O'Abby's November writing prompt

It's that time of year where the seasons are changing and the weather can be unpredictable, even savage.  And weather has a huge effect on us both in terms of our moods and emotions as well as the activities we might do.

This month's prompt is to write a scene that happens outdoors and to then re-write the same scene, but set in a different season with completely different weather.  Think about how the weather conditions change the character's outlook on the events happening around them, and how their actions might be dictated by the weather.

For example, in one of my books there is a scene where my POV character goes out in a blizzard to get wood for the fire and winds up nearly freezing to death when he slips on ice and sprains an ankle and can't get anyone's attention because of the noise of the wind.

If I was to rewrite the same scene, but set in the summer, it would be either a very different scene entirely, or I'd need to find a new way to create danger for my MC so he has the same level of fear for his life - and the people depending on him -  that he has in the existing scene.

Post your scenes in the comments so we can all see them.

I'll be looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

Happy writing!

X O'Abby

Dear O'Abby: How do I write good dialogue? - From the archives

Variations of this question have come up a few times in the last couple of weeks, so O'Abby trawled through the archives and found a previous column that answers them.

Dear O'Abby,

My critique group recently told me they feel like the dialogue in my stories is letting my writing down.  They say it's stilted and doesn't feel realistic.  Do you have any tips on how to write dialogue that feels natural and smooth?

Sincerely,

Scriptless

Dear Scriptless,

I think the best tool for writing natural sounding dialogue is to read your scenes aloud.  You'll hear when it doesn't ring true.  People are often sloppy when they speak and use a lot of contractions and slang terms, so if you write dialogue using formal written English, it won't feel realistic.

Using too many dialogue tags, especially things other than "said" can also make your dialogue feel unrealistic and stilted.  Save expressive tags like "yelled", "whispered", "howled" or anything else for moments when they are really needed.  The rest of the time, "said" is fine.

And don't even use "said" too often.  A lot of the time you can indicate who is speaking in a scene through action instead of using a tag.

"I'm going now," Jim said.

Sally didn't look at him. "So go, then."

When there are only two people speaking in a scene, there is no need to break up the flow of dialogue with any tags - they can just converse.  I suggest throwing a bit of action in every few lines to keep the reader grounded in who is talking and to keep the scene from reading like a script.  

And remember.  Dialogue shouldn't be used to provide exposition.  It should drive the story forward, always, give valuable character insights and needs to fit the character speaking it.  Everyone has slightly different ways of talking, and one way to make your characters distinct is through their dialogue.  Maybe one of your characters has a favourite word they use often or incorrectly.  Maybe one doesn't ever swear and has silly phrases she uses instead of profanity.

Dialogue is fun and incredibly important to make your characters sing off the page.  So have fun with it!

X O'Abby

Suzanna's Writing and Reading Goals for 2024: February Update

 

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The second month was successful with my reading goals. I made great progress on the publishing course, though I still have quite a bit to go. It has been lovely to think of how I want to reach my writing and publishing goals.

Here are my writing goals for 2024:

1. Write 50,000 words in 30 days as part of a NaNo project (Camp in April, Camp in July, or NaNo in November).
2. Write at least one children's book.
3. Write at least one new short story.
4. Edit at least one short story from my undergrad days.
5. Write at least twelve poems.
6. Put together a poetry collection.
7. Work on the draft of the graphic novel.
8. Take a course on publishing. (in progress)

1. Read 12 literary magazines. (0/12)
2. Read 12 novels. (24/12)
1. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (read by Andy Serkis)
2. The Wolf of Oren-Yaro
3. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune
4. Green Rider by Kristen Britain
5. The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake
6. Rival Demons by Sarra Cannon
7. Demons Forever by Sarra Cannon
8. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
9. Emerald Darkness by Sarra Cannon
3. Read 12 short story collections. (0/12)
4. Read 12 poetry collections. (0/12)
5. Read 12 graphic novels. (7/12)
1. Heartstopper Volume 4 by Alice Oseman
2. A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll
3. The Dark Matter of Mona Starr by Laura Lee Gulledge
4. Everything is Teeth by Evie Wyld
5. Fables: Book Six by Bill Willingham
6. Read 12 children's books. (6/12)
1. The Adventures of Chad and the feelings of Glad, Mad and Sad by Dustin Wright
2. We're Different, We're the Same by Bobbi Jane Kates
3. Mulla Husayn: The Story of the Declaration of the Bab for Young Children by Alhan Rahimi
4. Naw-Ruz in My Family by Alhan Rahimi
5. Garden of Ridvan by Alhan Rahimi
7. Read lots of books (nonfiction, fiber, etc). (9/12)
1. Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky
2. Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher
8. Participate in every Kindle Reading Challenge this year and get at least 90% of the badges. 
1. On target to finish all of the badges!

What are some of your writing and reading goals for 2024? How was February for you?

Suzanna's Writing and Reading Goals for 2024: January Update

 

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It's time to reflect on the first month of 2024! How did I do?

Here are my writing goals for 2024:

1. Write 50,000 words in 30 days as part of a NaNo project (Camp in April, Camp in July, or NaNo in November).
2. Write at least one children's book.
3. Write at least one new short story.
4. Edit at least one short story from my undergrad days.
5. Write at least twelve poems.
6. Put together a poetry collection.
7. Work on the draft of the graphic novel.
8. Take a course on publishing.
1. The 6 week course starts in February, and it will be exciting to think about writing and publishing in a new way. I am looking forward to learning so much.

Of course as a writer, I also need to read. I read 25 books in January. Only 225 to hit my goal, which is about 4.5 books a week.

1. Read 12 literary magazines. (0/12)
1. (selected one but haven't finished)
2. Read 12 novels. (15/12)
1. Inner Demons by Sarra Cannon
2. Popcorn and Poltergeists by Nancy Warren
3. Bitter Demons by Sarra Cannon
4. Shadow Demons by Sarra Cannon
5. Red Rising by Pierce Brown
6. Golden Son by Pierce Brown
7. Garters and Gargoyles by Nancy Warren
8. Morning Star by Pierce Brown
9. Diamonds and Daggers by Nancy Warren
10. Ribbing and Runes by Nancy Warren
11. Herringbones and Hexes by Nancy Warren
12. Mosaics and Magic by Nancy Warren
13. Tangles and Treason by Nancy Warren
14. Iron Gold by Pierce Brown
15. Cat's Paws and Curses by Nancy Warren
3. Read 12 short story collections. (0/12)
1. (selected one but haven't finished)
4. Read 12 poetry collections. (0/12)
1. (selected one but haven't finished)
5. Read 12 graphic novels. (2/12)
1. Heartstopper: Volume Two by Alice Oseman
2. Heartstopper: Volume Three by Alice Oseman
6. Read 12 children's books. (1/12)
1. The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken
7. Read lots of books (nonfiction, fiber, etc). (7/12)
1. Weaving Big on a Little Loom by Fiona Daly
2. A Handbook of Weaves by Gustaf Hermann Oelsner
3. Pattern Weaving by Rabbit Goody
4. Polysecure by Jessica Fern
5. The Art of War by Sun Tzu
6. The Gift by Edith Eger
7. The Polysecure Workbook by Jessica Fern
8. Participate in every Kindle Reading Challenge this year and get at least 90% of the badges.
1. I am on target with 8 achievements so far.  

What are some of your writing and reading goals for 2024? How did January go for you?

Suzanna's Writing and Reading Goals for 2024

 

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Wow, I can't believe that January is halfway over already! I decided to do something a little different this year. In December 2023, I took the Heart Breathings HB90 Bootcamp by Sarra Cannon to break the year into quarters by making goals and planning projects each quarter. I've been trying for years (and years) to develop tools from others and discover my preferences with planners, tracking progress, making goals, and completing goals.

And with all those years of experimenting, I have had little success with follow through. I make all of these wonderful goals at the beginning of the year. I start off great, but then the Suzanna Train loses steam and screeches off the track. Sure, I've reached some of my goals, but I have been anything but consistent, except during NaNo. Somehow, I can do NaNo. I even made it to 100 K with my double NaNo goal in 2023. YAY!

While I am still experimenting with my planner system, I'm thrilled that I took the HB90 Bootcamp course. I can already feel a difference with the progress I've made so far on my goals. 

• I'm not beating myself up when I fail to meet my daily or weekly to do list.
• Each day is a fresh start. Today is a good day to have a good day.
• It is really hard to make habits, but progress is progress.
• Life will throw curveballs no matter how much I plan. Gotta get up.

So, I want to continue writing, reading, and making progress on my personal goals. Here goes the start of a new quarter.

Here are my writing goals for 2024:

1. Write 50,000 words in 30 days as part of a NaNo project (Camp in April, Camp in July, or NaNo in November).
2. Write at least one children's book.
3. Write at least one new short story.
4. Edit at least one short story from my undergrad days.
5. Write at least twelve poems.
6. Put together a poetry collection.
7. Work on the draft of the graphic novel.
8. Take a course on publishing.

Of course as a writer, I also need to read. Can I make it to 250 this year? I made it to 247 last year.

1. Read 12 literary magazines.
2. Read 12 novels.
3. Read 12 short story collections.
4. Read 12 poetry collections.
5. Read 12 graphic novels.
6. Read 12 children's books.
7. Participate in every Kindle Reading Challenge this year and get at least 90% of the badges. 

What are some of your writing and reading goals for 2024?

Dear O'Abby - Will I ever make a living as a writer?

Dear O'Abby,

I'm a published author with several novels available in both print and digital.  Yet each time I get a royalty statement I want to cry.  I put so many hours into my writing and do my absolute best with marketing and publicity, even with my oldest titles.  And all of this is on top of a demanding day job.

I always thought that by the time I had four or five books in print, I'd earn enough to either quit my day job, or at least reduce my hours to give me more time to devote to writing and publishing.  This is not the case, and I'm wondering if it is actually possible to make a living as a writer.

Do you know?

Best,

Despondent

Dear Despondent,

Yes, it is possible to make a living as a writer.  But I think you're actually asking if it's possible to make a living as an author.  That is also possible, but very few people actually manage it.  I think even authors who look successful on the surface probably have other side-hustles or a partner who is earning a good living and can afford to support the family.

If you really want to make a living as a writer, you need to think about other avenues than just writing and publishing novels.  Writing is a skill and one that is very much in demand. If you're good at it, there are numerous ways you can use your talent to make a living from writing advertising copy to social media to internal office communications and external documents like annual reports.  You can also freelance, writing articles on whatever you're interested in and selling them to publications.

There is also the option of ghostwriting or working with a book packager, academic writing or journalism.  All of these things will allow you to flex your writing talent while making a living.  Sure, some of this writing may not be as creatively exciting as writing a novel, but writing for a different audience is good practice and will strengthen your writing in the long run.  Even something like writing funding applications for a charity can be a good way to earn a living from your writing.

The one downside I've encountered as someone who has done this kind of writing to earn a living is that sometimes you write so much during the day, it's hard to find the energy or inspiration to write fiction after work.  It's like there are no more words left in me at the end of the day.  So to mitigate this, I tend to get up early to do my own writing before the work day steals all my words.

So the short answer to your question is yes, it is possible to make a living as a writer.  You may just have to alter your perception about what that actually looks like.

Hope that helps!

X O'Abby

Dear O'Abby: Do I really need to end every chapter with a cliffhanger?

 Dear O'Abby,

I've heard that to keep readers turning the page, you have to end every chapter with a cliffhanger.  Is this true?  My book isn't super action packed and I feel like I'm creating artificial drama for the sake of it just so I can leave each chapter on a cliffhanger.  And as a result, I'm beginning to like my book less and less.  Are cliffhangers really necessary at the end of EVERY chapter?

Best wishes, 

Hanger

Dear Hanger,

In short, no.  You don't need to leave every chapter with a cliffhanger.  At least, not what we would typically call a cliffhanger.  Every chapter doesn't need to leave the heroine tied to the railway tracks with the train barrelling toward her, or the hero in a truck with the brakes disabled heading for the steepest hill in town. 

What every chapter needs to end with is something that will intrigue the reader and drive them to read on.  Or, if they do have to stop (we do all need to sleep sometimes) that what they've been left with with keep them thinking about your story until they can come back and pick it up again.

So you can end the chapter with a question your MC is asking of themselves, or another character.  Or with them moving into something unknown that may or may not hold some kind of threat.  Or with someone showing up with some news that is going to drastically alter the MC's life, or trajectory through the next few chapters.

Basically anything that will pique your readers' interest will keep them reading.  A new character turning up can be a good place to end a chapter as we don't know until we read on if this new arrival is a friend or foe.  Every chapter doesn't need to end at the same pitch either.  I like to have slightly more dramatic chapter endings in my first few chapters because at that point you're still drawing the reader into the story.  Once you're past the first three or four chapters, you can assume you've got the reader hooked and can give them a wee rest from the big, dramatic chapter endings.  

Basically, as long as the end of each chapter propels the story forward, you're ending in a good place.  Try to avoid ending chapters with characters falling asleep (unless of course, you have a Freddy Krueger-esque villain waiting to terrorise them in their dreams) or doing something else mundane that won't lead to the next bit of action.

I often write my books without chapter breaks when I'm drafting and then add them later, once I've seen where the story lends itself to breaking at a moment of tension.  And if the moments of tension are a long way away from each other (or too close together), I know I probably have a pacing issue to deal with too.  But I'm notorious for not plotting (and for not writing in sequence), and if you're a thorough plotter you'll probably have that under control already!

Hope that helps!  

X O'Abby

Dear O'Abby: What are some useful writing resources to help me build a career?

 Dear O'Abby,

I'm fairly new to this writing gig and am looking for some resources to help me along the way.  Obviously I've found this site (which is super useful, thanks - I especially love the Pass and Pages contests although I haven't entered one yet) but am wondering what other sites you might recommend.

Can you point me toward some sites I might find useful?

Best wishes,

Resourceless

Dear Resourceless,

There are so many wonderful sites out there that cover all kinds of different aspects of the writing journey.  I'm sure you will find many of them on your own as you continue on your journey, but here are some of the sites I personally use regularly and find useful.

If you're querying, I think this site, MS Wishlist, is among the most useful.  Agents put up profiles and list what they are actually looking for and you can search for agents that are likely to want books like yours.  I also like Query Tracker although I think a lot of the best features are behind a paywall now.

If you're interested in small presses or looking for places to publish short fiction, Authors Publish is a great resource.  Sign up for their newsletter to get regular tips sent to your inbox.

If you're interested in self-publishing, get some useful how-to information at Ingram Spark and find out more about how it works at Self-Publishing School.

If you're looking for a community to write with, I have been with Writing.Com for over 10 years now and have found almost all my critique partners and beta readers there.  They also have regular contests and challenges to keep you creatively on your toes.

Hopefully those will give you a good starting point.  If you search the web, you will find thousands of other great sites that might suit you better.

Best of luck with your writing journey.

X O'Abby

Celebrating 2021 and Preparing for 2022

 

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Well, here we are, days away from saying goodbye to 2021 and saying hello to 2022.

I accomplished a lot of my career change goals, all the while dreaming of the good ol' days where I could write my morning pages daily, and then work on some poems, stories, novels, and graphic novels. With the major shifts in my life, 2021 did not see a lot of writing. I did complete NaNo successfully, which re-ignited my desire to figure out how to balance my career with my passion for writing.

First I need to unpack from the move. Get my writing office set up. Schedule bi-weekly write-ins with my people. Show up to scheduled write-ins. Sit down and plan what project I will tackle in the new year. Plan my next NaNo novel. Maybe even do Camp in April and July. But most importantly, make writing a daily routine again.

How was your 2021? What are you planning for 2022?

Suzanna's Thoughts and Experiences - Where do you get your ideas?

 

 I absolutely love this question! Collecting ideas is a hobby of mine. There is an energy and excitement when ideas are new.

1. I am really, really, lucky that vivid and colorful dreams run in my family, so I have awesome dreams that "sometimes" get a turn at the writing desk. Dream meanings are fascinating.

2. I collect stories, funny sayings, and other things that I encounter every day into a document I call the compost. Theodore Roethke had a similar collection of fragments in Straw for the Fire. Inspiration from Roethke? Yes please.

3. Read "On Writing: A memoir of the craft" by Stephen King. Basically, take two unrelated ideas and combine them. This helped me when I combined two short stories to create the graphic novel project I am working on today.

4. Find some awesome writing prompts, either online or in collections. Some of my favorites are "Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing for the Lone Navigator or the Mutinous Crew" by Ursula K. Le Guin and "The Writer's Book of Matches" by Fresh Boiled Peanuts.

5. Do some research. Do you love fencing? Dogs? Funerals? Read some books, nonfiction and fiction, interviews, watch a TV show or movie. Ask "what if" and "I wonder if" questions. Combine two unrelated things (see 3). You'll be amazed by what other writers have created. What will you create if you had similar ingredients? Go to the lab and find out.

Going from inspiration to publication is a different journey. Focus on gathering ideas. Have fun with the writing and see what happens on the page. Then have fun with the editing and publishing part of the journey, if you so desire. Good luck!

Dear O'Abby: Do I Need to Punish My Characters?

Dear O'Abby,

I've written a book in which several characters do things that are morally questionable and I was wondering if, for readers to feel satisfied, they need to suffer in some way as a result.  I know that in times past, it was unusual for a character to break social mores without some kind of retribution, but in this modern day and age, is this still the case?

Yours,

Ambiguous.

Dear Ambiguous,

This is a very interesting question.  You're right that anti-social behavior is usually punished in fiction, even if it's a subtle punishment.  I think even if this is not entirely intentional, it's human nature to try and set things right and make sure people who break rules, even unspoken ones, pay for their sins.

It even has a name: poetic justice.

Fairy tales are built on this principle, as are fables.  Good behavior is rewarded; bad is punished.  So I guess it's no surprise that this continues through most fiction.  It's the basis of our storytelling tradition.

But as for it needing to be this way to be satisfying, I'm not entirely sure.  I'm struggling to think of a book in which a character does something terrible or immoral in which they don't receive some kind of punishment for it - usually something that forces them to change their ways.  Or kills them.

I guess it really depends on which character is breaking society's code and for what reason. If they have good, well-drawn reasons for their behavior, they may be able to get away from the situation without punishment.  It would need to be a really good reason though...  Something like murdering a pedophile to save a child.  Doing something evil for the greater good is an acceptable trope.  Especially if there's a healthy dose of guilt and remorse around the event.

Yet, if the anti-social act is sexual, rather than violent, I think it might take more than guilt and remorse to redeem the character.  For some reason we seem to consider anti-social violent acts more acceptable than sexual ones.

But let's take this to the readers.  Can a book be satisfying if anti-social behavior isn't punished?  Can you name a book where this happens?  I'm now kind of fascinated by this question and will be looking to answer it with every book I read from now on.  And probably every one I write too!

X O'Abby

Why write short fiction if I'm a novelist?

There were no questions for O'Abby this week, so I thought instead I'd share an excerpt from a longer article I wrote a while back about why, as a novelist, writing short fiction can be valuable.

Next time we're without a question for O'Abby, I'll share the other part of this article, which is about why publishing that short fiction is equally valuable.

Hope you find it useful!

I wrote my first novel when I was still a teenager.  Barely a teenager.  I’d never written anything except stories for school before, and had no idea what I was doing.  And the finished novel was a complete mess.  So were the next two I attempted, and the fourth.

It wasn’t until I took a step away from pouring myself into novel after novel that I learned how to be a writer.  And what taught me those valuable lessons, was writing short stories.

Writing short fiction has many benefits for novelists, whether you’ve written your first novel or your fourteenth.

Writing short fiction helps you discover what you love writing.  There are thousands of publications out there asking for stories in every genre from crime thrillers to romance to fantasy and beyond.  Why not test your ability across a range of genres and styles?  Find out what you truly love to write before you invest the hundreds of hours required to write a novel.

While I figured this out for myself, I wrote sci-fi, fantasy, horror, erotica, historical fiction and more.  And throughout all this, I think I knew my heart was always going to be in YA, but I don’t feel at all like I wasted my time by writing more broadly.  In fact, I think writing all those different genres helped me find my own unique voice because I tried so hard to change it when writing stories that weren’t wholly my own.

Writing short fiction is also a valuable tool for honing your writing craft.  When a publication is asking for a story of only five, three or one thousand words, there’s no room for waffle.  The story itself needs to be focused and crafted so it has a beginning, a middle and an ending.  The writing must be powerful and evocative.  In short fiction, every word must have a purpose and pull its weight.  There is no room for flabby writing.   Nor is there room for a cast of thousands or myriad subplots.

I like to keep this in the back of my mind when I’m editing longer works.  Each chapter can be looked at like a short story, and each word in that chapter needs to push the story forward, not send it off into some dark alleyway with no exit in sight.

As a writer, I find writing short fiction is fantastic for keeping my writing tight. Novels give us the freedom to explore subplots and side characters and elaborate on worlds, but sometimes it’s valuable to go back to short fiction and try to get to the core of the story in as few words as possible.  Once you get back into the habit of making every word count, it will transfer into your novel writing and make your writing there stronger and tighter too.

Resurfacing From Creativity Coma

I didn't realize my creative brain was asleep until it woke up.

It wasn't until about a week and a half ago that I had my first idea for an article...an essay...a blog post...got inspired to work on my YA contemporary novel...wanted to put words on a blank page and soak in the worlds they created, the images they painted.

And suddenly, I was on fire. Within about 24 hours, I'd compiled a list of four or five blog posts and essays I wanted to write. It was liberating, empowering, and it was intoxicating.

It's not actually the first time I've experienced something like that. Where for days — nay, weeks — on end, my thoughts were asleep. And I barely even realized it.

I told myself it wasn't happening; that I had ideas, just not the time to work on them; and that as soon as I was no longer stressed about my housing situation, my work situation, my everything-else situation, I would settle back into writing.

But isn't that how it always goes? We don't stop being creative because we want to, or because we've lost the creativity inside of us; we stop being creative because of life circumstances.

But that's actually not the purpose of this post. It doesn't really matter what causes a creativity slump; what matters is what we do after they're over. I won't say "to get over them," because honestly, sometimes you just have to wait it out as best you can, in my opinion. You can't force yourself into productivity, nor can you beat yourself up for not being productive if it's just. not. coming.

The key thing with a slump, a creativity coma, is how you recover from it.

I feel like I'm just now waking up from a long, deep sleep...which is hilarious, because on May 29 I was on a Slump-Busting panel at a blogging conference, and I thought I was recovering from a two-week slump.

Oh, how wrong I was.

Sure, I got back into reading at that point...but writing? Nope, that didn't come easy. Like I mentioned, it wasn't until about a week and a half ago that I even wanted to write again. That I even had an idea for anything to write. That I even believed I could write again.

But I have to take it slow. The other night, I almost freaked right on out because of how much I have to get started doing again — writing for this blog; writing for my own blog; writing for paid publications; writing my novel; reading friends' novels; reading ARCs and reviewing; I could go on. So much more to do!

And in that moment, thinking of fitting it all in on top of full-time work, sleeping, commuting, and trying to have a social life felt...impossible.

So I slowed myself down. I'm gonna take things one at a time. Make lists. Stick to them. Forgive myself if I don't hit everything on the list. Celebrate my accomplishments. Don't sign up for too much (aka don't overcommit). And more, and more, and more.

This blog post is...one of the first steps, actually. A small commitment that I made far enough in advance that I knew I could make it. And. Here. I. Am!

Hey, I'll check back in a few weeks from now and let y'all know how it's going! What do you do when you're in your own creativity coma?

This photo is unrelated. But yay, empty subway train!

5 Steps to Fresh-eyed Editing

I'm pleased to introduce today's guest blogger, Deborah Froese. In addition to being the editorial director at Rebelight Publishing, she's also the author of two award-winning books for young people. 

Welcome, Deborah!

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Five Steps to Fresh-eyed Editing

As a writer, editing your own work is one of the toughest things you’ll ever have to do. For optimum results, don’t be yourself.

That may sound like a ridiculous challenge, but it’s simply a reframed view of an old adage: read with fresh eyes. Because you are intimately familiar with your own words, you can’t possibly interpret them as readers will. Experience with backstory and development taint your perspective. They trick your brain into seeing things that aren’t there and overlooking things that are—like typos, punctuation errors, and any excess you’ve spilled onto the page.

You could simply put your manuscript away for six months or a year before reading it again, but who wants to do that? Here’s a five-step approach to tackling an edit without leaving yourself—or your manuscript—behind.

1. Invite passionate, discerning readers (preferably other writers) to critique your work. Bribe them with chocolate if necessary. Accept their comments graciously, but also ask questions. What did they like? What didn’t they like? Was there anything they didn’t understand or found missing? Did attention wander? Where did it wander? Let feedback simmer and then incorporate the ideas that resonate with you.
2. Root out passive language by annihilating expressionless “to be” verbs wherever possible (be,
   
   am, is, are, was, have, do, can, could, should, would—you get the idea). That approach forces you to rethink your text and shift from “He was holding his hand over the control switch and trying to decide whether or not he should press the launch button,” to “His hand hovered over the launch button. Go or no?”
3. Uproot personal pronouns (PPs) and PP statements to yank readers into the story for a more dramatic experience. “She felt the raindrops pummeling her face,” for example, becomes “Rain pummeled her face.”
4. Read your words aloud. Let me repeat: READ YOUR WORDS ALOUD. Ears detect what eyes miss—from poor flow to lack of clarity and excessive text. Your neighbours might think you’re crazy—but they might just pull up a chair and listen.  
5. After taking the previous four steps, apply a splash of magic and trick your brain into thinking it sees something new: change the style and size of your font. Yes. Really. When words assume a slightly different shape and line breaks shift, your brain reboots the script.

Editing is an essential part of writing, but learning to do it well takes time. Finding ways to analyze your words logically and through different lenses makes the job easier.

Do you have any editing tips to share?

Learn more about Deborah Froese by visiting her blog: Story Matter