In a word? Do it cautiously! The fact is that almost no one, not a single one of us, speaks perfectly when we’re speaking. “People don’t always talk good.” So when you’re editing dialogue, resist the urge to edit it to perfection! Make sure this isn’t a natural way of speaking or a character-specific style. […]
Tag: editing stuff
The Cost of Editing
Being an editor isn’t the easiest of jobs, and part of the problem is that a lot of authors don’t see the “need” for us. (At least until bad reviews because of editing start coming in.) Many do, and I’m grateful for them–as are their readers, I’m sure–but many see what we do as a […]
Redundancy, Part 2
Even if you’re not writing an action-packed, fast-paced book, a smooth and quick flow to your words is very important. You want your book to “carry” your reader along, which means minimizing places where the reader might get bogged down or tripped up. This is why editing is important, but not just in terms of […]
Department of Redundancy Department
(As both author and editor, this post is part of the writing tips and helpful thoughts from an editor that you might find useful in your own writing!) Being redundant or repetitive in your writing can really bog down your readers’ ease-of-reading, and it can also make your story downright boring. The repetition itself becomes […]