Write well. Write often. Edit wisely.
Once again it’s time to look back at a year that’s just ended, highlight a few of the articles here at The Editor’s Blog.
I’ll let you know which articles have proved most popular and which I recommend you check out. I may even point out a few of my favorite topics.
Before I present my lists, I want to offer my thanks for your visits and tweets and recommendations. I enjoy getting the information into the hands of writers, and you’ve helped each time you passed on a link to an article you found useful. I appreciate all of you; thanks for reading.
Most Popular
The three most popular articles this past year, the most read, are the same that were popular in 2011, just in a different order. These three are by far the most referenced articles at the blog.
Format Your Novel for Submission
Rounding out the top ten—
Inner Dialogue—Writing Character Thoughts
Narrative Tense—Right Now or Way Back Then
Sex in Fiction—Do They or Don’t They
Creating Emotion in the Reader
Finding Commas in all the Wrong Places
What I note about these is that they all deal with practical ways of addressing writing issues and story problems. While the articles that typically get the most comments are those more concerned with the writer than the writing—articles on encouragement and dealing with critics and the like—articles on craft are referenced again and again.
Must-Reads
While I naturally think that all the articles at The Editor’s Blog are useful, let me point you to a few written in 2012 that you might find particularly helpful.
Concerning technical issues—
Defining Genre (a two-part series)
Everybody Does It—Common Writing Mistakes
Restrictive or Not—When do Clauses Need Commas
Point of View (a three-part series)
Cut the Dread from the Dreaded Synopsis
Concerning the not-so-technical stuff—
Sampling, Borrowing, Homage, and Plagiarism
The Curse of First-Person Narration
Coincidence Destroys the Suspension of Disbelief
Real Writers Write Every Day (it’s not what you think)
My Favorites
A few of my favorites from 2012 that haven’t yet been mentioned—
Fish Out of Water, Character Out of Time
Claustrophobia—Don’t Imprison Readers in a Character’s Head
Dual Duties of Chapter Endings
Jack of All Trades—That’d be an Editor
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Whatever brings you to The Editor’s Blog, I hope you find what you need to strengthen your skills and/or encourage yourself to keep writing.
You’ll find links to the full archives in the left sidebar, and category and tag links in the right sidebar. Enjoy your reading. And welcome to 2013. I hope the year is a successful one for you, your writing career, and your goals.
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Tags: review Posted in: Recommendations
The reader will focus on what stands out. Turn the reader's attention where you want it to go.
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Copyright © 2010-2018 E. A. Hill Visit Beth at A Novel Edit
Write well. Write often. Edit wisely.
An excellent blog! You’re doing a great job. I only discovered it part way through the year, but have come to value it highly. It is one of the few that I invariably look forward to and save. I can appreciate the obvious thought, time, and effort that goes into it. Thanks.
Thanks, Bill. I’m glad you’ve found the articles useful. And thanks for letting me know.
Hey!
After a long running conversation and soul searching, I decided to seriously looking into editing as a career choice. I found your blog very inspiring, helpful and above all straightforward.
I just finished university and have had a bit of a hard time finding my way, so it’s amazing to see this.
Thank you so much for your articles!
Tatiana, good luck and welcome to the profession. It’s a fascinating and enjoyable one.
I’m so glad the articles encourage you. I have no doubt you’ll soon be posting encouragement and advice of your own.
I’ll be bookmarking this as well!! Thanks!
You’re welcome, Jennifer.