Category: Editing

  • When to Murder Your Darlings

    My current manuscript is almost finished, yet I have a most onerous task before me—one which must be completed before anyone sees it. Some of my darlings must die, sliced from the story in a ruthless culling of extraneous words. In and of themselves, the passages convey interesting and useful information, or so I thought…

  • How To Criticize Without Being Critical

    A writer’s work is under constant scrutiny, often accompanied by suggestions of how to fix it. Personally, I don’t like being told what to do – but the right kind of feedback really gets my motor going (just ask my beta readers). The post below, written from an editor’s viewpoint, intrigued me with its title…

  • Author Steps for Success

    Posted 6-13-18 Seems as though everyone and their mother is trying to sell me their book on how to be a successful author. For what it’s worth, here’s my advice. SLEEP. A consistent sleep schedule with 7-8 hours per night is essential to supply your mind and body with the energy and creativity you need.…

  • Revisions or new material?

    Posted May 9, 2018 I have learned much since launching my first books last August. Many revisions have already taken place as I update/correct/improve the manuscripts, but there is always more to be done. Time is, as always, in short supply, so do I spend it writing new material or improving existing books? Some authors…

  • The Odious Apostrophe

    The Odious Apostrophe   Apostrophe, Apostrophe, or should I say catastrophe? You make me nervous, angry, mean, You’re Satan’s punctuation scheme. I put you in and take you out, Confusion reigns, along with doubt. Unlike the period or comma, You thrive on messiness and drama. English would be much less rotten, If you could only…

  • How Many Misteaks Can You Find?

    Put on your spectacles and see if you can find all the errors in this ridiculous story! I have been keeping track of boo-boos as I read, and these were found in various eBooks and news reports. Some are garden variety errors, while others are truly cringe worthy. One thing is certain – if we…

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