The workshop I gave was titled Sex and the Self-Editing Author. Now, I've been tagged as using a bait-and-switch technique to get people in the workshop door, but honestly, I have no clue what anyone could mean by that. Do you?
All right. Admittedly, the workshop was more about self-editing than sex. Your curiosity is piqued, however, correct? Anyway, I thought some of you might be interested in the handout so I've posted it for your here.
Sex and the Self-Editing Author
Whether you are writing and polishing your book for first time submission, or for your editor, self-editing is a necessary evil. Here are five sexy steps to get it right.
1) Get Fresh (lay down fresh ideas)
- First thoughts have incredible energy
- Allow yourself to write junk
- Even bad writing can be edited – just get your ideas down
- Figure out your style
- Use devices – from spiral notebooks to AlphaSmarts
2) Teases and Tickles (acknowledge your inner editor)
- Nagging sentence?
- Niggling phrase?
- Paragraph that just doesn’t work?
- Passage that isn’t quite right?
- Chapter that lags?
- Middle that sags?
- Fix them!
3) Awesome Twosome or Critique a Trois? (seek other opinions)
- Critique partner or groups
- Beta reader(s) -- get one, or two, or three?
- Define or describe the feedback you want – Content? Grammar? Red flags? Formatting? Copyedits?
- Word of Caution: Remember, it’s your story
- Another word of Caution: Never let anyone edit out your voice.
4) Get Down and Dirty (masterful self-editing)
- Pesky Passive vs. Dominate Active Voice (do a search, ex. “had”, “to be”, “ing” words, etc)
- Those lovely adverbs (do a search, ex. “ly”)
- Echoes and repetitive words/phrases (do a search, overused words, ex. “just” “slid” “damn” “that”)
- Learn your publisher’s “house style”
- Ebooks – formatting might be part of your editorial process. Again, know “house style”
- Maddie’s Final Checklist:
- Do searches for all common mistakes.
- Read final manuscript through electronically, make any changes.
- Print manuscript out and do hard copy edits. Key in changes.
- Read manuscript OUT LOUD either hard copy or on the screen. Make changes.
5) Leggo Your Ego – Or, honey it wasn’t THAT great (listen to your editor).
- Trust your editor’s instincts.
- At the same time, trust your own.
- Know what battles to fight.
- Choose your battles wisely.
- Listen!
1 comment:
Cool. Thanks for sharing this Maddie. Will definitely have to come back and check it when I get to editing before submitting! Or paste it into a file on my computer as a check list.
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