Critique. Just the word alone makes authors cringe. Why? Because it reminds us of another word that has a negative connotation: criticism. Yet, as authors we understand the need to have another pair of eyes look closely at our manuscript and give us constructive advice and direction so we can make our book the absolute […]
October 12, 2011 by 17 Comments Editing Your NovelCan You Edit Too Much?
This post is by Elisabeth Grace Foley. I’ve heard a lot of people say short stories should be written quickly, on the spur of the moment, and shouldn’t be edited or fussed over. I’m an exception to that. Occasionally, a short story will come out almost the way I want it on the first try, […]
May 11, 2011 by 32 Comments Editing Your NovelDoes Your Story Maintain Consistency in the Details?
Most authors are aware of how important it is to avoid plot holes and inconsistencies. But sometimes the little discrepancies bedevil us more than the large ones. You’d think, as authors, we would be so close to our own stories we would instantly realize the error of calling a minor character by a different name […]
May 8, 2011 by 49 Comments Writing LifePictorial Ideas for Constructing Your Own Writing Routine
I’m often asked about my writing routine. What techniques have I found most useful for making the most of my writing time, getting in the groove as fast as possible, and making sure I’m writing to my full potential every day? Although my writing routine evolves in minor ways depending on what’s going on in […]
April 24, 2011 by 54 Comments Editing Your NovelWhat Is a 50-Page Edit… and Why Will It Rock Your Story?
Whether or not you edit as you go really isn’t the bazillion-dollar question. The real questions you should be asking yourself are “What’s the 50-page edit?” and “Why am I not taking advantage of it yet?” Okay, so it wouldn’t take a genius to answer that the first question. The 50-page edit is pretty obviously […]
August 29, 2010 by 76 Comments Editing Your NovelShould You Edit As You Go?
Authors are passionately divided on the subject of editing as you go. Should you write your first draft as fast as possible, dumping your creativity on the page while it’s still smoking hot, never stopping to tweak so much as a misspelled word until you’ve got it all safely down on paper? Or should you […]
April 25, 2010 by 63 Comments Editing Your Novel10 Ways to Write Skinny Sentences
If brevity is the soul of wit, then economy is the energy of prose. Let’s hear it for skinny sentences! Don’t get me wrong: I love complex, twisty, beautiful sentences. As Aleksandar Hemon pointed out in an interview with The Writer magazine: I like to push language toward poetry, to activate the dormant possibilities inherent in it. […]
May 25, 2008 by 26 Comments Writing LifeHow a Writing Warm-Up Routine Can Help You Write Better
Writers are, in a sense, athletes. We hurdle the high walls of writer’s block, we tackle mountains of research, we sprint through rapid-fire action scenes, and sometimes we even manage to hit a home run or two. So what makes us think that, unlike physical athletes, we can force our brains into action without taking […]
