Okay, there’s no real shortcut to writing, per se. Writing requires you sit down, collect your thoughts, organize them, and turn them into text.
But as a writer, I sometimes wonder what button or link I inadvertently touched that made my computer do something wacky and unexpected.
Then I realize my knowledge of a set of shortcuts on the keyboard may help me get out this mess. These shortcuts may not be known to other writers, so I share them here.
CONTROL Z. If you hold down your control key and hit the Z key, you will UNDO whatever it was that just happened.
Here’s a whole list of shortcuts. How many do you know?
Control A = Select all.
Control B = Bold.
Control C = Copy.
Control I = Italics.
Control P = Print.
Control T = Open new Tab in your browser.
Control U = Underline.
Control V = Paste.
Control X = Cut.
Control Z = Undo.
If you use a Mac, these short cuts are virtually identical – just substitute the Command key for Control and you’re good to go.
Do you know any other keyboard shortcuts that would help writers on their computers? Please share.
To Blog, or Not to Blog
Six or seven years ago my advice to aspiring authors of nonfiction books was to build an audience platform by blogging. An example of how critical blogging could be to securing a publishing contract can be found in the case of Ann Marie Ackermann, author of Death of an Assassin: The True Story of the German Murderer Who Died Defending Robert E. Lee. After an initial assessment of her manuscript, I had recommended she start a historical true-crime blog, and she did. In fact, the editor of the ideal book series at Kent State University Press became a fan ofRead more…