Writing Tips, Writing Help
 

Read, read, read! Yes, read almost everything, but especially the Bible -- cover to cover, including footnotes and articles in reputable study editions of Church-approved translations. (For more on the subject, see The Bible.)

Study early Christian writings. These documents have been preserved and protected by the Church since the first centuries and can be found on the Vatican website. (See Resources.)

Study the classics in your genre. Find and study the classical works of poets and writers with whom you identify. For instance, Biblical Poetry will give you insight into poetic techniques that poets used in writing Holy Scripture.

Write accurately about Catholicism. To write well for Catholic readers, research biblical and traditional Church wisdom and also look up each topic in the subject index of the Catechism.

Write accurately about everything! Research each topic thoroughly. Verify sources. Double-check each fact for accuracy, even if you’re sure you know.

Observe people. Listen to people of all types, ages, and backgrounds. Consider what draws them to read a poem, story, article, or book.

Study publications you like to read. Get familiar with magazines, e-zines, and books. Follow writing guidelines. Consider any gaps your Bible-based story, poem, article or book might fill. 

Plan your work before you begin. Develop a book proposal. Outline your nonfiction. Write a synopsis of your novel. This will help you to identify a problem before you begin to write.

Practice writing.

Use English well. If grammar, syntax, spelling, or punctuation don’t come easily for you, get a dictionary, a junior-high grammar book, or editing software to use for quick reference. You’ll also find Internet resources for English on the Resources page.

Write, write, write!

Let your writing flow onto the page. Then let it sit and rest a while. Come back later as though someone else had written your poem or manuscript.

Read your work aloud. Read aloud each revision too. Does the content, logic, time sequence, or anything else cause you to pause or question what you said or how you said it? If so, trust yourself! Better yet trust God to guide you in discerning when anything seems “off.”

Identify each problem. Once you’ve done this, you may be able to see a workable solution and revise your work accordingly. If not, you can find help in a click! See Critique Service then order a professional poetry critique or an objective manuscript evaluation of a fiction or nonfiction book proposal.

Writing often begins with an idea or topic you’re eager to explore. As a Christian poet or Christian writer, you hopefully have en theos, meaning “in God,” which brings the word enthusiasm and can indicate a goal or direction for the work you’ve been given to do.

Good News of Jesus Christ

The Bible has timeless and timely words for poets, writers, and publishers who want to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ and his Church to others. For instance, Acts 5:20 says, "‘Go take your place... and tell people everything about this life’." Everything? That means telling about hard times, too, before ending on an uplifting word of hope in God.

Holy Scriptures are wholly honest, so Christian writers and Christian poets can take that as biblical guidance to be open and honest without covering up or glossing over the truth. Indeed, “People who live in the truth come to the light, so their works may be clearly seen as done in God” (John 3:21.)

The secret to letting your light shine, however, is not reliance on your own radiance but on God’s. As beautifully expressed in Psalms 34:3, “Let my soul glory in the Lord so the lowly will hear and be glad.” But who is that “lowly” person who hears? A child? A non-Christian who hasn’t yet heard the Good News of the forgiveness found in Jesus Christ? Or maybe your “lowly” reader is someone who has lost a loved one or lost hope or lost interest in life. Maybe your readers are an entire group of Catholics or other Christians with expectations unmet by the Church. Maybe your “lowly reader” is you. If so, that may simply mean relating to your readers and sincerely saying, “I sought the Lord who answered me and delivered me from my fears. Look to the Lord and be radiant” (Psalms 34:4,5.)

How To Write Poetically No Matter What You Write:

Do poets have something that you don't have? Probably not, assuming each of your senses works within reason. Often, writing poetically means choosing to do what most poets do: Gather information through the senses, observe well, and take note of your observations.

Poetic people notice tiny details in almost everything. This takes practice, but a few easy exercises can get you started. For example, put your hand on a radio or stereo to feel the vibration of the music. Turn off the sound on a TV and watch the lips, facial expression, and gestures of the person speaking. Turn up the volume and note the tone and rhythm of voice. Listen to a mother talking to her baby. Watch a politician’s stance and eyes. Smell a lemon, and savor the distinctive flavor.

Savor words too. Think of words as providing your tools and toys for playing with sound and meaning. Precise word choices in a dictionary definition (denotation) of each word will help you to say what you mean, clearly and concisely. That’s crucial in writing nonfiction, such as a how-to book, archeological report, or instructional article. However, words with multiple meanings (connotations) can add interesting possibilities to the dialogue in your novel, humor in your nonfiction and sounds or insights in your poems.

(The above came from Poetry: Taking Its Course – the book version of the correspondence course Mary used for many years in working with students.)