(Photo Credit: Pinterest) Don’t let readers leave your book behind! Last month, I received some fantastic feedback on the first quarter of my current MS. For this series of articles, I will draw from the remarks of my wonderful Beta readers and discussions I have had with other writers on these topics. In some ways, […]
(Photo Credit: Pinterest) Sometimes you have to wait! Last month, I received some fantastic feedback on the first quarter of my current MS. For this series of articles, I will draw from the remarks of my wonderful Beta readers and discussions I have had with other writers on these topics. In some ways, I started […]
Both logic and imagination are necessary in revision. Revision is not some dry process. It is fluid, floating between solid logic and airy imagination. The writer dips her toes in each world. Logic gives you the ABCs – structure, guidelines, rules. Imagination gives you the words. The chapter I spent three days revising needs to […]
(Photo Credit: Pinterest) I admit, I tend to overwrite. In every form of writing (except syllable-controlled poetry forms). So when I write flash fiction, I need to do a lot of cutting. Word choice: First, I look for words and phrases that readers might not understand or might throw them out of the story. slang […]
How do I change my thinking to make editing fun again? I’ve read too much about how editing is a pain and at some point I came to believe it myself. But – hey – isn’t editing a part of writing? And I want to be a writer. Put two and two together and […]
While editing is a perfectly valid source of inspiration, it can easily become a way to waste time. If your goal is to get down as many words as possible, you may be better off simply glancing over what you wrote last time and then moving right along. On a first draft, repetitive editing is […]
If first drafts get your dreams on paper, then revisions turn those dreams into art. Art and commercial success don’t need to be mutually exclusive. Art is creative expression of imaginative vision. Great art gives the reader/listener/viewer an emotional (and sometimes imaginative) experience. Isn’t that the effect you want to have on your reader? But […]
The first step I usually take in revisions is delete slow material. After all, we don’t want to bore the readers and risk loosing them. But what about pace — changes in speed of action also keep the reader’s interest and keep the reader from burning out. Structure can be applied in the outlining phase […]
A character can only run non-stop for so long. So look for paces in your structure that end themselves to changes in pace. Change where the most energy is expended — inward or outward. A change in pace doesn’t mean all forward motion stops.Every scene has both internal and external conflicts and obstacles. Change the […]
One great fear of writers is that they will write something bad. I say “Write away!” Practice: To write well, you first must write badly. Writing is a skill that can be improved only through practice. Bad writing is writing where you make mistakes. A diligent writer will learn from those mistakes and gradually stop […]
