Hone your skills

Master Grammar--I have read that you can break a rule only if you know the rule.

There are still grammatical rules that I am learning. I wish I could say I know them all but in the career field that I had chosen after high school, I didn't need to know those rules. Now about thirty-five years later and a body that can't seem to get free of this wheelchair, I'm getting a crash course in those rules as I scour the internet and take online courses to aid in my endeavor to write a novel.

Upgrade Adjectives--Is the blue shirt azure or navy

These upgrades slow my process down. I'm having to save websites and certain documents for references as I write my novel.

Be Specific--"I like burgers and fries" is sharper than 'I like fries."

I'll be honest, this one slows me down. I find myself using the internet as a thesaurus on a frequent basis, which is another reason for my novel's slow progress.

Feel the beat--Rhythm enhances any type of writing--not just poetry

Until I read this, I never thought about it but I can see the merit in the skill. Upon reading an earlier chapter in my book and a chapter in another book, I can tell you that there is a beat to both works of fiction.

Avoid adverbs--A strong verb captures your idea in one word instead of two.

Out of curiosity, I wrote a page utilizing adverbs as I saw fit. When that was accomplished, I rewrote the page without adverbs. I did have to add to wording after removing the adverbs so everything would flow. I can say that the page without adverbs was more impactful than the page with adverbs.