How to Spot a Poor Writer

by alfred

You have a project to be written and you’re looking for a freelance writer. How do you know if the person you’re considering is a good writer or a poor writer? Besides the obvious things like poor spelling and poor grammar, there are other telltale characteristics of poor writing that you should learn to spot.

THE BASICS

The number one way to spot poor writing is by looking for the basics that we all (hopefully) learned in school. Poor spelling is an indicator of poor writing, as are poor grammar and poor punctuation. Even more worrisome, though, is that a writer whose work is riddled with spelling and grammatical errors is lacking in basic attention to detail.

Think about it for a moment if a writer isn’t thorough enough to run a simple spell-check and grammar-check on their material, what else do they ignore or not give their full attention?

Another way to spot a poor writer is to evaluate other aspects of their work that impact the quality of the material.

READABILITY there are software programs that evaluate this characteristic, but often its just as easy to gauge it by reading for yourself. Look for well organized material that flows smoothly and follows a logical progression of information.

ADAPTABILITY a poor writer often has difficulty adapting to different writing styles or requirements. Look at writing samples with an eye toward seeing how well the writer adapts to different styles and topics.

APPROPRIATE STYLE a poor writer will also have difficulty adopting a style thats appropriate for the subject at hand. Pay attention to how the writer matches style with topic and note any incongruence or awkward pairings.

ORIGINALITY a poor writer may lack originality in their work. This may show up as material thats boring to read, or that just seems to sound like everything else youve read on a particular topic. Theres no hook or attention-grabber that catches your interest and invites you to read on.

COMMAND OF THE LANGUAGE a poor writer will typically struggle with their command of the English language. This shows up as improper sentence structure or difficulty with proper verb conjugations, and is often seen in writers for whom English is not their primary language. Find A Great Writer

One of the surest ways to hire a poor writer is to go with the lowest bidder for your project. Its as true of writing as it is of other things you get what you pay for.

Were not suggesting you need to spend an exorbitant amount of money to get excellent writing. However, a great writer is rarely the least expensive writer, so dont be scared off if the bids on your project cover a wide range of dollar amounts. And take into account exactly what you get for your money, including things like rewrites, edits, progress updates, formatting, etc.

A writers feedback and references are of the utmost importance. Look for someone who has client feedback thats genuine rather than just a simple good work, thanks or something similar. A great writer will have a long list of testimonials that will give you a sense of their work quality and their reliability. Reliability is especially important because you dont have the time to chase down a writer who has missed a deadline or neglected to send a scheduled progress report. Click here to see what we mean by great testimonials.

SO WHERE DO YOU GO TO FIND A GREAT WRITER?

The internet is filled with freelance writers and freelance writing marketplaces so stick with reputable sources. Look carefully at the fees associated with marketplace sites, too, because these extra charges can quickly add to the overall cost of your project.


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Harvesting Love

by Carla McNeil

Shared By Carla

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“If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing right. There’s no satisfaction in doing anything halfway!”
My father preached those wise words of wisdom to me from the time I was old enough to grasp their meaning.
And, Dad was right! For me, a job well done brings happiness like nothing else and typically comes after
triumphing over a major challenge that generates joy in the lives of those I love.

When my husband, Jerry, and I were given one days notice that his children, Leisa and Chuck, were arriving the following afternoon to live with us, I was dumbstruck, felt completely inept, and was shaking in my boots. I was overwhelmed with fear and knew those youngsters felt the same way, surely even more so. Why would a Mother choose to devastate her children’s lives at a moment’s notice?

To this day, none of us have an answer. We took custody rapidly so she could never again “toy” with their lives. Leisa and Chuck came to us broken, confused, and anxious about life in a new city, new schools, and without old friends to confide in. Worse yet, a step-mother!

When the most difficult challenge of my life was unexpectedly tossed my way, I said a prayer and gave it my all. On day one, I assured both children they would always be cared for in safe surroundings and that I would never try to take their mother’s place. Also, that my utmost hope was to earn their trust and become a friend that they could come to in times of trouble.

Chuck, at nine years of age, had his father available for male conversations. Leisa, at 12 years of age, definitely needed a woman with whom she could easily converse for she was about to be faced with rampaging hormones and a barrage of questions, many of them personal in nature.

Positive results did not come quickly and time crept by at half speed. We all struggled. One day, one week, and one year at a time. We shed tears, had bouts of anger, and dealt with a gamut of emotions like the peaks and dips of a seemingly endless roller coaster ride. Bad days would remind me of every story I’d heard or read about situations like ours and the many marriages that didn’t survive!

That’s when determination would suddenly grab hold; I’d grit my teeth, re-adjust my attitude and continue to battle the predicament thrust upon the four of us. And, on my most frustrating days, Dad’s words echoed a stern reminder of doing the job right! Given time, lots of time, it happened. Eventually true love did grow! I can’t put a finger on the precise moment, but gradually love was felt lingering in the air, and little by little tension skedaddled right out the front door.

I’m reminded of a sick, scraggly, withered plant that is surely to die. But, with continued watering, moving it to differently lighted locations, you are astounded to envision what appears to be a minute hint of green. Within a few days a single shiny leaf begins to appear. You see there is hope, you don’t give up, and in due time the plant is lush, green, and heavy with glorious blossoms!

The day Leisa informed me I was never to use the word “step” again, more than made up for all the daunting days of years gone by. Her exact words, “You are my mom!” She was a grown woman with children of her own when that time came and possibly the long wait made those words even more cherished. It is said, “Good things come to those who wait.” I’m a believer!

Chuck and I always had an unusual and comical way of communicating and I still jokingly refer to myself as Your Wicked Step-mother. Not long ago I referred to myself in that manner as regards Leisa. He stopped me dead in my tracks, “That phrase is reserved for me and me alone!” He and I may be the only ones that know what he was really saying, which was, “I love you.”

Even though the journey was thorny, it’s rewarding when two now- grown children mainly recall only the good times. Often they remind me of events I’ve long since forgotten; we laugh and relive those times again. Mealtime had been more important to Leisa and Chuck than I had ever fathomed. To this day, it’s a rare visit that their favorite recipes don’t sneak into our conversations.

Recently, I flew to Leisa’s for a week’s visit. Several days before my departure, she called wondering if I could find time to bake Pumpkin Bread. Her request was added to my already staggering “to do” list! I baked, froze two large loaves, and placed them in my carry-on bag. When I plopped them down on her kitchen counter Leisa squealed with delight. My reward was a tight bear hug and “thank you” muttered from a mouth already stuffed full.

While blended families do not always thrive, thankfully ours did. It took tremendous effort from all of us; the end result being a home filled with love. That’s what I call happiness than can never be outshined.

Kathleene S. Baker ©2011

Kathy and husband Jerry reside in Plano, Texas with two fur babies, Hank and Samantha. Kathy contributes to magazines, ezines, anthologies, Chicken Soup for the Soul and writes a weekly column entitled Heart of Texas. Kathy can be reached at Lnstrlady@aol.com.


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What Can We Learn From Our Pets?

by Carla McNeil

Shared By Carla
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We had our lovely little girl, Foxie, for 14 years. She came to live with us strictly by accident. I came home from doing some chores one afternoon to discover a cardboard box. It was closed up, with the endflaps wedged shut. My old dog, Regal, was barking at it and I went to see what it was. Well, inside was a wet, woebegone, bedraggles little black and brown puppy. That puppy soon became our Foxie lady. Every day of her life, after she was ours, was filled with love for her. She was in our hearts to stay forever.

However, there came the time when we finally had to say our sad goodbyes to her happy (but graying) face. Her health had deteriorated and the vet sadly said it was time. And so we said goodbye.

But to my way of thinking, a home is not a home without a dog in it. So two days after our farewell, I was at the local Humane Society talking to the animals to the animals there who needed to be loved as badly as I needed to give love. One little guy in the corner kennel caught my eye. He was in there alone, and very depressed acting. He obviously wasn’t happy with his surroundings. Stooping down to talk to him I thought to myself – this little guy doesn’t meet your criteria Lillian Ann. I’d set out to find a short hair dog, a female, a small dog, and an older dog. This fellow was none of that.

The card his previous owner had filled out stated he was untrainable, not house broken, aggressive, a nipper and biter, and had been kept in the bathroom all day while owners worked, walked twice a day and lived in an apartment. After reading all this negativity, I thought to myself, there’s nothing here that time and training won’t cure. We discovered he was a border collie mix, 4 1/2 months old. He came home with us.

He was already named Gary, so we just kept his name, thinking he had enough adjustment to make without worrying about a new name. As soon as he learned that the door in the kitchen led to the garage which led outside, he was housebroken – about 60 minutes time. He ran and played in the backyard until I thought he was going to faint. He chased balls, toys, lizards and squirrels along the top of the fence. He was enrolled in puppy kindergarten, and socialized, socialized, socialized. He was taught that good puppies don’t bite and nip hands, feet and ankles when they play. Chew toys, Kongs, and stuffed puppy toys are great fun to chew, and when you play and chew them, you get clicks and treats.

One year later, my little mischievous puppy has turned into a marvelously well behaved dog. He’s a real eager beaver when it come to learning new things. We go to the dog park and he runs and plays with his friends for two hours every evening.

He’s a very special boy, and he has a very special in his Mom and Dad’s heart. We still miss our Foxie girl, we still love our Foxie girl, just as we still miss and love all our other dogs before her. Gary has not filled the empty spot she left. He’s done something, better, more important. He’s created his own spot in our hearts. He’s accepted the love we have to offer and give us more love and pleasure every day we have him with us. He is truly love in a big golden, fur wrapped, red tongue, brown eyed package.

Thanks to Lillian Mount for sharing Gary and Foxie’s story for demonstrating just “What Can we Learn From Our Pets?”


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Remember the Love

January 9, 2012

Shared By Carla ****************************************************************** These last few days have been for me, a dark night of the soul. Every belief I held, every truth I thought I knew and every answer I had, have all been shattered. And even though I was surrounded by people, I felt alone, abandoned and afraid. And yet, through all [...]

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