Tag Archives: wordsmithing

Edit it Twice

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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 →

Whatever Happened to ‘Awesome’?

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I miss what that word used to mean.IMG_9177 adj

 by Andy Scheer

I paid the guy at the garage sale for a picture frame.

“Awesome,” he said.

I bit my tongue. Yes, the 8×10 picture frame was still shrink-wrapped. But the most generous adjective I’d give it was nice.

I’m old enough to remember when … Continue reading →