Editing Fiction Like a Pro: The 5 Most Common Mistakes That Bog Down Your Narrative
The most common mistakes that bog down an otherwise flowing narrative are easy to avoid or correct when you're editing fiction scenes. These five simple steps will make your writing soar and your readers sit up and take notice.
Blooper-Proof Your Novel: How to Find and Fix a ‘Reality Violation’
A reality violation occurs when something you’ve written is at odds with the way the world works—either the actual physical world (if you write realism), or the imaginary world (if you do world-building, as in sci-fi or fantasy). Here's how to detect and fix them.
5 Ways to Save Your Character From a Drowning Story
When a story isn't working, you may be able to save your character by stripping away everything else and rebuilding using sturdier, more developed bricks.
8 Things You MUST Do When Your First Book Is Launched
Congratulations, you just launched your first book! But … what now? Here, Heather Christie outlines a process for ensuring the success of your book and your career.
7 Misconceptions About Revision
Rewriting is 90 percent of the writing process. If you don’t believe me, download The Adventures of Luke Starkiller as Taken from the Journal of the Whills. That’s what a first draft looks like. That’s what your first draft looks like to any reader who’s willing to be honest with you....
7 Ways to Fix a Messy Manuscript
Trina St. Jean, author of 2015 debut novel BLANK, shares seven tips for cleaning up the messiest of drafts and refocusing your work in progress.
6 Tips for Revising Picture Books
Marcie Wessels, author of 2015 picture book PIRATE'S LULLABY shares 6 tips for staying on track during the messy process of picture book revision.
The Five W’s (and One H) of Soliciting Feedback
Allen Ginsberg may have written by the mantra of “First thought, best thought,” but when it comes to many of us, intense bouts of revision allows the “best thought” to rise to the surface of our first drafts, which are often created in a get it down on the page any...
7 Tips for Revising a Novel
I spent my December revising a noir/crime novel and I also had a productive discussion with two other writers this weekend about the revision process. Both occurrences brought to mind some tips you may find useful. Mind you these are rather simple pieces of advice, and everyone has their own process...
Not in the Writing Mood?
Falling out of a writing mood can happen to the best of us, and getting back in can be tougher than talking your way into a secret, after-hours, invite-only nightclub. But if we don’t try to break through, then we’re not writing, and if we’re not writing…well, then we can’t call...
A Writing Exercise For Engaging Your Readers
Take the first chapter of your novel, or a short story that you’re working on, and rewrite it twice. First, rework it in an effort to engage a family member, like a parent. Second, rework it to engage a friend, a coworker, or anyone else you feel could be your reader....
4 Ways to Revise as You Write
Writers differ in their opinions of the revision process. Some balk at it–they see it as the “no fun” part of writing, and much prefer drafting and creation to fixing and rethinking. Other writers embrace the process and consider it an act of strengthening, polishing, and ultimately making their novel the...
How to Edit Your Book in 4 Steps
By Guest Columnist Mike Nappa Mike Nappa is founder of Nappaland Literary Agency, and author of 77 Reasons Why Your Book Was Rejected, available wherever books are sold. * The woman asked a sensible question; she deserved a practical answer. I was sitting on an “Agents & Editors” panel at a...
4 Techniques For Improving Your Writing Style
Today’s tip of the day comes from Grammatically Correct and describes some techniques for improving your writing style and for assessing how well your efforts are succeeding. Not all these strategies will be right for everyone, but it can’t hurt to at least consider them. Focus on the whole as well...
How to Gain Perspective on Your Work
The most essential part of revision is often the least discussed: the need to get in the mindset to effectively evaluate what you’ve written. These techniques will freshen your eye and sharpen your saw.
3 Tips for Consistent Tone
If you find yourself having a difficult time sustaining one tone over a long work, try these three tricks.
How to Revise Your Writing (& Awesome Editing Symbols You Should Know)
Maybe I'm a nerd, but I love the editing process. I love recasting sentences to make them stronger, choosing specific words to make dialogue sing, correcting grammar until it's fit to print and drawing little squibblies all over the page (mainly because I like the way squibblies look). Honestly, I use...
Two Hours with #1 Bestselling Author Jerry B. Jenkins TOMORROW!
If you write, then chances are you struggle with revision and self-editing. It can be a sometimes arduous process – but the joy you feel when you nail it, when your words come together like pieces of a puzzle and snap perfectly into place makes all the effort worthwhile. If you’d...
Get Paid to be a Word Nerd
Writers who leverage their skills as copy editors can earn bigger paychecks, diversify their portfolios and spend more time doing what they love. Learn how you could be one of them.
by Rebecca Smith Hurd
Revising is often perceived as frustrating and overwhelming, but Write Great Fiction: Revision & Self-Editing by James Scott Bell gives you the guidance you need to revise like a pro.
In this excerpt from chapter fifteen, discover why it's so...
From the Write Great Fiction series, Revision & Self-Editing offers techniques for transforming your first draft into a finished novel.
by Rebecca Smith Hurd
Tips for Revising Your Manuscript
Revising is often perceived as frustrating and overwhelming, but Write Great Fiction: Revision & Self-Editing by James Scott Bell gives you the guidance you need to revise like a pro.In this excerpt from chapter fifteen, discover why it's so...
WGF: Revision & Self-Editing
From the Write Great Fiction series, Revision & Self-Editing offers techniques for transforming your first draft into a finished novel.