Picture 12 women in a room and no one is talking. Silence. And it wasn’t a prayer service or a silent retreat. Hard to imagine? Not if these women are writers participating in a weekend write-in. Okay, in our minds, some of us were talking with our characters. Some of us even might have been praying…or cursing. What a delight to meet with my MidMichigan Romance Writers of America Chapter sisters for a fall write-in at the beautiful Riverside Inn. Not only did I get a boatload of editing accomplished, I learned five valuable lessons. Writers are respectful of Read More
Tag: editing
Getting Inside an Editor’s Brain: An Interview with Julie Sturgeon
Every author wonders what editors think. When our precious baby lands in the hands of an editor, what happens? I’ve worked with Julie Sturgeon, and I can say what happens is magic. Julie agreed to give us a peek behind the curtain in her editing process. I am so pleased to share her insights with you. Welcome, Julie. I’m always flattered when someone asks me to be a guest on their blog, and I do a happy dance when they provide questions. That list is an excellent way to figure out what people want to know—and where misconceptions are lurking Read More
Five Weak Words That Suck the Life Out of My Writing
I am composing this post as I finish revisions of Buried Secrets, the sequel to The Cavanaugh House. During this process, I again realize the importance—no, the necessity—no, the obligation of authors to revise, revise, revise. I have spent the last week wordsmithing and tweaking my manuscript, creating a stronger, more interesting story. Here are some particularly pesky words for me: Apparently “well” is my favorite word. As my friend and editor pointed out, I used it 122 times in a 263-page draft. That’s at least once every other page. “Well, well, well,” I said to myself, “I have to Read More
Using Subtext: a Writer’s Magic Trick
Editor Teresa Crumpton is not a magician, but her insights and suggestion for punching up our writing with subtext could make us feel like we just pulled a rabbit out of a hat. “I know it when I see it, but—” Subtext can be hard to define, but it’s worth the effort. For the purposes of this short article, let’s think of subtext as the part of a scene the intelligent reader brings to the story. Of course the expertise of the clever-and-confident author sparks the reader’s contribution. Characters often use subtext when blurting out the plain truth would be Read More