Today, I want to introduce you to a fantastic little program—Smart-Edit. I have never been impressed with the idea of using a program to edit your book for you. Editing involves too much creativity to be left up to the mechanical algorithms of a computer program. But Smart-Edit is different. It doesn’t edit your work, but what […]
June 9, 2013 by 132 Comments Editing Your NovelHow I Self-Edit My Novels: 15 Steps From First Draft to Publication
As an author constantly striving to enhance your craft, one crucial aspect is the ability to self-edit your novels. The process of refining your own work not only sharpens your writing skills but also ensures every word on the page contributes to a compelling and polished narrative. E. B. White declared, The best writing is […]
April 26, 2013 by 16 Comments Writing LifeRecognizing Lazy Writing Habits
You’ve already laid the foundation for your story and given birth to intriguing characters. Some are people you knew needed to be in the novel from the beginning and some are strangers who unexpectedly appeared in Chapter Four and never seemed to leave. No matter how they were created, you need to make sure they […]
April 3, 2013 by 23 Comments Narrative5 Signs Your Book Is Too Long
I love long books. Those big fat hardbacks that are too heavy to even hang onto and you just have to let ’em flop open in your lap? Yum. There is something so delicious about being immersed in an amazing story and knowing you have three hundred pages still to go before you reach the […]
December 14, 2012 by 34 Comments Editing Your NovelHow to Cut the Filler and Tighten Your Book
This guest post is by Laura Carlson. Have you ever read a book that was underwhelming, but you just couldn’t put your finger on what was wrong? The characters were okay, but the book just never went anywhere? That might be because the author had too much filler and not enough plot-driven scenes. I was […]
November 18, 2012 by 22 Comments Editing Your NovelWhy Non-Writers Are Important Beta Readers
What qualifies someone as a beta reader? The term itself tells us this person is someone who reads an early draft of a story. But beta readers are so much more than just that. Something that was reinforced to me over and over again during my years-long journey with my portal fantasy novel Dreamlander was […]
October 12, 2012 by 24 Comments Editing Your NovelRevising Your Book: Do’s and Don’ts
This guest post is by Dara M. Beevas. The day my copyeditor sent my edited manuscript to me, I actually thought the revisions process would be pretty painless. As I sat down to pore over my editor’s suggestions for the first time, it was exciting. I eagerly devoured every suggestion. I enjoyed her objective feedback. I delighted in reviewing […]
May 4, 2012 by 23 Comments Editing Your NovelHow to Get Feedback on Your Writing (and Sort the Good from the Bad)
One of the fastest ways to progress as a writer is to get feedback. But how can you get feedback on your writing? However many books you read, however many conferences you attend, direct advice about your work-in-progress will let you see exactly what’s working well and, more importantly, what isn’t. But if you’re fairly new to writing, […]
January 24, 2012 by 8 Comments Editing Your NovelImprove Your Editing by Writing Yourself a Bad Review
We all hate the critic in our heads. You know the one—talks with a nasal accent, uses words like “deluded numbskull” and “insufferable incompetent,” and never fails to announce that your latest story is tripe. This critic of ours never seems to have a good word to say and is always running us down. So, […]
October 16, 2011 by 70 Comments Editing Your Novel5 Fun and Easy Ways to Lengthen Word Count
We see a lot of hype these days about books that are too long for agents or editors to consider. But what about books that are too short, in which we need to lengthen word count? In comparison to putting a too-long manuscript on a diet, fattening up a story often feels like trying to […]
