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Found 14 results

  1. As an editor of fiction, (in South Africa there aren’t many), I have come across manuscripts that belong at the bottom of the slush pile, manuscripts with a literal value, manuscripts that are mediocre, entertaining, and some downright sloppy. At times I value the plot, other times the characters, but, in the end, it doesn’t matter what I value, essentially the publisher has the last say. All I do is make sure that the manuscript is as perfect as it can be the moment it lands on the publisher’s desk. My view of perfection must always be linear to the writer’s view of perfection. You might argue and say, Well, I’m writing for myself. By all means do so, and make sure that you stash it in a drawer, with all the other manuscripts you have written that will never see the light of day. If you are writing for yourself, please, please do keep it to yourself. However, if you wish to share your writing with a workshop group, or editor, and you wish to grow through the process of learning the craft, by all means I will do my best to make sure your writing is handsome to the eye. With this in mind, there are words that I never want to see in a novel. I make a list of the author’s favourite words, these are words that the author uses repeatedly. In many manuscripts I mark the margin with something like: Be careful of this word, it is used repeatedly throughout the chapter. A word like JUST. It is used in dialogue so often that the author is not aware that he has repeated it 45 times in a chapter. The warning will be something like this: JUST – try to stay away from using this word, it tends to be repetitive. I am reducing all JUST’s. Other repetitive words include: SO, WELL (especially at the beginning of sentences, and often used in dialogue), SMIRK, THE FACT THAT. The following qualifiers and verbs: A BIT, A LITTLE, FAIRLY, HIGHLY, BACK, LOOK, KIND OF, MOSTLY, PRETTY, QUITE, RATHER, ACTUALLY, REALLY, SLIGHTLY, SOMEWHAT, SOMETHING, SORT OF, THAT WHICH, AS WELL,THOUGH, LOVERLY, WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL, ADORABLE, HORRIBLE, NASTY, TERRIBLE, SILLY, COMELY. THE REASON WHY. THEN (too many). THAT (too many). The list goes on and on. These words do not convey what the writer is seeing. He sees something terrible but doesn’t allow the reader to see it. He sees a beautiful man or woman, but fails to convey the beauty. If the writer uses any of the 5 senses to convey the last nine words in the list, then he will have succeeded in showing the reader, instead of telling the reader what he/she is seeing. Another pet peeve of mine is WOULD OF, instead of would have, COULD OF, instead of could have. Body parts that act on their own: HER HAND WAVED, instead of He/she waved. LOOK and GAZE. These two verbs are so overused in all writing, including mainstream. There are better words to use, that is why there is such a thing called a thesaurus. The words BEGAN TO and STARTED TO. In good writing, there is no beginning. The characters just DO IT. Which is better? He began to scream or He screamed? The horse started to gallop up the hill or The horse galloped up the hill? Leave out the word THEN as much as possible. Why? Most things happen sequentially anyway. He THOUGH TO HIMSELF. Well, who would he think to other than himself? TO HIMSELF is redundant. Delete it. There are so many words that I scream at. Unnecessary articles, a/an/the. Whole cliché’s. Unnecessary words. Roundabout and indirect words. Redundant words and phrases like THE SKY ABOVE. The sky is above. Everyone knows that. (I should hope so). Unnecessary possessives like: She held up the diamonds, (her) eyes gleaming. Other words I dislike are: SO AS. UH OH. VERY. SUDDENLY. I AM SAT HERE. (It’s true that someone may have sat you there) but it should be I am sitting here. Why do I dislike all of the above? They call attention to themselves. The moment a reader starts noticing repetition, he/she is no longer lost in your story. When the reader begins to play with his commitment ring after the tenth THE FACT THAT, you’ve lost a reader. I am not against using any of the above in dialogue. Dialogue exists to show character and to move the story forward, it exists to create conflict. But if I find these words used repeatedly in the narrative, most of them will be deleted. Churchill once said: This is the sort of bloody nonsense up with which I will not put. I second this. If your manuscript is riddled with all of the above, then it’s not ready for an editor. Your work is not finished until you have these all ironed out. When I say ironed out, I mean that you should play with the sentences. Never rush. Especially if you are writing for an audience. I dislike rushed work. I can see it immediately from reading the first paragraph. Make your sentences crisp, clear and precise. Clarity and precision are paramount. Rewrite that troublesome sentence 100 times if you must, but please get it right. Not for the editor, not for the publisher, do it for yourself. Have a juggernaut weak, and should I not great, my hand will wave from where I am sat. Hugs
  2. You've written a story, you've gotten from point A to point B, and you made sure to wrap everything up, nice and tidy...but it's just not ready yet. Right? You want it to be your best work. So you go back and edit it so that it'll seem like a much better, more professional, well-written story. You take a little more time with it, but even then, it doesn't seem quite right. So you go back again, and try to 'fix' everything that you think is wrong with it. You finish up...and it's OK...but...SHIT! Just before you go to bed, you toss and turn because you're thinking of a few more things that you want to say, and maybe a line of dialogue that you wanted to add to the third act. So you dive right back in and try to alter your project even more. You rephrase a couple of thoughts, add a little 'here', subtract a little 'there', and you wear yourself out trying to reach perfection. This is a natural, but often self-destructive way of handling your own writing in the long run. I know that sounds weird, but I've learned that this is a practice that needs to be recognized and avoided at all costs. There is no such thing as perfection when it comes to art. K? If anything, it is the collection of imperfections that will ultimately set you apart from everyone else who is pursuing the same audience that you are trying to impress. There is such a thing as 'overworking' a story, and in your valiant attempt to improve on your original ideas, you can actually end up doing more harm than good if you're not careful! So...this week's blog is all about leaving well enough alone and not letting your scrutinizing eye eat away at your story, taking the feeling and emotion out of what you're trying to say. This week, we talk about 'overworking' a story. Now, I can only speak for myself when I say that my writing is most potent when I am in the moment. While I have an idea and a game plan and an outline fixed in my head...the writing itself is very spontaneous in nature. Those thoughts and emotions come through me and get translated into words as I channel my muse as best as I can. There are times when my typing fingers can't keep up with what's going on in my mind and in my heart. It can be a rush, to just zone out and have a story evolve and blossom right in front of my very eyes. Then, once the story or that chapter is done, I take a short break from it to make sure that I can look at it with an objective eye, where I'm not still all buzzed and excited over what I just created. Naturally, there are going to be mistakes. Spelling and mechanical errors, dialogue mishaps, and a few things that could be delivered in a better way. So I go back to the beginning and try to give it that good old-fashioned Comsie polish so it's a smooth and enjoyable read for anybody who happens to stumble across it online. However...I have my worries and insecurities just like any other writer, and there exists this temptation to keep thinking about the story long after it's finished. As well as the need to jump back into it so I can fix it. One of the main reasons that I edit all of my own stories is because I would hate to drive an editor into a friggin' ASYLUM with the tiny tweaks and twitches that I'm constantly putting into my stories at the last minute. Hehehe, that just wouldn't be a fair fight for any human being who would try to figure out why some of these things needed changing at all. I still try to add little touches of 'last-minute magic' before posting a new story, but I had to train myself to stop agonizing over the tiny micro details of every chapter the way that I used to. It's not easy, but I feel it's necessary. You see...when you keep going back to your story, changing this and that, trying to correct issues that weren't really issues to begin with...you begin to work against the spontaneity of your own muse. That gut instinct that was pulling you along and guiding you to speak your truth and express your honest feelings? It can get lost if you become obsessed with bending and warping the natural flow of what you were trying to say in the first place. I've seen really heartfelt stories turn into something slightly 'wooden' and less appealing, simply because the original version was overworked in an attempt to appeal to a wider audience. Sometimes, the search for perfection can drain the 'life' out of a project. That's never a good thing. I'm not saying that you shouldn't strive to be at your very best at all times. Of course you should. But, at the same time, you have to develop some level of faith in your own instincts. That energy and that passion that you put into those phrases and metaphors and emotionally engaging moments is the very essence of a great story. It's raw and it's real and it says something about who you are and where your heart lies when talking about the situation at hand. Don't lose that. Think about some of the best moments in your real life. Take a second and think about those times when you fell head over heels in love, when you laughed until your belly hurt, or when you were totally surprised by a bit of good fortune. Did you plan for those moments? Or did they just sort of happen? Life is really a matter of 'winging it' from one moment to another, and having that same feeling expressed in your stories is only going to make it more relatable to everyone reading it. By going back and putting an extra gloss on every situation and word of dialogue can sometimes make it seem fake and unrealistic. That spur of the moment genius that you had while writing gets pushed aside for robotic corrections and stilted conversations. It can become a disconnect between you and your readers. If you think your readers can't recognize a labored scene in a story, you'd be wrong. They can often tell right away. And that's not your best work, is it? I, personally, think that there has to be a time when you let your work speak for itself. Leave it alone. In a way, I imagine it would be like raising a child. You want to give your story a good foundation and bring it to a point where you can be proud of what it can accomplish...but at some point you have to let go and let it breathe on its own. You won't lose any love for it, hehehe, promise. Go back, touch your story up in a few places if needed, and then let your heart take control and give your brain a rest. STOP thinking about it! Hit the send button and anxiously wait for the reaction. Your audience might surprise you. Remember, we can all be our own worst critics sometimes, and the mistakes that you think are so unforgivable when you're reading your own work...most readers don't catch the at all. They're too busy enjoying what it is you have to say. I've reached a point now where I barely even remember half of the stuff I write. Hehehe, it's true! Sometimes, somebody will quote something from one of my stories and I'll be like, "Wait! I wrote that? That sounds pretty cool. THANKS!" LOL! Sad, but true. But, like I said, that's because I write 'in the moment' and don't look back when I'm done. I would much rather have the passion take center stage. Don't be a 'George Lucas' and keep going back trying to fix "Star Wars"! "Star Wars" is fine just like it is. The extras aren't necessary, and they begin to intrude on the simplicity and innocence of the original work. Spill your heart out, make one or two edits for content and mistakes...and then leave it alone! Too much is too much. Less is more. And whatever cliché you want to attach to the same idea. Have some faith in your talent and let your story say what it needs to say. Allow your natural instincts shine without being hindered by afterthoughts and insecurities. K? The more love you have for your own stories, the more that love will be transmitted to the people watching. It's like the difference between hearing an artist or band on a marketable CD, and seeing them live in concert. The concert is an entirely different experience. Feel good about your initial gut feelings, and bring them to your audience without giving them that 'perfection' handicap. I think they'll appreciate it. I hope this helps you guys gain some trust in your muses, wherever they may be. And I'll be back soon with more! Now, if you'll excuse me...I'm going to go back over this entire article and scrutinize every last word and detail to see if it's ok for posting! LOL! What??? It needs 'fixing', dammit! I'm insecure. So sue me...
  3. To any of you that enjoy using the application "Tapas," or frequent the website "tapas.io," I've been slowly uploading all of my work (even my collaborative work, with permission, of course) there. It's under Thirdly. Tapas has a more strict-ish setup for stories, so I have had the incredibly gargantuan task of CENSORING everything. 😱 For example, for Lust and Chastity, I had to "clean up" the smut down from NC-17 to rated R not once, but three times over per chapter. I know for a FACT that it's still not clean as the chapters should be. But, I have been doing my best to comply. Do any of you remember a chapter where Finian was apparently covered in cum TWICE before ever even crossing over to Zirao Zion? Apparently, it happened. If any of you have Tapas, I ask that you take a peek at Lust and Chastity for me and let me know if I did a decent job of it. I dread going over the Galamin chapter...I have to change it all to traumatic torture without pushing that rated R too hard. *drags hands down her face* Wish me luck. I started with LC first because it only has 19 chapters. I think I might break down crying when I start trying to censor Kidnapping is Always an Option. If I ever get that far, I'll probably update this post with my complaints.
  4. With all my free time (hahaha!) I've been going through a hard edit of Camp Refuge. It's sort of the story where I found my favorite subject matter. It was where I decided I was no longer a writer of "porn with plot", but rather "erotica with purpose". Head-hopping became my enemy after Camp Refuge. I realized that I did it a lot, and I felt I had to eliminate it in order to improve, and grow. So I did (mostly). Yet, as I edit and as more players are added to the mix in Camp Refuge, I have begun to realize that I cannot rid the story of it. Something would fundamentally change in the telling and not all for the better. Yes, I'd be able to replace a lot of proper names with pronouns if I head-hopped less. But... the reader wouldn't get to see the differences between what Jeremy and Mason are thinking, right in the same scene. They wouldn't get to want to choke Clay for diving down the dark hole of fear, while his son is happy as a lark and unaware of how much his father is hurting. Simply stated: the story would lose something vital. Right now I build scenes linearly, in a single character's perception. Sometimes it's the MC, sometimes it's a raccoon, but it's always a single perception. It's easy, structured, and simple to read. I'm rethinking it. Because, though Camp Refuge needs help in many ways, ridding it of head-hopping doesn't seem to be one.
  5. I started rereading a story I wrote a while back. Camp Refuge is such a keystone for me. It has so many good things going for it, embedded in a package of terrible mechanics. I'm going to try and explain what I mean. I began it to help a reader who had written while I was in the process of releasing Guarded on another site. He was recently diagnosed with HIV, and he was wrecked. I'll never forget the last two lines he ever wrote to me - "Who could love me now? Who could possibly love me now?" I was a chapter away from finishing Guarded when I got that email, and I started Camp Refuge immediately after Guarded was done. I had to. I had to show him that he deserved love, acceptance, and peace. He never wrote again, and as I released chapters, I wondered if he even saw them. But, something started to happen around that story. Other's wrote. People who were HIV+, demisexuals, gray asexuals, trans folks, people suffering from depression, those who had been abused... they all reached out. I got some of them to explore getting treatment locally, even had our HIV nurse and a case manager reach out directly to a few who consented to such. I began to realize that it was bigger than the beginning. It made me understand something scary, and thrilling, all at once. It was the very first time I realized that my words have power. Rereading it now, I know I can't put it on GA. Not yet. I head-hop soooo much; it's almost laughable. But, the bones are there. It has a good skeleton. In the words of the esteemed Stitch, the story is "Broken but Good". I think it deserves to simply be "good". Another project... urgh.
  6. Writing Tips From Fellow Writers Passive Voice: Avoid word choices using 'to be' and the conjugations 'is, am, were, was, are, has been, have been, will be, being' as much as possible to keep action immediate and reduce the passive voice when writing. It lacks precision and clarity. Use search to find those keywords that indicate passive voice and consider each to see if your sentence needs a re-write. Plot Arc: The 'hook' is what intrigues readers in your story. The climax is the point the book wouldn't exist without; the whole reason for your character and plot to exist. Hooks should be point A, climax point Z, of course. Between you have all the other letters of the alphabet. This is the journey your reader makes from the hook to the climax. Make sure that each point builds on the last and that they all further the story to that climax! Self-Marketing for Authors: Authors just write a story and sit back and wait for reader's acclaim. A book on the shelf, an online story on a site full of online stories will not stand out unless you make it. A good story will keep readers coming back for more, but to get them, you need to network. The best way to do that is to get involved in author discussions, use status updates, signatures, reviews, etc. A blog is also a great way to feature your writing! Speech Tags: Speech tags are to be avoided; they're like evil little speedbumps for readers. Use them occasionally but try to stick to said or asked. Instead, use actions or thoughts from characters to show the reader what is going on in the scene instead. Create the emotion or action through a visual cue, like slamming a door after shouted dialogue, or wiping away tears after a cry of loss. Don't Edit Alone: GET HELP! We can't stress this point enough. Get a beta reader and/or editor or two, or three even! Fresh eyes on your work catch things you invariably miss. If you want to have a great story, you have to do the work to make it the best it can be! Editing For Content: Ask yourself who, what, when, where, why, and how when reading for content. Does the story answer all the questions you think it should? Highlight all the lines/places in the story that best answer those questions so you know if the story follows the logical order. Sometimes something the author just knows doesn't quite make it into the story, making vital plot points confusing to readers. Editing Tip: Make editing, for yourself or others, a priority and always try to learn the rules as best you can. Try researching grammar rules at least thirty minutes a month. Editing Tip: Listen to music or chew gum. Something that will keep you from being bored, but won't really distract you. Let's face it, writing something new can be fun; checking for errors is not, but it is a necessary evil. If editing your own work, make a list of what to watch for when you write/edit next of common mistakes you keep making. Four Editing Tips: 1. Try printing out your story/chapter and editing by hand. 2. Read backwards, covering the extra text with a paper if necessary to not get caught up in the flow of the story. 3. Point to the words one at a time if you find you tend to skip words that are missing or extra words added, especially. 4. Try to get at least one night of sleep between writing and editing. Writing Names in Fantasy Fiction: In fantasy, if you want to have an Arabian tone to the story, you should use names similar to original names, but make sure you change some of the letters around. Keep that consistent and change names of people and locations the same way. If you give your new words meaning, eg: Bairela means 'star jewel' and ela means jewel, don't use that same syllable in a name that shouldn't evoke the jewel meaning as well. Writing Names in Contemporary Fiction: Names create perceptions in reader's minds. Harsh consonant sounds tend to give the perception of short-tempered harsh people, or places. Soft sounding names tend to imply more beautiful people or locations. If you've set your story on Earth, make sure the names chosen are correct for the region. For example, the Inuptian (an Iniut dialect) word for river is kuuk where the Hawaiian word for river is wai. 1st Person Point of View: With this the author uses I, me, my, and mine as the pronouns. The helpful aspect of this is that we get to see the immediate thoughts and emotions of the character. What writers have to remember is that you can ONLY use the point of view of your character. 2nd Person Point of View: With this the author uses you, or your as the pronouns. This isn't telling the story to the reader so much as almost making the reader the character in the story. 3rd Person Point of View: In 3rd use he or she, her or him, hers or his as the pronouns. Includes: 3rd person omniscient—shows the thoughts of every character or 3rd person limited—shows the thoughts of one character. Some authors do third person limited, but vary the character POV they choose to showcase in sections. Not as common in published literature, it's more common in online fiction. Narrative Voice: Narrative voice is the person or point of view used when writing, eg: a character, you as the author, or a variety of characters. The story could change depending on what viewpoint character in the story is chosen. This includes: Third Person Subjective, Third Person Dramatic/Objective, Third Person Omniscient, Stream of Consciousness, or Universal Omniscient narrative styles. Sentence Tips: 1) Don’t start sentences with the same word repetitively. 2) Vary the length of sentences (and paragraphs) to break up the text in a natural ‘flow’ pattern to mimic speech. 2) Eliminate unnecessary words such as: that, just, really, pretty, very, some, a little, probably, a bit. Show, Don’t Tell: This means to let your characters live their story. Tell: Mike and Gary drove Mike’s car to the store for ice. Show: “Hey, let’s go grab some more ice at the store, Gary.” Mike unlocked his car. Beating Writer’s Block: 1) Write every day to form the habit. 2) End your writing when you still know what comes next in the scene so you have a starting place next time. 3) Try a prompt or quick writing challenge if you’re blocked on existing work. Write Badly: Seriously. A first draft is supposed to be the ‘rough draft’, and striving for perfection before you write ‘The End’ will only slow you down. Once you know the entire shape of the storyline, you can go through and refine it through the editing process—but first you must finish it!
  7. One of the new features on GA is the ability to edit what were formerly chapter reviews. However, I don't have that option. For example, here is a comment I left on a chapter by @Timothy M. I would have posted this in the Bugs Thread, but after asking around, it seems I'm the only one dealing with that issue. So, it's most likely not a Bug. Is there anything I can do to fix this?
  8. I have an editor who has been working on Planet Redemption. He is doing an excellent job. I would like to get another editor or two to look over it so that I can publish this bad baby. Otherwise I'm going to have to save up for professional editing. Any volunteers? I can share the edited edition with you through Google Docs that way so you can see the changes that have been made. Here is a synopsis of the story: Danni Aarmodt is exiled to Planet Redemption, a penal planet a hundred years away from Earth. Frozen for the trip, he wakes up on a new planet in Colony 12. Soon Danni learns that survival on Planet Redemption is the only currency. The only person he can trust is himself. As if that's not bad enough Colony 12 discovers something that is equally fascinating and terrifying in nature...and it's been buried underneath the ice for millions of years. Warning: This is a very dark story that tackles heavy subject matter. If you are easily bothered by such content I don't recommand reading it.
  9. You’ve retained, or you're lucky enough to have an editor’s services free of charge and have received the edited version of your manuscript or article, or you are reviewing the work of a staff or freelance editor working for a publication you have submitted your content to. If you haven’t worked with an editor before, you may be disconcerted by the amount of editing that has been done. But whether you’re a novice or a veteran, these guidelines will help you have a productive relationship with the editor. 1. Respect Objectivity An editor experiences your work dispassionately. Whether he or she simply engages with a decent manuscript or exults in the opportunity to help craft a classic, the editor is not emotionally involved. Take advantage of this fortunate fact by carefully considering any changes, comments, or suggestions the editor makes about your work Is a character in a novel too good or too evil, or inconsistent in behavior or inadequately portrayed? Is your how-to book poorly organized or too sparse or too dense? Have you inserted yourself too obtrusively into an essay? An editor will let you know. Trust his or her outside perspective. An editor is the reader’s representative, and as he or she reacts to the content, so, likely, will your intended readership. 2. Cool Off If something an editor does or says puts you off, do not respond immediately. Consider the substance, not the delivery, of the critique, then reply or accept the comment or the change with good grace or reject it with good grace based on its merits. Don’t be defensive. Good editors are generally diplomatic, but few people can avoid saying something the wrong way sometimes. (Editors should follow this advice from their end, too.) 3. Pick Your Battles Editors reorganize syntax and replace words, among other tasks. Sometimes these are optional changes, made because the editor believes that another word or a recast sentence works better and sometimes because the original word is wrong or the original sentence is confusing or ungrammatical. In the former case, feel free to disagree, but understand that an editor may revise dozens or even hundreds of words or sentences from other clients and you’re wise to let most of them pass without comment. That said, if you strongly believe in challenging a change, politely ask the editor about his or her rationale for making it. If the editor informs you that the revision corrects an error, thank him or her — perhaps before asking for clarification so that you can avoid repeating such mistakes — and move on. If a particular edit is discretionary but strongly advised, use your good judgment about accepting or rejecting it. (But see the next item’s second paragraph, too.) 4. Be Prepared to Rewrite When you work with a developmental editor (BETA), he or she will likely recommend that you do a lot of rewriting. (If you thought you had submitted the final draft, you were naive.) You will likely be advised to do significant reorganizing of sections and recasting of sentences. The editor will suggest that you add new content and delete existing material. A copy editor will send you a list of queries, or embed comments in the manuscript, or both. A good copy editor will usually understand what you were trying to say and will improve unclear or verbose content, but occasionally he or she may be unsure of your intent, or may ask you to confirm that the revision better reflects it. You are always welcome to revise a revision, and good editors are happy to know that they prompted you to come up with something better than both the original and their alteration. 5. Accept Fallibility Even the best editors sometimes misunderstand material or make a mistake. If you catch an editor’s error, go ahead and gloat a little, but then politely inform the editor, who should appreciate receiving clarification or learning something new. Forbearance is especially important if the content is especially esoteric or technical. Of course, if errors are numerous or you are otherwise dissatisfied with the editing, or the relationship becomes strained for some reason, try to resolve the difficulty calmly. If your efforts are not productive, check in with a staff editor’s manager and ask for advice or action, or inform the freelance editor that you will pay him or her for the work already done but have decided to retain the services of another editor. Like the DailyWritingTips Facebook page if you haven't already done so! Original Post: 5 Tips on How to Work with an Editor
  10. Hello, everyone! I emailed my beta today and now I'm wondering what folks here think. I'm editing https://www.gayauthors.org/story/dark/theoneiwant. There are parts of it that still felt rough after posting it here the first time and I'm fixing those annoying POV shifts. Seriously, they annoyed me before but I couldn't figure out how/why at the time. Now I know how to fix them. Plus, there are some loose ends that need tied up. For example, anyone want to know why Ben was crying in the bathroom after Ollie was born? And what happened right after the birth? I know they send preemies home much earlier than they did 20 or even 10 years ago, but I'm sure Shelly would need her mom around for a bit longer. Or the S/M stuff I was dancing around before and what happened with Will to screw Ben up so completely. And of course I want to write about the wedding that never happened. That one, I know you want. LOL So, I'm thinking of breaking the story into three chunks about 75 each. 1. The One He Wants, to include the first 9 chapters. 2. The One He Needs, to include chapters 10-18. I'm thinking to end that one with Ben's kidnapping... 3. The One He Loves, to include the remaining posted chapters and some new content, to include Ollie's story and Ben/Rick's commitment ceremony. It seems weird now to be thinking about splitting up the story after having first gone from a dozen short stories into the single, complete story that it is now. I'm just thinking that 200k seems awfully long. If I want to publish this thing, which I'm totally thinking about now that GA has the new ebook system, I think it'll be better received if it's in smaller, more digestible chunks. What do you guys think?
  11. I shared a link to a website with some authors who thought it was a good resource, so I'm sharing it here for everyone to benefit from - http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2013/08/21/six-easy-tips-for-self-editing-your-fiction/ Of course, if the link isn't live you can copy and paste it into your address bar, or if you use firefox just highlight it then right click and choose open link, open in new tab or open in new private window. I may add new resources when I find ones that are useful, and anyone else who has something useful to share can add it here. This way, writers can build new skills and become more independent, which will eliminate some of the frustrations you deal with now and then and ultimately make your readers happier. Hopefully, this will become a true asset to the GA authors community.
  12. As a new editor, I hasten to add this topic while I'm still on good terms with my client authors I've looked around for some background but haven't been able to answer some questions. I'd like to get an idea of what the general standards are at GA for a few things (or whether such standards exist): Final approval for the MS before posting. Is there a standard for how this works? Or does it vary by author/editor pairing? Do authors always respond to edits? I don't mean accept, but respond? Editing credit: are authors always required to give editing credit to their editors, or is this a matter of individual preference for each pairing? As an editor, do you ever ask NOT to be listed because your changes were not accepted? If so, do you have a criterion you use? I'm trying to set up a rubric for myself but I'm not sure how it would fit in with what other people do. Any advice would be useful.
  13. A recent comment in the Writer's Forum about a story involving a disabled person gave me the idea for a story about a blind college student that I befriended many years ago. I have posted a number of stories here on GA - (Carhops, Goats and Bugs, the Marco series and the Nick series). These were reposts that had previously appeared on another site but the new story will appear here first. Since it is new, and because the topic could be a bit sensitive, I would really like a Beta reader. Not so much for the usual grammar edit, but for content. I think there is a good story here and I don't want to screw it up. Any volunteers? Thanks, Nick
  14. I am halfway through a novella about coming out, set in the present day. I’m planning on it being twenty chapters long and I’ve already written the first ten chapters. It’s about 31,000 words long so far. I was planning on publishing here a chapter a week, and starting publishing it now will really push me to finish writing it. I am dyslexic and often make very simple or silly spelling mistakes, and that is one of the reasons I need an editor. Examples of my writing can be read here: I have worked with editors on GA before, and have regularly worked with editors on other publications and websites. I do not mind how I receive the feedback but I am used to using the Track Changes function on Word. Naturally, I would credit you as editor when I post the story on GA. Yours, Drew
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