tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71997969582933212652024-03-13T15:58:01.219-07:00Resources for WritersEssential advice since 2010 for fiction writers, aspiring novelists, and editors from Jodie Renner, highly respected fiction editor and author of three award-winning craft-of-writing guides, FIRE UP YOUR FICTION, CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS, and WRITING A KILLER THRILLER, as well as time-saving QUICK CLICKS e-resources.Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.comBlogger173125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-7843627455672716922022-08-29T21:08:00.006-07:002022-08-29T21:11:36.385-07:00What to Include When Contacting an Editor<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fT5aGZy8ZC0BE7QHgVLK69kecmx2FKqnV0blplmt2Bq7lfcHknqcAfcl8y6dlEv6X6eNcBZSGoRN5lO9eKdHAw59hdVS91koXvhpB_Y1TJPFJwQW-m1ew5jlRCtJbP94-ETtFv9MiXcAcCtYMQ4zPxRs8YW5vUbFSpsmcKKN9aa1JCATxOt8-puaPg/s1600/Jodie_June%2027,%20'14_HighRes_square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1370" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fT5aGZy8ZC0BE7QHgVLK69kecmx2FKqnV0blplmt2Bq7lfcHknqcAfcl8y6dlEv6X6eNcBZSGoRN5lO9eKdHAw59hdVS91koXvhpB_Y1TJPFJwQW-m1ew5jlRCtJbP94-ETtFv9MiXcAcCtYMQ4zPxRs8YW5vUbFSpsmcKKN9aa1JCATxOt8-puaPg/w171-h200/Jodie_June%2027,%20'14_HighRes_square.jpg" width="171" /></a></div><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Looking for a Freelance Editor for Your Novel? </span></b><p></p><div><b style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">Here's what to include when you first contact them.</span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">In-demand freelance editors, like agents, are very busy people. A well-respected editor will</span> receive a lot of submissions for editing, more than they can take on, so it's important to send them everything they need when you first contact them, rather than just introducing yourself.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">Be sure to check out their website first and see what they specialize in editing and what they need from you before they can consider taking on your work. If they don’t include that info, just use the guidelines below and send them all the information listed, so they can see the subject matter and quality of the writing right away.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">Here’s an email I received a few months ago that gives me no information whatsoever about the type of project it is or the quality of writing, i.e., how much work it will need to bring it up to industry standards and sell well.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .4in; margin-right: .4in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.4in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Dear Jodie</span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .4in; margin-right: .4in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.4in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">I want to ask you if you have time to help me with a project that I need to submit next month. If you can help, that will be great. I need proofreading, copy-editing too. </span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .4in; margin-right: .4in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.4in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Let me know if you can help and how much you charge. </span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .4in; margin-right: .4in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.4in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">best </span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .4in; margin-right: .4in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.4in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">L </span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">How can I respond to this query, with no further information included or attached? I really need to know what kind of project it is and see a sample of the writing as well. (Never mind that they misspelled my first name!) When I’m busy (which I am now), I just don’t have time to email them back and list the items they need to send me. And I certainly can't give a fee, even if they had included the word count, without seeing at least some of the project and doing a sample edit.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you want to get a timely response from an editor, include everything they need in your initial inquiry. A brief email asking if I have time to take on a project, with no additional information, is a bit frustrating. What if I say yes and it turns out it’s not the kind of thing I want to edit at all. How do I turn them down diplomatically when I’ve just said I have time to take on their project? I want to see at least some of the project first, before I say whether I’m available or not. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">Here’s what to include when you first contact a potential freelance editor for your novel or short story:</span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">~ <span style="color: #990000;">Your full name.</span> </span></b><span lang="EN-CA">If your author name is different, best to include both.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">~ <span style="color: #990000;">The genre of your novel or story.</span></span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is <b>the main category</b> it would fit into, where it would be shelved in a library or bookstore. Mystery, romance, fantasy, literary, sci-fi, historical, suspense, thriller, YA mystery, middle-grade fantasy, romantic suspense, action-adventure, horror, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">~ <span style="color: #990000;">Total word count</span></span></b><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="color: #990000;">.</span> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">(Or projected word count.) For a novel, should be between 75K and 100K words, usually 80-90K. Don’t need the exact number of words – round it out to the nearest 100. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">By the way, if your novel is over 95 thousand words, it very likely needs tightening up. See "<a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-to-slash-your-word-count-by-20-40.html">How to Slash your Word Count by 20-40%, without losing any of the good stuff</a>."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">~ <span style="color: #990000;">Character sketches</span></span></b><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">Give a brief description of each of the most important 4-6 characters, in order of importance, in list form. </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Begin with the main viewpoint character of the story. </span><span>Give the full name of each character, bolded, and their age (or approximate age). Include the love interest if there is one and the antagonist or villain, as well as anyone else who plays a significant role, such as a spouse, boss, partner, close buddy, or confidante. A line or two for each is fine. What is their strongest desire or motivation or their biggest problem? What is their role in the story?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">~ <span style="color: #990000;">A SYNOPSIS (Plot Outline, Story Outline)</span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">A brief description (usually a paragraph to half a page is fine) of the beginning, middle, and end of your story. Unlike with a blurb or back cover copy, which just gives enough tantalizing detail to pique the reader’s interest, a synopsis for an editor or agent needs to reveal the ending as well. </span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Include the title (or working title) of your book and your name at the top</b>, and the word "Synopsis" or "Short Synopsis."</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;"><b>Start with your protagonist and his/her main goal, desire, worry, fear, or secret, and tell what or who is standing in the way of him reaching his goal.</b> Who or what is the antagonist? Also mention any other significant characters, like maybe a love interest. No need to mention subplots or minor characters. Mention the setting or story world if it's significant.<o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">For the first mention of each character, give their full name in all caps or bolded, followed by their age in brackets. After that, just use normal font for their name. Tell the main points of your story in <b>third-person (he/she/they), present tense</b>, even if your novel is written in first person (I, me, we, our), past tense. Try to convey the tone and voice of your novel in the synopsis.</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">Individual editors and of course literary agents may ask for a longer synopsis, in which case you might include the main subplot or subplots.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">~ <span style="color: #990000;">A short bio.</span></span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">A little about yourself. Rough age would be good, maybe family situation and where you live, plus any relevant experience, etc. A sentence or two is fine.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">~ Your preferred timeline, if you’re in a rush. (I highly recommend not being in a rush if you want the best job possible. I usually turn down people with a tight deadline as I'm already very self-motivated and I don't need the added pressure.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">ALSO INCLUDE:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">~ <span style="color: #990000;">The first 20 pages (roughly) or the first 3 chapters of your novel.</span></span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">*Be sure to include the title (or working title) of the book and your name at the top.*</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">Don’t include the front matter or Table of Contents. No photos, maps, diagrams, or any of that fancy stuff you may want to include in the book.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">PROPER FORMATTING FOR YOUR SYNOPSIS AND ATTACHED DOCUMENT</span>:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/w136-h200/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" width="136" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">Times New Roman font, </span></b><b><span lang="EN-CA">12-point <br /></span></b></span></li><li><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">double-spaced </span></b></li><li><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">paragraphs indented </span></b></li><li><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">no extra space between paragraphs </span></b></li><li><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">left-justified </span></b></li><li><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">one-inch margins on all sides</span></b></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">You can change it to your preferred font after the editing process. Sending it in Times New Roman, double-spaced is a courtesy to editors as that's what we're used to looking at and it means we can get into the story right away without reformatting it first.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">If you have time, change any incorrect paragraph indents that you’ve made using Tab or the space bar to proper indents using Word’s Paragraph function.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;"><b>For more on formatting a manuscript to send to editors or agents, see <a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2013/07/basic-formatting-of-your-manuscript.html">Formatting 101</a>.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">Good luck!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">For more on this topic, see my guest post on Anne R. Allen's award-winning blog, "<a href="https://annerallen.com/2021/09/how-to-snag-best-freelance-editor/"><b>How to Snag the Best Freelance Editor for Your Writing Project</b></a>."</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/w136-h200/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" width="136" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px;">Jodie Renner is a freelance fiction editor and the award-winning author of three writing guides in her series <em><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">An Editor’s Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction</span></em>: </span><a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px; text-decoration-line: none;">FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</span></a><em><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px;">,</span></b></em><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px;"> </span></b><a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px; text-decoration-line: none;">CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px;">, and </span><a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px; text-decoration-line: none;">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px;">, </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px;">as well as two clickable time-saving e-resources,</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px;"> </span><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px; text-decoration-line: none;">QUICK CLICKS: Spelling List</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px;"> and </span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px;">QUICK CLICKS: Word Usage</span></span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px;">. She has also organized and edited two anthologies. Website: </span><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px; text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.jodierenner.com/</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px;">, </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px; text-decoration-line: none;">Facebook</span></a><strong><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px;">, </span></strong><a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px; text-decoration-line: none;">Amazon Author Page</span></a><strong><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 20.7px;">.</span></strong></span></div>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-24794254890255784742021-10-02T12:16:00.020-07:002021-10-02T21:11:03.037-07:00NaNoWriMo Prep for Beginners<p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">... and anyone else who could use some ideas to on how to use October to get ready for National Novel Writing Month in November</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">by Jodie Renner, </span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/235982136068078654"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">editor</span></i></a></span><i><span style="line-height: 115%;"> & </span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/235982136068078654"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">author</span></i></a> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n4n8FVfZDVM/YViuoIodbHI/AAAAAAAACoU/V9QgVqA3ruoy-JJ1UoF-8H4p50geMQP_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/Typing%2Bon%2Blaptop.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n4n8FVfZDVM/YViuoIodbHI/AAAAAAAACoU/V9QgVqA3ruoy-JJ1UoF-8H4p50geMQP_QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Typing%2Bon%2Blaptop.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">November is <b>National Novel Writing Month</b>.
Many writers use this as an impetus to start a new novel or make significant
headway on their writing, or even do a first draft of 50,000 words. If
that seems daunting, you can make your goal for NaNoWriMo 30,000 words.
That’s 1000 new words per day, rough draft. Or, if you have a busy slate, maybe
you just plan to write a short story or two for NaNoWriMo.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>October is a great time to do some
essential planning for the story you’ll be writing</b> in November, so you can take off from the starting gate with a lot of planning already done.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">If you've never written a novel or maybe just a short story or two, here are some tips to plan out and create a compelling story readers will love. Experienced fiction writers may also find these checklists useful as reminders for your next WIP. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">As with most of my advice, these tips are for writing popular fiction, rather than literary fiction.</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><a name="Essential_Ingred"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">First, the Essential Ingredients of a Captivating Story</span></span></b></a></h2>
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bookmark: Essential_Ingred;"></span>
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">To engage and captivate readers, you’ll
need to:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">~ Imagine a unique <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">story world.</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">~ Choose or invent a believable,
interesting <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">setting.</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">~ Create a fascinating, complicated, vulnerable <b>main</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">character</b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">~ Give your protagonist a <b>driving goal or desire</b>.</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">~ Add an <b>antagonist or hindrance</b> of some sort.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">~ Create an intriguing <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">plot</b> that revolves around the driving goal and a major <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">dilemma</b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">conflict</b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">threat</b>, or <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">challenge</b> the protagonist faces.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">~ As the story goes along, add some more <b>challenges and</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">problems</b> for your protagonist.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">~ Try to add a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">surprise twist</b> or two. Don't make it too predictable.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">~ Create a riveting <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">climax </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">where your protagonist is challenged to the max (physically or emotionally or both).</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">~ Devise a satisfying <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">ending </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">with some resolution.</span></span></span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Planning
Your Story:</span></span></b></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">First, you'll need to create an <b>interesting main character</b> that readers will care
about and worry about, and a <b>significant conflict, challenge, dilemma, or obstacle</b> that
character encounters. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Every scene should have some kind of challenge or problem that the protagonist (or viewpoint character for that scene) must deal with.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>In planning your story, whether it’s a
short story or longer fiction, use this as a rough guide. </b>Make some jot notes under each of these headings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">1. <b>Who’s your</b> <b>target readership</b> (audience)?
(rough age group, gender, interests) <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">2. <b>What kind of story</b> (<b>genre</b>) would you
like to write that would interest your target readers? (fantasy, action, chick
lit, suspense, romance, mystery, etc.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">3. <b>Who is your</b> <b>main character</b>, and why will
readers care about him or her? How is he or she vulnerable? What’s especially interesting about your
protagonist?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">4. <b>Where and when</b> <b>does this story take
place?</b> What’s going on?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">5. <b>Who are your character’s sidekicks?</b> (A
few close friends or family members)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">6. <b>Who is your character’s worst enemy</b>, and
why? Invent a rival or antagonist of some kind.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">7. <b>What is your main character’s deepest
secret, regret, fear, or phobia?</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">8. <b>What is their biggest hope, their main
wish or desire?</b> Their driving goal? Or, as Alan Watt says in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
90 Day Novel</i>, “What do they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">want</i>?
What do they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">need</i>?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">9. <b>Who or what thwarts that desire?</b> Who or
what causes them some major problems? Perhaps related to their secret, regret,
or fear.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">10. <b>How does the protagonist confront the challenges?</b> What do they do to try to resolve the
issues and get (back) to how they want things to be? </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Then, if you have time, you can continue making rough notes on:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">11. How do things get worse for them? What
will happen if they don’t succeed?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">12. What’s their lowest point, their
bleakest moment, when all seems lost?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">13. How do they finally manage to resolve
(most of) the issue or defeat the enemy?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">14. How is their life different now?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">15. How have they changed by what they’ve
been through? (Character arc)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">If you answer all of the above questions,
you’ll have a compelling story readers won’t want to put down.</span></span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Create a Potential Back-Cover Blurb:</span></span></b></h2><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Here’s a premise in a nutshell for a gripping, entertaining story your readers will love:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Use this as a general guideline for mapping out your story, novel, or novella:</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">(Hero or heroine’s name) <b>wants</b> ... (what will complete their life, make them happy, fulfill their main goal, satisfy their biggest hope or desire?). But he/she <b>is hampered by</b> ... (describe the misfortune, conflict, dilemma, problem, villain), and s/he has ... (time limit or other hindrance) to ... (describe the almost impossible task) or ... (describe a negative consequence that will happen). He/she <b>has to choose between... and</b> .... (Continue from there.)</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Good luck with your October planning for November's NaNoWriMo!</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">For more fiction-writing tips, explore this blog and check out my award-winning, reader-friendly <b>writing guides</b>, which all have lots of bolded subheadings, bulleted points, and before-and-after examples. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Click on the links below:</span></p></span><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"></span></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1370" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/w171-h200/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" width="171" /></a></span></i></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/w136-h200/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>Jodie Renner is a freelance
fiction editor and the award-winning author of three writing guides in her
series An Editor’s Guide to
Writing Compelling Fiction: </span><a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</span></a><b><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">,</span></b><b><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS</span></a><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">, and </span><a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</span></a><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">, </span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">as well as two clickable
time-saving e-resources,</span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"> </span><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">QUICK
CLICKS: Spelling List</span></a><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"> and </span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Words">QUICK CLICKS: Word Usage</a></span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">. She has also organized
and edited two anthologies. Website: </span><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">https://www.jodierenner.com/</span></a><strong><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">, </span></strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">Facebook</span></a><strong><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">, </span></strong><a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">Amazon
Author Page</span></a><strong><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">.</span></strong></i></span><strong><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #1982d1; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i><strong></strong></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i><strong><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlvRTQsLbP4/UlQqIPZ3OYI/AAAAAAAABCA/XaKhNYL8akgTwXYu9Qmxbkpg5JOXjQeOgCPcBGAYYCw/s1430/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller%252C%2BTravis%2BMiles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1430" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlvRTQsLbP4/UlQqIPZ3OYI/AAAAAAAABCA/XaKhNYL8akgTwXYu9Qmxbkpg5JOXjQeOgCPcBGAYYCw/w126-h200/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller%252C%2BTravis%2BMiles.jpg" width="126" /></a></strong></i></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i><strong><br /><br /><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></strong></i></span><p></p><br /><p></p>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-7169599493342083452021-09-20T15:58:00.011-07:002021-09-25T11:54:02.667-07:00Are You Looking for Professional Help with your Nonfiction Book?<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: Georgia, serif; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">SUBSTANTIVE/STRUCTURAL EDITING SERVICE </span></span></strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: Georgia, serif; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">for NONFICTION WRITERS</span></span></strong></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">by Jodie Renner, editor & author</span></i></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DnZXyyYkJy0/YUkUFk6wL9I/AAAAAAAACoM/NeHyWlTrRAUmqvK93yxbN4Qz6ZD9IzbegCLcBGAsYHQ/s1300/cartoon%2Bof%2Bwriter%2Bwriting%2Bon%2Blaptop.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1300" height="164" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DnZXyyYkJy0/YUkUFk6wL9I/AAAAAAAACoM/NeHyWlTrRAUmqvK93yxbN4Qz6ZD9IzbegCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h164/cartoon%2Bof%2Bwriter%2Bwriting%2Bon%2Blaptop.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Are you an expert on or
passionate about a topic and want to share your knowledge about it in a book? And
add to your resume and make some money at the same time? </span></span><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Maybe you’ve made a good
start but reached a roadblock with your project. Now's the time to find some professional
help with rewriting, revising, and restructuring your book so it will appeal to your
target readership and sell well.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: large;"> </span><p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I’m accepting nonfiction
books for <b>substantive/structural editing</b> or <b>rewriting</b> on these or related topics,
aimed at a general (not academic or scientific) audience:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">personal growth,</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> <strong><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">healthy living,</span></strong> <strong><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">self-help, wellness, lifestyles, nutrition,
health, </span></strong></span><strong style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">senior living or issues, </span></strong><strong style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">relationships, or alternative healthcare and wellness</span></strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">.</span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I<strong style="outline: 0px;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> will work <i>with</i> you on your nonfiction
book to do a detailed substantive/structural edit, as well as a thorough copyedit and final proofread, which
will include: <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></b></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Helping you define your target readership<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Clarifying your goals with this book<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Discussing the scope of your book (maybe too narrow or too broad?)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Helping you, if needed, to develop a “voice” and style that will
appeal to your target readership<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Discussing the overall organization and flow of your book, and transitions
between chapters<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Helping you with an enticing opening (first paragraphs) <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Checking for overly technical phrases and jargon your target
audience may not easily understand <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Rearranging, adding, or condensing chapters, topics, and
subtopics to make the whole structure more appealing and cohesive<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Moving, adding, rewriting, or deleting details, sentences, and
paragraphs <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Watching for any inconsistencies and discrepancies <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Flagging and helping you rewrite any confusing statements<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Asking for clarification and examples if needed<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Suggesting anecdotes, interesting facts, or a bit of humor, if
needed <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Noting repetitions or redundancies within a sentence, paragraph,
or elsewhere in the book<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Flagging digressions and off-topic references <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: Symbol; font-weight: normal; padding: 0in;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span></strong><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Rewriting overly long, overly formal, or convoluted sentences<strong><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> <o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Fixing spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spacing,
and typos<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Clicking through any references to make sure they lead to the
intended source<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Checking your references, using an acceptable style guide<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm a former English teacher and librarian with a Master's degree. I edit American and Canadian
English, and my main two reference sources are <i>The Chicago Manual of Style</i>
and <i>Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Finally, I will <strong><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">format </span></strong>your book for
publishing, including creating proper chapter headings, subheadings, and a Table of Contents (made
clickable for an ebook). <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Fee Structure:</b> For info on fees, please visit the <a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/editing/">Editing</a> page of my website.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: Georgia, serif; padding: 0in;">My process is interactive</span></strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">, so the manuscript goes back
and forth several times, with plenty of input by the author. </span></span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">If your manuscript, article, or webpage only needs a <b>basic copyedit and proofread</b>, I can do that too, at a considerably lower fee.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; outline: 0px; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; vertical-align: baseline; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Contact me at info (at)
JodieRenner (dot) (com) with your topic, target readership, projected number of
words/pages, ideas and/or table of contents, and your first 10-20 pages. If
your project interests me or I have time to take it on, I’ll get back to you
with some ideas and a sample edit/rewrite.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: 110%; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1370" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/w171-h200/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" width="171" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Jodie Renner is a freelance
fiction editor and the award-winning author of three writing guides in her
series <em><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">An Editor’s Guide to
Writing Compelling Fiction</span></em>: <a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</span></a><em><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">,</span></b></em><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">, and </span><a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">, </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">as well as two clickable
time-saving e-resources,</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"> </span><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">QUICK
CLICKS: Spelling List</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"> and </span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">QUICK CLICKS: Word Usage</span></span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">. She has also organized
and edited two anthologies. Website: </span><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">https://www.jodierenner.com/</span></a><strong><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">, </span></strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><strong><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">Facebook</span></strong></a><strong><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">, </span></strong><a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">Amazon
Author Page</span></a><strong><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">.</span></strong></span><strong><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #1982d1; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong><p></p><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"></span><p></p></div>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-1381445583524983612021-09-12T10:41:00.001-07:002021-09-12T10:44:18.595-07:00How to Snag the Best Freelance Editor for Your Novel<p> </p><header class="entry-header" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 20px;"><h1 class="entry-title" style="border-left: 6px solid rgb(34, 34, 34); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 36px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 20px -60px; padding: 20px 54px;">How to Snag the Best Freelance Editor for Your Writing Project</h1></header><div class="entry-content" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="featured-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 20px;"><img alt="How to Snag the Best Freelance Editor for Your Writing Project" class="entry-image" src="https://annerallen.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Maxwell-perkins-and-Thomas-Wolfe-700x300.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; float: none; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></div><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;">by Jodie Renner</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px;">With so many authors self-publishing these days, the best freelance editors are in high demand. So if you’re looking for a knowledgeable, experienced professional editor to help you make your manuscript the best it can be – and improve your overall writing skills in the process – be sure to take some care with how you seek out and approach them.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px;">Due to the high volume of requests, sought-after freelance editors turn down many more writer clients than they can accept. So it’s important to make a good first impression.</p><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;">Don’t Send a Rough Draft to a Freelance Editor</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px;">First, make sure your manuscript isn’t still in rough draft. Try to find time to hone your craft by reading writing advice by experts such as James Scott Bell, Donald Maass, and Elizabeth Lyon. (Also check out my three award-winning <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jodie-Renner/e/B008H80AIE" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eb232f; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">fiction-writing guides</a> on Amazon.)</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px;">Then go over the manuscript several times, looking for issues you read about and those listed below.</p><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 600;">Use Beta Readers First</span></h2><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px;">Enlist 3-5 voluntary beta readers who read in your genre to give you feedback on what excited, confused, or bored them. Also ask where plot points, dialogue, or character reactions didn’t ring true or make sense for them. Here are <a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2016/07/15-questions-for-your-beta-readers-and.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #eb232f; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">15 questions for your beta readers</a>.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px;">If grammar and sentence structure aren’t your strong suit, make the first volunteer you send your manuscript to someone who excels at English. It helps if they are willing to proofread it for typos and grammatical and spelling errors.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px;">That way your other beta readers won’t be distracted by those kinds of errors and can get right into the story. ...</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: "Droid Serif", serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px;"><b>For the rest of this post, go to Anne R Allen's blog at:</b></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Droid Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><b><a href="https://annerallen.com/2021/09/how-to-snag-best-freelance-editor/">https://annerallen.com/2021/09/how-to-snag-best-freelance-editor/</a></b></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Droid Serif, serif;"><span style="font-size: 20px;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 28px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Droid Serif, serif;"><span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Droid Serif, serif;"><span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Jodie Renner is a freelance
fiction editor and the award-winning author of three writing guides in her
series <em><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">An Editor’s Guide to
Writing Compelling Fiction</span></em>: </span><a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</span></a><em><b><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">,</span></b></em><b><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS</span></a><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">, and </span><a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</span></a><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">, </span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">as well as two clickable
time-saving e-resources,</span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">QUICK
CLICKS: Spelling List</span></a><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> and </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">QUICK CLICKS: Word Usage</span></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">. She has also organized
and edited two anthologies. Website: </span><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">https://www.jodierenner.com/</span></a><strong><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">, </span></strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><strong><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">Facebook</span></strong></a><strong><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">, </span></strong><a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">Amazon
Author Page</span></a><strong><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #1982d1; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">.</span></strong></span><strong style="font-size: 20px;"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #1982d1; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span></p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Droid Serif, serif;"><span><br /></span></span><p></p></div>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-52922481762709027322021-08-05T16:43:00.010-07:002021-09-13T10:39:46.270-07:00What to Include When Contacting an Editor<p><b style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-CA"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P_gAV86QMT0/T8EcW7_DWWI/AAAAAAAAAKk/zCnC67SbvS04XoZTQkR3C3-7ryre_KmFQCPcBGAYYCw/s200/typing%2B-%2Bkeyboard.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P_gAV86QMT0/T8EcW7_DWWI/AAAAAAAAAKk/zCnC67SbvS04XoZTQkR3C3-7ryre_KmFQCPcBGAYYCw/s0/typing%2B-%2Bkeyboard.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></div><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Looking
for a Freelance Editor for Your Novel? </span></b><div><b style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">Here's what to include when you first contact them.</span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">In-demand freelance editors, like agents,
are very busy people. A well-respected editor will</span> receive a lot of submissions for editing, more than they can take on, so it's important to send them everything they need when you first contact them, rather than just introducing yourself.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">Be sure to check out their website first and see what
they specialize in editing and what they need from you before they can consider
taking on your work. If they don’t include that info, just use the guidelines
below and send them all the information listed, so
they can see the subject matter and quality of the writing right away.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">Here’s an email I received today that gives
me no information whatsoever about the type of project it is or the quality of
writing, i.e., how much work it will need to bring it up to industry standards
and sell well.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .4in; margin-right: .4in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.4in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Dear Jodi</span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .4in; margin-right: .4in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.4in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">I want to ask you if you have time to help
me with a project that I need to submit next month. If you can help,
that will be great. I need proofreading, copy-editing too. </span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .4in; margin-right: .4in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.4in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">Let me know if you can help and how much
you charge. </span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .4in; margin-right: .4in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.4in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">best </span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .4in; margin-right: .4in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.4in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">L </span><span face=""Segoe UI", sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">How can I respond to this query, with no further
information included or attached? I really need to know what kind of project it
is and see a sample of the writing as well. (Never mind that they misspelled my
first name!) When I’m busy (which I am now), I just don’t have time to email them back and list the items they need to send me. And I certainly can't give a fee, even if they had included the word count, without seeing at least some of the project and doing a sample edit.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you want to get a timely response from
an editor, include everything they need in your initial inquiry. A brief email
asking if I have time to take on a project, with no additional information, is
a bit frustrating. What if I say yes and it turns out it’s not the kind of
thing I want to edit at all. How do I turn them down diplomatically when I’ve
just said I have time to take on their project? I want to see at least some of the
project first, before I say whether I’m available or not. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;">Here’s what to include when you first
contact a potential freelance editor for your novel or short story:</span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">~ <span style="color: #990000;">Your full name.</span> </span></b><span lang="EN-CA">If
your author name is different, best to include both.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">~ <span style="color: #990000;">The genre of your novel or story.</span></span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">This is <b>the main category</b> it would fit into, where it would be
shelved in a library or bookstore. Mystery, romance, fantasy, literary, sci-fi,
historical, suspense, thriller, YA mystery, middle-grade fantasy, romantic
suspense, action-adventure, horror, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">~ <span style="color: #990000;">Total word count</span></span></b><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="color: #990000;">.</span> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">(Or projected word count.) For a novel, should be between 75K and 100K words, usually 80-90K. Don’t need
the exact number of words – round it out to the nearest 100. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">By the way, if your novel is over 95 thousand words, it very likely needs tightening up. See "<a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-to-slash-your-word-count-by-20-40.html">How to Slash your Word Count by 20-40%, without losing any of the good stuff</a>."<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">~ <span style="color: #990000;">Character sketches</span></span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">Give a brief description of each of the
most important 4-6 characters, in order of importance, in list form. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Begin with the main viewpoint character of the story. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Give the full name of each character, bolded, and their age (or approximate age). Include the love interest if there is one and the antagonist or villain, as well as anyone else who plays a significant role, such as a spouse, boss, partner, close buddy, or confidante. A line or two for each is fine. What is their
strongest desire or motivation or their biggest problem? What is their role in
the story?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">~ <span style="color: #990000;">A SYNOPSIS (Plot Outline, Story Outline)</span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">A brief description (usually a paragraph to
half a page is fine) of the beginning, middle, and end of your story. Unlike
with a blurb or back cover copy, which just gives enough tantalizing detail to
pique the reader’s interest, a synopsis for an editor or agent needs to reveal
the ending as well. </span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Include the title (or working title) of your book and your name at the top</b>, and the word "Synopsis" or "Short Synopsis."</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;"><b>Start with your protagonist and his/her main goal, desire,
worry, fear, or secret, and tell what or who is standing in the way of him reaching his goal.</b> Who or what is the antagonist? Also mention any other significant characters, like maybe a love interest. No
need to mention subplots or minor characters. Mention the setting or
story world if it's significant.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-size: medium;">For the first mention of each character, give their full name in all caps or bolded, followed by their age in brackets. After that, just use normal font for their name. Tell the main points of your story in <b>third-person (he/she/they), present tense</b>, even if your novel is written in first person (I, me, we, our), past tense. Try to convey the tone and voice of your novel in the synopsis.</span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">Individual editors and of course literary
agents may ask for a longer synopsis, in which case you might include the main
subplot or subplots.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">~ <span style="color: #990000;">A short bio.</span></span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA">A
little about yourself. Rough age would be good, maybe family situation and where
you live, plus any relevant experience, etc. A sentence or two is fine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">~ Your preferred timeline, if you’re in a rush. (I highly recommend not being in a rush if you want the best job possible. I usually turn down people with a tight deadline as I'm already very self-motivated and I don't need the added pressure.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">ALSO INCLUDE:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">~ <span style="color: #990000;">The first 20 pages (roughly) or the first 3 chapters of your
novel.</span></span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">*Be sure to include the title (or working title) of the book and your name at the top.*</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">Don’t include the front matter or Table of Contents. No photos,
maps, diagrams, or any of that fancy stuff you may want to include in the book.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">PROPER FORMATTING FOR YOUR SYNOPSIS AND ATTACHED DOCUMENT</span>:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/w136-h200/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" width="136" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span lang="EN-CA">Times New Roman font, </span></b><b><span lang="EN-CA">12-point <br /></span></b></span></li><li><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">double-spaced </span></b></li><li><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">paragraphs indented </span></b></li><li><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">no extra space between paragraphs </span></b></li><li><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">left-justified </span></b></li><li><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">one-inch margins on all sides</span></b></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">You can change it to your preferred font
after the editing process. Sending it in Times New Roman, double-spaced is a
courtesy to editors as that's what we're used to looking at and it means we can get into the story right away without reformatting it first. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;">If you have time, change any incorrect paragraph
indents that you’ve made using Tab or the space bar to proper indents using Word’s
Paragraph function.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;"><b>For more on formatting a manuscript to send
to editors or agents, see <a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2013/07/basic-formatting-of-your-manuscript.html">Formatting
101</a>.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p>Good luck!</o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p>For more on this topic, see my guest post on Anne R. Allen's award-winning blog, "<a href="https://annerallen.com/2021/09/how-to-snag-best-freelance-editor/"><b>How to Snag the Best Freelance Editor for Your Writing Project</b></a>."</o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/w136-h200/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" width="136" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><br />Jodie Renner is a freelance
fiction editor and the award-winning author of three writing guides in her
series <em><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">An Editor’s Guide to
Writing Compelling Fiction</span></em>: </span><a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</span></a><em><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">,</span></b></em><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">, and </span><a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">, </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">as well as two clickable
time-saving e-resources,</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"> </span><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">QUICK
CLICKS: Spelling List</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"> and </span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">QUICK CLICKS: Word Usage</span></span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">. She has also organized
and edited two anthologies. Website: </span><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">https://www.jodierenner.com/</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">, </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">Facebook</span></a><strong><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">, </span></strong><a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">Amazon
Author Page</span></a><strong><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">.</span></strong></span><strong><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #1982d1; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong><p></p></div>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-62146481524256555262021-07-13T16:21:00.004-07:002021-07-14T11:35:34.326-07:00Q&A with Jodie Renner on Kay DiBianca's blog, The Craft of Writing<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Today I was interviewed by </span>Kay DiBianca over at her excellent blog, The Craft of Writing. We talk about some of the advice in my Editor's Guide to Writing Compelling Stories, FIRE UP YOUR FICTION, including revising and editing your own work, viewpoint, showing instead of telling, writing with "attitude", working with an editor, and submitting your story to writing contests.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Here's the beginning of the Q&A session, with a link at the end to the whole interview.</span></p><h3 style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; clear: both; font-family: "Noto Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; margin: 0px 0px 8px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;">THE CRAFT OF WRITING — JULY 2021</span></h3><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "Noto Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;">VISION AND REVISION</span></p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "Noto Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;">One of the great things about hosting the Craft of Writing blog is getting to meet so many accomplished professionals, and I’m thrilled to welcome craft expert <span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;">Jodie Renner</span> to the blog for the first time.</p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "Noto Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;">I titled this blog interview <span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;">VISION AND REVISION</span> since we’ll be talking about Jodie’s award-winning book <span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;"><em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;">Fire Up Your Fiction</em></span>. Much of that book has to do with revising your first draft. However, it’s also a wonderful guide to read *before* you start that new novel.</p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "Noto Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;">So grab your literary blowtorch and let’s add some spark to our stories.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" /></span></a></div><br /><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "Noto Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600;">Welcome to the Craft of Writing blog, Jodie Renner. Thank you for joining us!</span></p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "Noto Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;">JR: Thanks so much for inviting me, Kay. I’m honored to be in the same company as some of my favorite writing craft gurus – James Scott Bell, Randy Ingermanson, Steven James, K.M. Weiland, Renni Browne, and Dave King, among others.<em style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;"> </em></p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "Noto Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;">How important is the revision process when writing a novel?</span></p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "Noto Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;">JR: The revision process is an indispensable step in the creation of an engrossing novel or short story. Of course, first, it’s important to just write with wild abandon. Get your ideas down without thinking about word choice or making the sentences perfect. But then, once you’ve written your first draft (or are at a point where your muse is taking a break), it’s time to go back and reread, revise, and polish.</p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "Noto Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;">Did you use the best word there? Would a different word choice bring the scene to life more vividly? Have you varied your sentence structure and included short, medium, and long sentences? Look at pacing. Are you keeping readers interested and intrigued? Is your writing bland or rambling and repetitive in places? It may be time to do some weeding and tighten it up by deleting excessive words, combining and shortening sentences, etc. Are some of your paragraphs too long? Condense them or break them up for more white space. Have you included a balance of narration and dialogue, not too much of one or the other?</p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "Noto Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;">Read your dialogue out loud. Does it sound natural, like that character would actually speak? Or stilted, too correct, overly wordy, or more like the author would speak? In dialogue, cut many of those complete sentences down to a few words or even one word or a silence.</p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "Noto Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;">And of course, there are macro issues that may need to be considered, such as premise, plot, characterization, point of view, pacing, inconsistencies, discrepancies, and more. As writers, we’re too close to our work, so we don’t see what might confuse others. Often a fresh set of eyes will help with those. </p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "Noto Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 600; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;">How important is it for an author to work with a professional editor?</span></p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "Noto Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;">JR: If you’re serious about getting your book published, selling well, and garnering great reviews, it’s essential. But never send an editor your first draft. You run the risk of having it rejected, or the editor could get bogged down on correcting basic errors and won’t have time to address bigger issues and really take it up several notches. Go through your manuscript several times, fine-tuning and polishing. Also, read writing craft books, as there may be several important fiction-writing techniques you’re not even aware of or have not yet mastered; for example, head-hopping, showing instead of telling, and info dumps.</p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "Noto Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;">Then try to find some volunteer beta readers ...</p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: "Noto Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;">For the rest of this interview with numerous tips on writing compelling fiction<span style="color: #3c434a;">, <a href="https://kaydibianca.com/2021/07/12/the-craft-of-writing-july-2021/">CLICK ON THIS LINK.</a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #3c434a; font-family: "Noto Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Jodie Renner is a freelance
fiction editor and the award-winning author of three writing guides in her
series <em>An Editor’s Guide to Writing
Compelling Fiction</em>: </span><a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction" style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;"><b>FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</b></span></a><em style="font-size: large;"><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;">,</span></b></em><b style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers" style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;"><b>CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS</b></span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #373737; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">, and </span><a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller" style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;"><b>WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</b></span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #373737; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">, </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">as well as two clickable
time-saving e-resources,</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #373737; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"> </span><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling" style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">QUICK
CLICKS: Spelling List</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #373737; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"> and </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #943634; line-height: 115%;">QUICK CLICKS: Word Usage</span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #373737; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">. She has also organized
and edited two anthologies. Website: </span><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/" style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #943634; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.jodierenner.com/</span></a><strong style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #943634; line-height: 115%;">, </span></strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor" style="font-size: large;"><strong><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #943634; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">Facebook</span></strong></a><strong style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #943634; line-height: 115%;">, </span></strong><a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner" style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">Amazon
Author Page</span></a><strong style="font-size: large;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1982d1; line-height: 115%;">.</span></strong></p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #3c434a; font-family: "Noto Serif", Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; margin: 0px 0px 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: initial;"><br /></p>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-29961504259067062712021-07-13T09:38:00.001-07:002021-07-13T09:40:41.855-07:00Tips for Writing Compelling Back-Cover Copy, Storyline, & Tagline for Your Novel<div class="entry-content" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px auto; outline: 0px; padding: 1.625em 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 584.27px;"><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">by Jodie Renner, </em><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/235982136068078654" style="border: 0px; color: #145dbc; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">editor</em></a><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> & </em><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/235982136068078654" style="border: 0px; color: #145dbc; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">author</em></a><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: large; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </em></p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You run into a friend and mention you’re writing a novel. “What’s it about?” they ask.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You stammer, “Well, it’s about this guy… Actually, and his sidekick too. She’s a woman. They don’t really get along all that well… at least, not at the beginning. He’s former FBI agent and she used to be a cop. Did I tell you they’re private detectives? Anyway, they get this weird case… Hey, where are you going? I was just getting to the good part!”</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is the kind of situation where you wish you had created a succinct, compelling storyline or “elevator pitch,” well-prepared and memorized.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here are some<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> tips on writing an engaging storyline, tagline, elevator pitch, and back cover copy for your novel.</strong> These are all essentials for hooking potential readers and enticing them to read your novel. If you’re still writing your novel, doing these exercises will help you focus on the core of your story and how best to engage readers.</span></p><h1 style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.8125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">STORYLINE:</span></strong></h1><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Your <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">storyline</strong> (or logline) gives the gist of your book in a few sentences. It tells something about the <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">main character</strong>, the <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">conflict or dilemma</strong>, and the <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">stakes</strong>.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When someone casually asks you what your book is about, you’ll probably give them your storyline/logline. It’s a condensed version of the elevator pitch.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Even if you haven’t yet finished your novel, writing a storyline for it will help you zero in on what your story is really about, at its essence, and what emotion(s) you want to evoke in your readers.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Start with a 5-6-sentence version (up to a paragraph or two) and work down to one or two sentences. Keep your longer version as your “elevator pitch” for when the situation allows enough time to use it.</span></p><h2 style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.8125em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">To create your storyline, first answer these questions:</span></h2><div><span style="font-size: medium;">...</span></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">For the rest of these tips, go to:</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2021/07/hook-your-readers-with-a-compelling-storyline-tagline-back-cover-copy.html">Hook Your Readers with a Compelling Storyline, Tagline, & Back-Cover Copy</a></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span>over at The Kill Zone Blog today.</span><span> </span></b></span></div><div style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">Jodie Renner is a freelance
fiction editor and the award-winning author of three writing guides in her
series <em>An Editor’s Guide to Writing
Compelling Fiction</em>: </span><a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</span></a><em><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%;">,</span></b></em><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%;">, and </span><a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%;">, </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">as well as two clickable
time-saving e-resources,</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%;"> </span><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">QUICK
CLICKS: Spelling List</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%;"> and </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #943634; line-height: 115%;">QUICK CLICKS: Word Usage</span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%;">. She has also organized
and edited two anthologies. Website: </span><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #943634; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.jodierenner.com/</span></a><strong><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #943634; line-height: 115%;">, </span></strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><strong><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #943634; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">Facebook</span></strong></a><strong><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #943634; line-height: 115%;">, </span></strong><a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">Amazon
Author Page</span></a><strong><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1982d1; line-height: 115%;">.</span></strong><strong style="font-size: 15px;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1982d1; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p></div><div style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></div></div>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-47958072098040017812021-06-27T11:27:00.007-07:002021-06-29T12:55:31.548-07:00Some Dialogue Don’ts<div class="separator"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DaK16_cGvko/TzWxNeAM0WI/AAAAAAAAAHc/hZF2Trc9BmU/s1600/Dialogue2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DaK16_cGvko/TzWxNeAM0WI/AAAAAAAAAHc/hZF2Trc9BmU/s200/Dialogue2.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>by Jodie Renner, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/235982136068078654">editor</a> & <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/235982136068078654">author</a></i><br /><br />The dialogue in your fiction is critical. It can make or break a story. <br /><br />When evaluating a novel or short story, dialogue is one of the first things agents and contest judges look at. And clunky dialogue is also an instant turnoff for readers. </span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It's critical to make your fictional conversations sound natural and authentic, like those people would actually speak, instead of in complete, grammatically correct sentences, but beware of too closely imitating actual conversation.<br /> <br />Real-life conversation is no excuse for confusing, irritating, distracting, offensive, or boring dialogue coming out of your fiction characters’ mouths. <br /><br />For example, beware of frustrating or annoying your readers by trying to reproduce regional dialects exactly as they sound. <br /><br />Also, be cautious about using the very latest slang expressions, which could backfire on you and end up dating your story within a year or two. That would not be cool! (Pun intended.)<br /><br />And overloading dialogue with in-your-face profanities can lose you readers. <br /><br />And finally, please leave out all that boring yadda-yadda, blah-blah, filler stuff!<br /><br /><b>Don’t mangle characters’ speech.</b><br /><br />Don’t make the mistake of trying to reproduce regional speech patterns phonetically. As Jack Bickham says, “There was a time, not so long ago, when fiction writers strove for authenticity in some of their stories by attempting to imitate regional and ethnic dialects and pronunciations by purposely misspelling words in their dialogue. Today such practices have fallen into disfavor.”<br /><br />Why? Because it’s distracting and irritating. Not only that, it runs the risk of obscuring your intended meaning. All of which will result in taking your reader out of your story – the exact opposite effect you’re going for. Also, you could easily end up offending people from that region if you depict their everyday casual language as a kind of inferior, laughable sublanguage.<br /><br />Here’s an example of what I mean, from an older story about slaves and the Civil War. The passage was narrated by a slave:<br /><br /> “So dey jump on dey horses and gallop ’way. An’ we ain’t see’d dem since. Dey friends say dey be kilt in one o’ de firs’ battles o’ de war. Dat be good lesson fo’ we, shure ‘nuf! Black folk ain’t gonna go off ta fight in a war. Life be tuff enuf here wid’ Massa an’ his whip, widout uder buckra be shootin’ at de menfolk an’ killin’ ‘em dead.”<br /><br />And it went on like that for pages! Ouch!<br /><br />So these days, phonetic spelling, misspelling words to show different pronunciations, the overuse of apostrophes to indicate missing letters (unpronounced sounds), and other deviations from standard North American speech are frowned upon by most editors, agents, and discerning readers, and may earn a rejection for your otherwise compelling story.<br /><br />An occasional elision (dropped sound, indicated by an apostrophe) and plenty of regular contractions, with the odd regional word or expression thrown in, is usually enough to get your regional flavor across to your readers.<br /><br /><b>Don’t try to keep up with the very latest slang expressions.</b></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Many new authors try to appeal to their audience by using the latest slang expressions, especially in YA fiction. This is usually a mistake. The language is changing so fast, especially fad expressions, that what’s trendy or “in” today may be already dated by the time your short story or novel sees the light of day. The moral? Be careful with using cutting-edge street talk or just-coined slang expressions. It’s usually best to stick to slang expressions that have been around for at least a few years.<br /><br /><b>Don’t overdo the profanities</b>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Another area where beginning writers mess up is in replicating every F-word in real life on their page, leaving many readers wincing. Profanities and obscenities can often slide by in real life, depending on the situation, but they usually jump out at us on the printed page, so use them judiciously, to get the general flavor, rather than on every line.<br /><br />As Jack Bickham says, “Dirty talk often looks dirtier on the page than it actually is.” So save the worst of your swear words for those story situations where a strong curse word is really needed to convey the emotion.Also, consider your genre. Readers of cozy mysteries, for example, are mostly women aged 60 and up, so best to use less graphic language in those stories. The odd “Damn!” or “Crap!” or "sheesh" or "jeez" or </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">friggin/frickin'</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">”</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> will usually suffice. Or </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">He told them to eff off</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">”</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> or something like </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">He let loose a string of profanities.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><b>Don’t reproduce actual conversations verbatim.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">By this I mean all the <i>uhs</i> and <i>ums</i> and <i>ers</i> and <i>you knows</i> and <i>How are you? I’m fine, and you?</i> Not to mention introducing people, chitchat about the weather, and other empty social niceties that lead up to (or follow) the real meat of the conversation. That’s a sure-fire recipe for putting your readers to sleep! And they won’t be eager to pick up your book again when they wake up.<br /><br />As Ingermanson and Economy say, “Dialogue is war!” You need tension on every page, including in your dialogue. So if it doesn’t drive the story forward, add conflict or tension, or contribute to character development, take it out.<br /><br />So, oddball spelling, attempts at reproducing regional dialects phonetically, and heavy use of profanities all risk offending someone, whether it’s a member of a minority or someone who doesn’t like swearing. And the latest slang expressions may soon appear outdated and ridiculous. And really, empty blah blah is boring, isn’t it? So be wary of reproducing characters’ dialogue exactly as it sounds in real life—it could backfire on you.<br /><br />What do you think? As a reader, how do you feel about the attempted reproduction of regional dialects in fiction? As a writer, how do you show the accent and expressions of a specific region? And how do you research expressions for a region you’ve never lived in or visited? Also how do you feel about stories peppered with obscenities? Are you okay with it, or do you find yourself wincing inwardly?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />For more info on writing dialogue, see my other blog posts, "<b><a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2011/11/tips-for-writing-effective-dialogue.html">Amp up That Dialogue!</a></b>" and "<b><a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2021/06/how-to-write-dialogue-accurately.html">How to Write Dialogue Accurately</a></b>."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlvRTQsLbP4/UlQqIPZ3OYI/AAAAAAAABCA/XaKhNYL8akgTwXYu9Qmxbkpg5JOXjQeOgCPcBGAYYCw/s1430/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller%252C%2BTravis%2BMiles.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1430" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlvRTQsLbP4/UlQqIPZ3OYI/AAAAAAAABCA/XaKhNYL8akgTwXYu9Qmxbkpg5JOXjQeOgCPcBGAYYCw/w126-h200/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller%252C%2BTravis%2BMiles.jpg" width="126" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />Jodie Renner is a freelance fiction editor and the award-winning author of three writing guides in her series An Editor’s Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction: <a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction">FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</a>, <a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers">CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS</a>, and <a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</a>, as well as two clickable time-saving e-resources, <a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling">QUICK CLICKS: Spelling List</a> and QUICK CLICKS: Word Usage. She has also organized and edited two anthologies. <a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/">Website,</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner">Amazon Author Page</a>.</span><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2564865975170027939" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 500.03px;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-23553932220951622692021-06-27T11:17:00.012-07:002021-06-27T15:58:13.930-07:00How to Write Dialogue Accurately<p><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></b></p><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Dialogue Nuts & Bolts <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LSOJTS4aWVM/YNjGNyOVAkI/AAAAAAAACnE/m2Rhc-_kh8YZsz31fx-AAFvZBER-TtrWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s259/people%2Btalking%2Bclipart.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LSOJTS4aWVM/YNjGNyOVAkI/AAAAAAAACnE/m2Rhc-_kh8YZsz31fx-AAFvZBER-TtrWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/people%2Btalking%2Bclipart.jpg" /></a></div><br /></span></b><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="line-height: 20.7px;">by Jodie Renner, <a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/editing/"><b>editor</b></a> & <a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner"><b>author</b></a></span></i><em style="font-family: georgia;"> </em></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In another article,</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><b style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2011/11/tips-for-writing-effective-dialogue.html">Amp up That Dialogue</a>!</b><span style="font-family: georgia;">, I discuss various techniques for writing dialogue that will come alive on the page. Drop over there for some advice on making your dialogue less stilted and more natural-sounding. Also, check out another post of mine,</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia;"><b><a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2021/06/some-dialogue-donts.html">Some Dialogue Don’ts</a></b></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This article just provides a reference for <b>the correct punctuation and capitalization for writing dialogue</b>, as well as some <b>style tips for dialogue tags</b>. Using correct punctuation and form for dialogue will keep your readers from becoming distracted, confused or annoyed, and maintain their focus on your story. So if you want your manuscript to look professional and your story to read smoothly, it’s best to follow these <b>technical guidelines</b>.<br /><br /><span style="color: black;"><strong>THE BASICS</strong>:</span><br /><span style="color: black;"></span><br />First of all, start a new paragraph every time the speaker changes. On the other hand, don’t start a new paragraph if it’s still the same speaker, unless you’re doing it for a good reason, like a pause or emphasis.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color: black;">Punctuation for Dialogue:</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color: black;"></span></strong><br />1<strong>. </strong><b>Put quotation marks around all spoken words.</b><br /><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Although in Britain and Australia, it’s more common to use single quotes around dialogue, in the United States and Canada, the standard is <b>double quotes around dialogue, with single quotes around any quoted words or phrases within the quoted dialogue.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">(But don't put quotation marks around thoughts.)<br /><br />2. In North America, <b>the punctuation always goes inside the end quote, not outside it:</b><br /><br />“What’s wrong with you<strong>?</strong>” he asked.<br />“Nothing<strong>,</strong>” she replied.<br /><br />* If the person is asking a question, <b>the question mark goes inside the quotation mark, and a period goes at the end of the whole sentence</b>. The same goes for exclamations.<br /><br />“Where were you<strong>?</strong>” she asked.<br />“Help<strong>!</strong>” she screamed.<br /><br />*Note that in the above examples, even though your word processor wants you to put a capital letter for “she” or “he”, these need to be lowercase, as they don’t start a new sentence.<br /><br />* If the person speaking is making a statement (or a suggestion or a command), replace the period (which would follow if it weren’t in quotation marks) with a comma. Then put your period at the end of the sentence.<br /><br />“Let’s go home<strong>,</strong>” he said.<br /><br />* If there’s no attribute (he said, she said), put a period inside the closing quotation mark.<br /><br />“Turn off the TV<strong>.</strong>”<br /><br />3. If you start with the dialogue tag, put a comma after it, before your opening quotation mark and the dialogue:<br /><br />He said<strong>, </strong>“But my game is on.”<br /><br />4. If you want to put your dialogue tag in the middle of a sentence, put a comma inside the first set of closing quotation marks, and also after the dialogue tag:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />“I can never understand,” she said, “what you see in him.” (Note no capital for the second part.)<br /><br />5. If one person is speaking and the dialogue goes on for more than one paragraph (definitely not a great idea to have one person speaking at great length), you leave out the closing quotation marks at the end of the first paragraph, but put opening quotation marks at the beginning of the next one. Use closing quotation marks only when that person is finished speaking.<br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E8VVPtG8Afg/VCL5a_hNUpI/AAAAAAAABhk/tKdF38Pktr4/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E8VVPtG8Afg/VCL5a_hNUpI/AAAAAAAABhk/tKdF38Pktr4/s200/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" width="135" /></span></a><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />“…no matter what you do. <br />“And another thing, don’t ….”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">6. To show a person trailing off while they're speaking, just use ellipses (...) with no punctuation after it: </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I'm not sure...</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">7. To show the speaker being interrupted, use a dash at the end, with no other punctuation after it, before the end quote:</span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span>“I saw
them yesterd—”</span><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“You saw
them? Where?”</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">8. To show action or a change in demeanor or tone while a person is speaking, you can use dashes, like this: </span></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> “Someday your cockiness is going to get you into trouble, and”—his voice turned huffy—“I won’t be there to rescue you.</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">”</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><strong><span style="color: black;">STYLE TIPS</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color: black;"></span></strong><br />1. <strong>Avoid overusing dialogue tags.</strong> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Instead of constantly using <em>he said</em> or <em>she said</em> (or the name and said), replace them often with action beats, which will also help bring the scene alive:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">He closed the door very quietly. Too late.<o:p></o:p><br />She stood there, hands on hips. “Where’ve you been?”<o:p></o:p><br />“Don’t start.” He took off his coat and hung it up.<br /> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The action immediately before or after the words tells us who’s talking.<br />Or, if it can be done without confusing the readers, just leave out the dialogue tag or action beat. Context often makes it obvious who’s speaking. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Note that when you use an action tag instead of he/she said, you use a period at the end of the dialogue, not a comma like you would before </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">he said".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />2. <strong>The best dialogue tags are the simple <em>he said</em> and <em>she said</em></strong> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">(or asked), or with the name: John said, Carol said. These simple dialogue tags don’t draw attention to themselves or interrupt the story line, as they’re almost invisible. Avoid fancy or redundant tags like <em>queried, chortled, alleged, proclaimed, conjectured, affirmed, explained, apologized</em>, etc., which can be distracting. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Don't say </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">I'm sorry,</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">”</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> she apologized. or </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">“</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">This way,</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">”</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> he explained. Those </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">“</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">explanations</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">”</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> are redundant </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">“</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">telling</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">”</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> and mildly insulting to the reader, who can tell by what they're saying. Just use </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">“</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">said</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">”.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Or often, no speech tag is needed. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But I do suggest using verbs that accurately and quickly describe how the words are delivered, like <em>whispered</em>, <em>shouted, yelled, screamed</em>, or <em>stammered</em>.<br /><br />3. </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>You can’t use words like <i>laughed</i> or <i>grinned</i> or <i>smiled</i> or <i>grimaced</i> or <i>scowled</i> as dialogue tags.</b></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">These are both <b>incorrect</b> when using a comma after what they said:<br /> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">X “Nice outfit,” he smiled.<br />X “Thanks, but I can't do a thing with my hair,” she frowned.<br /> <br />Why don’t they work? Because smiling is not talking; you can’t “smile” or “grin” or "frown" words, so they're not valid replacements for "said".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />Change to:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />“</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Nice outfit</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">,</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">”</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> he said, smiling.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;">or </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">“</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">Nice outfit</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">”</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> He smiled. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">(Note period and capital “He”)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Thanks, but I can't do a thing with my hair.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">”</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> She frowned. (Period and capital for action tag.)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Or “</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Thanks, but I can't do a thing with my hair</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">,” she said, frowning.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">But you can use <i>muttered, whispered, yelled</i>, etc. as direct replacements for <i>said</i>, with the same punctuation and capitalization as <i>said, </i>since you can mutter or whisper or yell words.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-saZvX8YM7eE/VLCthcigYFI/AAAAAAAAB_s/ozrkhHHo2M4/s1600/Captivate%2BYour%2BReaders_med.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-saZvX8YM7eE/VLCthcigYFI/AAAAAAAAB_s/ozrkhHHo2M4/s200/Captivate%2BYour%2BReaders_med.jpg" width="135" /></span></a><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">4. <strong>Use adverbs very sparingly.</strong><br /> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><em><b>Definitely avoid:</b></em></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />“I’m sorry,” she said apologetically.<br />“Come here,” he said imperiously.<br />“I’m in charge,” she said haughtily.</span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />Instead, make sure the words they’re saying and any actions convey the feelings you wish to express.<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">5. <b>Make sure the dialogue sounds natural</b>, like those people would actually speak in that situation. In general, use casual language and avoid complete, grammatically correct sentences. Also, use contractions, like "I'm" instead of "I am," "you're" instead of "you are," and "we've" instead of "we have".</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Slightly off-topic: <strong>Do not put quotation marks around thoughts</strong>. That’s a topic for <a href="https://killzoneblog.com/jodie-renner/using-thought-reactions-to-add-attitude-immediacy/"><span style="color: #145dbc;">another post</span></a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Also, see "<a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2013/07/basic-formatting-of-your-manuscript.html">Basic Formatting of Your Manuscript -- Formatting 101</a>."<br /><br /><strong> TWO CURRENT STYLE TRENDS</strong>:<br /><br />1. Contemporary North American fiction seems to avoid the reversed form, “said Carol,” in favor of “Carol said.” The reversed form seems to be more British and also considered kind of archaic, which makes it fine for historical fiction.<br /><br /></span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dSMeqrXkZ-8/VEWVM3EUs7I/AAAAAAAABmk/acfb81arKKsuDws4eEA_jczzWy6IGiasACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller_wider.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dSMeqrXkZ-8/VEWVM3EUs7I/AAAAAAAABmk/acfb81arKKsuDws4eEA_jczzWy6IGiasACPcBGAYYCw/s200/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller_wider.jpg" width="135" /></span></a><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">2. Most contemporary North American fiction writers, with the notable exception of Lee Child, seem to put most dialogue tags after the words spoken:<br /><br />“Let’s go,” Tony said. <br /><br />Rather than before: <br />Tony said, “Let’s go.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">However, if what they're saying is lengthy, readers want to know immediately who's talking, so I would put the </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Tony</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> said,</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">”</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">before a long sentence or a paragraph of dialogue.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />These last two points are of course just my observations of common usage, not rules. But aspiring or debut authors would do well to stick with what seems to be in favor, to give a contemporary feel to your novel. Of course, if you’re writing historical fiction, go for the older “said Elizabeth” form.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Jodie Renner is a freelance fiction editor and the award-winning author of three craft-of-writing guides in her series <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">An Editor’s Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction</i>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Captivate-Your-Readers-Editors-Compelling-ebook/dp/B00S4FG9KI/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-font-weight: normal;"><strong><span style="color: #3366cc;">Captivate Your Readers</span></strong></span></i></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; text-underline: none;"><u><span style="color: #3366cc;">, </span></u></span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Your-Fiction-Editors-Compelling-ebook/dp/B009BWWOR0/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-font-weight: normal;"><strong><span style="color: #3366cc;">Fire up Your Fiction</span></strong></span></i></a><em><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">,</span></em> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Killer-Thriller-Compelling-ebook/dp/B00DANRNLS/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-font-weight: normal;"><strong><span style="color: #3366cc;">Writing a Killer Thriller</span></strong></span></i></a>. She has also published two clickable time-saving e-resources to date: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Clicks-Spelling-Misspelled-Fingertips-ebook/dp/B00O4UE87S/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-font-weight: normal;"><strong><span style="color: #3366cc;">Quick Clicks: Spelling List</span></strong></span></i></a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Clicks-Usage-Writers-Editors-ebook/dp/B00OS53ESI/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-font-weight: normal;"><strong><span style="color: #3366cc;">Quick Clicks: Word Usage</span></strong></span></i></a>. You can find Jodie at <a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><span style="mso-ansi-font-weight: normal;"><strong><span style="color: #3366cc;">www.JodieRenner.com</span></strong></span></a>, and on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><span style="mso-ansi-font-weight: normal;"><strong><span style="color: #3366cc;">Facebook</span></strong></span></a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/JodieRennerEd"><span style="mso-ansi-font-weight: normal;"><strong><span style="color: #3366cc;">Twitter</span></strong></span></a>.</span></div></div>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-5860967321212630962021-06-10T18:59:00.008-07:002021-06-11T09:06:44.958-07:00Need to Add Info to Your Story? Use lots of attitude!<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">by Jodie Renner, </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/235982136068078654"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">editor</span></i></b></a></span><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> & </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/235982136068078654"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">author</span></i></b></a></span><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nxuVEh5LP40/T_W4CdCw60I/AAAAAAAAAPs/PjYVBh0uiwIbq-qjmeM18LtENWbnMSzjACPcBGAYYCw/s160/lecturing.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="144" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nxuVEh5LP40/T_W4CdCw60I/AAAAAAAAAPs/PjYVBh0uiwIbq-qjmeM18LtENWbnMSzjACPcBGAYYCw/s0/lecturing.jpg" /></a></div><br /></span></i><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Strategies for Turning Impersonal Info Dumps into Compelling Copy </b><br /><br />As a freelance fiction editor, I find that military personnel, professionals, academics, police officers, journalists, and others who are used to imparting factual information in objective, detached, bias-free ways often need a lot of coaching in loosening up their language and adding opinions, attitude, and emotions to create a captivating story world. <br /><br /><b>~ Really need those facts in there? Rewrite with attitude! </b><br /><br />Say you want to write a fast-paced novel and your background is in a specialized field, so you decide to set your story in that milieu you know so well. Maybe you want to write a legal thriller or a medical suspense, or a mystery involving scientific research or stolen artifacts. Or maybe you’d like to use your military, police, or forensics experience, but your writing experience to date has mainly been confined to producing terse, objective, factual reports. <br /><br />As you’re writing your story, you decide at various points that you need to interrupt the story to explain something the readers may not understand. And you want to get it right, both to lend credibility to your story and because you’re concerned about criticism from other professionals in your field. Your first impulse might be to copy and paste sections on that topic from a journal or online search, then tweak them a bit. Or just stop to explain the technical points in your own words, factually, as you would in a report or research paper, then go back to your storyline. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Big mistake.</i> </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">You’ve just interrupted an exciting (we hope!) story to give a mini-lecture. Remember that the main purpose of fiction is to entertain your readers with an engaging tale. To do that, it’s critical to stay in the story and in the viewpoint and voice of your compelling, charismatic (we hope!) characters. <br /><br /><b>~ How to keep your credibility but write with passion and tension </b><br /><br />Want to keep your readers turning the pages? Try to turn off possible reactions of colleagues in your field and remind yourself that your goal here is to entertain a broad spectrum of the population with a riveting story. So<b> limit your factual, informative details to only what is necessary for the plot and present them through the character’s point of view, with lots of tension and attitude. </b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Go through the section several times and keep loosening up the words and sentence structure to take out the specialized jargon and nonfiction style and achieve a more casual tone, in the voice of the viewpoint character for that scene – it needs to be <i>the character's</i> thoughts, not the author stepping in. And introduce <i><b>emotions and reactions</b></i> – make the character frustrated, angry, confused, or anxious. <br /><br />And if it still sounds like a university lecture or a journal entry, make your character less reserved, less nerdy, less buried in his work. Give him more charisma and universal appeal, maybe even a bad-boy rebellious side, and add quirks and more attitude. <br /><br />Better yet, <b>insert another, contrasting character</b> (or two) to the mix to add in some tension, conflict and contrast. <br /><br /><b>So to impart some specific information while keeping your engaged, try these steps:</b><br /><br />1. First, in a separate file, copy or write the bare facts in a paragraph or two – up to a page. <br /><br />2. Go in and loosen up the language a bit – rewrite it in layman’s language. <br /><br />3. Choose two interesting characters who each have some kind of stake in this info and are passionate about the topic, but in different ways. <br /><br />4. Give them both charisma and quirks – and opposite personalities. Maybe make them competitive or distrustful. <br /><br />5. Give them each their unique voice, based on their personality differences. <br /><br />6. Give them opposing views on the topic or conflicting goals. <br /><br />7. Using those facts, create a question-and-answer or argumentative dialogue between the two characters. <br /><br />8. Add in some character actions, reactions and sensory details. <br /><br />Now it’s starting to read like fiction! <br /><br />Remember, most of your readers will be outside your field of specialty, and won’t find those dry factual details as fascinating as you do! <br /><br /><b>~ A before-and-after example, disguised from my editing: </b><br /><br />Here’s how to replace a factual report with a lively dialogue: <br /><br />Setup: A rebellious, trigger-happy cop has been ordered to be examined by a psychiatrist. <br /><br />The “info dump” part starts with “Dr. Brown flipped…” <br /><br /><i>Before: </i><br /><br /><span style="font-family: times;">Dr. Brown opened up Jake’s file. “What happened after you were discharged from the Army?” <br /><br />“I decided to become a cop. After police academy, I was assigned a beat in the Washington Park area in the South Side of Chicago.” <br /><br />“The Washington Park area?” Dr. Brown asked. “That’s a pretty rough part of town.” <br /><br />“Yeah, it reminded me of downtown Baghdad,” Jake quipped. <br /><br />Dr. Brown flipped a few pages in the file where there was some background on Washington Park. The summary stated the area was only 1.48 square miles but was usually considered either the most dangerous or second most dangerous neighborhood in the United States. In fact, in some years it had seen more than three hundred violent crimes committed on its turf. Crimes such as murder, robbery, drug-dealing, assaults, prostitution, and rape were committed regularly in Washington Park. </span><br /><br /><i>After: </i><br /><br />Here, the author has replaced the above factual paragraph with a dialogue. <br /><br /><span style="font-family: times;">Dr. Brown opened up Jake’s file. “What happened after you were discharged from the Army?” <br /><br />“I decided to become a cop. After police academy, I was assigned a beat in Washington Park in South Chicago.” <br /><br />“Washington Park?” Dr. Brown asked. “That’s a pretty rough area, I hear.” <br /><br />“Yeah, it reminded me of downtown Baghdad,” Jake quipped. <br /><br />“How so?” <br /><br />“The area is tiny, barely one and a half square miles, but it’s infested with crime. Some years you get more than three hundred violent crimes there.” <br /><br />“Really?” <br /><br />“Yeah, murder, drug-dealing, robbery, assaults, prostitution, rape—you name it, they’re all run-of-the-mill activities in that area. Stress city, man—I made my bones there.” </span><br /><br /><b>~ How the experts do it – with attitude! </b><br /><br />Here are some excerpts from a scene in a crime lab, as an excellent example of how a bestselling thriller author, Robert Crais, reveals the details of the fingerprinting process in <i>The Last Detective</i>, without interrupting the story to fill in the reader as an author aside: <br /><br /><span style="font-family: times;">[…] The white smear was aluminum powder. The brown stains were a chemical called ninhydrin, which reacts with the amino acids left whenever you touch something. <br /><br />Starkey bent for a closer inspection, then frowned at Chen as if he was stupid. <br /><br />“This thing’s been in the sun for days. It’s too old to pick up latents with powder.” <br /><br />“It’s also the fastest way to get an image into the system. I figured it was worth the shot.” <br /><br />Starkey grunted. She was okay with whatever might be faster. <br /><br />“The nin doesn’t look much better.” <br /><br />“Too much dust, and the sunlight probably broke down the aminos. I was hoping we’d get lucky with that, but I’m gonna have to glue it.” <br /><br />“Shit. How long?” <br /><br />I said, “What does that mean, you have to glue it?” <br /><br />Now Chen looked at me as if I was the one who was stupid. We had a food chain for stupidity going, and I was at the bottom. <br /><br />“Don’t you know what a fingerprint is?” <br /><br />Starkey said, “He doesn’t need a lecture. Just glue the damned thing.” </span><br /><br />And it goes on like this. Entertaining reading, and we’re learning some interesting stuff at the same time. <br /><br />And for another good example of how to impart info without boring your readers, here’s how Lynn Sholes and Joe Moore provide some information on a well-known structure in Las Vegas, without sounding like a travelogue or encyclopedia. This is from The Blade, an excellent thriller I edited in late 2012: <br /><br />Setting: The Strip, Las Vegas <br /><br /><span style="font-family: times;">“So the Reverend Hershel Applewhite is a liar,” I said when Kenny returned from accompanying Carl down to the hotel lobby. <br /><br />I stood at the window staring at the imposing pyramid-shaped Alexandria Hotel in the distance. I’d read somewhere that the forty-two-billion candlepower spotlight at the top of the hotel could be seen from space. The same guy who designed it—I couldn’t remember his name—built similar pyramid hotels with beacons in South Africa and China. Claimed he wanted his lights to be seen from every corner of the world.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Note how the authors give a little background info on the landmark structure without sounding like Wikipedia.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The above fiction-writing advice is from a chapter in Jodie Renner's second writing guide, <a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction">FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</a>.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W9XAqpws6f4/YMLBvAoZKmI/AAAAAAAACmA/pIi4eYwJ9Iw3I2xDXpKR8Lr61l7qcu5sACLcBGAsYHQ/s1620/Tom%2BCombs%252C%2BInsurrection%252C%2BMar.%2B26%252C%2B%252721.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1620" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W9XAqpws6f4/YMLBvAoZKmI/AAAAAAAACmA/pIi4eYwJ9Iw3I2xDXpKR8Lr61l7qcu5sACLcBGAsYHQ/w133-h200/Tom%2BCombs%252C%2BInsurrection%252C%2BMar.%2B26%252C%2B%252721.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Tom Combs, best-selling novelist and former ER physician (and one of my author clients), is a master at making the world of his fictional ER both accessible and fascinating in his Drake Cody thrillers, which take place both in and out of the hospital. His fourth suspense-thriller, <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Insurrection-Drake-Cody-Suspense-Thriller-Book-ebook/dp/B096G95V7M/">Insurrection</a></b></i>, was just released on June 10, 2012. All of the novels in the series are excellent examples of how to tell a riveting story by having fascinating characters and resisting the urge to explain too much and imparting necessary info through the characters, with attitude.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/w136-h200/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" width="136" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">Jodie Renner is a freelance
fiction editor and the award-winning author of three writing guides in her
series <em>An Editor’s Guide to
Writing Compelling Fiction</em>: </span><a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</span></a><em><b><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">,</span></b></em><b><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS</span></a><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">, and </span><a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</span></a><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">, </span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">as well as two clickable
time-saving e-resources,</span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"> </span><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">QUICK
CLICKS: Spelling List</span></a><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"> and </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">QUICK CLICKS: Word Usage</span></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">. She has also organized
and edited two anthologies. Website: </span><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.jodierenner.com/</span></a><strong><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">, </span></strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><strong><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">Facebook</span></strong></a><strong><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">, </span></strong><a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">Amazon
Author Page</span></a><strong><span lang="EN" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">.</span></strong></span></p></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-33594093279533411572021-06-01T11:21:00.008-07:002021-06-01T12:57:31.201-07:00INSURRECTION by Tom Combs<p> <span style="background-color: #eaeaea; color: #222222; font-family: "Playfair Display", serif; font-size: 30px;">Insurrection by Tom Combs</span></p><div class="post-share-container" style="align-items: flex-start; background-color: #eaeaea; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; display: flex; flex-direction: row; font-family: Lora; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><aside class="share-article hide-on-print share-article-single fixed-me show-for-medium" style="box-sizing: inherit; left: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-right: 25px; max-width: 100%; min-width: 55px; position: sticky; top: 150px; width: 55px;"><a class="boxed-icon social facebook style2" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.thebigthrill.org/2021/05/insurrection-by-tom-combs/" rel="noreferrer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); align-items: center; background: rgb(59, 89, 152); border-radius: 100%; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: flex; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 600; height: 48px; justify-content: center; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.25s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.84, 0.44, 1) 0s; vertical-align: middle; width: 48px;"><span class="fa fa-facebook" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; font-family: FontAwesome; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1; text-rendering: auto;"></span></a><a class="boxed-icon social twitter style2" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Insurrection%20by%20Tom%20Combs&via=thrillerwriters&url=https://www.thebigthrill.org/2021/05/insurrection-by-tom-combs/" rel="noreferrer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); align-items: center; background: rgb(0, 172, 237); border-radius: 100%; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: flex; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 600; height: 48px; justify-content: center; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.25s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.84, 0.44, 1) 0s; vertical-align: middle; width: 48px;"><span class="fa fa-twitter" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; font-family: FontAwesome; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1; text-rendering: auto;"></span></a><a class="boxed-icon social pinterest style2" href="https://pinterest.com/pin/create/bookmarklet/?url=https://www.thebigthrill.org/2021/05/insurrection-by-tom-combs/&media=https://www.thebigthrill.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tom-Combs_Bookcover_Feature_Image_370x280.jpg" rel="noreferrer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); align-items: center; background: rgb(189, 8, 28); border-radius: 100%; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: flex; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 600; height: 48px; justify-content: center; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.25s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.84, 0.44, 1) 0s; vertical-align: middle; width: 48px;"><span class="fa fa-pinterest" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; font-family: FontAwesome; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1; text-rendering: auto;"></span></a><a class="boxed-icon social email style2" href="mailto:?subject=Insurrection%20by%20Tom%20Combs&body=Insurrection%20by%20Tom%20Combs%20https://www.thebigthrill.org/2021/05/insurrection-by-tom-combs/" rel="noreferrer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); align-items: center; background: rgb(155, 155, 155); border-radius: 100%; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: flex; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 600; height: 48px; justify-content: center; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.25s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.84, 0.44, 1) 0s; vertical-align: middle; width: 48px;"><span class="fa fa-envelope-o" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; font-family: FontAwesome; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1; text-rendering: auto;"></span></a><a class="boxed-icon comment style2" href="https://www.thebigthrill.org/2021/05/insurrection-by-tom-combs/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); align-items: center; background: rgb(34, 34, 34); border-radius: 100%; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: flex; font-size: 18px; font-weight: 600; height: 48px; justify-content: center; line-height: 1; margin-bottom: 10px; outline: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.25s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.84, 0.44, 1) 0s; vertical-align: middle; width: 48px;"><svg 0="" 18="" 20="" enable-background:="" height="20px" new="" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 18 20" width="18px" x="0px" xml:space="preserve" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" y="0px"><path d="M9,0C4,0,0,4,0,8.9c0,2.7,1.2,5.2,3.4,6.9L3.9,20l3.7-2.3c0.5,0.1,0.9,0.1,1.4,0.1c5,0,9-4,9-8.9C18,4,13.9,0,9,0z M5.8,10
c-0.6,0-1-0.5-1-1s0.5-1,1-1c0.6,0,1,0.5,1,1S6.4,10,5.8,10z M9,10c-0.6,0-1-0.5-1-1s0.5-1,1-1c0.6,0,1,0.5,1,1S9.5,10,9,10z
M12.2,10c-0.6,0-1-0.5-1-1s0.5-1,1-1c0.6,0,1,0.5,1,1S12.7,10,12.2,10z"></path></svg><span style="align-items: center; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 100%; box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; height: 47.9868px; justify-content: center; left: 0px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; top: 0px; transition: all 0.25s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.84, 0.44, 1) 0s; width: 47.9868px;">0</span></a></aside><div class="post-content-container" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: calc(100% - 80px); min-height: 220px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 10px;"><div class="post-content entry-content cf" data-first="A" itemprop="articleBody" style="box-sizing: inherit; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tom-Combs/e/B00KZNUGTM%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e73be; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.25s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.84, 0.44, 1) 0s;" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="alignright wp-image-69384 size-full" height="350" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 234px) 100vw, 234px" src="https://www.thebigthrill.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tom-Combs_Bookcover_350.jpg" srcset="https://www.thebigthrill.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tom-Combs_Bookcover_350.jpg 234w, https://www.thebigthrill.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tom-Combs_Bookcover_350-201x300.jpg 201w, https://www.thebigthrill.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tom-Combs_Bookcover_350-225x337.jpg 225w, https://www.thebigthrill.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tom-Combs_Bookcover_350-20x30.jpg 20w, https://www.thebigthrill.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tom-Combs_Bookcover_350-64x96.jpg 64w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: inherit; display: inline-block; float: right; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="234" /></a>Best-selling thriller author <b>Tom Combs</b> is about to release his fourth <b>Drake Cody suspense-thriller</b>. Here's the just-released description of the novel and interview of Tom in the <a href="https://www.thebigthrill.org/?p=69380">June 2021 online magazine</a> of the prestigious <b>International Thriller Writers</b> Organization, <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;"><b>THE BIG THRILL</b> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;">(thebigthrill.org).</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">An explosion is triggered and a cloud of hydrofluoric acid envelops a popular Minnesota senator addressing a crowd at a demonstration noting completion of a controversial pipeline. ER physician Drake Cody, with paramedics, loads the senator into an ambulance amid the panic and desperately resuscitates the dying leader as they race for the level one trauma hospital.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Within minutes of arrival at Drake’s ER, the second part of the domestic terrorist group’s diabolical plan is executed with cold-blooded savagery as the extremist leader and his brutal militia kill several and lock down the ER.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Drake Cody, his ER workmates, the critically ill senator, and a handful of vulnerable patients are hostages as the terrorist leader informs all that he has planted weapons of mass destruction about the city. The terrorist uses the takeover and the resultant media frenzy as a platform to make his demands for ending what he sees as government-industrial tyranny.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Drake and his unarmed crew battle to survive and prevent widespread destruction while Minneapolis detective Aki Yamada and FBI special agent Dylan McGinnis lead the nation’s efforts from outside the ER as the terrorists threaten to launch devastation unmatched in US history.<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Tom Combs recently spent some time with <em style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit;">The Big Thrill</em> discussing his latest thriller, INSURRECTION:</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit;">Which took shape first: plot, character, or setting?</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">This is book #4 in the series, so my character(s) led the way, but the setting and plot joined in a fusion that made this story flow. Current events and the nature of emergency medicine/ERs as being inextricably a part of the trauma, conflict, and violence in our cities make my fictional events so completely credible they are a cause for concern.</p><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-69387" class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_69387" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: inherit; float: left; margin: 6px 20px 6px 0px; max-width: 100%; position: relative; width: 240px;"><a href="https://www.thebigthrill.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tom-Combs_Picture_240x275.jpg" rel="mfp" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #004891; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.25s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.84, 0.44, 1) 0s;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-69387 size-full" height="275" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px" src="https://www.thebigthrill.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tom-Combs_Picture_240x275.jpg" srcset="https://www.thebigthrill.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tom-Combs_Picture_240x275.jpg 240w, https://www.thebigthrill.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tom-Combs_Picture_240x275-225x258.jpg 225w, https://www.thebigthrill.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tom-Combs_Picture_240x275-20x23.jpg 20w, https://www.thebigthrill.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Tom-Combs_Picture_240x275-84x96.jpg 84w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="240" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-69387" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #767676; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 13px 0px 26px;">Tom Combs</figcaption></figure><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit;">What was the biggest challenge this book presented? What about the biggest opportunity?</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Balancing critical medical and technical info in a manner that does not bore mainstream readers, yet also stimulates and challenges nurses, doctors, and all those with medical knowledge.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">The biggest challenge of every book is how to engage the reader not only intellectually but emotionally. Emotional engagement is my primary focus.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit;">How does this book make a contribution to the genre?</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Uniquely authentic content based on my experience and the truly incredible resources/friends who contribute (FBI agents, a state senator, homicide detective, EMS leadership, paramedics, nurses, and so many more…).</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit;">Without spoilers, are there any genre conventions you wanted to upend or challenge with this book?</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Yes - I feel the domestic terrorist leader is a unique character. Complex and intelligent yet…</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">“It ticks all the right boxes for a thriller-great characters you really care about, three dimensional bad guys, twists, totally believable plot and setting, and time tension. One of the best things about the end is that it is completely unlike anything typical.”</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-weight: 600;">What authors or books have influenced your career as a writer, and why?</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">So many! James Lee Burke, Nelson DeMille, and Michael Connelly.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit;">What’s the one question you wish someone would ask you about this book, or your work in general? And, please answer the question too!</span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Q: What’s it like having your book be a runaway bestseller, loved by millions, and in the process of being made into a movie?</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">A: My answer - “Dream come true!”<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;"> </span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">*****</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Twenty-five years facing illness, trauma, and tragedy as an ER doctor on the front lines in busy, inner-city, level-one trauma centers provide Tom Combs’ background for his gripping stories. High-stakes, deadly conflict, and a flawed hero who is compelled to protect others are central to his books. Authentic emergency and critical care medicine, shared in non-technical language, fuel his emotionally engaging, suspense-packed fiction.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Tom consistently hooks up with foremost experts in law enforcement, law, business, and medicine to fuel his imagination while crafting credible tales of suspense, intrigue, and emotion. Tom lives on a lake in his beloved home-state of Minnesota with his artist wife, Michele.</p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">To learn more about the author and his work, please visit his <a href="http://www.tom-combs.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #1e73be; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.25s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.84, 0.44, 1) 0s;" target="_blank">website</a>.</p></div></div></div>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-41915485493177619852021-05-17T10:21:00.005-07:002021-05-17T10:23:02.945-07:00How to Engage Your Readers using Deep Point of View<p>I'm over at The Kill Zone blog today, where I was a regular contributor (every second Monday) for three years. Here's the beginning of my post there today, with a link at the end to the rest of the tips.</p><header class="entry-header" style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; width: 584.27px;"><h1 class="entry-title" style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-size: 36px; font-style: inherit; line-height: 48px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0.3em; vertical-align: baseline;">Tips for Deepening the POV in Your Fiction</h1><div class="entry-meta" style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div></header><div class="entry-content" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px auto; outline: 0px; padding: 1.625em 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 584.27px;"><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-30015" height="150" loading="lazy" src="https://secureservercdn.net/72.167.241.46/50c.52e.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Jodie_July-2014-2-1-150x150.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); display: inline; float: left; height: auto; margin-bottom: 1.625em; margin-right: 1.625em; margin-top: 0.4em; max-width: calc(100% - 14px); padding: 6px;" width="150" />by Jodie Renner, <a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/" style="border: 0px; color: #145dbc; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">editor</a> & <a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner" style="border: 0px; color: #145dbc; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">author</a></em></p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Most of today’s popular fiction is written in first-person POV (<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I</em>) or third-person limited point of view (<em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">he, she</em>), both of which show us the story mainly from inside the character’s head and body. These narrative techniques engage readers much more emotionally than the more distant third-person omniscient, which was popular in previous centuries.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Current popular fiction, although a long way from the old omniscient style, still employs a variety of narrative distances, depending on the genre, the target readership, and the writer’s own comfort level. There is a whole spectrum when it comes to narrative distance, from plot-driven military or action-adventure novels and historical sagas at one end to character-driven romantic suspense and romance at the other.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Today’s post focuses on close or intimate narrative distance – how to engage readers emotionally, bond them with your character, and draw them deep into your story, so they can’t put it down. And how to avoid interrupting as the author, which some readers might even find akin to “mansplaining.” See a great post here on TKZ by bestselling thriller writer, Robert Dugoni, “<a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2014/04/hey-butt-out-im-reading-here.html" style="border: 0px; color: #145dbc; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Hey, Butt Out! I’m Reading Here!</a>”</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Most female readers (and apparently females make up about 70% of readers of novels) prefer to identify closely with the main character. The reading experience is more satisfying when we connect emotionally with the protagonist, worrying about them and rooting for them.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What is third-person limited POV?</strong> As Dan Brown <a href="https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tips-for-writing-third-person-limited-point-of-view#what-is-third-person-limited" style="border: 0px; color: #145dbc; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">says</a>, “limited or ‘close’ third point of view (a narrative that adheres to a single character) … gives you the ability to be inside a character’s thoughts, feelings, and sensations, which can give readers a deeper experience of character and scene, and is the most common way to use point of view.”</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(For an introduction to point of view in fiction, especially deep point of view or close third-person POV, see my articles here on TKZ: <a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2014/08/pov-101-get-into-your-protagonists-head.html" style="border: 0px; color: #145dbc; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">POV 101</a>, <a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2014/09/pov-102-how-to-avoid-head-hopping.html" style="border: 0px; color: #145dbc; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">POV 102</a>, and <a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2014/09/pov-103-engage-your-readers-with-deep.html" style="border: 0px; color: #145dbc; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">POV 103)</a></p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">From <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">third-person limited</strong>, you can decide to go even deeper, into close third person or <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">deep point of view</strong> to create an immersive experience where readers are more emotionally invested, feeling like <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">participants</em> rather than observers.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As David Mamet <a href="https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-deep-pov#what-is-deep-point-of-view" style="border: 0px; color: #145dbc; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">says</a>, “<strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Deep point of view</strong> is a way of writing fiction in third-person limited that <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">silences the narrative voice and takes the reader directly into a character’s mind</strong>…. <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Deep POV creates a deeper connection between readers and characters</strong>.”</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In deep POV, the author writes <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">as</em></strong> the character instead of <strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">about</em></strong> him. The character and his world come to life for us as we vicariously share his experiences and feel his struggles, pain, triumphs, and disappointments.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As editor and author Beth Hill <a href="http://theeditorsblog.net/2016/07/20/deep-pov-and-narrative-distance-part-2/" style="border: 0px; color: #145dbc; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">says</a>, “deep POV…is a way of pairing third-person POV with a close narrative distance. It’s a way of creating the intimacy of first-person narration with a third-person point of view.” (And without all those I – I – I’s.)</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Depending on your personal style, you could decide to write in a deeper, more subjective third-person point of view for a whole novel or story or reserve this closer technique for more critical or intimate scenes.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Assuming you write in third person and want to engage your readers more and immerse them in your story world, here are some tips for getting deeper into the psyche of your character, starting with more general tips and working down to fine-tuning.</p><p style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">~ First, decide whose scene it is. ...</strong></p></div><p>For the rest of this post, go to </p><p><a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2021/05/tips-for-deepening-the-pov-in-your-fiction.html"><b>Tips for Deepening the POV in Your Fiction</b></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Jodie Renner is a freelance
fiction editor and the award-winning author of three writing guides in her
series <em>An Editor’s Guide to Writing
Compelling Fiction</em>: </span><a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</span></a><em><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">,</span></b></em><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span></b><a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS</span></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">, and </span><a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</span></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">, </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">as well as two clickable
time-saving e-resources,</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">QUICK
CLICKS: Spelling List</span></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> and </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">QUICK CLICKS: Word Usage</span></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">. She has also organized
and edited two anthologies. Website: </span><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.jodierenner.com/</span></a><strong><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">, </span></strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><strong><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">Facebook</span></strong></a><strong><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">, </span></strong><a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">Amazon
Author Page</span></a><strong><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #1982d1; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">.</span></strong><strong><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #1982d1; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p><p><br /></p>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-55720334341712435982021-05-12T12:38:00.033-07:002021-05-15T16:27:54.451-07:00Tricks & Tips for Catching All Those Little Typos in Your Own Work<p> <i>by Jodie Renner, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/235982136068078654">editor</a> & <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/235982136068078654">author</a> </i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iMExzG3KYvo/YJwzeHuy98I/AAAAAAAAClw/QcZwrZxG_sg7AbQ95NYBpDviT7URRdcJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/Typing%2Bon%2Blaptop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="1000" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iMExzG3KYvo/YJwzeHuy98I/AAAAAAAAClw/QcZwrZxG_sg7AbQ95NYBpDviT7URRdcJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Typing%2Bon%2Blaptop.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Whether you’re writing a blog post, a magazine article, a
short story, an assignment, a novel, or a nonfiction book, it’s
important to go over your work several times to make sure it’s polished
and flows well. No matter what <s>your</s> you’re writing, <s>you’re</s> your
credibility will be eroded if readers find <s>mispelled</s> misspelled
words, <a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2021/04/those-dang-homonyms-commonly-misspelled.html">misused words</a>, missing or duplicate words, or other typos. </p><p class="MsoNormal">If you plan to enter your short story or novel into a contest or query an agent, your credibility will be eroded and your reputation tarnished if the judge/reader/agent finds awkward sentences, boring word choices, missing words, extra words, or grammatical or spelling errors.</p><p class="MsoNormal">And if you're publishing your own novel or nonfiction and want to avoid annoyed readers and negative reviews, it's essential to submit a clean, polished, properly formatted book. </p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/w136-h200/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>For advice on various aspects of writing, revising, and editing your fiction, you can check out my three <a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner">writing guides</a> and my many blog posts here and elsewhere. Writers find my to-the-point <a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction"><i>Fire up Your Fiction</i></a>, with lots of bullet points and before-and-after examples, very helpful.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After you’ve resolved any big-picture content problems and any style issues, such as slow pacing, awkward sentence structure, or overly wordy
phrasing, it’s time to go through the manuscript again for typos, spelling, and
grammatical errors, including punctuation. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">My tips below will help you with the final editing and proofreading steps, s</span></b><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">moothing out clunky sentences, cutting excess wordiness and repetition, and improving your word choices, as well as</span> </b><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">ferreting out those tiny little gremlins that escape
your notice when you’re concentrating on content issues. At the bottom are links to more articles on specific topics related to revision and self-editing.</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>When we read our own work, we’re so familiar with what we
want to say that we fill in words that aren’t actually on the page</b> <b>and skip over words that shouldn’t be there.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course, getting detail-oriented, eagle-eyed friends
who are great at spelling to read your work carefully is a great option, if you know any. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Here are some tips for fooling your brain into thinking
your story is something new</span>,</b> something you need to read critically and revise
ruthlessly before it reaches the demanding eyes of a literary agent,
acquiring editor, contest judge, or picky reader and reviewer.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1. <b>Set it aside for a while.</b> First, if you
can, put your article, blog post, or short story away for a day or
two before revising and editing it, and
your book manuscript away for a few weeks or more,
if possible, so you can come back to it with fresh eyes and a bit of emotional
distance. If you’re on a tight deadline, start at #2.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2. <b>Start with Word’s Spell-check Editor and check
those squiggly red and blue lines under words.</b> Don’t rely entirely on spell-check,
though, as it misses a lot (like the well-known laughable gaffe, “pubic”
for “public”), and often flags words that will actually change something from
correct to incorrect. For example, in a manuscript I edited, MS Word
suggested that “I like your thinking” (as in “I like how you think”)
should be “I like you’re thinking.” (Blatantly wrong for the
context.) And it often suggests the wrong its/it’s, and misses all kinds of
typos in manuscripts I edit, like “crowed” for “crowded,” “father” for
“farther,” “county” for “country,” and “manger” for “manager.” So
definitely don’t trust spell-check blindly.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">4. <b>Do a search (“Find”) for words you know how to spell but
tend to spell wrong when you’re in a hurry</b>, especially ones spell-check often won’t
flag, like “you” for “your,” “the” for “their,” “your” for “you’re,” and “there” for “they’re” or
“their.”</p><p class="MsoNormal">5. Maybe invest in <b>grammar and spelling software, such as Grammarly, ProWritingAid, or AutoCrit</b>. Here's a recent (2021) article on the <a href="https://thewritelife.com/automatic-editing-tools/">Best Grammar Checkers and Editing Tools</a>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Then choose some of the following strategies, which
are also excellent for picking up on clunky sentences, awkward phrasing, repetition, and wordiness.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">~ <b>Increase the size of the type</b> to 140% -180%, by clicking on the + sign at the bottom right of the document.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">~ <b>Change the font to one that looks quite different</b> to
fool your eyes and brain into thinking this is new material you’ve never read
(or thought of) before, so you need to pay close attention. Try Comic Sans
or Franklin Gothic Book or Book Antiqua.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">~ <b>Format your novel to book size</b>, like 6″ x 9″ with
half-inch margins, a font like Georgia or Cambria, and single-spaced, maybe format it to two-column landscape so it
looks like an open book, then, if you can afford the paper and ink, <b>print it up and read it in a
different location</b>, somewhere you don’t write, preferably out of your home.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">~ <b>Send your book manuscript to your Kindle</b> <b>or other e-reader</b>,<b> then read it in a different location</b>, preferably not at home. If you already have an e-reader, this is of course much cheaper and less wasteful than making a print copy of a whole book. Format it to book size first (6"x9", 0.5" margins, indents of 0.2" or 0.3"), then send it to your Kindle email account as an attachment.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">~<b> Send your story to yourself and read it on your tablet or phone. Or use Word's OneDrive or another cloud option</b><b>.</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">~ <b>In a print version, place a ruler or piece of
paper under the line you’re reading</b> to keep from skipping ahead. Or
keep your finger under each word as you read.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">~ <b>Read it out loud</b>. Wherever you stumble,
your readers will, too. This will also help with punctuation. If you pause
briefly, put in a comma. If you pause for longer, put in a period. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">~ <b>Get your computer to read passages aloud to you</b>,
while you follow along. This will help you <b>hear errors</b> you may not catch otherwise. <b>To enable text-to-speech in Word:</b> First,
add “Speak” to the Quick Access Toolbar: Along the very top above “File,” the blue
line that starts with W for Word (or “Autosave” or the “Save” icon), go to the
far right to find the small down arrow. Click that. It will say “Customize
Quick Access Toolbar.” Click “More Commands.” In the “Choose Commands” from the
list, select “All Commands.” Scroll down to the “Speak” command, select it, and
then click “Add.” Click “OK.” When you want to use the text-to-speech command,
you’ll use the icon on the Quick Access Toolbar, which looks like a square speech
bubble on a cartoon. To hear some text read aloud, turn on your speaker, highlight the paragraph or
chapter you want to hear aloud, then click the Speak icon on the toolbar. To
stop it, click the icon again.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Follow along the text while listening to the text being read
aloud. Stop it whenever you need to add, delete, fix, or change a word or smooth out awkward
phrasing.</b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">~ For final proofreading for little typos, you could try this: <b>Read the whole thing backwards</b> or upside down (!).
I’ve heard these suggestions, but haven’t actually done this myself, and
probably won’t.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">~ <b>If you’re self-publishing, get a pre-publication sample book
printed</b> by Amazon or Ingram Spark and read it somewhere else, preferably
away from your home, like in a coffee shop, a park, or the beach. This makes a huge difference <span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">–</span> you're approaching the book as a reader, not the writer. I read all
three of my writing guides in book form, pen in hand, while away on vacations, and
I caught all kinds of repetitions, sentences that didn’t flow as well as they
could, were too wordy, or generally needed polishing, etc., as well as the odd
typo.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X7nFdozwRgQ/VGujbk9eXqI/AAAAAAAABzU/tbMXD7pk4V8Ihlr9_1TuuSUTezkYP9bXgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Quick%2BClicks_Spelling%2BList.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1007" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X7nFdozwRgQ/VGujbk9eXqI/AAAAAAAABzU/tbMXD7pk4V8Ihlr9_1TuuSUTezkYP9bXgCPcBGAYYCw/w126-h200/Quick%2BClicks_Spelling%2BList.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>~ I also recommend my two <b>quick, clickable e-resources</b> to help you verify spelling and word choices: <i><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling"><b>QUICK CLICKS: SPELLING LIST – Commonly Misspelled Words at Your Fingertips</b></a></i>, and <i><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Words"><b>QUICK CLICKS: WORD USAGE – Precise Word Choices at Your Fingertips</b></a></i>. Click on the titles to check them out. These handy resources will save you tons of time looking up words in the dictionary, and every word is verified as correct. (They're perfect for viewing on computers, laptops, tablets, or e-readers but don't work on small screens like phones.)<div><br /></div><div><b>Also, check out these articles for more specific help:</b></div><div><b> </b></div><div>- <a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2019/10/16-concrete-tips-for-effectively-editing-your-own-fiction.html"><b>16 Concrete Tips for Effectively Editing Your Own Fiction</b></a></div><div><br /></div><div>-<b> <a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2013/03/tips-for-creating-sentences-that-flow.html">Tips for Creating Sentences That Flow</a></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>- <a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-single-word-can-change-tone.html">A Single Word Can Change the Tone</a></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>- <a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2021/03/people-in-motion-vary-those-verbs.html">People in Motion -- Vary Those Verbs!</a></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>- <a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2013/09/how-and-when-to-use-hyphens-dashes.html">How and When to Use Hyphens, Dashes, & Ellipses</a></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>- <a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2021/04/those-dang-homonyms-commonly-misspelled.html">90+ Commonly Misspelled Sound-Alike Word Pairs</a></b></div><div><br /></div><div>- <a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2021/03/revise-for-success-concrete-tips-for.html"><b>Revise for Success - Concrete Tips for Revising & Editing Your Fiction</b></a></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>- I<a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2021/03/is-that-one-word-two-words-or-hyphenated.html">t's All About Those Hyphens!</a></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>- <a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2013/07/basic-formatting-of-your-manuscript.html">Basic Formatting of Your Manuscript</a></b></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Writers – do you have any questions or other strategies to add</b> for
catching all those little typos lurking in your manuscript? Let us know what
works for you in the comments below. (Your comment will not appear instantly <span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt;">–</span> it will need to be approved first.)</p><o:p></o:p><p></p><i>Jodie Renner is a freelance fiction editor and the award-winning author of three writing guides in her</i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_BSjMRxb0XA/VGujyosVkRI/AAAAAAAABzg/GYXWv9mH4VkeJ9GRPabdiI3hnh7q_5xfQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Quick%2BClicks_Word%2BUsage.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1007" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_BSjMRxb0XA/VGujyosVkRI/AAAAAAAABzg/GYXWv9mH4VkeJ9GRPabdiI3hnh7q_5xfQCPcBGAYYCw/w126-h200/Quick%2BClicks_Word%2BUsage.jpg" width="126" /></i></a></div><i>series <b>An Editor’s Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction</b>: <a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction">FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</a>, <a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers">CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS</a>, and <a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</a>, as well as two clickable time-saving e-resources, <a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling">QUICK CLICKS: Spelling List</a> and <a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Words">QUICK CLICKS: Word Usage</a>. She has also organized and edited two anthologies. Website: <a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/">https://www.jodierenner.com/</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner">Amazon Author Page<br /></a></i></div>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-50325633642720794722021-05-07T11:31:00.018-07:002021-05-10T13:55:22.769-07:00How Will Your Story Rate in a Contest? Evaluation Criteria<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>by Jodie Renner, <a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/editing/">editor</a> & <a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner">author</a></i></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">How do you think your unpublished novel or short story would rate in a writing contest? Do you think it's ready to send to a literary agent? And how will your readers react to it, once it's published? Will it get a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down? </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Here's a list of <b>MANUSCRIPT EVALUATION CRITERIA</b> to guide you, point by point, before submitting your story to a contest, editor, or agent (or publishing it yourself).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I was recently asked to read and review the first 50 pages of some unpublished novels that had been submitted to a well-respected contest. Below are the criteria I was sent, with a few points I've added myself. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">These questions will also help anyone wanting to publish their novel (or short stories) themselves, send it to an editor, or pitch it to an agent or publisher. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Ask some friends, your critique group, or some other savvy beta readers (who read avidly in your genre) to read your first 10-30 pages and reply to these questions. Then collect their responses to see how your novel or short story would measure up to contest judges, agents, or readers. Then it's likely time to do some revising, editing, and polishing before submitting.<br /><br />1. <b>Intro/Beginning: <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" /></a></div><br /></b>- Does the opening hook you in?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">- Is tension established early on?</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br />- Is there too much backstory in a lump? Or maybe too little information provided?<br /><br />- Does the beginning compel you to keep reading?<br /> <br /><br />2. <b>Characters: </b><br /><br />- Can you identify with the main character? Do you care what happens to him/her?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">- Is the protagonist interesting and complex, with some desires, secrets, and regrets?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />- How well are the characters developed? <br /><br />- Does each character feel unique? Or are they run-of-the-mill, flat, or stock characters? <br /><br />- Are extraneous characters bogging down the story?<br /> <br /><br />3. <b>Grammar, Sentence Structure, Mechanics: </b><br /><br />- Does the author have a strong command of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics, or will he/she require significant editing help? <br /><br />- Does the author vary sentence structure to create rhythm, or does the writing feel monotonous?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">- Does the writing meander or go on and on? Does it need tightening up to get to the point?<br /> <br /><br />4. <b>Setting</b>: <br /><br />- Does the author treat setting like an afterthought, or has it been given an attentive eye? <br /><br />- Does the story have a real sense of place? <br /><br />- Does the author get too hung up on describing setting when it is not integral to the progression of the story?</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">- Is the setting shown from the viewpoint of the character, and does it include sensory elements and character physical reactions to it?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />5. <b>Dialogue: <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fd1z7hFYXys/UZOFkNH5ziI/AAAAAAAAAyA/s0LpVQq46k0afK5yQzPQiwJ2f_FfX2T4QCPcBGAYYCw/s1589/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller_May%2B%252713.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1589" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fd1z7hFYXys/UZOFkNH5ziI/AAAAAAAAAyA/s0LpVQq46k0afK5yQzPQiwJ2f_FfX2T4QCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller_May%2B%252713.jpg" /></a></div><br /></b>- Does the dialogue seem natural, organic? Does it seem forced? <br /><br />- Does it drive the story forward or simply fill space? <br /><br />- Do the characters use many clichés? <br /><br />- Are conversations interesting or are they too mundane?<br /> <br /><br />6. <b>Premise/Plot/Pacing/Conflict/Tension: </b><br /><br />- Does the basic premise of the story make sense, and is it believable within the story’s context? </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">- Does the story move along at a good pace? Do things drag on too long, or get passed by too quickly? <br /><br />- Does there seem to be something really at stake throughout? <br /><br /> - Does tension drive the story forward, or does it fizzle out and fall by the wayside? <br /><br /><br />7. <b>Voice: </b><br /><br />- Does character voice feel unique? Does it feel apropos to the character’s nature and background? <br /><br />- Does the authorial voice tell too much instead of showing? <br /><br />- Could the story work better with a different POV?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">- Is the authorial voice unique, or does it feel like a regurgitation of similar works?</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Once you and your volunteer readers have examined your story with these elements in mind and you've done any needed revisions, your novel or short story should be much closer to being ready to send to an editor, contest, agent, or publisher.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Good luck!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I could add more points/questions but don't want to overwhelm you. How about you? Can you suggest a point or two that should be added? Let me know in the comments below. (Comments will appear after being approved.)</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1370" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/w171-h200/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" width="171" /></a></div><br />Jodie Renner is a freelance
fiction editor and the award-winning author of three writing guides in her
series <em>An Editor’s Guide to
Writing Compelling Fiction</em>: <a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</span></a><em><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;">,</span></b></em><b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;">, and </span><a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;">, </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">as well as two clickable
time-saving e-resources,</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;"> </span><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">QUICK
CLICKS: Spelling List</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;"> and </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; line-height: 115%;">QUICK CLICKS: Word Usage</span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;">. She has also organized
and edited two anthologies. Website: </span><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">www.JodieRenner.com</span></a><strong><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; line-height: 115%;">, </span></strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><strong><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">Facebook</span></strong></a><strong><u><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; line-height: 115%;">, </span></u></strong><a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">Amazon Author Page</span></a><strong><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #1982d1; line-height: 115%;">.</span></strong><strong><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #1982d1; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><strong></strong></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><strong><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" /></a></strong></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-33070306005626933042021-04-15T20:03:00.039-07:002021-05-15T16:27:18.446-07:00How to save a bundle on editing costs – without sacrificing quality<p><i style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></i></p><i style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;">by Jodie Renner, <a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/editing/">freelance fiction editor</a>
& <a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner">craft-of-writing author</a></span></i><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P_gAV86QMT0/T8EcW7_DWWI/AAAAAAAAAKk/zCnC67SbvS04XoZTQkR3C3-7ryre_KmFQCPcBGAYYCw/s200/typing%2B-%2Bkeyboard.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P_gAV86QMT0/T8EcW7_DWWI/AAAAAAAAAKk/zCnC67SbvS04XoZTQkR3C3-7ryre_KmFQCPcBGAYYCw/w320-h240/typing%2B-%2Bkeyboard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Whether you plan to publish your novel yourself, query agents, or pitch it directly to publishers, it’s highly recommended (essential, really) to get your manuscript
edited by a respected freelance fiction editor who reads and
edits your genre.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Can’t afford it, you say? Realistically, if you want your novel
to get accepted, sell well, and get lots of 5-star reviews, you can’t afford not to. All successful authors use editors. Read the Acknowledgments page of bestsellers </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> the author often thanks 3-5 editors. (Of course, the average indie author can't afford that, but at least get one!)</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Editing fees vary hugely, depending on
the length and quality of the manuscript and how much work is needed to take
it from “so-so” or “pretty good” to a real page-turner that engages readers, sells well, and garners
great reviews. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Before approaching an editor, it's important to be sure
your story is already as tight and compelling as you can make it – and that it’s
under 100,000 words long. 70-90K is generally preferred for today’s fiction.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here are some tips for reducing your editing costs and ensuring a much higher-quality edit and final product. Down at the bottom you'll find more specific tips for revising various aspects of your story.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #2b00fe; padding: 0in;">Don’t be in a hurry to pitch or publish your book
before it’s ready.</span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">
If you rush to publish an early draft, you could do your reputation as a writer
a lot of damage. Once the book is out there and getting negative reviews,
the bad publicity could sink your career before it has had a chance to take
off. And you can't get those reviews deleted </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> they won't go away. It’s important to open your mind to the very real </span><s style="font-family: georgia;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">possibility</span></s><span style="font-family: georgia;"> probability that your story could use clarification, tightening, </span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">revising,</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">polishing, and generally sprucing up on several levels,
areas that may not have occurred to you because you’re too close to the story
or maybe even unaware of key techniques that bring fiction to life.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;">First, of course, write freely. Then, when inspiration wanes, step
back, hone your skills, and evaluate.</span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">
First, get your ideas down as quickly as you can, with no editing – write with
wild abandon and let your muse flow freely. But once you’ve gotten your story
down (or as far as your initial surge of creativity will take you for now),
it’s a good time to put it aside for a week or three and bone up on some
current, well-respected craft advice, with your story in the back of your mind.
Then you can re-attack your novel with fresh ideas and inspiration, and address
any possible issues you weren’t aware of that could be considered amateurish,
confusing, heavy-handed, or boring to today’s sophisticated, savvy readers.</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Now’s the time to read a few books by the
writing “gurus” and maybe join a critique group (in-person or online) and/or
attend some writing workshops. Also, read and analyze successful novels in your genre.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Then, notes in hand, roll up your sleeves
and <b>revise your novel</b>, based on what you’ve learned. (See link at the end to my <b>step-by-step revision tips</b>.)</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>If you then send your
improved story, rather than your first or second draft, to a freelance editor,
they will be able to concentrate on more advanced fine-tuning instead of
just spending all their time and energy flagging basic issues and newbie-type weaknesses</b>.</span><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">With a cleaner, sharper copy, they'll be able to tackle more advanced issues and take your manuscript up several more levels. Not only that, if you're more informed, </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">you’ll “get” the
editor’s suggestions, so the whole process will go a lot smoother and be more
enjoyable and beneficial.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" /></a></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">A great book to start with is my short,
sweet, to-the-point, award-winning Editor’s Guide to </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Writing Compelling Stories, <i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"> </span></i></span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><b><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction">Fire up Your Fiction</a></span></i></b></span><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;">.</span></b><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">And for additional advice on point
of view, avoiding author intrusions, and showing instead of telling,
peruse </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><b><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers">Captivate Your Readers</a></span></i></b></span><span style="color: black;">. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">And if you’re writing a suspenseful story or other fast-paced fiction,
check out my </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><b><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller">Writing a Killer Thriller</a></span></i></b></span><span style="color: black;"> for more great tips. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">All three are available in
print or e-book, which you can also read on your computer, laptop, tablet, or
smartphone.</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #2b00fe; padding: 0in;">And when it comes time to find a freelance
editor, don’t shop for the cheapest one and insist that your manuscript only
needs a quick final proofread or light edit.</span></b><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">That approach will result in a cursory,
superficial, even substandard job, like hiring a painter to paint the exterior of a house that’s falling
over and needs rebuilding, and <b>will actually end up costing you more money in
the long run. </b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Why?</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Because you could well be unaware of how
many structural, content, and stylistic weaknesses your story may contain,
which should be addressed and fixed before the final copyedit stage.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Paying
for a basic copyedit and proofread on a long, weak manuscript, only to find out
later it needs a major overhaul, which will then require rewriting and another full
copyedit, is short-sighted — and money down the drain.</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><b>Is your novel more than 90-100K words long? Time to go through and tighten it up!</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">If your novel is a
rambling 120-130,000 words long, it needs weeding of anything superfluous or repetitious. It’s very likely you need to focus your
story; cut down on descriptions, explanations, and backstory; eliminate or
combine some characters; maybe delete a sub-plot or two; plug some plot
holes; fix point-of-view issues; pick up the pace, make your dialogue snappier; and turn those long, meandering sentences and
paragraphs into lean, mean, to-the-point writing. </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Not only will this process make your
story much stronger and more captivating, but it will save you a bundle on
editing costs, since freelance editors charge by the word, the page, or the
hour, and editing your 80 or 90,000-word, tighter, self-edited and revised book
will cost you a whole lot less than asking them to slog through 120-130K words
written in rambling, convoluted sentences.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Is your novel too long? Check out these practical tips:</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> ~ <b><a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-to-slash-your-word-count-by-20-40.html">How to Slash Your Word Count by 20-40% …and tighten up your story without losing any of the good stuff!</a></b></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlvRTQsLbP4/UlQqIPZ3OYI/AAAAAAAABCA/XaKhNYL8akgTwXYu9Qmxbkpg5JOXjQeOgCPcBGAYYCw/s1430/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller%252C%2BTravis%2BMiles.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1430" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlvRTQsLbP4/UlQqIPZ3OYI/AAAAAAAABCA/XaKhNYL8akgTwXYu9Qmxbkpg5JOXjQeOgCPcBGAYYCw/w202-h320/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller%252C%2BTravis%2BMiles.jpg" width="202" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>Your story may even need a structural or
developmental edit.</b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">
If you’re at the stage where you know it’s not great, but you’re too close to
your story to pinpoint the weaknesses, perhaps you should hire a developmental
editor or book coach to stand back and take a look at the big picture for you and give you a
professional assessment of your manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses. </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">Or if
you can’t afford a developmental editor, try a <b>critique group </b>or<b> 3-6 beta (volunteer) readers</b> – smart acquaintances who read a lot in your genre – to give you
some advice on your story line and characters and flag any plot holes or spots where the
story lags or is confusing or illogical, or they can't warm up to the character.</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> Here is <b>a <a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2016/07/15-questions-for-your-beta-readers-and.html">list of questions to ask your beta readers</a></b>.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;">Enlist help to ferret out inconsistencies and
inaccuracies.</span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">
You don’t want to lose reader trust and invite bad reviews by being careless
about facts and time sequences, etc., either. Find a critique partner or an astute friend or two with
an inquiring mind and an eye for detail and ask them to read your story purely
for logistics. Do all the details make sense? How about the time sequences?
Character motivations? Accuracy of information? </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">For technical info, do your research or try
to find an expert or two in the field, and rather than asking them to plow
through your whole novel, just send them the sections that are relevant to
their area of expertise.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">It’s even possible that you’ve based your
whole story premise on something that doesn’t actually make sense or is just
too far-fetched, and the sooner you find that out the better!</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Read it aloud.</span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">
Read your whole story out loud to check for a natural, easy flow of ideas,
in the characters’ vernacular and voice, which of course need to suit the tone,
mood, and situation. This part of the process should also help you cut down on awkward
sentences, confusing wording, and overall rambling / wordiness, all of which will turn agents
and readers off.</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Run it through grammar check and spell-check.</b> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Or get someone you know who's good at that to go through it for you. Of course, you and they need to keep in mind that fiction is usually written in casual language, with lots of contractions, and the dialogue is often in incomplete sentences, with colloquial and sometimes profane language.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #2b00fe; padding: 0in;">The more advance
work you do, the less you’ll pay for editing.</span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">
So, to save money and increase your sales and royalties, after writing your
first or second draft, it’s critical to hone your fiction-writing skills and go through your
manuscript several more times and enlist some beta readers to give you feedback before sending it to an editor.</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Also, be sure to<b> find an editor who
specializes in fiction and edits your genre, </b>and <b>get them to do a sample
edit </b>(free or paid) of at least the first four or five pages<b>.</b> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">(See my article, </span><span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2014/04/looking-for-editor-check-them-out-very.html#.U3otoTPQe70"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;">“Looking for an editor? Check them out very carefully!”</span></a></span><span style="color: black;">) </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;">Many editors, including <a href="Editing « Jodie Renner">myself</a>, will offer a <b>detailed</b> <b>edit and critique
of the first few chapters</b> (not free, of course, and you need to send them a brief synopsis, too, so they'll know what the story is about). I highly recommend you start with that introductory edit. This is often a huge eye-opener for the author and </span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">money extremely well-spent, as y</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">ou can then
<b>use their suggestions to revise the rest of the novel</b> before getting them (or
another editor) to go through the rest, <b>at a </b></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>–</b></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b> possibly significantly </b></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>–</b></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> lower rate</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">because it will now be
cleaner, tighter, and more polished.</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/w218-h320/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" width="218" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">And don’t make your main priority finding
the cheapest editor, as they may be just starting out and unaware of important
fiction-writing issues that should be addressed, such as point of view, showing instead of telling, and avoiding info dumps and other author intrusions. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">And whatever you do, <b>don’t tie the editor’s
hands by insisting your manuscript only needs a light edit</b>, because that’s
cheaper. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">You could well end up paying for that uninformed, “cheap” light edit on an
overlong, weak manuscript, then discovering that the story has big issues that
need to be addressed and requires major revisions, including slashing and
rewriting. Then you’ll have to pay for another complete edit of the new
version! $$ multiplied!</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Speaking as a professional editor with 13
years of experience, I have found that <b>often, new writers</b> <b>are unaware of weaknesses in their novels</b>, issues
that can cause rejections or that readers will catch and complain about. You
don’t necessarily know what you don’t know.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Also, <b>check out the editor's guidelines</b> and be sure to send them what they need, including the genre, a brief synopsis (story line), and brief character descriptions. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">And be sure to <b>format your novel properly</b> before sending it to an editor or agent: </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><b>Times New Roman, 12-point, double-spaced, left-justified, paragraphs indented, no extra space between paragraphs, and one space (not two) between sentences.</b> And don't use Tab or the space bar for indents </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> that causes headaches. Use the Paragraph function to do it properly. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">For more specific tips, see my article, </span></span><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2013/07/basic-formatting-of-your-manuscript.html">Basic Formatting of Your Manuscript</a></b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">Check out these other articles by Jodie
for lots of concrete tips on revising and tightening your novel (Click on the
titles below):</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;">~ <b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><a href="Resources for Writers: REVISE FOR SUCCESS – Concrete Tips for Revising and Editing Your Fiction (jodierennerediting.blogspot.com)">REVISE FOR SUCCESS – A Stress-Free, Concrete Plan of Action for Revising, Editing, and Polishing YourNove</a>l</span></b></span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Is your novel more than 90K words?</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> ~ <b><a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-to-slash-your-word-count-by-20-40.html">How to Slash Your Word Count by 20-40% …and tighten up your story without losing any of the good stuff!</a></b></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">~ <a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2016/07/15-questions-for-your-beta-readers-and.html"><b>15 Questions for Your Beta Readers -- and to focus your own revisions</b></a></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;">And a handy alphabetical spelling checklist:</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;">~ <a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2021/04/those-dang-homonyms-commonly-misspelled.html"><b>90+ Commonly Misused Sound-Alike Word Pairs</b></a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1370" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/w171-h200/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" width="171" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">Jodie Renner is a <a href="Editing « Jodie Renner">freelance fiction editor</a> and the <a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner">award-winning author</a> of three writing guides in her
series <em>An Editor’s Guide to
Writing Compelling Fiction</em>: </span><a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</span></a><em><b><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;">,</span></b></em><b><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS</span></a><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;">, and </span><a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</span></a><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;">, </span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">as well as two clickable
time-saving e-resources,</span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;"> </span><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">QUICK
CLICKS: Spelling List</span></a><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;"> and </span><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">QUICK CLICKS: Word Usage</span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;">. She has also organized
and edited two anthologies for charity. Website: </span><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">www.JodieRenner.com</span></a><strong><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; line-height: 115%;">, </span></strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">Facebook</span></a><strong><u><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #943634; line-height: 115%;">, </span></u></strong><a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner"><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none;">Amazon Author Page</span></a><strong><span lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #1982d1; line-height: 115%;">.</span></strong></span><strong><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #1982d1; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong><p></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b></b></span><p></p>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-2359821360680786542021-04-09T20:41:00.294-07:002021-06-20T15:44:06.574-07:0090+ Commonly Misspelled Sound-Alike Word Pairs<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>by Jodie Renner, <a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/editing/">editor</a> & <a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner">author</a> </i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X7nFdozwRgQ/VGujbk9eXqI/AAAAAAAABzU/tbMXD7pk4V8Ihlr9_1TuuSUTezkYP9bXgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Quick%2BClicks_Spelling%2BList.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1007" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X7nFdozwRgQ/VGujbk9eXqI/AAAAAAAABzU/tbMXD7pk4V8Ihlr9_1TuuSUTezkYP9bXgCPcBGAYYCw/w202-h320/Quick%2BClicks_Spelling%2BList.jpg" width="202" /></a></i></span></div><p></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Have you chosen the right word/spelling for the meaning you want to convey? When two (or three) words sound the same, it's easy to inadvertently choose the wrong one.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span> If you sometimes get a </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 13.5pt;">“brain blip”</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">about the spelling of homonyms / homophones, bookmark this chart to help you with 90+ of the most commonly confused, misused, or misspelled sound-alikes in English.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><br />The list, with deliberately simplified definitions for quick and easy reference, is <b>in alphabetical order</b> and includes some easier words you may know well and other combos you may not be 100% sure of, such as <b>rein/reign, illusion/allusion, oral/aural, cord/chord, pour/pore, it</b></span></span><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">’</b><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">s/its compliment/complement, aisle/isle, peddle/pedal, gorilla/guerrilla, exercise/exorcise, discreet/discrete, who</b><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">’</b><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">s/whose, peek/peak, council/counsel, </b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">and</span><b style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"> lightning/lightening</b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><b>accept</b> – to take, receive<br /><b>except</b> – all but this or that one</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>ad</b> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> advertisement</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>add</b> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> plus; augment; increase</span></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span>
<b>advice</b> (noun) – you give advice<br />
<b>advise</b> (verb) – you advise someone<br />
<br />
<b>affect</b> (verb) – to cause change<br />
<b>effect</b> (noun) – the result of change<br />
<br />
<b>aisle</b> – corridor in a store or church<br />
<b>isle</b> – island<br />
<b>I’ll</b> – I will<br />
<br />
<b>allot</b> – to assign, to distribute<br />
<b>a lot</b> – many, a bunch, numerous<br />
<b><s>alot</s></b> – not a word<br />
<br />
<b>allowed</b> – permitted<br />
<b>aloud</b> – out loud (not silent)<br />
<br />
<b>allusion</b> – an indirect reference to something (you allude to
something)<br />
<b>illusion</b> – false impression, misconception</span></span></p><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>altar</b> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> a table or place that serves as a center of worship or ritual</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>alter</b> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> to change, fix</span></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span>
<b>aw</b> (or aww) – to express a soft, warm feeling (Aw, that's cute.)<br />
<b>awe</b> – expressing wonder, reverence, or admiration (in awe of
something)<br />
<br />
<b>bare</b> – unclothed; unprotected; plain; unadorned<br />
<b>bear</b> – wild animal; to hold up or support<br />
<br />
<b>bazaar</b> – open-air market<br />
<b>bizarre</b> – strange, weird<br />
<br />
<b>beat</b> – win, overcome; or hit, strike<br />
<b>beet</b> – red root vegetable<br />
<br />
<b>bolder</b> – braver<br />
<b>boulder</b> – a large rock</span><span> </span></span></p>
<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><b>boarder</b> – room renter who gets meals as well<br /><b>border</b> – edge, boundary</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span>
<b>brake</b> – to slow or stop vehicle<br />
<b>break</b> – shatter, fracture<br />
<br />
<b>buy</b> – to purchase<br />
<b>by</b> – go past; near; doer, creator<br />
<b>bye</b> – goodbye<br /></span><br /><b>capital</b> – city, wealth, uppercase letter <br /><b>capitol</b> – legislative building</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">
<b>chord</b> – musical, strike a chord<br />
<b>cord</b> – string, rope; vocal cords<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><br /><b>coma</b> – lengthy unconsciousness<br /><b>comma</b> –<b> ,</b> (punctuation mark)</span><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span>
<b>complement</b> – goes well with<br />
<b>compliment</b> – say something nice<br />
<br />
<b>complementary</b> – free<br />
<b>complimentary</b> – giving compliments, praise</span><br /><span><br /><b>council</b> – a group of people in charge<br /><b>counsel</b> – to give advice or instruction<br /><br /><b> coarse</b> – rough, harsh, crude<br /><b>course</b> – route, direction, program, class</span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span>
<b>desert</b> – dry, arid area<br />
<b>dessert</b> – sweet treat after meal<br /> But "He got his just deserts" = "He got what was deserved."</span><br /><br /><b> discreet</b> – unobtrusive, modest, prudent<br /><b>discrete</b> – distinct, individual, finite<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span>
<b>doe</b> – female deer<br />
<b>dough</b> – unbaked cookies, bread, etc. </span><br /><br /><span><b>do</b> – to act<br /><b>dew</b> – moisture, condensation<br /><b>due</b> – owed, need to pay</span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>dual</b> – double, two</span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>duel</b> – combat, conflict, or contest between two opponents</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>evasive</b> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> avoiding</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>invasive</b> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> taking over, invading, attacking</span></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">
<b>exercise</b> – exertion, action, practice<br />
<b>exorcise</b> – to expel, to get rid of (evil spirits)<br />
<br />
<b>fair</b> – not dark; unbiased; exhibition<br />
<b>fare</b> – price, fee; food, diet</span></p><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>faze</b> – to disturb, disconcert, daunt, bother, worry<br /><b>phase</b> – a stage of change</span><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">
<b>farther</b> – physical distance<br />
<b>further</b> – additional<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><b>feet</b> – plural of foot<br /><b>feat</b> – significant, difficult act or accomplishment</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><b>flair</b> </span><span>–</span><span> talent or ability</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><b>flare</b> </span><span>–</span><span> blaze, flame</span></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">
<b>flea</b> – bug<br />
<b>flee</b> – run away</span></p><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>formally</b> – in a formal manner</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>formerly</b> – previously</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>forward</b> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> ahead</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Foreword</b> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> part of the front matter of a book</span></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">
<b>gorilla</b> – ape<br />
<b>guerrilla</b> or <b>guerilla</b> – type of fighter<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><b>grate</b> – to cut up; to irritate<br /><b>great</b> – wonderful; very large</span><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span>
<b>grisly</b> – gruesome<br />
<b>grizzly</b> – bear<br />
<br />
<b>heal</b> – to make well<br />
<b>heel</b> – back of foot</span><b><span><br />
<!--[endif]--></span></b><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span>hear</span></b><span> – sound<br />
<b>here</b> – place<br />
<br />
<b>heroin</b> – drug<br />
<b>heroine</b> – female hero<br />
<br />
<b>higher</b> – farther up<br />
<b>hire</b> – to employ someone<br />
<br />
<b>hoard</b> – to accumulate a lot (too much)<br />
<b>horde</b> – a large group or gathering<br />
<br />
<b>hoarse</b> – condition of throat/voice<br />
<b>horse</b> – large animal</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span>
<b>humerus</b> – bone<br />
<b>humorous</b> – funny</span></span></p><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>incite</b> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> stir up, spur on, urge on</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>insight</b> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> perception, discernment, wisdom, seeing clearly</span></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span>insure</span></b><span> – to get insurance<br />
<b>ensure</b> – to make sure</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">
<b>it’s</b> – it is or it has<br />
<b>its</b> – belongs to it</span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><b>jeans</b> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> denim casual pants</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>genes</b> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> hereditary genetics</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>juggler</b> – person who juggles</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>jugular</b> – related to the throat</span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">
<b>lightening</b> – making lighter or paler<br />
<b>lightning</b> – flashes in a storm<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><b>loan</b> – something someone lends<br /><b>lone</b> – alone, solitary<br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">
<b>loose</b> – not tight<br />
<b>lose</b> – misplace, opposite of find<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><b>main</b> – principal, most important<br /><b>mane</b> – hair on a horse or lion<br /><br /><b>no</b> – negative; opposite of yes <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" /></a></div><b>know</b> – to be aware of<br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span>
<b>oral</b> – related to speaking<br />
<b>aural</b> – related to hearing<br />
<br />
<b>our</b> – belongs to us<br />
<b>are</b> – to be: we are, they are<br />
<br />
<b>pail</b> – bucket<br />
<b>pale</b> – light-colored<br />
<br />
<b>pain</b> – hurt<br />
<b>pane</b> – window<br />
<br />
<b>pair</b> – two together<br />
<b>pare</b> – to peel, cut<br />
<b>pear</b> – a fruit<br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b> passed</b> - went by, past tense of pass<br /><b>past</b> - before now, earlier on, ago, bygone, elapsed, beyond (went past)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><b>patience</b> – the ability to wait<br />
<b>patients</b> – people under medical care<br />
<br />
<b>peal</b> – ringing of bells<br />
<b>peel</b> – to remove outer layer<br />
<br />
<b>peace</b> – not war<br />
<b>piece</b> – part, portion, fragment<br />
<br />
<b>peak</b> – highest point<br />
<b>peek</b> – glimpse<br />
<b>pique</b> – excite, arouse (curiosity, etc.)<br />
<br />
<b>pedal</b> – part of bicycle, make bike move<br />
<b>peddle</b> – sell</span></span></p><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>perspective</b> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> a mental view; a visible scene; a point of view or opinion</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>prospective</b> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> expected; likely to be or to become</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>picture</b> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> image</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>pitcher</b> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> container for liquid; one who pitches</span></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span>
<b>plain</b> – not fancy<br />
<b>plane</b> – flies in the sky</span><b><span> </span></b><span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span>pore over</span></b><span> – study carefully<br />
<b>pour over</b> – dispense liquid<br />
<br />
<b>principal</b> – main, head of school<br />
<b>principle</b> – basic truth or law<br />
<br />
<b>quiet</b> – opposite of loud or noisy<br />
<b>quite</b> – sort of</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>raise</b> – to lift up<br /><b>raze</b> – to tear down<br /><b>rays</b> – beams of radiant energy </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">– </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">the sun's rays </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>rapt</b> – engrossed, absorbed in</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>wrapped</b> – covered, past tense of wrap</span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span>
<b>rain</b> – water falling<br />
<b>reign</b> – monarch’s rule<br />
<b>rein</b> – strap for a horse; to curb or restrain - rein in<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span>review</span></b><span> – look over, go over<br />
<b>revue</b> – theatrical production<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><b>right</b> – correct; good; opposite of left<br /><b>rite</b> – a ceremonial practice ("rite of passage")</span>
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span>sail </span></b><span>– part of a boat<br />
<b>sale</b> – discounted prices<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><b>sight</b> – something you see<br /><b>site</b> – location, area<br /><b>cite</b> – to quote something</span>
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span>sole</span></b><span> – one; fish; bottom of foot or shoe<br />
<b>soul</b> – spirit, spiritual part of person<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><b>stair</b> – steps<br /><b>stare</b> – to look intently at</span>
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span>stake </span></b><span>– pointed piece of wood; prize; share<br />
<b>steak</b> – cut of meat<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span>stationary</span></b><span> – not moving<br />
<b>stationery</b> – writing materials<br />
<br />
<b>steal</b> – take without permission<br />
<b>steel</b> – metal<br />
<br />
<b>tail</b> – part of animal<br />
<b>tale</b> – story<br />
<br />
<b>than</b> – compared to<br />
<b>then</b> – what comes after<br />
<br />
<b>their</b> – belongs to them </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qJFi3G890xA/YKBWW2J-BRI/AAAAAAAACl4/vmDPmouqxl0agjk0XtSHz3H6FiwfzUiygCLcBGAsYHQ/s1000/their%252C%2Bthere%252C%2Bthey%2527re.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qJFi3G890xA/YKBWW2J-BRI/AAAAAAAACl4/vmDPmouqxl0agjk0XtSHz3H6FiwfzUiygCLcBGAsYHQ/w200-h200/their%252C%2Bthere%252C%2Bthey%2527re.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><b>there</b> – not here<br />
<b>they’re</b> – they are<o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span>threw</span></b><span> – tossed<br />
<b>through</b> – pass in and out<br />
<br />
<b>to</b> – where you’re going<br />
<b>too</b> – also; excessive<br />
<b>two</b> – 2</span></span></p><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>vain</b> – conceited; unsuccessful<br /><b>vane</b> – weather vane<br /><b>vein</b> – blood vessel; narrow channel; lode (minerals)</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span>
<b>wait</b> – don’t go yet<br />
<b>weight</b> – measure mass<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><b>wander</b> – to go aimlessly<br /><b>wonder</b> – to think about something (verb); awe (noun)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><b>wave</b> </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> hand motion, flutter</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><b>waive</b> </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> to forgo, relinquish (waive your rights)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>way</b> </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> manner, method</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>weigh</b> </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> to measure mass or importance</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><b>weak</b> </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> not strong</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><b>week</b> </span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;">–</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> seven days in a row</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span> <br /><b> weather</b> – atmospheric conditions – rain, snow, etc.<br /><b>whether</b> – choosing or comparing alternatives</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><span>
<b>were</b> – past tense of "are" - they were<br /></span><b>we’re</b> – we are </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fd1z7hFYXys/UZOFkNH5ziI/AAAAAAAAAyA/s0LpVQq46k0afK5yQzPQiwJ2f_FfX2T4QCPcBGAYYCw/s1589/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller_May%2B%252713.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1589" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fd1z7hFYXys/UZOFkNH5ziI/AAAAAAAAAyA/s0LpVQq46k0afK5yQzPQiwJ2f_FfX2T4QCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller_May%2B%252713.jpg" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><b>where</b> – a place</span><br /> </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span>wet</span></b><span> – not dry<br />
<b>whet</b> – excite, stimulate; sharpen<br />
<br />
<b>which</b> – which one?<br />
<b>witch</b> – woman who practices sorcery<br />
<br />
<b>whine</b> – complain<br />
<b>wine</b> – alcoholic beverage from grapes<br />
<br />
<b>who’s</b> – who is<br />
<b>whose</b> – belongs to whom<br />
<br />
<b>whoa</b> – stop, cease<br />
<b>woe</b> – sadness</span></span></p><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>wrapped</b> – covered, past tense of wrap<br /><b>rapt</b> – enthralled, captivated, engrossed in</span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><b>write</b> – create note, message, story with words<br />
<b>right</b> – correct; opposite of left<br />
<br />
<b>you’re</b> – you are<br />
<b>your</b> – belongs to you<o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Do you have any others you'd like me to add? Please mention them in the comments below.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">See also "<b><a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2014/11/just-right-word-is-only-click-away.html">Just the Right Word is Only a Click Away</a></b>".</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Have trouble remembering whether to hyphenate a word or not? Check out "<a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2021/03/is-that-one-word-two-words-or-hyphenated.html"><b>It's All About Those Hyphens!</b></a>"</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia;"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_BSjMRxb0XA/VGujyosVkRI/AAAAAAAABzg/GYXWv9mH4VkeJ9GRPabdiI3hnh7q_5xfQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Quick%2BClicks_Word%2BUsage.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1007" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_BSjMRxb0XA/VGujyosVkRI/AAAAAAAABzg/GYXWv9mH4VkeJ9GRPabdiI3hnh7q_5xfQCPcBGAYYCw/w253-h400/Quick%2BClicks_Word%2BUsage.jpg" width="253" /></a></span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">For many more words, in alphabetical order, with explanations and examples, check out Jodie's two handy, clickable, time-saving e-resources for writers, editors, students, and anyone else with writing projects: </span><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Words">Quick Clicks: WORD USAGE – Precise Word Choices at Your Fingertips</a></span></i><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"> </span></b></span><div><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">and </span><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling">Quick Clicks: SPELLING LIST – Commonly Misspelled Words at Your Fingertips</a></span></i><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">. </span></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-weight: bold;">With all kinds of internal links, they’re both super quick and easy to use!</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span>(They're designed to work on e-readers, tablets, laptops, and computers, but not phones.)</span></span></span></div><div><div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><span>Click <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Jodierennerediting"><span style="color: black; font-weight: normal; mso-color-alt: windowtext;">HERE</span></a> to choose a way to receive email alerts of new posts published on this blog.</span></span><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><b><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.75pt;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: left;">Jodie Renner is a former English (and French) teacher, a freelance
fiction editor and book coach, and the award-winning author of three writing guides in her
series </span><em style="color: #333333; text-align: left;">An Editor’s Guide to
Writing Compelling Fiction</em><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; text-align: left;">: </span><strong style="color: #333333; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1982d1; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction"><span style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;">FIRE UP YOUR
FICTION</span></a></span></strong><em style="color: #333333; text-align: left;"><b><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;">,</span></b></em><b style="color: #333333; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b><strong style="color: #333333; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1982d1; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers"><span style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;">CAPTIVATE YOUR
READERS</span></a></span></strong><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #373737;">, and </span><strong style="color: #373737;"><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1982d1; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller"><span style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</span></a></span></strong><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #373737;">, </span><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">as well as two clickable time-saving e-resources,</span><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;"> </span><strong style="color: #373737;"><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1982d1; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling"><span style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;">QUICK CLICKS:
Spelling List</span></a></span></strong><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #373737;"> and </span><strong><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #990000; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://quick%20clicks:%20Word%20Usage/">QUICK CLICKS: Word Usage</a></span></strong><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #373737; line-height: 115%;">. She has also organized
and edited two anthologies. Website: </span><strong style="color: #373737;"><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1982d1; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/">www.JodieRenner.com</a>, </span></strong><b style="color: #373737;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><strong><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1982d1; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">Facebook</span></strong></a></b><strong style="color: #373737;"><u><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1982d1; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">, </span></u></strong><b style="color: #373737;"><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner"><span style="color: #992211; font-weight: normal; text-decoration-line: none;">Amazon Author Page</span></a></span></b></span><strong style="color: #373737;"><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1982d1; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">.</span></strong></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #373737; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%;"><strong><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1982d1; font-family: georgia; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></strong></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #373737; line-height: 115%; text-align: left;"><span lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: georgia; line-height: 115%;"><strong><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" /></a></div><br /></strong></span></span></span></div></div></div><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/w136-h200/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" /></span></a></div>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-79601859171543933442021-04-02T10:54:00.007-07:002021-05-10T14:00:47.980-07:00A Single Word Can Change the Tone<p><em style="border: 0px; color: #373737; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></em></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em style="border: 0px; color: #373737; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1370" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/w171-h200/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" width="171" /></a></span></em></div><em style="border: 0px; color: #373737; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><i style="color: black; font-family: georgia;">by Jodie Renner, <a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/editing/">editor</a> & <a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner">author</a> </i> </span></em><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In your WIP, are you inadvertently tossing in a word here and there that jolts the readers out of your story or gives an incongruous impression?</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Once you’ve completed a first or second draft of your story (or your muse is taking a break), now’s the time to go back and reread each scene carefully. Does every word you’ve chosen contribute to creating the overall tone and mood you’re going for in that scene? Or are some of your word choices unintentionally detracting from the impression you want readers to take away?</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Is it possible you may have unconsciously inserted the odd “cheery” word into a tense scene in your story? Or a relaxed-sounding word in a scene where the character is stressed or in a hurry? Or maybe your teenager or blue-collar worker sounds too articulate? I’ve seen examples of these quite often in the fiction I’ve edited over the years.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">For example, the heroine and hero are running through the woods, pursued by bad guys intent on killing them. The debut author, thinking it’s a good idea to describe the setting, uses words like “leaves dancing in the light” and “birds chirping” and “babbling brook.” These light-hearted, cheerful words detract from the desperation she’s trying to convey as the young couple races frantically to escape their pursuers. In this situation, it would be better to use more ominous words, perhaps crows cawing, a wolf howling, water crashing over rapids, or thunder cracking.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: medium; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Read through each of your scenes and make sure every word you use to describe the setting, the people, and their actions, words, and thoughts contributes to create the impression you’re going for in that scene, rather than undermining your intentions.</span></p><div class="entry-content" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; margin: 0px auto; outline: 0px; padding: 1.625em 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 584.27px;"><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-29410" height="187" loading="lazy" src="https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.189.232/b68.446.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/writer-thinking2.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); clear: both; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0.4em auto 1.625em; max-width: calc(100% - 14px); padding: 6px; width: auto;" width="269" /><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">DESCRIBING YOUR SETTING:</span></strong></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Here’s an example, slightly disguised, from my editing. It’s supposed to be a tense, scary moment, but the author has, without thinking about the impact, inserted relaxed, even joyful imagery that counteracts and weakens the apprehensive mood he is trying to convey (my bolding)</span><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: arial; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">.</strong></span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">He locked the door behind him, his harried mind ricocheting between frightened alertness and sheer fatigue. He took a furtive glance out the window. No one there, so far. Despite the cold,</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: arial; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a warming shaft of morning sunlight</strong><span style="font-family: arial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> filtered through the stained curtain, and </span><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: arial; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">languid dust particles slow-danced in its beam</strong></span><strong style="border: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: large; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">.</strong></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">What had he gotten himself into? They would certainly be on to him now—it was only a matter of time before they found him. He looked out again through the thin curtain. <strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sunbeams</strong> were filtering through the branches of an old tree outside the window, the shriveled shapes of the <strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">leaves</strong> <strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">dancing in the breeze</strong>, <strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">playing gleefully with the light</strong>. He swore he saw movement on the ground outside—a figure.</span></span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Some of the wording in the two paragraphs above is excellent, like “his harried mind ricocheting between frightened alertness and sheer fatigue” and the phrases “furtive glance,” “stained curtain” and “shriveled shapes of the leaves.” But the boldfaced words and phrases, <em style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">warming, languid, slow-danced, sunbeams, dancing in the breeze,</em> and<em style="border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> playing gleefully with the light</em> weaken the imagery and tone because they’re too happy and carefree for the intended ominous mood. Perhaps the writer, caught up in describing the view outside in a literary, “writerly” way, momentarily forgot he was going for frightened. <strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </strong></span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Check to be sure every detail of your imagery enhances the overall mood and tone of the situation.</span></strong></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Here’s another example where the description of the setting detracts from the power of the scene and doesn’t match how the character would or should be feeling at that moment.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #373737;">The protagonist has just had a shock at the end of the last
chapter, where </span><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #373737; padding: 0in;">she’s discovered her colleague murdered</span></b><span style="color: #373737;">. This
is the beginning of the next chapter, a jump of a few days.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #373737;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: navy; font-family: arial;">Mary gazed at the </span><b style="color: navy; font-family: arial;">brightening horizon</b><span style="color: navy; font-family: arial;">, immersing
herself in the </span><b style="color: navy; font-family: arial;">beauty of the rising sun</b><span style="color: navy; font-family: arial;">. She watched as the dawn’s
rays danced across the waves. Mary </span><b style="color: navy; font-family: arial;">adored this time of day</b><span style="color: navy; font-family: arial;"> when
the hustle and bustle had not yet started, and she could </span><b style="color: navy; font-family: arial;">enjoy watching
the waves wash in and listening to the seagulls overhead</b><span style="color: navy; font-family: arial;">. It was one of the
many reasons </span><b style="color: navy; font-family: arial;">she loved this area so much</b><span style="color: navy; font-family: arial;">.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #373737;"> </span></span><span style="color: navy; font-family: arial;">Since the murder of Teresa three days ago, Mary had been in a
state of turmoil. Teresa’s death had changed everything. Gruesome images
continually flickered through her mind like an unending motion picture. She
could think of nothing else and was racked by guilt.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #373737;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span><span style="color: #373737; font-family: arial;">To me, the two paragraphs seem contradictory in mood. If she’s
racked by guilt and can think of nothing else, how can she enjoy the sunrise so
much?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #373737; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Be sure to choose words that fit the mood you’re trying to convey.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #373737;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></span><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #993300; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">THOUGHTS, IMPRESSIONS, & IMAGERY:</span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #373737;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Here’s another example of a tense, life-threatening scene whose power and tension have been inadvertently eroded by almost comical imagery.</span></span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>...</b></span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b>To read the rest of this blog post by Jodie Renner, published over at The Kill Zone Blog, click <a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2021/03/a-single-word-changes-the-tone.html">HERE</a></b><span style="font-weight: inherit;">.</span></span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium; font-style: inherit;"><span lang="EN"><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium; font-style: inherit;"><span lang="EN"><br /></span></span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: medium; font-style: inherit;"><span lang="EN">Jodie Renner is a freelance fiction editor and the
award-winning author of three craft-of-writing guides in her series <em><b>An
Editor’s Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction</b></em><b>: </b></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Your-Fiction-Editors-Compelling-ebook/dp/B009BWWOR0/"><strong><i><span lang="EN">FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</span></i></strong></a><em><span lang="EN">,</span></em><span lang="EN"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Captivate-Your-Readers-Editors-Compelling-ebook/dp/B00S4FG9KI/"><strong><i><span lang="EN">CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS</span></i></strong></a><span lang="EN">, and </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Killer-Thriller-Compelling-ebook/dp/B00DANRNLS/"><strong><i><span lang="EN">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</span></i></strong></a><span lang="EN">, as well as two clickable time-saving e-resources, </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Clicks-Spelling-Misspelled-Fingertips-ebook/dp/B00O4UE87S/"><strong><i><span lang="EN">QUICK CLICKS: Spelling List</span></i></strong></a><span lang="EN"> and </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Clicks-Usage-Writers-Editors-ebook/dp/B00OS53ESI/"><strong><i><span lang="EN">QUICK CLICKS: Word Usage</span></i></strong></a><span lang="EN">. She has also organized two anthologies for charity: </span><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Voices-Valleys-Stories-Poems-Interior/dp/0993700438/"><b><i><span lang="EN">VOICES FROM THE VALLEYS – Stories and Poems about Life in BC’s Interior</span></i></b></a><span lang="EN">, and </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Childhood-Regained-Stories-Asian-Workers/dp/0993700446/"><b><i><span lang="EN">CHILDHOOD REGAINED – Stories of Hope for Asian Child Workers</span></i></b></a><span lang="EN">. </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">You can find Jodie on her </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jodie-Renner/e/B008H80AIE/"><b>Amazon Author Page</b></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">, at </span><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><strong><span style="text-decoration-line: none;">www.JodieRenner.com</span></strong></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">, and on </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><strong><span style="text-decoration-line: none;">Facebook</span></strong></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">.</span></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-style: inherit;"> </span></p></span></span><p></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-weight: inherit;"></span></span></p></div>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-56736506081277722562021-03-30T19:52:00.094-07:002021-05-10T14:01:38.099-07:00IT'S ALL ABOUT THOSE HYPHENS!<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">by Jodie Renner, <a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/editing/">editor</a> & <a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner">author</a> </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Is it </b><span>“</span><b>knockout</b><span>”</span><b> or </b><span>“</span><b>knock-out</b><span>”</span><b> or </b><span>“</span><b>knock out</b><span>”</span><b>? </b><span>“</span><b>lockdown</b><span>”</span><b> or </b><span>“</span><b>lock-down</b><span>”</span><b> or </b><span>“</span><b>lock down</b><span>”</span><b>?</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PgZEcWMY_R8/YGPpQ6wrVvI/AAAAAAAACkM/jTWtfKR_BwwmzsZ7MdXfZIXoNOkmtNEqQCLcBGAsYHQ/s225/thinking%252C%2Bfree2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PgZEcWMY_R8/YGPpQ6wrVvI/AAAAAAAACkM/jTWtfKR_BwwmzsZ7MdXfZIXoNOkmtNEqQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/thinking%252C%2Bfree2.png" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>makeup, make up, or make-up? </b></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">lineup or line-up or line up? </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>workout or work out or work-out? </span><span>set up or set-up or setup?</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">(Hint: Most of the above can be correct, depending on whether it's used as a noun, adjective, or verb. And yes, there is a pattern.)</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Is it <b>an off duty officer </b>or<b> an off-duty officer? well laid plans </b>or <b>well-laid plans?</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><b>over-compensate </b>or<b> overcompensate? under-staffed </b>or<b> understaffed? semi-circle or semicircle? para-legal </b>or<b> paralegal?</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">As a fiction editor, I advise on everything from plot, characterization, viewpoint, dialogue, voice, style, pacing, flow, and more, down to final proofreading for spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Today I’m wearing my “Grammar Geek” hat
to talk about <b>how to use hyphens correctly in various situations, to make your intention and meaning clear</b>. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">No matter what kind of writing you're doing, you don't want your readers to stop and wonder what you meant, exactly. That can cause confusion and subliminal (or not so subliminal) irritation and could lose you respect as a writer. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">*Note that these are North American norms – British guidelines can vary.</span><div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: inherit, serif; padding: 0in;">~ Is it one word, two words, or hyphenated?</span></b> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium;">Even very good spellers often forget whether a term is one word, two words, or hyphenated, so here are a few handy guidelines.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">According to the <i><b>Chicago Manual of Style</b></i>
(that and <i><b>Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary</b></i> are considered the go-to
resources for North American copyeditors and proofreaders), </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">“Far and away the most common
spelling questions for writers and editors concern compound terms—whether to
spell as two words, hyphenate, or close up as a single word.”</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">When we’re busy writing, it’s easy to
forget, for even the easiest words, whether it’s one word, two words, or
hyphenated. <b>Often, each of those forms can be correct, depending on the part of speech and intent.</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">For example, y</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium;">ou <b>back up</b> your files or <b>back up</b> to avoid walking into someone (an action, so verb). But it’s a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: large;">“</span><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-size: medium;">back-up</span></b><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium;"><span>plan</span><span>”</span><span> (adjective) and “My partner provided me with </span><b>backup</b><span>.” (noun)</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">Similarly, </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>“</span><span>castoff</span><span>”</span><span>(one word) is a noun – “That shirt is </span><b>a
castoff</b><span> from my brother.”; </span><span>“</span><span>cast-off</span><span>” </span><span>is an adjective – “She wore </span><b>cast-off</b><span> clothes.”; and </span><span>“</span><span>cast off</span><span>” </span><span>is a verb – “He </span><b>cast off</b><span> the boat and we headed downriver.”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">Many others follow the same pattern:
<b>cooldown </b>(noun) – “We did a 10-minute cooldown,” <b>cool-down </b>(adj) – “Here are
some cool-down exercises,” and<b> cool down </b>(verb) – “Time to cool down.”</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">And it’s “<b>lookout</b>” (one word) for the noun (thing) –“Let’s head to the <b>lookout,</b>” and the adjective – a <b>lookout</b> tower, but “<b>look out</b>” (two words) for the verb (action) – “<b>Look out</b> for snakes.”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">And two slightly silly but correct examples:</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">The guy who <b>cut off</b> the other car at the <b>cutoff</b>
was wearing <b>cut-off</b> shorts.</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">And finally, <b>takeout</b> (noun), <b>take-out</b>
(adj.), and <b>take out</b> (v). “Let’s go to the
corner <b>takeout</b> and <b>take out</b> some <b>take-out</b> food.”</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">So one word for the noun (person, place, or thing); two words for the verb (action):</span> </b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><b>a</b> <b>workout</b> (noun or adjective), <b>to work out</b> (verb) </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><b>a setup</b> (noun), <b>to set up</b> (verb) </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><b>a hangout</b> (noun or adjective), <b>to hang out</b> (verb) </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><b>a lockdown</b> (noun) <b>to lock down</b> (verb)</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><b>See a pattern here? Very often, </b></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">- <span style="color: #2b00fe;">the noun form is one word, no
hyphen</span></span></b><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">: <b>setup, login, makeup, hangout, workout, backup</b>. Let's go to the usual <b>hangout</b>. I had a good <b>workout</b>. His partner provided <b>backup</b>.</span><b><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"> - <span style="color: #2b00fe;">the verb form is two words</span></span></b><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">: <b>set up, log in, make up, hang out, work out, back up</b>. Want to <b>hang out</b> after class? Let’s <b>work out</b> this problem. I need to <b>back up</b> my files.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: medium;">- and <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>the</b> <b>adjective form</b></span> is often hyphenated: <b>hard-core</b> poverty, a <b>hands-off</b> policy (see compound modifiers below).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> or can be one word, like the noun: </span><b>backup</b><span> plans, </span><b>workout</b><span> clothes.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">(Although English being English, of
course there are always exceptions, like <b>break-in</b> for the noun; but still <b>break in</b> for the verb.)</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">So <b>these are all</b> <b>no-nos (incorrect)</b>:</span> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">X "<b>I need to logon, then logoff</b>." Should be "<b>log on</b>" and "<b>log off</b>," as they're actions.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">X "<b>Let's setup the chairs</b>." Should be "<b>set up</b>." </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">X "<b>Please makeup the bed</b>." Should be "<b>make up</b>."</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><b>All are actions (verbs), so need to be two words</b>. Just remember to separate off the <i>up, down, out, on</i>, etc. as its own word when it's an action.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_BSjMRxb0XA/VGujyosVkRI/AAAAAAAABzg/GYXWv9mH4VkeJ9GRPabdiI3hnh7q_5xfQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Quick%2BClicks_Word%2BUsage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1007" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_BSjMRxb0XA/VGujyosVkRI/AAAAAAAABzg/GYXWv9mH4VkeJ9GRPabdiI3hnh7q_5xfQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Quick%2BClicks_Word%2BUsage.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: large; padding: 0in;">OTHER HYPHEN CONUNDRUMS:</span></b><b style="font-size: large;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: inherit, serif; padding: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: inherit, serif; padding: 0in;">(To avoid being overwhelmed by various examples of correct use of hyphens, maybe save the following ones for a later read. In fact, I
recommend bookmarking this post for future reference.)</span><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: inherit, serif; padding: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: inherit, serif; padding: 0in;">~ Hyphenate compound modifiers before a noun.</span></b><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>A general guideline is to hyphenate two
or more modifiers before a noun (so an adjectival phrase), especially if to
leave as two words could cause confusion; but to leave as two separate words
when they come </span><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">after</span></i><span> the noun or verb (often
functioning as an adverb).</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">For example, “He’s <b>a high-profile actor</b>”
but “He maintains <b>a high profile</b>.”</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">“It’s <b>a middle-class neighborhood</b>,” but
“The neighborhood is <b>middle class</b>.”</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">“He asked <b>an open-ended question</b>,” but
“The question was <b>open ended</b>.”</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">“It was <b>a hands-down win</b>,” but “They won
<b>hands down</b>.”</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">“It was <b>a computer-literate group</b>,” but
“The group was <b>computer literate</b>.”</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">“The school has <b>a hands-off policy</b>,” but
“Keep your <b>hands off</b>.”</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">“They had a <b>hand-to-mouth existence</b>,” but
“They lived <b>hand to mouth</b>.”</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">“The witness was <b>an off-duty police
officer</b>,” but “He was <b>off duty</b> at the time.”</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">“I bought <b>a flat-screen TV</b>,” but “The TV
has <b>a flat screen</b>.”</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">“My <b>to-do list</b>,” but “My list of things<b>
to do</b>.”</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">"a <b>black-and-white print</b>" but "the truth isn't always <b>black and white</b>."</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">(Above is an example from the Chicago Manual of Style, which says no hyphens with other color combinations, eg. "a blue and yellow dress" or "a red and white flag."</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">“We strolled past <b>side-by-side boutiques</b>
on the street,” but “Two clothing boutiques stood <b>side by side</b> on that street.”</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: inherit, serif; padding: 0in;">~ But don’t hyphenate after –ly adverbs:</span></b> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Since the <i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">ly</span></i> ending with adverbs signals to the reader that the next word will be another modifier, not a noun. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For example, <b>a sharply worded reprimand</b>, <b>a smartly dressed woman</b>, a <b>hastily written email</b>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X7nFdozwRgQ/VGujbk9eXqI/AAAAAAAABzU/tbMXD7pk4V8Ihlr9_1TuuSUTezkYP9bXgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Quick%2BClicks_Spelling%2BList.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1007" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X7nFdozwRgQ/VGujbk9eXqI/AAAAAAAABzU/tbMXD7pk4V8Ihlr9_1TuuSUTezkYP9bXgCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Quick%2BClicks_Spelling%2BList.jpg" /></a></div><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: inherit, serif; padding: 0in;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-size: large; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><b style="font-size: large;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: inherit, serif; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></b></p><span style="font-size: large;">~ Hyphenate to avoid confusion.</span></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">To avoid confusion or ambiguity, it’s
often best to hyphenate.</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">For example, there’s a big difference in
meaning between <b>a small animal hospita</b>l (an animal hospital that’s small) and <b>a
small-animal hospital</b> (a hospital for small animals). </span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">Same with a </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>“</span><span><b>small business owner</b></span><span>”</span><span> (not a large person ) and a </span><span>“</span><span><b>small-business owner</b>.</span><span>”</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">And the hyphen in “<b>three-ring binders</b>”
tells us that three is the number of rings, not the number of binders, as might
be assumed with “<b>three ring binders</b>.” </span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">Similarly, the hyphen in “<b>much-needed
advice</b>” connects the much with the needed, so we know the advice is greatly needed,
not that there’s a lot of needed advice. </span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">And the hyphen in “<b>fast decision-making</b>”
shows us that decisions must be made soon, not that they’re quick decisions.</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: large; padding: 0in;">~ Hyphenate where numbers are involved.</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">Chicago Manual of Style says to also
hyphenate adjective-noun modifiers, especially where the adjective is a number:</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">For example, a <b>twelve-step program</b>, a
<b>five-year-old child</b>, (but "the child is five years old"-- no hyphen) a <b>five-dollar bill</b>, a <b>ten-mile hike</b>, a <b>six-foot-tall man</b>,
a <b>ten-pound fish, a sixty-foot-long boat</b>.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">Notice how when hyphenated before a noun,
the plural is dropped: for example, a woman is five feet tall, but she’s a
five-foot-tall woman. Pregnancy lasts nine months but it’s a nine-month
pregnancy.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: large; padding: 0in;">~ Sometimes a phrase needs multiple hyphens for clarity.</span></b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><b>Hyphenate when two or more words form
a compound set of modifiers to describe a noun -- but NOT when the modifiers come AFTER the noun: </b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">He spoke in a <b>matter-of-fact manner</b>. But, "Yes, <b>as a matter of fact</b>, it is."</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">It’s an <b>edge-of-your-seat suspense. </b>This thriller will keep you on the <b>edge of your seat.</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">That's an<b> over-the-counter drug, </b>but <b>That drug is sold over the counter.</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">They had a<b> back-and-forth conversation, </b>but <b>They spoke back and forth like that.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">Other examples: <b>high-school-age children</b> (to avoid
confusion with “<b>high school-age children</b>” (not a good thing!), a <b>winner-take-all contest</b>, a
<b>one-on-one game</b>.</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You might also see/need two hyphenated words that apply to a single word: He was given the <b>pre- and post-operation instructions</b>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4Zfn6yLMHGk/YHNU58OhQbI/AAAAAAAACkg/LTj-Lnoimfwegh1-ysabSff4Tcg_LCIHQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="190" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4Zfn6yLMHGk/YHNU58OhQbI/AAAAAAAACkg/LTj-Lnoimfwegh1-ysabSff4Tcg_LCIHQCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><b style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: inherit, serif; padding: 0in;">~ Hyphen between the prefix and the root word?</span></b><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">And what about all those words with prefixes like re, un, de, pre, bi, mid, over, under, semi, sub, etc.? Is it </span><b style="background-color: white;">re-read</b><span style="background-color: white;"> or </span><b style="background-color: white;">reread</b><span style="background-color: white;">? </span></span></span> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>over-conscientiou</b>s or <b>overconscientious</b>? <b>extramarital</b> or <b>extra-marital</b>? <b>under-employed or underemployed</b>? <b>semicircle or semi-circle</b>? <b>sub-category or subcategory</b>?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><i><b>Merriam-Webster</b></i> and <i><b>Chicago Manual of Style</b></i> both favor (favour) <b>not</b> hyphenating after a prefix, so according to these two recognized authorities, <b>none of the above should be spelled with the hyphen</b>. These also are <b>correc</b>t, no hyphen: <b>overcompensate, understaffed</b>. But British (and Canadian) dictionaries seem to hyphenate them more often.</span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">However, for some reason, <i>Merriam-Webster</i> puts a hyphen after the prefixes <i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">self</span></i> and <i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">well</span></i>, as in <b>self-defense, self-discipline, well-mannered, well-endowed</b>, etc.</span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And sometimes you need the hyphen to clarify meaning. For example, you <b>recover</b> a lost wallet, but you <b>re-cover</b> a sofa. Similarly with <b>re-creation</b> of the scene of a crime, to avoid confusion with <b>recreation</b> as leisure-time activities.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: inherit, serif; font-size: large; padding: 0in;">~ The trend toward closed compounds (one word,
no hyphen):</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;">Common usage has a tendency to simplify
terms. “Web site” gradually became “website”; “e-mail” is increasingly “email”;
“on line” changed to “on-line” to “online.” </span><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 19.5pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/w136-h200/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" width="136" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span>If you're not totally overwhelmed by all these rules, or for another time, if you'd like some help with dashes (em and en) and ellipses, see my blog post, </span><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><b><a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2013/09/how-and-when-to-use-hyphens-dashes.html">How and When to Use Hyphens, Dashes, and Ellipses</a></b></span><span>.</span><span> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span>Also, see "<a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2021/04/those-dang-homonyms-commonly-misspelled.html"><b>Those Dang Homonyms! Commonly Misspelled Words</b></a>"</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">*Check out my two handy, clickable, time-saving e-resources for writers, editors, students, and anyone else with writing projects: </span><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Words">Quick Clicks: WORD USAGE – Precise Word Choices at Your Fingertips</a></span></i><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> and </span><i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling">Quick Clicks: SPELLING LIST – Commonly Misspelled Words at Your Fingertips</a></span></i><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">. With all kinds of internal links, they’re both super quick and easy to use!</span><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> (They're designed to work on e-readers, tablets, laptops, and computers, but not phones.)</span></b> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Click <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Jodierennerediting"><span style="color: black;">HERE</span></a>
for options to receive email alerts of new posts published on this blog. </span></span></b><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit, serif;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1370" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/w171-h200/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" width="171" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlvRTQsLbP4/UlQqIPZ3OYI/AAAAAAAABCA/XaKhNYL8akgTwXYu9Qmxbkpg5JOXjQeOgCPcBGAYYCw/s1430/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller%252C%2BTravis%2BMiles.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; font-size: large; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1430" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlvRTQsLbP4/UlQqIPZ3OYI/AAAAAAAABCA/XaKhNYL8akgTwXYu9Qmxbkpg5JOXjQeOgCPcBGAYYCw/w126-h200/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller%252C%2BTravis%2BMiles.jpg" width="126" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Jodie Renner is a freelance
fiction editor and the award-winning author of three craft-of-writing guides in
her series <em><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">An Editor’s
Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction</span></b></em><b>: </b></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/8271135308721950021"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #992211; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b>WRITING A KILLER</b> <b>THRILLER</b></span></a><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">, </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/8271135308721950021"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #992211; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</span></a></b><em><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">,</span></em><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> and </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/8271135308721950021"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-font-weight: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b>CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS</b></span></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">, as well as two clickable
time-saving e-resources, </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/8271135308721950021"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">QUICK CLICKS: Spelling
List</span></b></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> and </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/8271135308721950021"><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">QUICKCLICKS: Word Usage</span></b></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">. She has also
organized two anthologies for charity: </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/8271135308721950021"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-font-weight: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">VOICES FROM THE VALLEYS – Stories and Poems about
Life in BC’s Interior</span></i></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">, and </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/8271135308721950021"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #992211; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-font-weight: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">CHILDHOOD REGAINED – Stories of Hope for Asian
Child Workers</span></i></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">. </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">You can find Jodie on
her </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/8271135308721950021"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #992211; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><b>Amazon Author Page</b></span></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">, at </span><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com"><strong><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #990000; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">www.JodieRenner.com</span></strong></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">, and on </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/8271135308721950021"><strong><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #990000; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Facebook</span></strong></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">.</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></p><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;"></span></b></span></div></div></div>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-27912031530623389202021-03-20T10:21:00.011-07:002021-05-10T14:02:08.729-07:00People in Motion – Vary Those Verbs!<p><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">by Jodie Renner, <a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/editing/">editor</a> & <a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner">author</a> </i><i><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/w136-h200/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" width="136" /></a></span></i></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span>(Excerpted from <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Your-Fiction-Editors-Compelling-ebook/dp/B009BWWOR0/">Fire up Your Fiction - An Editor's Guide to Writing Compelling Stories</a></i>, by Jodie Renner)</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">Want to write a bestselling novel? To bring your characters and scenes to life in a way that
readers can relate to, it’s critical to choose just the right nuance of meaning
to fit the character, action and situation. Say you’ve got a character walking.
How are they moving? There’s a huge difference between <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b>strolling</b></span> and <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b>striding</b></span>
and <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b>shuffling</b></span> and <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b>sauntering</b></span> and <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b>slinking</b></span> and <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b>strutting</b></span>
and <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b>sashaying</b></span> and <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b>slogging</b></span>, for example. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">Find Vivid Verbs<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">Verbs are especially important, as there are so many
variations in the way someone can move or speak or eat or whatever, depending
on their personality, mood, age, gender, size, background, health, fitness
level, and of course the circumstances. So it’s worth the effort to find just the
right verb that nails the action and makes sense in the context of the scene. A
verb that doesn’t quite fit can be jarring and turn a reader off, whereas
finding a stronger, more specific verb can really enhance the mood and strengthen
a scene, resulting in greater reader involvement and enjoyment.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a name="People_Motion"></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">People in Motion<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">For example, check out how many ways you can say
“walked” or “moved.” (Hint – look up the present tense – “walk” or “move.”) You
can use the handy thesaurus in Word (under the Review tab) or another online
thesaurus, or go all out and buy the best print one out there – the huge J.I. Rodale’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Synonym Finder</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">For the verb “walked” for example, Rodale gives us a
long list of great synonyms to help us capture just the right situation and
tone. He just lists them, but here I’ve roughly categorized some of them to
suit various situations, and changed them to past tense, to suit most novels
and short stories. <a name="Words_Walked"></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><span lang="EN-CA">~ WORDS FOR
“WALKED”</span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Situations</span></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">:</span></i><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Drunk, drugged,
wounded, ill:</span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> lurched, staggered, wobbled,
shuffled, shambled<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Urgent,
purposeful, concerned, stressed:</span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> strode, paced,
treaded, moved, advanced, proceeded, marched, stepped<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Relaxed,
wandering:</span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> strolled, sauntered, ambled, wandered,
roamed, roved, meandered, rambled, traipsed<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA"></span></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fd1z7hFYXys/UZOFkNH5ziI/AAAAAAAAAyA/s0LpVQq46k0afK5yQzPQiwJ2f_FfX2T4QCPcBGAYYCw/s1589/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller_May%2B%252713.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1589" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fd1z7hFYXys/UZOFkNH5ziI/AAAAAAAAAyA/s0LpVQq46k0afK5yQzPQiwJ2f_FfX2T4QCPcBGAYYCw/w126-h200/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller_May%2B%252713.jpg" width="126" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />Tired: </b><span lang="EN-CA">trudged, plodded, slogged, clopped, shuffled, tramped<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Rough terrain,
hiking:</span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> marched, trooped, tramped, hiked, traversed<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Sneaking,
stealth:</span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> sidled, slinked, minced, tiptoed, tread
softly<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Showing off:</span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> strutted, paraded, sashayed<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Other walking
situations:</span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> waddled, galumphed (moved with a
clumsy, heavy tread), shambled, wended, tiptoed<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">So in general, it’s best to avoid plain vanilla verbs
like “walked” or “went” if you can find a more specific word to evoke just the
kind of movement you’re trying to describe. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">~ But don’t grab
that synonym too quickly! Watch out for show-offy or silly words. <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">After you’ve found a list of interesting synonyms,
choose carefully which one to use for the situation, as well as the overall
tone of your book. For example, for “walk,” don’t go to extremes by choosing
little-known, pretentious words like “ambulate” or “perambulate” or
“peregrinate” (!), or overly colloquial, slang, or regional expressions like
“go by shank’s mare” or “hoof it.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">~ And beware of
words that just don’t fit that situation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">Also, some synonyms are too specific for general use, so
they can be jarring if used in the wrong situations. I had two author clients
who seemed to like to use “shuffled” for ordinary, healthy people walking
around. To me, “shuffled” conjures up images of a patient moving down the
hallway of a hospital, pushing their IV, or an old person moving around their
kitchen in their slippers. Don’t have your cop or PI or CEO shuffling! Unless
they’re sick or exhausted – or half-asleep. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">Similarly, I had a client years ago who was writing
about wartime, and where he meant to have soldiers and officers “striding”
across a room or grounds or battlefield, he had them “strutting.” To me, you
wouldn’t say “he strutted” unless it was someone full of himself or showing off.
It’s definitely not an alternate word for “walked with purpose” as is “he
strode.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">Also, be careful of having someone “march” into a room,
unless they’re in the military or really fuming or determined. “Strode”
captures that idea of a purposeful or determined walk better. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here’s another example of a verb that doesn’t fit the
situation:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .3in; margin-right: .3in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.3in 8pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0.2in;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joe stood up, shocked and numb, after his
boss delivered the tragic news about the death of his friend. He dreaded his
visit to Paul’s widow. He <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sauntered</i>
back to his office, his mind spinning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">“Sauntered” is way too relaxed and casual a word for the
situation. The guy’s just been told his friend is dead. Maybe “found his way”
or “stumbled” back to his office.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">So after you’ve found a few possible words in the
thesaurus, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to check the exact meaning in your
dictionary. For that, I recommend Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. I use Merriam-Webster online for quick reference</span></span><span style="font-size: large;">.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a name="Replacements_Run"></a><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><span lang="EN-CA">~ REPLACEMENTS
FOR “RUN”</span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">I found a list of synonyms for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">run</i>, just listed in alphabetical order, then reordered them here to
fit specific circumstances:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">Situations:<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Fun, play:</span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> amble, skip, scamper, scoot<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Start off
running:</span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> take off, bolt, make a break, light out,
make off, dash, tear out, make tracks, split <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Tense,
frightened, being chased:</span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> barrel, dart, escape,
flee, dash, hurry, race, rush, hasten, hustle, speed, sprint, scramble, scurry,
tear<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/w136-h200/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" width="136" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Athletic
training, exercise:</span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> jog, pace, race, dash, sprint,
travel <br /><o:p></o:p></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">In a hurry:</span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> hasten, bustle, hurry, hustle, rush, dash, hasten, scurry<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Animals:</span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> scamper, trot, scurry, take flight, travel<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Colloquial,
humorous:</span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> hotfoot it, skedaddle, make tracks,
scoot, take off, tear out<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">And serendipitously, I was just reading Robert Crais’s
thriller, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Last Detective</i>, and
discovered another great list of synonyms for “run.” The anonymous narrator is
describing a recurring dream: <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .3in; margin-right: .3in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.3in 8pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">“I am desperate to escape this place. I want to beat feet, boogie,
truck, book, haul ass, motor, shred, jet, jam, split, cut out, blow, roll,
abandon, get away, get gone, scram, RUN…”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">But proceed with
caution.</span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> Again, once you have the list, choose your
word carefully. Obviously, if you’ve got someone running for their life, you
wouldn’t use such light-hearted synonyms as “scamper” or “scoot” or “skip” or
“trot” or “amble.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">And it’s also important to consider the overall voice of
the scene and the inner thoughts of the viewpoint character. Are they the kind
of person who would use “skedaddle” or “hotfoot it” in their personal
vocabulary?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a name="Looking"></a><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p> </o:p></span><b><span lang="EN-CA">~ DIFFERENT WAYS
OF LOOKING</span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">Try looking up the verb “look” in a good thesaurus. Here
are some of the synonyms J.I. Rodale lists: <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">see, visualize, behold, notice, take in, regard,
observe, study, inspect, examine, contemplate, eye, check out, scrutinize,
review, monitor, scan, view, survey, scout, sweep, watch, observe, witness,
gaze, peer, glance, glimpse, ogle, leer, stare, goggle, gape, gawk, squint,
take a gander, spy, peek, peep, steal a glance at, glare, glower, look down at,
look daggers… (and the list goes on). <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">Again, choose carefully.<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">Some of these, and others he lists, are just too
specific or archaic for general use in fiction, so proceed with caution. For
example, don’t use “behold” for “look” in your present-day thriller or mystery!
And “reconnoiter” works for military situations, but not for everyday use.
Also, watch for eyes doing weird physical things, like “his eyes bounced around
the room.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">Also, there are a lot of nuances for showing a character
looking at someone or something. The verbs “glare,” “glance,” “scan,” “peer,”
“study,” and “gaze” have quite different meanings, for example.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA">Before:</span></i><span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .3in; margin-right: .3in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.3in 8pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0.2in;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">Brock <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">glared</b>
at the intruder with the gun, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">eyes wide
with fear</b>. He shifted his stare to Gord, mouthing, “Help.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">“Glared” doesn’t go with “eyes wide with fear.” Glared
is for anger. Maybe “stared” here? And “shifted his gaze”? Or maybe: <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .3in; margin-right: .3in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.3in 8pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0.2in;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">Brock’s eyes widened with fear at the
intruder with the gun. He shifted his gaze to Gord, mouthing, “Help.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">Similarly,<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; margin-bottom: 8.0pt; margin-left: .3in; margin-right: .3in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0.3in 8pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0.2in;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">At the funeral, the widow caught Peter’s
glance and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">squinted her eyes in
accusation</b>. She no doubt held him responsible for her husband’s death. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;">“Squinted” is like against the bright sun. I’d say
“narrowed her eyes” or “glared at him.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For more, check out my posts "<a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2021/03/a-single-word-changes-the-tone.html"><b>A Single Word Can Change the Tone</b></a>" and "<a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2016/09/its-all-in-verbs.html"><b>It's All in the Verbs</b></a>" on the Kill Zone Blog.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Click </span></b><span style="background: white; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Jodierennerediting"><b><span style="color: black;">HERE</span></b></a><b> for options to receive email
alerts of new posts published on this blog.</b></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="EN-CA"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.75pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1370" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/w171-h200/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" width="171" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Jodie
Renner is a freelance fiction editor and the award-winning author of three
craft-of-writing guides in her series </span><em><b>An Editor’s Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction</b></em><b>: <a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</a>, <a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction">FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</a></b><em><span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%;">,</span></em><span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%;"> and <b><a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers">CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS</a></b>, as well as two clickable
time-saving e-resources, <b><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling">QUICK CLICKS: Spelling List</a></b> and <b><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Words">QUICKCLICKS: Word Usage</a></b>. She has also organized two anthologies for
charity: </span><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Voices-Valleys-Stories-Poems-Interior/dp/0993700438/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%;">VOICES FROM THE
VALLEYS – Stories and Poems about Life in BC’s Interior</span></i></a><span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%;">, and </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Childhood-Regained-Stories-Asian-Workers/dp/0993700446/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%;">CHILDHOOD REGAINED –
Stories of Hope for Asian Child Workers</span></i></a><span lang="EN" style="line-height: 115%;">. </span><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">You can
find Jodie on her </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jodie-Renner/e/B008H80AIE/"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Amazon Author Page</span></a><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">, at </span><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><strong><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">www.JodieRenner.com</span></strong></a><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">, and on </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><strong><span style="color: blue; line-height: 115%; text-decoration-line: none;">Facebook</span></strong></a><span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;">.</span></span> </p><p></p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><p></p>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-82711353087219500212021-03-07T10:39:00.019-08:002021-07-25T21:03:30.742-07:00REVISE FOR SUCCESS – Concrete Tips for Revising and Editing Your Fiction<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-6780977327122625456" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 528.065px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IY8_y9DMy-w/VJ4i6SmdiZI/AAAAAAAAB_A/QkesLS4sOmc/s1600/Jodie_June%2B26%252C%2B%252714_7371_low%2Bres_square.jpg" style="clear: right; color: #992211; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IY8_y9DMy-w/VJ4i6SmdiZI/AAAAAAAAB_A/QkesLS4sOmc/s200/Jodie_June%2B26%252C%2B%252714_7371_low%2Bres_square.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="185" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>by Jodie Renner, <a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/editing/">editor</a> & <a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner">author</a> </i><br /><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">After you’ve finished the first draft of your popular fiction novel or short story – or even if you’re only a third or halfway into it but have some nagging doubts about the viability of various aspects of the story – take a short break. Put your manuscript aside for a week or three and concentrate on other things. Then come back to it with a bit of distance, as a reader.<br /></span><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="color: #333333;">Here's a <b>step-by-step guide</b> to looking for any possible weaknesses in your premise, plot, characterization, and writing style. </span><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">This is a pretty detailed list, so my suggestion is to copy and paste it and save it in a doc (the links will still work) in a file called "Writing Advice," then just tackle the tips one step at a time, over days and weeks, maybe even months. </span></i><i><span style="color: #cc0000;">Click on the links after each point for more in-depth suggestions on that topic.</span></i><br /><br /></span></span><h3 style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; position: relative;"></h3><h3 style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; position: relative;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">STEP 1: LOOK FOR ANY BIG-PICTURE ISSUES. </span></h3><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><strong>~ PREMISE</strong>: Is it intriguing and solid? Will the foundation of your story stand up to scrutiny? Does your main character face significant challenges that he/she must overcome?<br /><br /><strong>~ CHARACTERIZATION:</strong> Is your <b>protagonist</b> charismatic, multi-dimensional, conflicted, and at least somewhat sympathetic and likeable? Does he/she change as a result of what he/she goes through in the course of the story? (character arc)<br /><br />Click to read: <strong><a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2015/08/create-complex-charismatic-main.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;">Create a Complex, Charismatic Main Character</a></strong>.<br /><br />Does your protagonist have <b>significant, meaningful goals and motivations</b>? What is driving him or her?<br /><br />Do your characters’ decisions and actions seem <b>realistic and authentic</b>?<br /><br />Click on this link: <strong><a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2015/02/make-sure-your-characters-act-in.html">Make Sure Your Characters Act in Character</a></strong>. <br /><br />Also, are your <b>supporting characters</b> different from each other and the protagonist, for interesting contrast and tension?<br /><br /><strong>~ POINT OF VIEW:</strong> Are you staying firmly in the head of the viewpoint character for each scene, or are there places where you’re hovering above or inadvertently slipping into the thoughts of other characters (head-hopping)? Click on the links below.<br /><br /><a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2014/08/pov-101-get-into-your-protagonists-head.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>POV 101: Get into Your Protagonist’s Head and Stay There</strong></a><strong> </strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2014/09/pov-102-how-to-avoid-head-hopping.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>POV 102 – How to Avoid Head-Hopping</strong></a><strong> </strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2014/09/pov-103-engage-your-readers-with-deep.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>POV 103 – Engage Your Readers with Deep Point of View</strong></a> <br /><br /><strong>~ PLOT:</strong> Does your protagonist have a <b>significant challenge or dilemma</b> that’s difficult to solve? Are you piling on the problems as the story goes on? Make sure every plot point directly affects the character and his journey. See <b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Killer-Thriller-Editors-Compelling/dp/1490389946/" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;">Writing a Killer Thriller</a></i></b> for essential tips that apply to all popular fiction.<br /><b></b><i></i><br /><strong>~ STRUCTURE:</strong> Should you start your story or any of your scenes later? Or earlier? Would it be more effective to change the order of some chapters or scenes? Shorten some or expand others? Or even delete a few?<br /><br /><strong>~ SCENES:</strong> <b>Does every scene have some tension and conflict</b>? <b>Does every scene end with a question or dilemma</b> that drives the story forward? See<br /><br /></span><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fd1z7hFYXys/UZOFkNH5ziI/AAAAAAAAAyA/s0LpVQq46k0afK5yQzPQiwJ2f_FfX2T4QCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller_May%2B%252713.jpg" style="clear: right; color: #0066cc; float: right; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1589" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fd1z7hFYXys/UZOFkNH5ziI/AAAAAAAAAyA/s0LpVQq46k0afK5yQzPQiwJ2f_FfX2T4QCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller_May%2B%252713.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="201" /></span></a><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="http://jodierennerediting.blogspot.ca/2012/04/every-scene-needs-tension-and-change.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>Every Scene Needs Tension and a Change</strong></a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">. </span><br /><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Make brief </span><a href="http://jodierennerediting.blogspot.ca/2014/04/how-to-create-workable-scene-outlines.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>scene outlines</strong></a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">, using this template:</span><br /><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> </span><strong style="color: #333333;"> Scene</strong><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">: Chapter: Place:</span><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> - Date/Month/Season: Year (approx.):</span><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> - POV character for this scene:</span><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> - Other main characters here:</span><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> - POV character’s goal here:</span><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> - Motivation for their goal (why do they want that?):</span><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> - Main problem/conflict – Who/What is preventing POV character from reaching his/her goal:</span><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> - Outcome – Usually a setback / new problem:</span><br /><br /><b style="color: #333333;">Revise any scenes that don’t have conflict and a change</b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> and don’t advance the story. </span><br /><br /><b style="color: #333333;">~ CONFLICT, TENSION and INTRIGUE:</b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> Every novel, no matter the genre, needs conflict, tension, and intrigue -- and a certain amount of suspense. For practical advice on how to keep readers turning the pages, see my writer's guide, <b><i>Writing a Killer Thriller</i></b></span><b style="color: #333333;"> </b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">and this article:</span></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-6780977327122625456" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 528.065px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span><span><b><span style="color: #990000;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"> </span><a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2013/06/checklist-for-adding-suspense-intrigue.html" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span>Add Tension, Suspense, and Intrigue</span></a></span></b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">.</span></span><br /><strong style="color: #333333;"><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /></strong><strong style="color: #333333;">~ POTENTIAL PLOT HOLES, inconsistencies, or discrepancies:</strong><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> Ask others to watch out for any accidental bloopers in your story that will erode reader confidence.</span><br /><br /><strong style="color: #333333;">~ OPENING:</strong><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> Will your opening paragraphs and first pages hook the readers and entice them to keep reading? Don’t warm up your engines with backstory or start with lengthy description – get right into the story from the first line, in the head of your protagonist.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://jodierennerediting.blogspot.ca/2013/05/12-dos-and-donts-for-riveting-opening.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>12 Dos and Don’ts for a Riveting Opening</strong></a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">.</span><br /><br /><strong style="color: #333333;">~ LENGTH:</strong><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> Is your story too long or too short? If it’s more than 90,000 words (okay, unless it’s a fantasy or epic), check out:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://jodierennerediting.blogspot.ca/2013/08/how-to-slash-your-word-count-by-20-40.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>How to Slash Your Word Cut by 20-40% - Without losing any of the good stuff!</strong></a><br /><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">This would be a good time to send your story off to some trusted </span><b style="color: #333333;">beta readers</b><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">, smart volunteers who read critically in your genre. They don’t need to be writers.</span><br /><br /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Here’s list of </span><strong style="color: #333333;"><a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2016/07/15-questions-for-your-beta-readers-and.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;">15 Questions for Your Beta Readers – And to Focus Your Own Revisions</a></strong><br /><br /></span><h3 style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; position: relative;"></h3><h3 style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; position: relative;"></h3><h3 style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; position: relative;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">STEP 2: WRITING STYLE, VOICE, TONE, AND PACING</span></h3><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><strong>~ SHOW, DON'T TELL</strong>. Be sure to show, rather than tell, all critical scenes in real time, with action and dialogue, and quickly summarize or skip over humdrum scenes. See my article, <a href="http://jodierennerediting.blogspot.ca/2014/04/show-dont-tell.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>Show, Don't Tell</strong></a>.<br /><br /><strong>~ SHOW CHARACTER REACTIONS.</strong> Bring characters to life on the page by showing their emotions, physical reactions, thought reactions, and sensory perceptions.<br /><br />See: <a href="http://jodierennerediting.blogspot.ca/2014/05/bring-your-characters-to-life-by.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>Bring Your Characters to Life by Showing Their Reactions</strong></a> and<br /><br /><a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2013/10/sensory-details-suck-your-readers-in.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><b>Immerse Your Readers with Sensory Details</b></a>.<br /><br /><strong>~ RELAX YOUR WRITING.</strong> Is your writing style too correct and formal for fiction? If so, loosen up the language. Read it aloud to see where you can make it more casual by streamlining sentences and using contractions (don't, I've, isn't, etc.) and everyday words.<br /><br />See <a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2014/05/tips-for-loosening-up-your-writing.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>Tips for Loosening up Your Writing</strong></a>.<br /><br />~ <b>VOICE: </b>Does each of your main characters have a unique voice? Or do they all sound like each other and the author? Beware of writing in a too-correct, nonfiction style. Remember that men usually speak differently than women, and a blue-collar guy shouldn't sound like a businessman or teacher. Use free-form journaling in the character's secret diary, especially when they're upset, to capture their true inner and outer voice, with plenty of attitude.<br /><br />See: <b><a href="http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.ca/2013/10/concrete-tips-for-developing-appealing.html#more" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;">Concrete Tips for Developing a Unique Voice in Your Fiction</a></b><br /><br /><b><a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2013/08/developing-strong-third-person-voice.html">Developing a Strong Third-Person Voice</a></b>, and also my book, <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Captivate-Your-Readers-Editors-Compelling/dp/0993700411/" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;">Captivate Your Readers</a></b><br /><b></b><b></b><br /><b>~ SPARK UP YOUR PROSE.</b> Use strong, specific nouns and verbs instead of tired, overused ones. For more ideas on this, check out my book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Your-Fiction-Editors-Compelling/dp/0993700403/" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><b>FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</b></a> and the following article:<br /><br /> <a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2014/03/nail-it-with-just-right-word.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>Nail it with Just the Right Word</strong></a>.<br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="clear: right; color: #992211; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="217" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><b>~ PICK UP THE PACE.</b> Does your story drag in places? Are your descriptions too lengthy and neutral-sounding?<br />See: <a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2014/06/pick-up-pace-for-real-page-turner.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>Pick up the Pace for a Real Page-Turner</strong></a><br /><br /><strong>~ WRITE TIGHT.</strong> Read your story aloud to see where you can<b> cut down on wordiness and repetitions</b>. Take out any “little word pile-ups” and all unnecessary detail to improve flow and pacing. Make every word count. See many chapters of <em><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Your-Fiction-Editors-Compelling/dp/0993700403/" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;">Fire up Your Fiction</a></b></em> for more specifics on this, and my post,<br /><br /><a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2015/01/dont-muddle-your-message.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>Don’t Muddle Your Message</strong></a>. <br /><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br /><b>~ WRITE AUTHENTIC DIALOGUE.</b> Read the dialogue out loud to make sure it sounds natural, like that character would actually speak. See my blog post,<br /><br /><strong> </strong><a href="http://jodierennerediting.blogspot.ca/2011/11/tips-for-writing-effective-dialogue.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>Tips for Writing Effective Dialogue</strong></a>.<br /><br />Avoid <a href="http://jodierennerediting.blogspot.ca/2010/09/style-faux-pas.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;">these <strong>Style Blunders in Fiction</strong></a>.<br /><br /></span><h3 style="color: #333333; margin: 0px; position: relative;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">STEP 3: FINAL PROOFREADING </span></h3><div style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Now it's time to go through the revised copy and look for <b>typos, spelling, punctuation, missing or repeated words, convoluted sentences</b>, and anywhere the prose doesn’t flow easily and sparkle. Also, look for <b>formatting problems</b>. Is your prose broken down into short paragraphs, for more white space? Have you started a new paragraph for every new speaker? Is your dialogue properly punctuated? See my article<br /><br /><a href="http://jodierennerediting.blogspot.ca/2014/01/dialogue-nuts-and-bolts.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>Dialogue Nuts and Bolts</strong></a>.<br /><br /><strong>Some techniques that work for effective proofreading:</strong><br /><br />~ Change the font and print out your story on paper or download it to your e-reader or tablet; or get a sample book printed. Then read it in a different location from where you wrote it (preferably away from your home) and make notes. <br /><br />For more tips on effective final proofreading, see my article,<br /><br /><a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2014/12/tricks-tips-for-catching-all-those.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>Tricks and Tips for Catching All Those Little Typos in Your Own Work</strong></a>.<br /><br />Also, see <a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2014/05/how-to-save-bundle-on-editing.html" style="color: #992211; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>How to save a bundle on editing costs – without sacrificing quality</strong></a> and<br /><br /> <a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2013/07/basic-formatting-of-your-manuscript.html"><strong>Basic Formatting of Your Manuscript (Formatting</strong> <strong>101)</strong> </a></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-6780977327122625456" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 528.065px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-6780977327122625456" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 528.065px;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%;">Click </span></b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Jodierennerediting"><b><span style="color: black;">HERE</span></b></a><b> for options to receive email
alerts of new posts published on this blog.</b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #333333; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RD6snf247s0/Vck-Abyy3dI/AAAAAAAACKQ/NgJ7j8uvQCI/s1600/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" style="clear: left; color: #992211; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RD6snf247s0/Vck-Abyy3dI/AAAAAAAACKQ/NgJ7j8uvQCI/s200/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="135" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">Jodie Renner is a freelance
fiction editor and the award-winning author of three craft-of-writing guides in
her series <em><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">An Editor’s
Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction</span></b></em><b>: <a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller"><span style="color: #992211;">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</span></a>, <a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction"><span style="color: #992211;">FIRE UP YOUR FICTION</span></a></b></span><em><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">,</span></em><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> and <b><a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers"><span style="color: #992211;">CAPTIVATE YOUR READERS</span></a></b>, as well as two
clickable time-saving e-resources, <b><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling"><span style="color: #992211; font-weight: normal;">QUICK CLICKS: Spelling List</span></a></b> and <b><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Words"><span style="color: #992211; font-weight: normal;">QUICKCLICKS: Word Usage</span></a></b>. She has also
organized two anthologies for charity: </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Voices-Valleys-Stories-Poems-Interior/dp/0993700438/"><b><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #992211; mso-ansi-language: EN;">VOICES FROM THE VALLEYS –
Stories and Poems about Life in BC’s Interior</span></i></b></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">, and </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Childhood-Regained-Stories-Asian-Workers/dp/0993700446/"><b><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #992211; mso-ansi-language: EN;">CHILDHOOD REGAINED – Stories
of Hope for Asian Child Workers</span></i></b></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #333333;">You can find Jodie on her </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jodie-Renner/e/B008H80AIE/" style="color: #333333;"><b><span style="color: #992211;">Amazon Author Page</span></b></a><span style="color: #333333;">, at </span><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><strong><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #990000;">www.JodieRenner.com</span></span></span></strong></a><span style="color: #333333;">, and
on </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><strong><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #990000;">Facebook</span></span></span></strong></a><span style="color: #333333;">.</span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></p></div>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-68013739038791574782021-02-28T10:31:00.015-08:002021-05-10T14:04:36.069-07:00Let's Get Your Short Story Accepted – Advice from the Experts<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1370" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/w171-h200/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" width="171" /></a></i></div><i> </i><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">by Jodie Renner, <a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/editing/">editor</a> & <a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner">author</a> </i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Have you considered submitting a short story to
a writing contest, anthology, or magazine? Below are some of the common
criteria used by publications and contests when evaluating short story
submissions.</span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Editors, publishers, and judges are swamped with
submissions and understandably don’t have time to give detailed advice for
improvement to all the authors whose stories they turn down. Here’s a checklist
a friend received back from a publication who’d rejected their short story
submission, with a few points checked off specific to her story. I’ve added some
clarification below each of the “bare-bones” points.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Checklist from a Publisher/Editor/Publication in
Response to Short Story Submissions</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">“Thank you for submitting your short story to ….
We’ve given your work careful consideration and are unable to offer you
publication. We do not offer in-depth reviews of rejected submissions, due to
time constraints. Briefly, we feel your submission suffered from one/several of
the following common problems:”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><b>- Your submission doesn't fit our guidelines</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Be sure to carefully read the website's guidelines for work count, subject matter, submission deadline, and exactly how to submit it. Also, many contests only want your name and contact info on a cover page, not on the story pages, to ensure "blind" judging.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– <b>Content inappropriate for…</b> (publisher
/ publication / anthology / magazine)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Check their submission guidelines and read other
stories they’ve accepted to get an idea of the genre, style, tone, and content
they seem to prefer.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> If it's for an anthology, make sure your story fits the overall theme of the collection. And literary magazines often have themes as well. Contests might offer entries for several different genres, so make sure you don't submit your story under the wrong category.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– <b>Stylistic and grammatical errors; too
many typos</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Be sure to use spell-check and get someone with
strong skills in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure to
check it over carefully for you. Perhaps you need to break up longer sentences into
shorter ones, and vary your sentence structure. Read it out loud for flow. Where
you pause briefly, put in a comma. Where you pause a little longer, put in a
period. You could also try using editing software or submit it to a
professional freelance editor. This last choice has the most likelihood of
helping you hone your fiction-writing skills.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>- Stilted language, too-formal tone, inauthentic voice</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Read your story out loud to make sure the tone, phrasing, and word choices are casual enough for fiction; the narrative voice suits the genre; each character's voice (words and thoughts) is unique and suits their age, gender, background, education, etc.; and your dialogue sounds natural and authentic.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– <b>Structure problems</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For a novel, this could mean some chapters could
be rearranged, shortened, or taken out. For a short story, it could mean the
time sequencing is strange; you’ve started too early, too late, or in the
middle; there’s no obvious conflict or dilemma; or perhaps you have too many
characters or too many plot lines. Or perhaps your opening is flat, with too much "telling" or you’ve interrupted the story by
dumping in a lot of backstory or explanations.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– <b>Formatting problems made reading
frustrating</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Be sure your story is in a common font, like
Times New Roman, 12-point, and double-</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/w136-h200/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" width="136" /></a></span></div><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">spaced, with only one space after periods
and one-inch margins on all four sides. Don’t boldface anything or use all
caps. For more white space and ease of reading, divide long blocks of text into
shorter paragraphs. Start a new paragraph for each new speaker. Indent
paragraphs, but not by clicking on Tab or on the space bar. Use MS Word’s
paragraph function. Don’t use an extra line space between paragraphs. Use
italics sparingly for emphasis. For more specifics on formatting, see “<a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2013/07/basic-formatting-of-your-manuscript.html">Basic
Formatting of Your Manuscript (Formatting 101)</a>”.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– <b>Characters
were problematic/unbelievable/unlikeable<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Your
characters’ decisions, actions, and motivations need to fit their goals,
personality, background, and character. Also, make sure your protagonist is
likeable, someone readers can identify with and want to root for.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– <b>Content
and/or style too well-worn or obvious<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
likely refers to a plot that’s been done a million times, with cookie-cutter
characters and a predictable ending.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– <b>Word
choice needs refinement<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
one could cover the gamut from tired, generic verbs like <i>walked, ran, saw,
looked</i> or overused adjectives like <i>nice, good, bad, old, big, small,
tall, short;</i> to inadvertently inserting light-hearted words at a tense time
or vice-versa; to using overly formal, technical, or esoteric words where a
concrete, vivid, immediately understandable one would be more effective; and
more.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– <b>Overbearing
or heavy-handed<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
probably refers to a story where the author’s agenda is too obvious, too
hard-hitting, maybe even a bit “preachy,” rather than subtle, allowing the
reader to draw their own conclusions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– <b>Nothing
seems to have happened<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
likely indicates no critical problem or dilemma for the protagonist, not enough
meaningful action and change, and insufficient conflict and tension.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– <b>Strong
beginning, then peters out<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
is an indicator that your plot needs amping up and you need to add rising
tension, suspense, and intrigue to keep readers avidly turning the pages. Also,
flesh out your characters to make them more complex. Give your protagonist
secrets, regrets, inner conflict, and a strong desire that is being thwarted.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– <b>Needs
overall development and polish<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/w136-h200/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" width="136" /></a></div><br />This
indicates you likely need to roll up your sleeves and hone your writing skills.
Read some writing guides, like my award-winning editor's guides to writing
compelling fiction, <i><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/5497863363146224214"><span style="color: #145dbc;"><b>Captivate Your Readers</b></span></a>, <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/5497863363146224214"><span style="color: #145dbc;"><b>Fire up Your Fiction</b></span></a>, </i>or<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7199796958293321265/5497863363146224214"><i><span style="color: #145dbc; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> <b>Writing a Killer
Thriller</b></span></i></a></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Also, read lots of highly rated published short stories, paying
close attention to the writers’ techniques. Here’s where a critique group of
experienced fiction writers or some savvy beta readers or a professional edit
could help.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">– <b>We
didn’t get it.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
is a catch-all category that means the story didn’t work for a number of
reasons. This could be an indicator to put this story aside and hone your
craft, critically read other highly rated stories in your genre, then, using
your new skills, create a fresh story.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“While
all of these criticisms open doors to further questions, we regret that we
cannot be more constructive….”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That’s
understandable. They just don’t have time to critique or mentor every writer
who contacts them. But I hope the above list and my comments below each point provide
you with some useful tips for taking a fresh look at your short story and revising
it so it will get accepted for a publication or even win a contest. Good luck! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Elsewhere
on this blog, I posted a detailed list of points to consider that will help
make your story stronger and more likely to win contests. Here’s the link to
that article:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><b><a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2015/07/33-tips-for-creating-short-story-worthy.html">33
TIPS FOR CREATING A SHORT STORY WORTHY OF CONTESTS, MAGAZINES, AND ANTHOLOGIES </a></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do
you have any other tips to add? Helpful comments you've received back from editors, judges, or publishers?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Click </span></b><span style="background: white; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Jodierennerediting"><b><span style="color: black;">HERE</span></b></a><b> for options to receive email
alerts of new posts published on this blog.</b></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlvRTQsLbP4/UlQqIPZ3OYI/AAAAAAAABCA/XaKhNYL8akgTwXYu9Qmxbkpg5JOXjQeOgCPcBGAYYCw/s1430/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller%252C%2BTravis%2BMiles.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1430" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlvRTQsLbP4/UlQqIPZ3OYI/AAAAAAAABCA/XaKhNYL8akgTwXYu9Qmxbkpg5JOXjQeOgCPcBGAYYCw/w126-h200/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller%252C%2BTravis%2BMiles.jpg" width="126" /></a></div><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Jodie Renner is a freelance
fiction editor and the award-winning author of three craft-of-writing guides in
her series <em><b>An Editor’s
Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction</b></em><b>: <a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller"><span style="color: #992211; font-weight: normal;">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</span></a></b>,<b> </b><a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction"><b><span style="color: #992211;">FIRE
UP YOUR FICTION</span></b></a></span><em style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">,</span></em><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> and <a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers"><b><span style="color: #992211;">CAPTIVATE
YOUR READERS</span></b></a>, as well as two clickable time-saving
e-resources, <b><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling"><span style="color: #992211; font-weight: normal;">QUICK CLICKS: Spelling List</span></a></b> and <b><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Words"><span style="color: #992211; font-weight: normal;">QUICKCLICKS: Word Usage</span></a></b>. She has also
organized two anthologies for charity: </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Voices-Valleys-Stories-Poems-Interior/dp/0993700438/"><b><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #992211; mso-ansi-language: EN;">VOICES FROM THE VALLEYS –
Stories and Poems about Life in BC’s Interior</span></i></b></a></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">, and </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Childhood-Regained-Stories-Asian-Workers/dp/0993700446/"><b><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #992211; mso-ansi-language: EN;">CHILDHOOD REGAINED – Stories
of Hope for Asian Child Workers</span></i></b></a></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">You can find Jodie on her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jodie-Renner/e/B008H80AIE/"><b><span style="color: #992211;">Amazon Author Page</span></b></a>, at </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #953735; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><strong><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #953735; text-decoration-line: none;">www.JodieRenner.com</span></span></strong></a></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">, and on </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #953735; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><strong><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #953735; text-decoration-line: none;">Facebook</span></span></strong></a></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></span>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-34115277914840992572020-09-22T12:03:00.013-07:002021-05-10T14:05:27.505-07:00Act First, Explain Later<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1370" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/w171-h200/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" width="171" /></span></a></div><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Twelve dos and don'ts for a riveting opening to your story</span></b><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>by Jodie Renner, <a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/editing/">editor</a> & <a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner">author</a> </i><br /><br />The opening paragraphs and first page of your novel or short story are absolutely critical. How you craft your opening will make the difference between a potential reader starting your book, then putting it down (or rejecting it online) and seeking another one, or, their interest and curiosity piqued, eagerly turning the page to read on.</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Gone are the days when readers of fiction were willing to read pages or even paragraphs of description and lead-up before diving into the actual story. Readers, agents, and publishers today don’t have the time, patience, or desire to wade through pages of warm-up, scene-setting, backstory, or description, so you need to dispense with revving your engine and hook them in right from the first sentence and first paragraph of your story. <br /><br />As <b>James Scott Bell</b> says so wisely in his writing guide, <i><b>Revision and Self-Editing</b></i>, about the opening paragraphs, </span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>“Give us a character in motion. Something happening to a person from line one. Make that a disturbing thing, or have it presage something disturbing.”</b></span> <br /><br /><b>Here are twelve dos and don’ts for making the first page of your novel zing and entice readers to turn to the second page. Note that these are recommendations to hook readers in, not hard-and-fast rules.</b> <br /><br />1. <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">DON’T</span> begin with a long description</b> <b>of the setting or with detailed background information</b> on your characters. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b> - <span style="color: #2b00fe;">DO</span></b> begin with meaningful, interesting dialogue and interaction, with some tension, then add in any necessary backstory information or description in small doses, on a need-to-know basis as you progress through the story. <br /><br />2. <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">DON’T</span> start with a character other than your protagonist</b>. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/w136-h200/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" width="136" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b> - <span style="color: #2b00fe;">DO</span></b> introduce your novel's main character right in the first paragraph. <br /><br />3. <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">DON’T</span> start with a description of past events</b>.</span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b> - <span style="color: #2b00fe;">DO</span></b> jump right in with what the lead character is involved in right now, with some tension, an aspiration/goal, or some conflict. <br /><br />4.<b> <span style="color: #cc0000;">DON’T</span> start in a viewpoint other than the main character’s</b>. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> - <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">DO</span></b> start telling the story from your protagonist’s point of view. It’s best to stay in the viewpoint of the hero/heroine for the whole first chapter, preferably the first few chapters to establish them as the lead character. And don’t change the point of view within a scene. <br /><br />5. <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">DON’T</span> present your protagonist in a static, neutral (boring) situation.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> - <b>DO</b> develop your main character quickly by putting her in a bit of hot water and showing how she reacts to the situation, so readers can empathize and “bond” with her, and start caring enough about her to keep reading. Google "inciting incident."<br /><br />6. <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">DON’T</span> start with your character all alone, reflecting on his life.</b> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> - <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">DO</span></b> have more than one character (two is best) interacting, with action and dialogue. That’s much more compelling than reading the thoughts or musings of one person. <br /><br />7. <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">DON’T</span> start with your protagonist planning</b> a trip, or travelling somewhere; in other words, as a lead-up to an important scene. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> - <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">DO</span></b> start <i>in media res</i> – jump right into the middle of the action. Present her in a meaningful scene. <br /><br />8. <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">DON’T</span> introduce a lot of characters in the first few pages.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> - <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">DO</span></b> limit the number of characters you introduce in the first few pages to three or less. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">9. <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">DON’T</span> spend too long leading up to the main conflict or problem the protagonist faces.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> - <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">DO</span></b> introduce the main dilemma (or at least some significant tension) within the first chapters. </span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />10.<b> <span style="color: #cc0000;">DON’T</span> leave the reader wondering what the characters look like</b>. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> - <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">DO</span></b> provide a brief description of each character as they’re introduced, so the readers can form a picture of him or her in their minds. But don't get carried away with too many details, and be sure to make it from the POV character's viewpoint and impressions, not a neutral description by the author/narrator.<br /><br />11.<b> <span style="color: #cc0000;">DON’T</span> have the main character looking in the mirror as a device for describing him/her</b>. This has been overdone. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> - <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">DO</span></b> work in the description in a more natural way, by relating it to his or her actions or interactions with others. <br /><br />12. <b><span style="color: #cc0000;">DON’T</span> wait too long to introduce the hero in a romance or romantic suspense.</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> - <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">DO</span></b> introduce the love interest by the end of chapter one, to spark reader interest. <br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fd1z7hFYXys/UZOFkNH5ziI/AAAAAAAAAyA/s0LpVQq46k0afK5yQzPQiwJ2f_FfX2T4QCPcBGAYYCw/s1589/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller_May%2B%252713.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1589" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fd1z7hFYXys/UZOFkNH5ziI/AAAAAAAAAyA/s0LpVQq46k0afK5yQzPQiwJ2f_FfX2T4QCPcBGAYYCw/w126-h200/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller_May%2B%252713.jpg" width="126" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Remember, you can always start your story wherever you want in the draft stage, if it’ll make you feel better. Then in the editing stage, you can go back and cut out or condense the first several paragraphs or pages or even most of the first chapter, so that, in your final draft, your actual story starts after all that lead-up (some of which may appear later, in snippets here and there). <br /><br />In conclusion, here’s some great advice for writing compelling fiction, coined by author Dan Brown and made popular by James Scott Bell: </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>Act first, explain later</b>.</span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.75pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/w136-h200/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" width="136" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Click </span></b><span style="background: white; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Jodierennerediting"><b><span style="color: black;">HERE</span></b></a><b> for options to receive email
alerts of new posts published on this blog.</b></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Jodie Renner is a freelance
fiction editor and the award-winning author of three craft-of-writing guides in
her series <em><b>An Editor’s
Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction</b></em><b>: <a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller"><span style="color: #992211; font-weight: normal;">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</span></a></b>,<b> </b><a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction"><b><span style="color: #992211;">FIRE
UP YOUR FICTION</span></b></a></span><em><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">,</span></em><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> and <a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers"><b><span style="color: #992211;">CAPTIVATE
YOUR READERS</span></b></a>, as well as two clickable time-saving
e-resources, <b><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling"><span style="color: #992211; font-weight: normal;">QUICK CLICKS: Spelling List</span></a></b> and <b><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Words"><span style="color: #992211; font-weight: normal;">QUICKCLICKS: Word Usage</span></a></b>. She has also
organized two anthologies for charity: </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Voices-Valleys-Stories-Poems-Interior/dp/0993700438/"><b><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #992211; mso-ansi-language: EN;">VOICES FROM THE VALLEYS –
Stories and Poems about Life in BC’s Interior</span></i></b></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">, and </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Childhood-Regained-Stories-Asian-Workers/dp/0993700446/"><b><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #992211; mso-ansi-language: EN;">CHILDHOOD REGAINED – Stories
of Hope for Asian Child Workers</span></i></b></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">. </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">You can find Jodie on her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jodie-Renner/e/B008H80AIE/"><b><span style="color: #992211;">Amazon Author Page</span></b></a>, at </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #953735; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #953735; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: lumm=75000; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent2; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;"><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><strong><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #953735; text-decoration-line: none;">www.JodieRenner.com</span></span></strong></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">, and on </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #953735; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #953735; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: lumm=75000; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent2; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><strong><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #953735; text-decoration-line: none;">Facebook</span></span></strong></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">.</span> </p></span> </div></div></div></div>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-90419057856417939902020-09-21T15:25:00.007-07:002021-05-10T14:07:20.009-07:00Adding Tension, Suspense, & Intrigue to Any Story<p> </p><header class="entry-header" style="background-color: white; color: #373737; margin: 0px auto; width: 584.27px;"><h1 class="entry-title" style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: black; font-style: inherit; line-height: 48px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0.3em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Concrete Tips for Adding Tension, Suspense, & Intrigue to Any Story</span></h1><div class="entry-meta" style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: #666666; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; left: 0px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I'm over at The Kill Zone blog today with this post:<span> </span></span></div></header><div class="entry-content" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; margin: 0px auto; outline: 0px; padding: 1.625em 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 584.27px;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">by Jodie Renner, <a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/editing/">editor</a> & <a href="http://author.to/Jodie-Renner">author</a> </span></i></div><div class="entry-content" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; margin: 0px auto; outline: 0px; padding: 1.625em 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 584.27px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span><p style="border: 0px; color: #373737; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Killer-Thriller-Editors-Compelling/dp/1490389946/" style="border: 0px; color: #145dbc; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-27212" height="270" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 170px) 100vw, 170px" src="https://secureservercdn.net/72.167.241.134/b68.446.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Writing-a-Killer-Thriller_1600-189x300.jpg" srcset="https://secureservercdn.net/72.167.241.134/b68.446.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Writing-a-Killer-Thriller_1600-189x300.jpg 189w, https://secureservercdn.net/72.167.241.134/b68.446.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Writing-a-Killer-Thriller_1600-645x1024.jpg 645w, https://secureservercdn.net/72.167.241.134/b68.446.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Writing-a-Killer-Thriller_1600-768x1220.jpg 768w, https://secureservercdn.net/72.167.241.134/b68.446.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Writing-a-Killer-Thriller_1600-967x1536.jpg 967w, https://secureservercdn.net/72.167.241.134/b68.446.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Writing-a-Killer-Thriller_1600-1289x2048.jpg 1289w, https://secureservercdn.net/72.167.241.134/b68.446.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Writing-a-Killer-Thriller_1600.jpg 1600w" style="border: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); display: inline; float: left; height: auto; margin-bottom: 1.625em; margin-right: 1.625em; margin-top: 0.4em; max-width: calc(100% - 14px); padding: 6px;" width="170" /></a>Are you in the process of writing a novel? Maybe a thriller or other popular fiction that you hope will grab readers and really sell? Besides a great character and a fascinating plot, you’ll also need some tried-and-true fiction-writing techniques to take your story up a level or three.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #373737; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">To keep readers engaged and eagerly turning the pages, all genres of fiction, not just thrillers, need tension and intrigue – and a certain amount of suspense. And of course, you’ll need to ratchet up the tension, intrigue, and suspense a lot more if you’re writing a fast-paced, nail-biting, page-turner.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #373737; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Here are some techniques for engaging your readers and keeping them riveted:<strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </strong></span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #373737; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">~ First, create a protagonist that readers will care about, and give him some worries and secrets.</strong> </span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #373737; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Make your hero or heroine intriguing and complex, clever and resourceful. But not perfect – make them vulnerable too, with an Achilles heel and some inner conflict, regrets, and secrets. In most cases, you want your protagonist to be likeable too, or at least have some endearing traits to make readers worry about her and root for her. If readers can’t identify with or bond with your character, it’s pretty hard to make them care what happens to her. <a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2013/02/essential-characteristics-of-thriller.html" style="border: 0px; color: #145dbc; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Essential Characteristics of a Thriller Hero</strong></a></span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #373737; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">~ Get up close and personal.</strong> </span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #373737; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Use <strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">deep point of view</strong> (first-person or close third person) to get us into the head and body of your main character right from the opening paragraph. Show his thoughts, fears, hopes, frustrations, worries, and physical and sensory reactions in every scene.<strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2020/06/pov-103-engage-your-readers-with-deep.html" style="border: 0px; color: #145dbc; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Engage Your Readers with Deep Point of View</a></strong>.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #373737; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">~ Show your hero or heroine in action in the first paragraphs.</strong> </span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #373737; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Rather than opening with description, background info, or your character alone musing, it’s best to jumpstart your story with your lead interacting with someone else who matters to them, preferably with a bit of discord and tension. And show his/her inner thoughts and emotional reactions, maybe some frustration or anxiety.<strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </strong></span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #373737; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">~ Give your character a problem to solve right from the get-go.</strong> It can be minor, but creating an early conflict that throws your lead off-balance makes your readers worry about him. A worried reader is an engaged reader.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #373737; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">~ Withhold information. </strong></span></p><p style="border: 0px; color: #373737; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Don’t tell your readers too much too soon. This is so important and a common weakness for new fiction writers. Hold off on critical information. Hint at a traumatic or life-changing event early on, then reveal fragments of info about it little by little, through dialogue, thoughts, and brief flashbacks, to tantalize readers and keep them wondering and worrying.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">For the rest of this blog post, with many more tips, go to:</span></b></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> <a href="https://killzoneblog.com/2020/09/concrete-tips-for-adding-tension-suspense-intrigue-to-any-story.html">https://killzoneblog.com/2020/09/concrete-tips-for-adding-tension-suspense-intrigue-to-any-story.html</a></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%;">Click </span></b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Jodierennerediting"><b><span style="color: black;">HERE</span></b></a><b> for options to receive email
alerts of new posts published on this blog.</b></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.75pt;"><span style="background: white; color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">Jodie Renner is a freelance
fiction editor and the award-winning author of three craft-of-writing guides in
her series <em><b>An Editor’s
Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction</b></em><b>: <a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller"><span style="color: #992211; font-weight: normal;">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</span></a></b>,<b> </b><a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction"><b><span style="color: #992211;">FIRE
UP YOUR FICTION</span></b></a></span><em><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">,</span></em><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"> and <a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers"><b><span style="color: #992211;">CAPTIVATE
YOUR READERS</span></b></a>, as well as two clickable time-saving
e-resources, <b><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling"><span style="color: #992211; font-weight: normal;">QUICK CLICKS: Spelling List</span></a></b> and <b><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Words"><span style="color: #992211; font-weight: normal;">QUICKCLICKS: Word Usage</span></a></b>. She has also
organized two anthologies for charity: </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Voices-Valleys-Stories-Poems-Interior/dp/0993700438/"><b><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #992211; mso-ansi-language: EN;">VOICES FROM THE VALLEYS –
Stories and Poems about Life in BC’s Interior</span></i></b></a></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">, and </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Childhood-Regained-Stories-Asian-Workers/dp/0993700446/"><b><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #992211; mso-ansi-language: EN;">CHILDHOOD REGAINED – Stories
of Hope for Asian Child Workers</span></i></b></a></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">You can find Jodie on her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jodie-Renner/e/B008H80AIE/"><b><span style="color: #992211;">Amazon Author Page</span></b></a>, at </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #953735; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><strong><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #953735; text-decoration-line: none;">www.JodieRenner.com</span></span></strong></a></span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">, and</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> on </span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #953735; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><strong><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #953735; text-decoration-line: none;">Facebook</span></span></strong></a></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><b></b></span><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></p></div>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-68705210867661935742020-09-19T10:14:00.007-07:002021-05-09T19:40:35.818-07:00Don't Stop the Story to Introduce Each Character!<p><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 112%;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1370" height="167" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/w146-h167/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" width="146" /></span></a></i></div><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">by
Jodie Renner, <a href="http://www.jodierenner.com/">editor & author</a></span></i><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; line-height: 112%;">Want to write popular fiction that captivates your readers and sells well, with great reviews? It's all about fiction-writing techniques that will enthrall the reader, rather than turning them off.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 112%;"><b>Entice your readers, </b></span><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">don’t</span></b><b> bore them.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 112%;">Imagine you’ve just met someone for the
first time, and after saying hello, they corral you and go into a long
monologue about their childhood, upbringing, education, careers, relationships,
plans, etc. You keep nodding as you glance around furtively, trying to figure
out how to extricate yourself from this self-centered boor. You don’t even know
this person, so why would you care about all these details at this point?</span><span style="line-height: 112%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; line-height: 112%;">Or have you ever had a friend go into
great long detail about someone you don’t know, an acquaintance they
recently ran into? Unless it’s a really fascinating story with a point, I zone
out. Who cares? Give me a good reason to care, and feed me any relevant details
in interesting tidbits, please!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; line-height: 112%;">In my editing of novels, I’ll often see a
new character come on scene, then the author feels they need to stop the action
to introduce that person to the readers. So they write paragraphs or even pages
of background on the character, in one long expository lump. New writers often
don’t realize they’ve just brought the story to a skidding halt to explain
things the readers don’t necessarily need to know, certainly not to that
detail, at that point. And it’s <i>telling</i>, not <i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">showing, </span></i>which doesn’t engage readers. In fact,
they’ll probably skim through it, and maybe even find something else to do
instead. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/w136-h200/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" width="136" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 112%;"><b>Don</b></span><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="line-height: 17.12px;">’t</span></b><b> start with your character alone, musing or reminiscing.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 10pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 112%;">Another
related technique I find less than compelling is starting with the character on
the way to something eventful, and as they’re traveling, they’re recollecting
past or recent events in lengthy detail. It’s much more engaging to start with
the protagonist interacting with others, with some tension and attitude
involved. Then work in any necessary backstory info bit by bit as the story
progresses, through dialogue, brief recollections or references, hints and
innuendo, or short flashbacks in real time. And through reactions and
observations by other characters.</span><span style="line-height: 112%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; line-height: 112%; padding: 0in;">Rein in Those Backstory Dumps!</span></b><span style="line-height: 112%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 112%;">Contrary to what a lot of aspiring
authors seem to think, readers really don’t <i><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">need</span></i> a lot of
detailed info right away on characters, even your protagonist. Instead, it’s
best to introduce the character little by little, in a natural, organic way, as
you would meet new people in real life. You might form an immediate physical
impression, especially if you find them attractive or repugnant. You notice
whether they’re tall or short, well-groomed or scruffy, timid or
overbearing, friendly or cold, intelligent or dull, charismatic or shy.</span><span style="line-height: 112%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 10pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 112%;">If
you’re interested in them, if you find them intriguing, you pay attention to
them, ask them questions, and maybe ask others about them. You gather info on
them gradually, forming and revising impressions as you go along, with lots of
unanswered questions. Maybe you hear gossip and wonder how much of it is
actually true. Through conversation and observation, you formulate impressions
of them based on what they (or others) say, as well as their attitude,
personality, gestures, expressions, body language, tone of voice, and actions.</span><span style="line-height: 112%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; line-height: 112%; padding: 0in;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlvRTQsLbP4/UlQqIPZ3OYI/AAAAAAAABCA/XaKhNYL8akgTwXYu9Qmxbkpg5JOXjQeOgCPcBGAYYCw/s1430/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller%252C%2BTravis%2BMiles.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1430" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlvRTQsLbP4/UlQqIPZ3OYI/AAAAAAAABCA/XaKhNYL8akgTwXYu9Qmxbkpg5JOXjQeOgCPcBGAYYCw/w126-h200/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller%252C%2BTravis%2BMiles.jpg" width="126" /></span></a></b></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; line-height: 112%; padding: 0in;">Involve and engage the readers.</span></b><span style="line-height: 112%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 112%;">It’s also important to remember that
readers like to be involved as active participants, not as passive receptors of
dumps of information. Finding out about someone bit by bit, trying to figure
out who they are and what makes them tick, what secrets they’re hiding, is a
stimulating, fun challenge and adds to the intrigue.</span><span style="line-height: 112%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 10pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 112%;">Unlike
nonfiction, where readers read for information, in fiction, readers want to be
immersed in your story world, almost as if they’re a character there
themselves. So be sure to entice readers to get actively engaged in trying to
figure out the characters, their motivations and relationships, and whether
they’re to be trusted or not.</span><span style="line-height: 112%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; line-height: 112%; padding: 0in;">Let the readers get to know your characters
gradually, just like they would in real-life.</span></b><span style="line-height: 112%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 112%;">For ideas on how to approach introducing
your characters to the reader in your fiction, think about a gathering where
you’re just observing for a while, trying to get your bearings, maybe waiting
for some friends to arrive. You look around at who’s there, listening in to
snippets of conversation. A few people interest you, so you move closer to
them, trying not to be obvious. You might pick up on glances, smiles, frowns,
rolling of eyes, and other facial expressions. You read their body language and
that of others interacting with them.</span><span style="line-height: 112%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 112%;">Perhaps you decide to strike up a
conversation with one or two who look interesting. You find out about their
personality and attitudes through their words, tone of voice, inflection,
facial expressions, body language, and the topics they jump on and others they
avoid. Then, if they interest you, you might start asking them or others
about their job or personal situation and get filled in on a few details –
colored of course by the attitudes and biases of the speaker. Maybe you hear a
bit of gossip here and there.</span><span style="line-height: 112%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 112%;">That’s the best way to introduce your
characters in your fiction, too. Not as the author intruding to present us with
a pile of character history (backstory) in a lump, but as the characters
interacting with each other, with questions and answers, allusions to past
issues and secrets. Even having your character thinking about what they’ve
been through isn’t that compelling, so keep it to small chunks at a time, and
be sure to have some emotions involved with the reminiscing – regret, worry,
guilt, etc.</span><span style="line-height: 112%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 10pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; line-height: 112%;">So
rather than stopping to give us the low-down on each character as he comes on
the scene, just start with him interacting, and let tidbits of info about him
come out little by little, like in real life. Let the readers be active
participants, drawing their own conclusions, based on how the characters are
acting and interacting. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/w136-h200/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" width="136" /></span></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; line-height: 112%; padding: 0in;">Reveal juicy details, little by little, to
tantalize readers.</span></b><span style="line-height: 112%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 112%;">And don’t forget, the most interesting
characters have secrets, and readers love juicy gossip and intrigue! Just drop
little hints here and there – don’t spill too much at any one time. Give us an
intriguing character in action, then reveal him little by little, layer by
layer, just like in real life!</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 112%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 112%;">Readers and authors, do you have any
observations or advice to offer on dealing with character backstory in fiction?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 112%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 112%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Click </span></b><span style="background: white; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Jodierennerediting"><b><span style="color: black;">HERE</span></b></a><b> for options to receive email
alerts of new posts published on this blog.</b></span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 10pt; vertical-align: baseline;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Jodie Renner is a freelance
fiction editor and the award-winning author of three craft-of-writing guides in
her series <em><b>An Editor’s
Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction</b></em><b>: <a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller"><span style="color: #992211; font-weight: normal;">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</span></a></b>,<b> </b><a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction"><b><span style="color: #992211;">FIRE
UP YOUR FICTION</span></b></a></span><em><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">,</span></em><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> and <a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers"><b><span style="color: #992211;">CAPTIVATE
YOUR READERS</span></b></a>, as well as two clickable time-saving
e-resources, <b><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling"><span style="color: #992211; font-weight: normal;">QUICK CLICKS: Spelling List</span></a></b> and <b><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Words"><span style="color: #992211; font-weight: normal;">QUICKCLICKS: Word Usage</span></a></b>. She has also
organized two anthologies for charity: </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Voices-Valleys-Stories-Poems-Interior/dp/0993700438/"><b><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #992211; mso-ansi-language: EN;">VOICES FROM THE VALLEYS –
Stories and Poems about Life in BC’s Interior</span></i></b></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">, and </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Childhood-Regained-Stories-Asian-Workers/dp/0993700446/"><b><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #992211; mso-ansi-language: EN;">CHILDHOOD REGAINED – Stories
of Hope for Asian Child Workers</span></i></b></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">. </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">You can find Jodie on her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jodie-Renner/e/B008H80AIE/"><b><span style="color: #992211;">Amazon Author Page</span></b></a>, at </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #953735; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #953735; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: lumm=75000; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent2; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;"><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><strong><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #953735; text-decoration-line: none;">www.JodieRenner.com</span></span></strong></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">, and on </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #953735; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #953735; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: lumm=75000; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent2; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><strong><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #953735; text-decoration-line: none;">Facebook</span></span></strong></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">.</span> </p>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7199796958293321265.post-71007398341158597362020-08-26T11:23:00.009-07:002021-05-09T19:41:44.713-07:00Concrete Tips & Examples for "Showing" Rather than "Telling"<p><i><span style="font-size: medium;">by Jodie Renner, editor & author </span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1370" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4KY-X6BW3zc/VERpljfnH7I/AAAAAAAABmU/ngJZLCor4Y0z3YxkKqYreJk7uTk390SZwCPcBGAYYCw/w171-h200/Jodie_June%2B27%252C%2B%252714_HighRes_square.jpg" width="171" /></a></span></i></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="" style="background-color: white;">"<b>SHOW, DON’T TELL</b>" -- This phrase has been repeated to the point where you might feel it's hackneyed and you can dismiss it--NOT! No matter how many times you've heard it, this concept is still critical to creating fresh fiction that captivates readers and garners great reviews. It's also one of the most difficult concepts for new fiction writers to grasp, along with deep point of view. (The two concepts are inextricably entwined.) Understanding and mastering these two interrelated concepts will make a huge difference in the quality of your stories by engaging readers emotionally and keeping them turning the pages.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="" style="background-color: white;"><b><i>Showing</i> instead of <i>telling</i> your story brings your characters and scenes to life.</b> Using this technique will suck your reader into your story world and right inside your protagonist, experiencing her fear along with her, feeling the sweat on her brow and her adrenaline racing, pulse quickening right along with hers, muscles tensed, ready to leap into action.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">~ Don’t <em>tell</em> us what happened – <em>show</em> us what happened.</span></strong><span face="" style="background-color: white;"></span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">To clarify what is meant by “show, don’t tell,” think of it this way: Which would you rather do -- go see an exciting movie in a theatre with a big screen and surround sound (“show”), or hear about the movie from someone else afterward (“tell”)? That’s the difference we’re talking about here.</span></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="" style="background-color: white;">A common mistake among aspiring fiction writers is to <i>describe</i> or <i>narrate</i> (or worse, summarize) important events as if they took place at some point in the past, instead of putting the reader right in the middle of the action and showing critical events as they occur, in real time, along with the characters’ actions, reactions, inner thoughts and feelings, and actual words (direct dialogue in quotations).</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">Bestselling author Janet Evanovich considers “show, don’t tell” to be one of the most important principles of fiction: “Instead of stating a situation flat out, you want to let the reader discover what you’re trying to say by watching a character in action and by listening to his dialogue. Showing brings your characters to life.”</span></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">~ Cut back on narration, description, and exposition.</span></strong><span face="" style="background-color: white;"></span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">Effective, engaging storytelling is definitely not about relating the events after the fact or interpreting for the readers. Keep the story moving and the characters interacting. The author stepping in to describe or explain things to the readers jolts us away from the characters and their plight and can be distracting, boring, and irritating for readers.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">~ Don’t get in the way or interpret for us</strong><span face="" style="background-color: white;">.</span></span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">We like to experience things for ourselves, not hear about them from someone else. Think about being subjected to photo after photo, or even videos, about your neighbors’ vacation. Yawn. In the same way, readers of popular fiction don’t want to be kept at arm’s length, to be told what’s happening by an intermediary narrator. They want to experience the events firsthand, to see, hear and feel what’s happening. They want to sense the character’s fears, hopes, joys, and worries and draw their own conclusions.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">As the late, great Jack Bickham said, “Not only does moment-by-moment development make the scene seem most lifelike, it’s in a scene [with dialogue and action and reaction] where your reader gets most of his excitement. If you summarize, your reader will feel cheated – short-changed of what he reads for – without quite knowing why.”</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">It’s through characters interacting that a scene comes alive, so be sure to put us right there with the characters, in the middle of the tension and conflict, using “live” action, dialogue, sensory details, thoughts, and emotions.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">~ Use deep point of view.</span></strong><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;"><b>Avoid omniscient point of view, which is distracting and distancing</b>. Use close third-person </span><span face="" style="background-color: white;">(or first-person) </span><span face="" style="background-color: white;">POV to put us right into your protagonist’s or other main character’s head and skin. Show us her thoughts, reactions, and plans, his inner fears, hopes, resentments, anger, confusion, tenderness, relief, and joy. Don’t keep the reader at arm’s length by describing your hero or heroine from the outside, using omniscient or distant third-person point of view.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">~ Evoke all five senses.</span></strong><span face="" style="background-color: white;"></span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">Showing means presenting the story to the reader using sensory information. The reader wants to feel what the character is feeling, experience their fear, joy, anger, determination, and pain, know their inner hopes and thoughts, and also see what’s happening, hear the different voices of the characters and other sounds, smell the smells, feel the tactile sensations, and taste the food and drink along with them. Telling, on the other hand, is summarizing the story for the reader in a way that skips past the life-giving sensory information and just relates the basic actions and events that occurred.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="262" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hZ6qtfYGgNo/VAUMpyyR6lI/AAAAAAAABfs/_TmXxgqao28KsHIL9eQiBSGjP8IHYzj4wCPcBGAYYCw/w178-h262/Fire%2Bup%2BYour%2BFiction_ebook_2%2Bsilvers.jpg" width="178" /></a></div><span style="color: #2b00fe;">~ Use powerful, evocative phrasing.</span><br /></strong><span face="" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="" style="background-color: white;">Instead of “the miner was tired” (telling), say “the miner trudged home, head bowed,” or “the miner plodded along, his boots like lead weights” or “the miner clomped over the gravel with heavy steps.” Or <i>slogged</i> or <i>tramped</i> or <i>lumbered</i> or <i>dragged</i> or <i>shuffled</i> (all showing).</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">Do a search for the word “was” – it’s often an indicator of telling instead of showing, as in “she was sad” or “he was angry.” Show their feelings instead by their thoughts, actions, words, tone, and body language.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">~ Add in lots of tension and conflict.</span></strong><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">Also, the bulk of the scene needs to be about a conflict of some kind between characters. No conflict = no scene. Tension and conflict are what drive fiction forward. As Jack M. Bickham said, the conflict part of the scene “draws readers out through a moment-by-moment drama, extending the scene suspense with pleasurable agony.” If you have a scene where everyone is getting along great, revise it to add more tension.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">EXAMPLES OF SHOWING, RATHER THAN TELLING:</span></strong><span face="" style="background-color: white;"></span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;"><b>Telling</b>: Jake’s words spooked me.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;"><b>Showing:</b> The hair on my arms rose when I thought about Jake’s words.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;"><b>Telling:</b> George was disgusted and angry.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;"><b>Showing:</b> George pounded his fist on the table and swore at her, his lips curling. “Don’t ever do that again.”</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;"><b>Telling:</b> Janie was bored at her Grandma’s.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;"><b>Showing:</b> Janie wandered from room to room, trying to find something to do. She wished it wasn’t raining outside. She looked through Grandma’s old books but nothing interested her.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">~ Also, no need to “tell” after you’ve “shown.” </strong><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /></span><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><strong><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dSMeqrXkZ-8/VEWVM3EUs7I/AAAAAAAABmk/acfb81arKKsuDws4eEA_jczzWy6IGiasACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller_wider.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="256" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dSMeqrXkZ-8/VEWVM3EUs7I/AAAAAAAABmk/acfb81arKKsuDws4eEA_jczzWy6IGiasACPcBGAYYCw/w174-h256/Writing%2Ba%2BKiller%2BThriller_wider.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="174" /></span></a></strong></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">Don’t explain after the fact. The words and actions should convey what you're trying to show.</span></span></div><div><em style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></em></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><em style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Before:</em><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">“You’re late!” the general said. He didn’t like to be kept waiting.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><em style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">After:</em><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">“You’re late!” The general glared at him, hands on hips.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">Other no-no examples of telling after showing:</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">In each case below, take out the unnecessary sentence at the end:</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">She moped around the house and wouldn’t answer the phone. Even TV didn’t interest her. She was depressed.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">“You crack me up,” she said, laughing hysterically. Joel could be so funny.</span></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #2b00fe;">RECAP – TIPS FOR SHOWING INSTEAD OF TELLING:</span></strong><span face="" style="background-color: white;"></span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">~ Show the characters’ actions as they’re occurring, in real time.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">~ Use deep point of view to get right into the skin, head, and heart of your character.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">~ Show us your viewpoint character’s reactions, feelings, emotions, and thoughts.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">~ Add in sensory information. What are they seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, feeling?</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">~ Include lots of spirited, to-the-point dialogue. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">~ Look for “was” or “were” and rephrase the sentence, replacing the adjective with a compelling verb or verbal phrase.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1088" height="210" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-elP-OLNImYQ/VckJCf_hEkI/AAAAAAAACKE/TT4Jf55C6_4RgLxorrRs1xErOEFxIhBWwCPcBGAYYCw/w142-h210/Captivate%2Bw%2BSilver%2Bdecal2.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>~ Cut way back on narrative description, exposition, and lengthy explanations of the character’s past or motivations.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">~ Keep flashbacks short, and show them in real time, with action and dialogue.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">~ Throw in plenty of conflict and tension. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">~ Avoid telling after you’ve shown.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">Of course, you can’t show everything, or your book would be way too long, and it would tire your readers out – or worse, end up boring them. You don’t want to show every move your characters make at down times, or when going from one place to the other. That’s where you summarize or “tell,” to get them to the next important scene quickly, without a lot of boring detail. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><span face="" style="background-color: white;">The main thing to keep in mind is to </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">never tell the reader, after the fact (or have a character telling another character), about a critical scene. Instead, dramatize it in the here and now, with dialogue, action, and lots of sensory details to bring it to life for the reader</b><span face="" style="background-color: white;">.</span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /><br />And check out these articles on <b>Point of View</b> on this blog:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2020/06/pov-101-get-into-your-protagonists-head.html" style="color: #771100; text-decoration-line: none;">POV 101 -- Get Into Your Protagonist's Head</a>, </span></b><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2020/06/pov-102-how-to-avoid-head-hopping.html" style="color: #771100; text-decoration-line: none;">POV 102 -- How to Avoid Head-Hopping</a>,</b> and </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://jodierennerediting.blogspot.com/2020/06/pov-103-engage-your-readers-with-deep.html" style="color: #771100; text-decoration-line: none;"><b>POV 103 -- Engage Your Readers with Deep Point of View</b></a>. </span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;" /></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang=""><span lang="EN"><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; line-height: 115%;">Click </span></b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Jodierennerediting"><b><span style="color: black;">HERE</span></b></a><b> for options to receive email
alerts of new posts published on this blog.</b></span><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">Jodie Renner is a freelance
fiction editor and the award-winning author of three craft-of-writing guides in
her series <em><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">An Editor’s
Guide to Writing Compelling Fiction</span></b></em><b>: <a href="http://mybook.to/KillerThriller"><span style="color: #992211; font-weight: normal;">WRITING A KILLER THRILLER</span></a></b>,<b> </b><a href="http://mybook.to/Fire-up-Your-Fiction"><b><span style="color: #992211;">FIRE
UP YOUR FICTION</span></b></a></span><em><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">,</span></em><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> and <a href="http://mybook.to/Captivate-Readers"><b><span style="color: #992211;">CAPTIVATE
YOUR READERS</span></b></a>, as well as two clickable time-saving
e-resources, <b><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Spelling"><span style="color: #992211; font-weight: normal;">QUICK CLICKS: Spelling List</span></a></b> and <b><a href="http://mybook.to/QuickClicks-Words"><span style="color: #992211; font-weight: normal;">QUICKCLICKS: Word Usage</span></a></b>. She has also
organized two anthologies for charity: </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Voices-Valleys-Stories-Poems-Interior/dp/0993700438/"><b><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #992211; mso-ansi-language: EN;">VOICES FROM THE VALLEYS –
Stories and Poems about Life in BC’s Interior</span></i></b></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">, and </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Childhood-Regained-Stories-Asian-Workers/dp/0993700446/"><b><i><span lang="EN" style="color: #992211; mso-ansi-language: EN;">CHILDHOOD REGAINED – Stories
of Hope for Asian Child Workers</span></i></b></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" lang="EN" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">. </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">You can find Jodie on her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jodie-Renner/e/B008H80AIE/"><b><span style="color: #992211;">Amazon Author Page</span></b></a>, at </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #953735; line-height: 115%; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #953735; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: lumm=75000; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent2; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;"><a href="https://www.jodierenner.com/"><strong><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #953735; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #953735; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: lumm=75000; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent2; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">www.JodieRenner.com</span></span></strong></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">, and on </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #953735; line-height: 115%; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #953735; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: lumm=75000; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent2; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/jodie.renner.editorauthor"><strong><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: #953735; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: #953735; mso-style-textfill-fill-colortransforms: lumm=75000; mso-style-textfill-fill-themecolor: accent2; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Facebook</span></span></strong></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span></p></div></div></div></div>Jodie Rennerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180607353893233389noreply@blogger.com0