Expanded Power Revision Checklist. Would you like to be a published poet?
Would you like recognition for your work? Please check out the "Invalid Item" Part I of the Writers Workshop: Expanded Power Revision Checklist I first presented the content of this article at a writers workshop. Hence, the way this material is formatted and presented here is probably more suited to verbal presentation in a class with hands-on examples. And seeing a need amongst fellow writers for a more in-depth handling of these superb techniques, I decided to do some moderate reformatting to make this reader-friendly and suitable for posting. This article is a compilation of the techniques culled, distilled, and synthesized from the thirty-eight references listed at the end of this piece.
Warning: Some of these techniques may not fit with what you may have thought was great writing. Although these techniques apply to both fiction and non-fiction, most of my examples utilize fiction because it is my favorite form. 1. 2. The Frugal Book Promoter, by Carolyn Howard-Johnson. Carolyn Howard-Johnson is my unofficial writing mentor.
I write 'unofficial' because I basically adopted her and her work as my go-to guides for improving and promoting my writing. Our paths crossed when we were both writing for MyShelf.com, a long-standing book review website. Carolyn advocates for writers, particularly in helping them maneuver through the publishing and marketing world. She opened my eyes to viewing my writing as a business. She's also on my short list of authors whose books I buy as soon as they're published. In case you don't know her name, Carolyn has an exemplary career spanning journalism, publishing, marketing, retail and teaching. I've recommended Carolyn's books to many writer and author friends over the years. The book is jammed packed with the how-to's on book promotion.
Editing to Life – Characterization. There is a saying in writerly circles, that a manuscript can reach a point where it’s been edited to death.
The writer has produced so many new drafts that the life has been sucked out of the story, leaving nothing but a dry, cracked shell. Not even a shadow of the author’s original vision for the piece. The 7 Deadly Sins of Self-Editing. Self-Editing Tips from New York Times Bestselling Author Gemma Halliday. I’ve been hearing a lot of new authors lately talk about the high costs of self-publishing.
This kind of baffles me, as when I started, I think I spent a total of $10 on my first book. Sure, there are lots of ways you CAN spending money starting up, but you really don’t NEED to. If you must self-edit. Today we’ve invited Harper Bliss (the naughtiest member of the LadyLit family) to share her self-editing process.
Mainly because erotica must be the worst edited genre out there, and also because, these days, people seem to think they can write down their favourite sexual fantasies, upload a poorly formatted word document, slap a picture of a half-naked woman on the cover, and wait for the money to roll in. (Maybe they’ll make a few bucks, but it’s hardly the basis for a sustainable career in writing.) Amazon is flooded by atrocious erotic e-books crawling with spelling and grammar mistakes, giving self-publishing in general a really bad name. The main reason to not use a professional editor is, of course, money. Five Steps from Pro Editors That Make a Scene, Chapter, Book Shine. First comes the wild idea.
It grows gradually in your creative self, until it feels like an elephant in the corner of a room, not letting you ignore it. Until you're compelled to get it on paper. You write for months or years. You now have a huge file on your hard drive or piled on your desk. Guest Post: Editing tips to improve your writing. You have probably heard many magazine owners, business people, teachers, and just about everyone else complaining about how people have lost the ability to write.
However, I have a problem with that point of view because I strongly believe that there are many talented modern writers; the only factor that separates them from great writers is that they don’t know how to edit their own work. Editing doesn’t kill the work! In fact, it can make it much better, easily readable and more captivating. The most famous pieces of literature didn’t exactly fly under the pens of their writers. Some of the most renowned writers in the history have literally destroyed parts of their work when they weren’t happy with it.