From the Editor's Desk

Oftentimes, writers will ask me for tips on writing. Here are some writing secrets that I have learned in my role as an editor, and also in my own writing life. I hope that you find it helpful.

1. Keep Writing: The most important advice is to maintain a regular schedule of writing. This is especially vital between projects. It’s a great way to stretch your writing muscles, to further develop your “voice,” and can also be a tool for trying out new writing styles. Keep a blog or a writing journal, or both!

2. Show, don’t tell: Readers want to read stories that draw them in and hold their attention. The best way to do this is by showing them vs. telling them. Frankly, stories should have a little of both. Incorporate strong adjectives and powerful verbs, describe the scene and the actions/behavior of characters. Write in a way so that readers will feel that they have stepped into the story...and so that they will always love the book over the movie! Think of the five senses when you write: sight, sound, touch, taste, and emotion.

3. I love my thesaurus: When your thinking cap stops working, just grab your trusty old friend, the thesaurus! This can be particularly helpful when you know what you want to say, but are struggling to think of a more colorful way to state it.

4. Write, don’t edit: Leave the editing for me! No, but seriously. Writing is a process, and stories have a way of writing themselves as you know to be true. The most important thing when you are in that mode of writing and creating a story is to get it out on paper (or computer). Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, or major editing. There will be some minor editing that writers will do, it’s just part of the nature of the process, as you develop characters and scene. But major editing requires a professional editor with an objective opinion. It’s like the whole yin/yang thing...Writers and editors balance each other out, and that is also why it’s key to forming a working relationship with your editor. From my own experience with writing, the process of writing is one of immersing yourself into a new world of your own creation. When a writer is in that mode, it can be difficult to have the objectivity necessary for editing, hence the yin/yang role. So, as you write, do not focus too much on major editing, just write!

5. Write, rewrite, & rewrite: In order to truly polish your manuscript, multiple drafts and layers of editing are necessary in order to draw out that diamond in the rough. The first draft has the purpose of getting to the outline of the story, or the the bare bones, out on paper. Each revision should polish the story and move it forward until it is a well-developed one. In the end, you should have a polished piece that clearly shows the heart of the story with well-developed plot and characters, and is one that readers will enjoy. This all takes time and layers of editing.

6. Caution: Plot holes, spacing of time, long & awkward narratives, dialogue issues- These are some of the most common issues that I see in manuscripts. Writers often struggle with creating dialogue that flows in a way that reads easily & so that the reader can tell who is talking and what is happening. Sometimes plots can have holes in them, or be overly complex. Other times, spacing is off within the timeline of a story. These finer details can throw off a reader, and leave the story lacking. But a good editor will point these out, AND offer suggestions to fix these issues.

Keep Writing!

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