Don’t expect perfection on the first pass.
Two weeks ago, I completed my first editorial pass through a 103,000-word novel. Working part time, the task took nearly a month. By the end, I’d cut some 7,750 words.
I took care of the POV and made sure each new chapter immediately identified the main character, setting, and time. I fixed telling dialogue attributions and made sure the … Continue reading
If it doesn’t work, all your effort is wasted.
As I prepared to teach on nonfiction books at a writers conference, I had three opportunities to test what I planned to present.
In the previous few days, I’d critiqued two nonfiction samples and one nonfiction book proposal. All three authors missed the point of what a first chapter should accomplish.
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A word’s placement makes a difference.
I have a beef with Safeway. They may know groceries, but they struggle with word order. I cringe every time I hear this line in their radio ad: “Safeway only sells U.S.D.A. choice beef.”
What’s wrong with that? The placement of the word only.
In English, modifiers belong as close as possible to the word … Continue reading