Write well. Write often. Edit wisely.
Look for and then correct story problems that shock readers out of the fictional world. A list of common story problems that can ruin the reader’s experience.
Cut story elements that no longer match the story that’s emerged when you write and rewrite. Sometimes finessing an element isn’t the answer. Sometimes you’ve got to ruthlessly cut out what doesn’t fit.
Continue reading Get Ruthless—Cutting Back in Order to Add »
Proofreading can be tough, but your stories deserve the attention to detail that a good proofreading can provide. Learn some tips for proofing your own work.
Tips for a mix of writing situations you might have trouble with including weaved or wove, may or might, and set or sit.
A look at words, punctuation, and writing elements that can be safely excised from novels, creating more memorable fiction.
Explore how the change in words affects individual moments and scenes and stories, and how words can direct fiction.
A quick guide to manuscript clean-up. By the time you need these tips, you should have worked through multiple drafts of your story. The manuscript should also have been edited—by you or others—and proofed—also by you or others.
The use of there’s for there are—is it acceptable?
Continue reading Grammatically Correct or Culturally Acceptable Wording »
Write hot, edit cold was advice originally given to ad writers, but it’s great advice for any writer. A look at the advantages of editing and analyzing manuscripts with a cool head and from a distance.
Continue reading Write Hot, Edit Cold? It’s Still Great Advice »
Unnecessary words can burden your stories with flab, make them sag. The wrong words can even diffuse the impact you’re trying to create. Be alert for these phrases and words that can dull your fiction.
The reader will focus on what stands out. Turn the reader's attention where you want it to go.
Thank you for reading The Editor's Blog, an Internet resource for fiction writers,
freelance editors, and everyone who loves words
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Copyright © 2010-2018 E. A. Hill Visit Beth at A Novel Edit
Write well. Write often. Edit wisely.
