In the craft of writing, editing is accepted as a necessary evil. We all realize that our sentences must be properly punctuated, our noun/verb combinations must agree, our sentence and paragraph structure must meet certain recognizable norms. Yes, there are exceptions. Books are written in verse. Writers experiment with no dialogue tags, single-sentence paragraphs, and … Continue reading Edit or Revise? Why not both?
revisions
FAILURE IS NOT FATAL
Just the other day, I posted this quote from Winston Churchill: Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. Normally, I'd just leave it out there and it would hopefully inspire some other folks the way it inspired me. But I've found that over the past few … Continue reading FAILURE IS NOT FATAL
Beta Readers: What are they & why do I need them?
First of all, as with Critique Partners, you'll notice that the question isn't “Do I need them?” because that's a given. You need them. Period. So what are they and how do you get them? First you might ask: how does a Beta Reader differ from a Critique Partner? Both are all about helping you create … Continue reading Beta Readers: What are they & why do I need them?
Critique Partners: What are they & why do I need them?
First of all, notice that the question isn't “Do I need them?” because that's a given. You need them, and they need you. So what are they and how do you find them? A critique partner is someone who reads your manuscript after you've gotten it to a somewhat polished state. A critique partner should … Continue reading Critique Partners: What are they & why do I need them?
Bad News, Good News
Sometimes bad news is a very good thing. A little background: my manuscript, WHISPERS IN THE CANYON, was (in what I thought was a cut and polished state, like a rare diamond if you will), 120,000+ words long. But feedback from many quarters said "That's too long", "It's not the optimal size for publication", "Agents … Continue reading Bad News, Good News
Gifford MacShane, Author 