The Writers' Review

I've been spending more time on my assignments which includes writing book reviews, and less time on creating content for my blog. I know I need to balance my time and am trying to rectify that. This is a general post on the quality writing I come into contact with, and is based on my observations as a book reviewer. It's for this reason I decided it was time to express my thoughts on this topic and point out a few mistakes which are frequently made. 

Proofreading: To give credit, most of the published and unpublished literature I've read so far are written by authors who not only compose good reading material, but also spend time ensuring their work is properly proofread before promoting it to the public. This process enables favourable review ratings for them, and hopefully, an increase in sales.

On the other hand, there are writers, especially new ones, who appear to have penned and published their books rather hurriedly, without giving much thought to this critical area which needs special attention. Fortunately, I don't publish poor reviews, preferring to contact the authors by email or other means with summaries highlighting my reasons for the low rating, and possibly, suggestions to adjust the flaws. 

Spelling: It's understandable if writers overlook a misspelled word, but there are times when novels are infected with so many. Oftentimes, the same words are repeated throughout, and they're basic ones too. Please, don't ignore the red highlighted or underlined words made by the spelling and grammar checker. It's an indication that the words are incorrect. A dictionary is also an essential writing aid that will give you the proper spelling and definition.

Punctuation Marks: The correct form of punctuation is important to a story and specific sentences won't have the desired effect without them. This is a vital necessity that is needed, especially when characters are conversing. I have noticed that it's occasionally omitted from dialogues, or added to the beginning or ending of paragraphs which don't require it.

Format: Some authors write with a confident, relaxed ease, making their sentences blend with a good selection of words which flow smoothly. This gives readers better comprehension and visuals from the stories. Others have displayed rigid or poorly developed sentence structures which have the opposite effect. I've also read material containing unnecessary sentences, or the writing is too detailed, making the stories lag. Proper editing could have even reduced the quantity of pages, and the content would have been more interesting.

There are other key issues I intend to address, and will soon post other articles in The Writers' Review series. Have you encountered similar problems when reading?

 a writer's fate  (senryu)

writing a story

must be very creative

reviewers hold fate

Images courtesy of www.wikimediacommons.org

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Feeling The Write Vibes

Yesterday I wrote a 150 word story for the Glipho prompt. After writing it, I edited and was pleased with the outcome but did not submit it. Someone refrained me from doing so. It was my newly employed muse. She didn't think it was the right story for the prompt.

Sure, it was nicely written and we agreed on that, but she wasn't feeling the connection that Glipho wanted. Back to the drawing board, and I typed another story that was entirely different to the first. Again, another good article, but my muse was still hesitant about me posting it.

Why? She explained that writers should always feel comfortable and confident with the content. Never be too hasty to post, especially if it is for contests. I confess I have been guilty of this a couple of times, and regretted my quickie posts.

After writing an article, think about the content and ask yourself if it feels right for the occasion. She though the two stories would be ideally suitable as daily blog posts. That makes sense, I thought. She's earning the pittance I haven't paid as yet.

With the help of a good cup of coffee to stabilise my patience, I sat at the desk and began to type again, clueless to a plot. My fingers moved swiftly, churning out 58 words per minute. You want to feel the damn vibes. Well, I'll give them to you! 

The third time was the charmer, and as much as I hated to admit this to my muse, she was right again. I actually felt the vibes she spoke about, and knew this was the one I wanted to post on Glipho. It was a success, and received great reviews!

With this being said, it made me wonder if other writers have similar problems, or am I being too fussy. This is not the first time this drama occurred, but for some unexplained reason, I actually paid more attention to my muse. The added plus is that there are two completed stories I can use anytime, and will add them to the other ones that are waiting to be posted.


Image courtesy of wikimediacommons.org.
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Saving the Hawksbill Sea Turtles

Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Sandals Whitehouse, one of the all inclusive hotels in the Sandals Resorts International Chain, located in Westmoreland on the south coast of Jamaica has always been a popular choice for visitors. This was made more evident with the arrival of the Hawksbill sea turtles, when their tracks were first noticed on the property's white sand beach in 2011.

A team comprised of fishermen from the local Bluefield Bay Fishermen Friendly Society  (BBFFS) trained in sea turtle conservation, and members of the hotel staff were led by the Environment Health and Safety (EHS) department to start an exciting and educational monitoring nesting program at the resort. The team worked endlessly to preserve the lives of this endangered species, as bad weather and predators had decreased the quantity of nests found.

Nighttime vigils in the mangroves and patrols along the beachfront property looking for nests and predators became a daily part of the hotel's activities. An intensive clean up campaign to remove trash and other debris scattered on the beach outside the boundaries of the hotel's property, and surrounding areas where the turtles would most likely make their nests was successful.

The month of May 2013 was the beginning of sea turtle season, and the dedicated team and hotel guests impatiently began their watch for signs of the Hawksbill turtles return. This event, however, did not take place until July and September, and twenty-nine nests were found. Six of the nests were destroyed by predators, and some had to be relocated to safer havens along the beach. Two hundred and forty-four (244) hatchlings were recorded, and they were safely released into the sea. Four nests remained at the time with an average of four hundred and eighty-five (485) eggs.

Turtle preservation is one of the many projects that the Sandals Foundation, a division of the Sandals Resorts International focuses on. A cash donation was recently given to the BBFFS, which was badly needed to further assist in the research, growth and protection of one of the most endangered and beloved sea creatures.

Things You May Not Know About the Hawksbill Sea Turtle:

1. It is one of the smallest sea turtles growing to an adult length of 2.5 - 3 feet (71 - 89cm).

2. The average weight of the adult is 101 - 154 pounds (46 - 70kg).

3. A Hawksbill's diet mainly consist of  sponges, squid, shrimp and anemones.

4. The turtle's natural habitat can be found in rocky areas, coastal reefs, estuaries and lagoons.

5.Their mating periods are between 2 - 4 years, and they usually nest 3 - 6 times per season.

6. The turtles will lay an average of 160 eggs per nest, with an incubation period of 60 days.

Hawksbill image courtesy of wikimediacommons.org