So you've got a completed manuscript on your hands. Congratulations! Now you just have to edit it. But what kind of editing do you need? I've got seven good reasons to hire a developmental editor below. What Is Developmental Editing? A developmental edit takes into account all the "big-ticket" items regarding your manuscript: plot, pacing, … Continue reading 7 Good Reasons to Hire a Developmental Editor
Ever finished a book and wondered how the author managed to pull it off? It's usually because they were working with a great editor. Hiring an editor isn't like pressing the Easy Button, however. Self-editing your fiction is an invaluable part of the writing process, one that too many aspiring authors are quick to skip … Continue reading How to Self-Edit Your Fiction: 3 Issues to Tackle First
Writing better dialogue doesn't have to be difficult. In fact, you can probably improve upon the dialogue you've already written, no matter how bad it is. Here's a handy cheat sheet to help you spot the signs that your dialogue needs work and write better conversations between your characters. How to Write Better Dialogue For … Continue reading How to Write Better Dialogue
Are your readers struggling to connect with your main character? Filtering language might be the cause. Thankfully, the solution is simple. Keep reading to learn how to make your protagonist more relatable by eliminating nine common words from your draft. How to Make Your Protagonist More Relatable If your readers are having trouble relating to … Continue reading How to Make Your Protagonist More Relatable: Erase 9 Words
This is the first entry in what might become a series of advice articles aimed at newbie authors and indie publishing startups. Today, I'm talking about why you shouldn't proofread a manuscript before you edit it. If anything's a dead giveaway that you're new to this business, it's a sentence like one of these: Looking … Continue reading Advice for New Writers: Don’t Proofread Before You Edit