Posts filed under ‘Book Editting’
The Three Basics to Editing
During the creation process of writing, we all tend to pre-edit our work while we are still crafting our story. Schedule your self-edit separate from your regular writing routine — if you are an early morning writer, wait until the evening, the next day, and for some writers, upon completion of the book. The point is to allow your story a chance to develop.
There is no doubt that proper editing of varying elements within your story is a key factor in your book’s level of success. Follow these basic editing tips for an in-production manuscript:
- Walk away before you edit. When you reach that marking point where you place your computer aside, wait a day before editing so you may gain a fresh perspective. Don’t try to edit or rework your story directly after a session of writing — everything looks different the next day. Approach the editing of your story with a fresh eye.
- Don’t rely on your computer for editing. Your computer’s spelling and grammar check will only get you so far. Not only can it skip over misspellings and grammatical mistakes, but computers do not recognize meaning or writing style. For instance, did you mean it’s or its? And only you, not your computer, can determine if the correct word is there, their or they’re.
- Let a professional read your manuscript. It’s okay to share your story with friends and family for their opinion regarding your book. However, you will need to rely on professional feedback that will focus on the content, grammar and structure of your story. Your book will gain from a professionally honest critique and recommendations on improving your writing and story.
Remember, the interior pages of your book are just as much a representation of your author brand as your investment in an eye-catching, customized exterior. The cover is meant to reach out to potential readers, alluring them to purchase the book. The written words, on the other hand, are what will keep hold of the reader and move towards building a band of loyal readership.
Clean content and a fluid storyline mixed with your own writing style will create an image and expectation for you as an author. You are building a strong foundation leading to anticipation for your future books. Whether you are investing your time or your money, investing in editing assures that your book is within industry standards and ready for your potential readers.
Melissa
P.S. You can visit the Wordclay Web site for practical editing options.
Take the Active Road: Leave Your Passive Voice Behind
Passive voice is to writers what kryptonite is to Superman. Nothing takes 
away a writer’s power faster or more completely than passive voice. Editors despise it, and readers are confused by it. So what is passive voice, and why do so many writers continue to make the mistake in using it?
Passive voice occurs when the person or thing doing something — the actor — is replaced as the subject of a sentence by an object.
Passive Example: Bait is being used by the fisherman.
Active Example: The fisherman is using bait.
Passive voice is not illegal; editors simply frown upon its abundance. The problem with passive voice is it makes a writer seem unsure, or at best, maybe … sort of … sure. It weakens the clarity of writing. Overuse of your passive voice may cause your writing to seem flat and uninteresting and may lead to a disconnect from the readers to the characters or book.
You might have trouble avoiding the passive voice at first, but if you want to keep your readers and editors interested, now’s the time to learn how to identify the red flags of passive voice.
For instance, “To be or not to be,” is the passive voice, usually. Look for “to be,” “will be,” “have been” and “were.” These passive constructions, and others like them, are good indicators of the passive voice. However, this is not always the case. “I have to be at work,” is not passive. Do you see how this statement shows action? “I” is the subject and “be at work” is the action, therefore the statement is not passive.
Past particles — usually words ending in “–ed” — in a sentence with a passive indicator almost always lead to passive voice.
Passive Example: The car has been washed by a boy.
Active Example: A boy washed the car.
Do you see how much clearer the active voice is? See how the active voice clearly states who the actor is?
Passive voice also occurs when no subject is mentioned at all.
Passive Example: Trees were being cut.
Active Example: Loggers were cutting trees.
If you want to stay on the good side of your editor, and believe me, you do, stay away from the passive voice. Your writing will benefit from action.
- Melissa
For more writing tips, visit Wordclay’s Author Resource Center.
