Don’t try this in your initial draft.
Forget tight writing and let your book’s first draft flow. Then practice tight editing. As Strunk & White advise in The Elements of Style, retain only those words that earn their keep. No freeloaders.
In the process you’ll find many candidates for deletion.
Do your first lines make these essentials clear?
I thought I knew the way. But heading from the unfamiliar location, I took a wrong turn. What I saw didn’t align with what I’d assumed. My only recourse was to go back, check things more carefully, and start afresh.
I’ve experienced that not … Continue reading
Send an agent only your best work.
The author had finished his novel, but knew it wasn’t quite ready to send to an agent. He wanted the sample chapters in his proposal to make a great first impression—and he’d get one chance.
So he asked if I’d help. Would I edit … Continue reading