Today’s guestpost is provided by Cora Artz after graciously acceding to my pitiful begging and pleading. Thank you Cora!
Tidbits and Information about the
Editing Process –
Editing Process –
Whether Submitting to a Publisher or Self-publishing.
by
Cora Artz
Flow, Flow, Flow – Flow is everything. When you revise, review each paragraph as a
whole to make sure each sentence fits that paragraph’s theme and makes
sense. Sentences need to be cohesive
within each paragraph and each paragraph needs to be cohesive with the others
in the chapter.
whole to make sure each sentence fits that paragraph’s theme and makes
sense. Sentences need to be cohesive
within each paragraph and each paragraph needs to be cohesive with the others
in the chapter.
Point of View – If your story is in First Person, you can’t
treat it as you would a Third Person Omnipotent. Your main character can’t know
things about other characters that only those characters would know, like how
they’re feeling or what they might be thinking.
Your main character can interpret other characters’ actions and assume
they’re feeling a certain way, but you need to make sure the readers can see
those actions and thus agree with your main character’s assumption. Otherwise, it doesn’t sound believable.
treat it as you would a Third Person Omnipotent. Your main character can’t know
things about other characters that only those characters would know, like how
they’re feeling or what they might be thinking.
Your main character can interpret other characters’ actions and assume
they’re feeling a certain way, but you need to make sure the readers can see
those actions and thus agree with your main character’s assumption. Otherwise, it doesn’t sound believable.
Details Please – As readers, we need and want to get to know
the characters. The more information
about a character, especially physical traits, you can provide readers in the
first part of your story, the better. Readers
are already making assumptions about your character and unless it is intended,
you don’t want them to make the wrong ones.
Readers have their opinions of your characters formed very early on, so
any little tidbit you can provide at the beginning to help them make that
opinion is a good thing.
the characters. The more information
about a character, especially physical traits, you can provide readers in the
first part of your story, the better. Readers
are already making assumptions about your character and unless it is intended,
you don’t want them to make the wrong ones.
Readers have their opinions of your characters formed very early on, so
any little tidbit you can provide at the beginning to help them make that
opinion is a good thing.
Remember Your Readers – Always remember who your audience
is. This can affect everything from flow
and word choice to plot points and writing style. If you write too elaborately and choose
difficult words, it could turn off your audience if they are, say, young
adults. This also goes for which tense
you use. While some writers may be tempted to write in present tense,
publishers and readers, especially young adult readers, don’t like to read in
present tense. It’s confusing and
cumbersome and chances are your editor will make you change it to past tense
anyway. There are a few exceptions
however, such as flashbacks or dream sequences.
is. This can affect everything from flow
and word choice to plot points and writing style. If you write too elaborately and choose
difficult words, it could turn off your audience if they are, say, young
adults. This also goes for which tense
you use. While some writers may be tempted to write in present tense,
publishers and readers, especially young adult readers, don’t like to read in
present tense. It’s confusing and
cumbersome and chances are your editor will make you change it to past tense
anyway. There are a few exceptions
however, such as flashbacks or dream sequences.
Be Thorough – Your manuscript should be thorough and
complete when you submit it to a publisher.
Publishers typically read the first three chapters to determine if they
wish to offer the author a contract, and if they do they will read the
remainder of the manuscript to ensure it is complete and the rest is written as
well as the first three chapters.
complete when you submit it to a publisher.
Publishers typically read the first three chapters to determine if they
wish to offer the author a contract, and if they do they will read the
remainder of the manuscript to ensure it is complete and the rest is written as
well as the first three chapters.
Edit, Edit, Edit – Most publishers send the manuscript
through three rounds of edits, preferably with three different editors. This way the second round editor is likely to
catch something the first round editor might have missed, etc. and a fresh set
of eyes is reviewing the manuscript each time.
through three rounds of edits, preferably with three different editors. This way the second round editor is likely to
catch something the first round editor might have missed, etc. and a fresh set
of eyes is reviewing the manuscript each time.
Be Consistent – If you have characters speak a certain way,
such as with an accent, then make sure they speak the same way throughout the
manuscript. The same goes for
personality traits. Your characters need
to act in a way consistent with the personality traits you give them.
such as with an accent, then make sure they speak the same way throughout the
manuscript. The same goes for
personality traits. Your characters need
to act in a way consistent with the personality traits you give them.
Dialogue – When it comes to dialogue, it’s okay to use
sentence structures and grammar that normally wouldn’t fly in the rest of the
manuscript. The point is that it sounds
natural, the way people usually speak, which for most people is in run-on
sentences and improper grammar.
sentence structures and grammar that normally wouldn’t fly in the rest of the
manuscript. The point is that it sounds
natural, the way people usually speak, which for most people is in run-on
sentences and improper grammar.
Don’t Surprise Readers – Okay, I know what you’re going to
say, but what I mean is, don’t spring things on your readers that they aren’t
prepared for. If you decide to switch
between points of view, do so throughout the manuscript, having the first one
appear as early on in the story as possible.
The same goes for anything fantastic, such as magic and anything else
not based in your reader’s reality. If
you suddenly decide to have a character develop a super power in Chapter 22,
your readers aren’t going to believe it if there wasn’t some kind of hint to
the effect earlier in the story.
Anything that suddenly appears that late in the story will just feel
thrown in, like a cop-out. As I
mentioned earlier, your readers form their opinions about your characters early
on, so if you add in details about your characters too late in the story, they
aren’t going to mesh with what the reader has already decided and they will
reject it.
say, but what I mean is, don’t spring things on your readers that they aren’t
prepared for. If you decide to switch
between points of view, do so throughout the manuscript, having the first one
appear as early on in the story as possible.
The same goes for anything fantastic, such as magic and anything else
not based in your reader’s reality. If
you suddenly decide to have a character develop a super power in Chapter 22,
your readers aren’t going to believe it if there wasn’t some kind of hint to
the effect earlier in the story.
Anything that suddenly appears that late in the story will just feel
thrown in, like a cop-out. As I
mentioned earlier, your readers form their opinions about your characters early
on, so if you add in details about your characters too late in the story, they
aren’t going to mesh with what the reader has already decided and they will
reject it.
Personal Pet Peeve – As a freelance editor, one of my
personal pet peeves is when a word appears more than once in a single sentence
(unless it is completely unavoidable), for example: “I went out the door to the
outside”. “Out” is used twice and while there isn’t anything particularly wrong
with the sentence, it just sounds off to me.
Your readers deserve to see the expanse of your vocabulary. There are any number of ways this sentence
could be rephrased to sound better, such as “I went through the door and
outside” or “I went outside, shutting the door behind me”, etc.
personal pet peeves is when a word appears more than once in a single sentence
(unless it is completely unavoidable), for example: “I went out the door to the
outside”. “Out” is used twice and while there isn’t anything particularly wrong
with the sentence, it just sounds off to me.
Your readers deserve to see the expanse of your vocabulary. There are any number of ways this sentence
could be rephrased to sound better, such as “I went through the door and
outside” or “I went outside, shutting the door behind me”, etc.
Good information for the writer here. Although editors would be aghast, I always tell writers that one of their jobs is to put the editor out of business. Edit your work with an eye to make sure the editor catches nothing. Therefore, the harder you make the editor work to catch those minor hiccups, the better your WIP will be in the long run. Write on!
@Rick Good advice! My everyday goal is to put my editor out of business 🙂