“Her eyes darted left and right.” “His fingertips fell to the table.” “Their arms dropped.” You might not see it (heaven knows I miss it in my own work more than I care to admit) but the body parts in… Read More ›
Editing
How to Hire a Professional Editor … and on a Budget!
The team at Book Marketing Tools was kind enough to invite me to do a guest article this week. Here’s a sneak peek! Regardless of whether you’re an author planning on working with a publishing house or are doing it… Read More ›
Editing Tip #127 – Foreshadowing as a Tool for Suspense & Tension
Most writers will integrate some level of foreshadowing into their first draft on instinct. Where it really makes its impact though, is in the 2nd draft when you have time to take a good look at where you want to… Read More ›
Editing Tip #126 – Formally Breaking Up (with) Your Dialogue
Time and again I see authors who are still navigating their understanding of sentence structure make the two following errors when it comes to breaking up their dialogue: 1. They shove a he/she said in the middle of sentence to… Read More ›
Editing Tip #125 – When a Beta Reader Says … Pt2
“I don’t understand what’s going on here…” “This is awkward…” “Did you mean this _______?” “Why did he/she jump to that conclusion?” When your beta reader gets confused, it’s never a good sign. The four sentences above are common when… Read More ›
Editing Tip #124 -When a Beta Reader Says … Pt1
If you’re just starting out using Beta Readers or if you’re starting a new genre and have collected a new set of Beta Readers, deciphering their comments might pose a bit of a challenge. Today we’re going to look at… Read More ›
Editing Tip#123 -Grammar: “You and I”
Here’s a great grammar mem I found a while back, to share with you on a week when my clients demand that less of me gets to everyone than usual 😉 This is a great trick to remember and something… Read More ›
Editing Tip #122 – Strategic Place Setting/World Building
Whether your book takes place in today’s world, the future, or some entirely unique realm, it’s imperative that your reader get a sense of location and the expectations for that ‘world’ ASAP. If you write literary fiction, a block of… Read More ›
Editing Tip #121 – Sucking up Those Saggy Middles
How do you know for sure if the middle of your manuscript is sagging? I mean, it’s absolutely brilliant when you write it, several of your colleagues have beta read it and gave mostly praise, so you’re good to go… Read More ›
Editing Tip #120 – Pounding Out the Place-Holder Words
When it comes to a first draft many writers prefer to just ‘get it out’ – like verbal diarrhea (euww). But it’s often easier to fine-tune and fix things in a second draft than trying to get every sentence and… Read More ›
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