (and hard-core writer nerds)

1. Read the page aloud.

I say this all the time because writers still don’t do it. Voice is how the text sounds, whether to your literal ears or to your brain’s internal ear. The words might not look awkward to you on the page, but they might sound awkward. Print out two copies of your page(s) and have a friend read the text aloud. On the other copy, you highlight parts that sound awkward or where the reader ran out of breath.

If the reader is running out of breath, that means your breath units are too long. The number of syllables between punctuation marks should be fewer than 25, with most falling between 8-15. Continue reading →

Lay vs. Lie

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LAY VS LIE—Should you worry about the proper use of “lay” or “lie” in your informal or creative writing? It depends on your character.

If one of your contemporary or casual characters is speaking or narrating in first person, don’t worry about being proper—be natural, but be consistent. If your narrator is in third person or one of your characters is historical or proper, that character (or narrator) probably should know the difference.

Difference between LAY and LIE
Lay needs an object, a noun that is being positioned. Look at the verb and ask, What is getting positioned? By whom?

Lie has no object, but often has some direction. Look at the verb and ask, In what manner? Or, How? Where? With what?

Lay: What is getting positioned?
Lie: In what manner is the subject resting?

The words get confused because the past tense of lie is lay.

These are the present tense, past tense, past participle, and present participle of each:

  • Lay, laid, laid, laying
  • Lie, lay, lain, lying

(A participle needs a “be” helping verb: be, is, am, are, has, have, was, were, had)

Here are a few phrases to help you remember:

  • People can lie all by themselves. (Q: Lie . . . how? In what manner? A: All by themselves.)
  • Lie down. (Q: Lie . . . where? In what manner? A: Down.)
  • She lay with a book in her hand. (Q: In what manner? A: With a book.)
  • Lay down your head. (Q: Lay . . . what? A: Your head.)
  • Lay it on me. Lay it again, Sam. (Q: Lay . . . what? A: It, whatever it is)
  • I got laid. (Q: Laid . . . by whom? A: The narrator hasn’t told us)

Nobody says “Lie it on me” or “I got lain.”

If you see a “lay” in your manuscript and aren’t sure if it’s correct or not, see whether it’s in the right tense (past tense or present tense) and ask the questions above.

Did you find this post helpful? Consider enrolling in my revision workshop, which includes a workbook full of practical applications of grammar and editing for storytellers. If you fill out this survey, you’ll be entered for a chance to win free tuition!

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