Writing by Hand

by Amy Nathan


I was lying in bed one July morning, listening to the shuffling feet of a seventeen year old getting ready for summer school, when I had the oddest, most unlikely urge.
 

I wanted to write something.

Now you might be furrowing your brow right about now, or scratching your head.  I’m a writer after all and that’s what I do.  But my yearning was not to throw back the covers and swipe my laptop from the floor of the seventeen year old’s room to pound out the story that whirled around in my head.

I wanted to write it.  Like with a pen.  On paper.

I don’t remember the last time I hand wrote anything more than a grocery list or a note to my kids or a sentence or two on the sticky paper I peeled off a new pair of socks because that’s all I could find when I thought of the perfect phrase or title or word choice.

I flexed my fingers and cracked my knuckles to see if I could get rid of the ache.  Surely I was mistaken.  I could type so much faster than I could write.  But no, I wanted to write it down.  Not just bullet points but sentences, full thoughts, a story — a beginning, middle and end.

So I got out of bed and swiped a one dollar notebook I’d saved to mail my daughter at camp.  I made a mental note to add “get a new notebook” to my running to-do list on my iPhone.  I found a blue pen with fine tip — if I remembered correctly that was always my favorite.

I took my supplies back to my bed.  The notebook balanced easily on my knees and the pen felt at home in my hands.  I’d always loved the physical act of writing — perhaps my hands had muscle memory.   I scooted down and got comfy and I wrote.  And wrote.  Very quickly I’d written a couple of pages, a rough draft that I knew I would later or someday transcribe into my laptop.  But for those few minutes this morning, I was truly what I am.

A writer.

*****

Amy Nathan is the editor of STET! Whether she uses a pen, pencil, laptop or lipstick, she's always a writer.

A Good Rejection (A Writer's Oxymoron)

by Karen Denise

One day I get home and there is only one letter in my mailbox. As soon as I see the golden envelope that I've addressed, I know it's from an agent and more than likely, it's a rejection as all the requests I've received came via email. Well, I open it and yes, it is a rejection, but it’s definitely the nicest one I've ever received.

Now this was not a reply from a request for a partial or a full so I was VERY surprised to see that it was addressed to ME and not, Dear Author. This is one of the agents who allow you to send along a sample with your initial query so I sent 3 chapters. This is what the letter said:

Thank you for giving us a chance to represent your novel, Light Bringers. While it is clear from the excerpt that you have much talent (really, there is some fine, polished writing here), we are taking on very few works of fantasy at this time. I'm sorry to say that Mr. Agent may simply be the wrong agent for it.

Truthfully, any rejection sucks, but this is the best one I've ever had. I especially like the part in the parenthesis! 

First time a rejection has made me smile. 

Tell us about your good rejections in the comments section!

*****

Karen Denise writes YA urban fantasies/
paranormal/dystopian. She majored in English at the University of Maryland where she also studied Creative Writing and Media Arts.  Karen is currently seeking representation for her YA Paranormal, PLATINUM DIARIES.

You can visit Karen Denise's blog at I'm Always Write.

Rejection (Videos) To Make A Writer Smile

by Amy Nathan

I had a hard time finding blog posts or articles on writer-rejection that didn't offer the same old, reasonable advice. I'm sure you know to what I'm referring if you've received even one rejection letter for something you've written.

Here's what I found:

• Rejection sucks.
• Take what you need and leave the rest.
• The no means you're one step closer to a yes.
• Use this as a learning/growing/insert-your-own "ing" experience.
• It's only one person's opinion and this is a subjective business.
• Don't give up.

I agree with every bullet point, most writers-with-a-clue do. But what I wanted today to be about were the feelings between the bullet points, the angst beyond the optimism. I didn't want success stories this time, of writer who had gazillion rejections and then sold, sold big and sold often -- or even sold once. I wanted to do what many in our industry do, I wanted to poke fun and embrace a little harmless snark.

And I wanted you, the reader to laugh.

In my online search I found some drab writing and humorless videos, and then I found these by a young aspiring author, Cat, AKA, Starving Author.

Enjoy. Laugh with Cat. Laugh at yourself and laugh at the people who reject you.

Then, get back to work.






****
Amy Nathan is the editor of STET! who rarely rejects an honest submission for this blog.

A Writer's Coping Strategy: Rejection Recipes

by Stacy Post

You write a story, hone it, have your critique partner(s) run through it and decide to send it out into the world, like a child on the first day of school. Only to have the bus door slammed in your face. Ouch.

Writers, who muster their courage and submit, know that rejections are a necessary part of the path to publication. There are very few authors who garner publication success with their first endeavors. Many articles mention coping strategies for handling rejections. Be brave! Be strong! Be resilient!

Surprise! A rejection may not have anything to do with your writing. It might be that your work is too similar to something else recently published. Maybe your name reminds the agents/editors/publishers of their second cousin that always teased them mercilessly for being “bookish”. Perhaps that particular round of submissions was unusually large and full of writers further along in their journey to publication. Or maybe your submission was very, very close.

A rejection isn’t personal. But it still feels personal, doesn’t it? It’s always hard to hear, “No” when you want to hear, “Yes!” Rejections definitely sting the psyche. So what’s a writer to do with the piles of rejection letters cluttering the in-box?

My solution is to cook. I like to make what I call rejection recipes. I channel all that rejection frustration into a task that takes less than a day to create something magnificent, wonderful and ultimately comforting. That’s right, comfort food.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, comfort food is, “foods consumed to achieve some level of improved mental status, whether to relieve a negative psychological affect or to increase the positive.” Some of the recipes I’ve featured on my blog include: Banana Bread with Crumble, Gooey Butter Cake, Chocolate Raspberry Sour Cream Cake, Quiche Lurlene, Great Grandma’s Three Day Rolls, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Coffee Cake, Potato Soup, Candy Cane Cookies, Happy Chicken and Rice, Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese, Almond Bars and Coconut Cream Pie. (As you can see from the list and links above, I lean heavily on the sweet and decadent side of home cooking.)

The act of creating something edible and delicious for all the critics in the house eases the sting of the big bad world saying no to the writing I do. There’s also the added bonus that the kiddos know when mom’s baking in the kitchen, she needs extra hugs.

When the cooking is done, I’ve had my moment to mope, to indulge and really feel the sting. When the food has vanished, so has the sadness. How can a table full of smiling loved ones giving you the thumbs up ever be bad? Rejections are a part of the process and my family knows that even though I didn’t succeed this time, I also didn’t give up.

The next morning, it’s back to the keyboard, fingers at the ready. Clicking the send button once again.

*****

Stacy Post resides in the flatlands of Indiana with her husband and three kids. Her short fiction has appeared in Referential Magazine, Rose & Thorn Journal, Every Day Fiction and WOW! Women on Writing. Her poetry has appeared in Every Day Poets, Haiku Headlines and Skylark. She holds a Master’s degree in Library Science and works as a librarian surrounded by wonderful books. She blogs about reading, writing and rejection recipes at A Writer’s Point of View: www.stacypost.blogspot.com.

The Dialogue Diaries, Part 5 by Caridad Pineiro

He Said, She Said and Other Elements of Effective Dialogue Part 2

by Caridad Pineiro

Dialogue Should Fit the Characters:

Consider what your character is like and have what they say be in synch with their nature. You wouldn’t expect a rough and tumble, hard drinkin’ detective to say, “Pardon me, Miss” if he accidentally bumped a young woman in a bar. He probably would just eyeball her and say nothing, which speaks volumes about his character without a word being spoken.

More importantly, men and women just do not communicate in the same way. What one says and the other hears is sometimes totally at odds with the actual language spoken.

Why is that? Deborah Tannen analyzes various reasons for this in her book, You Just Don’t Understand. I highly recommend that you read that book so that you will be able to create realistic dialogue for your characters.

“What we have here is a failure to communicate.”
A memorable quote from the film Cool Hand Luke

What is being said and by whom? What Happens next? The Miscommunication and the Why?

Here are some examples of Male/Female Miscommunication:

She said: Would you like to take a break?
He says: No, I’m fine. Let’s finish this.

Whether by nature or nurture, the fact is that men tend to work alone while women work in teams. A woman wants “the team” to agree on taking a course of action. By asking if he wants to take a break, she is saying “I’m tired. I’d like to take a break and I want you to agree with me.” He is thinking that she is wondering whether he is tired and since he is not, he sees no problem with his response.

He says: “But I am listening.”

She sees that he is not facing her directly. She knows that the next thing he says will be about something totally different than what they are currently discussing.

Bonds between men are based less on talking and more on doing (“Boys night”). Because of this men don’t know the kind of talk women want. Men with other men fight to avoid being at the “bottom” of the group. Being a listener makes some men feel like they are being talked down to. Men also jump around to lots of different topics during a conversation whereas women have a tendency to be more focused.

She says: “I’m having this problem at work. I don’t know what to do. My boss screamed at me like a lunatic.”
Another woman says: “Hmm. That happened to me. I felt bad.”
He says: “Well, tell him not to do that. Or quit if it’s that bad.”

Men do and take action. They worry about being the top dog. They are problem solvers and when asked what to do, understand that a solution is needed for a problem.

Women are team players. They listen. They commiserate. If they sense that the other woman truly does want a solution, they will provide instruction by example because this maintains the dynamic of equality between all the team players.

When writing the dialogue between male and female characters, keep the above forms of miscommunication in mind. They will serve you well in not only crafting believable dialogue, but in learning how to create dialogue that enhances the conflicts between the characters due to this male/female miscommunication.

©2006 Caridad Piñeiro Scordato

*****
New York Times and USA Today bestselling paranormal and romantic suspense author Caridad Pineiro wrote her first novel in the fifth grade when her teacher assigned a project – to write a book for a class lending library. Bitten by the writing bug, Caridad continued with her passion for the written word through high school, college and law school. In 1999, Caridad’s first novel was released and a decade later, Caridad is the author of over twenty novels and novellas. When not writing, Caridad is an attorney, wife and mother to an aspiring writer and fashionista. Caridad’s November 2009 release, SINS OF THE FLESH, is the first book in an exciting new paranormal suspense series from Grand Central Publishing. Look for STRONGER THAN SIN in November 2010. For more information on Caridad, please visit www.caridad.com or www.thecallingvampirenovels.com.

Dialogue Punctuation Made Simple - The Dialogue Diaries, Part 4

Don't roll your eyes, a lot of grown-up writers do it wrong.

The Dialogue Diaries, Part 3 by Caridad Pineiro

He Said, She Said, And Other Elements of Effective Dialogue

by Caridad Pineiro

You’ve started your book. You have the basic idea of what you plan to write (genre and length) and understand the conflict with which your characters will deal. But to be intriguing, your characters not only need that internal conflict to resolve, but dialogue that fits them and is effective. In addition, the dialogue that occurs between the characters has to convey necessary information. The key is — not too much information. You want the reader to intuit any secondary meaning in the words and also, the emotions and intent behind the words.

So what is effective dialogue?

Effective dialogue:

1. Advances the plot and adds to the story
2. Doesn’t use unnecessary prompts or cues (like er, hmm, oh)
3. Doesn’t use excessive tag lines (she kidded, teased, warned)
4. Keeps the flow going
5. Fits the characters

What kind of Dialogue Advances the Plot and Adds to the Story?

Consider the three following examples:

“I’m leaving,” he said to the lieutenant.
“I hate this place,” he said and handed the lieutenant the paper.
“I can’t wait to walk out that door.” He handed the lieutenant his transfer request.

Of the three, the last one advances the plot and adds to the story by providing more information.

Effective Dialogue doesn’t use nnecessary prompts or excessive tag lines:

Try listening to everyday conversations. Be an eavesdropper (something which writers are allowed to some extent). Every day conversations may be realistic, but they are generally BORING! Every day conversations are generally filled with needless prompts.

Prompts (or cues) are the things such as:

“How are you?”
“What’s new?”

A “Tag line” is the last line of a speech which is used to clarify or dramatize a point. For example, “he said” or “she said”. Tag lines should be simple and not “he muttered”, “she croaked”, “he groaned”.

Also try to avoid tag lines that contain unnecessary exposition. For example, in a scene where only two people are present, let’s assume a vampire and a woman, it is not necessary to say, “I want a bite,” the vampire said to the woman. We know it’s just two people in the room and therefore “to the woman” is unnecessary.

Plus remember Rule One about advancing the plot/adding info. If he’s a vampire, do you need to have him say, “I want to bite.”?

More effective dialogue would be “You expect me to bite. What if you’re not biteable?”

This makes us wonder whether the vampire regularly bites and also, why the woman isn’t biteable. In a romance, it would also make us wonder if the vampire “doth protest too much” about her biteability.

Effective Dialogue Should Keep the Flow Going:

All writers do it at one time or another, namely: “I really hadn’t planned on that,” he said and walked across the room. He continued. “But then again, maybe I will.”

Breaking the flow may damage a scene by pulling the reader out of the moment. In general, leave descriptions to the end of the dialogue. For that matter, if the description doesn’t set the tone/nature of the dialogue that is occurring, omit it entirely. Excess narration at this point can negatively impact on the exchange between the
characters. For example:

“I didn’t mean – “ she began, clenching her hands on the handle of her suitcase.
“For this to happen?” he said, cutting her off as he walked across the room, his stride hesitant.
Almost fearful.

Compare the above to this:

Her hands clenched on the handle of her suitcase. “I didn’t mean – “
“For this to happen?” He walked across the room, his stride hesitant.

**End Part One.

Copyright 2006 Caridad Pineiro Scordato

Reposted with permission of the author.

*****
New York Times and USA Today bestselling paranormal and romantic suspense author Caridad Pineiro wrote her first novel in the fifth grade when her teacher assigned a project – to write a book for a class lending library. Bitten by the writing bug, Caridad continued with her passion for the written word through high school, college and law school. In 1999, Caridad’s first novel was released and a decade later, Caridad is the author of over twenty novels and novellas. When not writing, Caridad is an attorney, wife and mother to an aspiring writer and fashionista. Caridad’s November 2009 release, SINS OF THE FLESH, is the first book in an exciting new paranormal suspense series from Grand Central Publishing. Look for STRONGER THAN SIN in November 2010. For more information on Caridad, please visit www.caridad.com or www.thecallingvampirenovels.com.

Writing Dialogue: An Interview with British TV Writer, Tony Jordan - The Dialogue Diaries, Part 2

The Dialogue Diaries, Part 1 - by Nathan Bransford

The Dialogue Diaries is a week-long STET! series on the craft and complexities of writing dialogue. Tips or tricks? Chime in. Disagree? Explain why. Become part of a dialogue on dialogue!

He Said, She Shouted Loudly

by Nathan Bransford

I had a question from an author who was hoping I'd settle a debate that wasn't, believe or not, about sports or television, but actually was a question about writing. I was as stunned as you are.

The question had to do with variations of the word "said" and "asked." To rephrase her question, is it ok to use all those other words out there like "whispered," "shouted," "postulated," or, my personal favorite, "enumerated", instead of the word "said"?

So consider this exchange.

Which do you prefer, Option A or B?

Option A:

"You two really are cowboys," Iceman said.

"What's your problem, Kazanski?" Maverick asked.

"You're everyone's problem," Iceman said.

"That's because every time you go up in the air, you're unsafe. I don't like you because you're dangerous."

"That's right! Ice.... man. I am dangerous."

or

Option B:

"You two really are cowboys," Iceman scoffed.

"What's your problem, Kazanski?" Maverick asked confrontationally.

"You're everyone's problem," Iceman asserted.

"That's because every time you go up in the air, you're unsafe. I don't like you because you're dangerous."

"That's right!" Maverick shouted. "Ice.... man," he said quietly. "I am dangerous."

I'm sure there is a lot of debate about this, and please feel free to register your opinion in the comments section, but put me in the Camp of Said (Option A).

Someone I know who went to creative writing school once told me (I'm paraphrasing here) that when you're writing dialogue it seems repetitive to keep writing "said" all the time, and it's tempting to want to change it up, thinking you're going to annoy a reader with all those "saids." But actually, a reading brain doesn't really register the word "said," and readers only need to be reminded who's talking. It should be apparent from the dialogue and context whether someone is "shouting" or "whispering" or, yes, even "enumerating," and using "said" keeps the reader's attention on the dialogue.

I'm sure there are great writers on both sides of the "said" divide, there is definitely a place for the occasional variation, and so please do not toilet paper my house tonight if you're in the non-said camp. Flip through some books to see how your favorite writers handle this one, and I bet you'll be surprised about how many "saids" you'll see.

So let me know what you think on this one, and remember, you can be my wingman anytime.

Click to read Nathan's Seven Keys to Writing Good Dialogue.

Reposted with permission of the author.

*****
Nathan Bransford is a literary agent with the San Francisco office of Curtis Brown Ltd. and the author of JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW, which will be published by Dial Books for Young Readers in 2011.

If you are interested in submitting a project for representation, please e-mail him a query letter describing your project and the first five pages pasted directly into the body of the e-mail at nb@cbltd.com. **No attachments, please.**

He is particularly interested in literary fiction, mysteries and suspense, historical fiction, narrative nonfiction, business, history, sports, politics, current events, young adult fiction, science fiction and anything else he happens to like! He does not represent poetry or screenplays. If you have a question about the publishing process, please first check his blog FAQs.

Unintentional Educational Television for Writers

by Amy Nathan

If you’re unfamiliar with the TV show Two and a Half Men, I’ll tell you it would not be listed under “educational” or even “appropriate.” I delight in the hi-jinx and politically incorrect adventures of the characters during 10:30pm reruns almost every night - and I never thought I’d use dialogue from this show as a writer’s reminder.

Here’s the scenario:

Uncle Charlie (Charlie Sheen) takes teen nephew Jake for pizza. Jake sees a cute girl and Uncle Charlie wants to coach him on how to go over to meet her. Keep in mind, Jake is not the sharpest tack in the shed.

Uncle Charlie: I’ll give you the signal, and then you saunter over.

Jake: Saunter?

Uncle Charlie: Walk.

Jake: If you wanted me to walk, why didn’t you just say walk? You don’t have to make up words.

OK, maybe I was wrong. Maybe Jake IS sharp.

Vocabulary is an important part of writing, and sometimes characters do saunter. But even more times than that, they walk. And if someone is walking, no other words are needed. Eloquence and good writing are not synonymous word choice — it’s a combination –how you use the words you choose.

I think Uncle Charlie wanted Jake to saunter — and saunter is not a irrelevant term. But also, you have to know your audience. And while we need to give our readers credit to understand us, figure things out and follow the paths we set for them — and it’s good to use a varied dialogue in a context consistent with your character — it’s also OK to keep it really simple.

I try to write what I mean — and then always edit through rewrites and revisions to remove extraneous words and make things clear, removing ambiguity and question. That doesn’t mean giving away secrets or doing away with subtle foreshadowing - it means conscious, careful word choices and combinations appropriate to your character and your audience. And that simple and direct are good things.

Thanks Jake.

*****

Amy Nathan is the editor of STET! and the monthly Backspace newsletter, as well as organization's social media liaison. She is a published freelance and fiction writer and editor as well as a mom with a son in college, a daughter in high school and two dogs under her feet.

She has no time for sauntering.

Please tune-in to STET! next week for

The Dialogue Diaries!

Twelve Steps to Successful Editing

by Cheri Lasota

I’ve worked with dozens upon dozens of writers through the years, and I walk each of them through the best way to go about incorporating my comments and edits into their manuscripts (MS). It can be overwhelming and sometimes even devastating for a writer to receive a manuscript back that looks like the editor dumped a can of red paint on it. I know. I’ve been on the receiving end for my own novel, Artemis Rising.

Here are the steps, in order, of how to go about receiving and revising your manuscript edit from an agent, editor, critique group, or kind friend with time on his or her hands.

1. Give yourself some peace and quiet.

Carve out a quiet block of time—several hours’ worth—to read through your MS. Try to clear your mind of distractions, upcoming appointments, the fight you had with your significant other. If you don’t have time to browse through slowly, then hold off until you do. The reason? If you’re rushed, you won’t be able to take anything in or think critically about it. The more you can retain in this first pass-through the better. In fact, it’s imperative. I’ve initially zoomed through edits from critique groups and failed to catch important points and suggestions. And worse, I’ve misread comments as snarky or unkind, when in truth, they were just specific and honest. When I cooled off and read back through, I would have to adjust my incorrect assumptions, which wasted my time and energy. In general, a critiquer or editor’s goal is to aid you in achieving your dream of publication. They wish to make your manuscript better, albeit through their own subjective viewpoint. But we’re all human, and sometimes editors/critiquers aren’t as tactful as we could be. This is something, the writer must anticipate and eventually overlook. Why? Because you might miss the valuable advice buried under the snarkiness.

2. Don’t scan or skip.

Don’t skip ahead and scan through a document looking for how much the editor’s pen has bled onto the page. This is a self-defeating exercise from the beginning. Why? Because many of those comments might be praise. I often litter manuscripts with praise and encouragement. I do this because I know how important it is for writers to know when they are hitting the mark on their language, characterization, or plot.

3. Sit on the manuscript.

Yes, you heard me. Sit on your MS, like a chicken incubating an egg. That’s quite literally—okay, metaphorically—what you are doing. Incubating, concocting, inventing, spawning . . . That last one sounds wrong, doesn’t it? Anyhoo, let that sucker fester for a LONG time. I mean it. Don’t touch it after you’ve read all the edits and comments. I recommend two weeks at least. Perhaps a month. Here’s why: a writer’s natural response to criticism—either positive or negative—is to be defensive. That doesn’t make the writer childish or foolish. It is just a natural response, and waiting to dive into revisions cools off that natural tendency. If you wait for a long time before jumping in, you’ll be shocked at how different your response is to the edits than the first time around. I’m always surprised at the difference, and I’ve been at this for years.

4. Mull over your options.

During your “vacation” from the MS, start thinking about some of the major issues the editor mentioned. Allow yourself to come up with ideas for how to fix that character’s inconsistent personality or that plot hole in chapter nine. Maybe write some notes down to remember for later or freewrite possible avenues to explore. But again, don’t touch the MS. You’ll thank yourself later, when you’ve had time to let your anger or confusion cool and you begin to see the edits for the first time with clear, objective eyes.

5. Make a copy.

Whether you’re working with hard copy or electronic edits, you’ll want to start revising in a COPY of the manuscript the editor worked on. You want to preserve those original comments/edits for future reference as well as keep your original draft intact in case you need to go back to it for any reason. So copy and rename that master file with the current day’s date. And every day you work on your edits, save the previous day’s draft, and start a new file with the current days’ date. This way, you’ll have a log of all edits you’ve ever done and when. Works brilliantly. I learned that trick from the president of a publishing house actually. And don’t worry about drafts filling up your hard drive. Your manuscript file is probably not even a megabyte, which is nothing compared to one music or photo file. Oh, yes . . . one more thing: BACK UP YOUR NOVEL FILES frequently. All of them. Most of us have lost drafts to laziness, stupidity, or busyness. Learn from those previous mistakes. Back up, even if you are just emailing the file to yourself. ‘Nuff said.

6. Turn your Track Changes ON!

After your “vacation,” give yourself a long block of time to begin looking at your MS. Have a notepad by your computer or an open blank document up to write notes. Critical at this stage: turn your Track Changes on (in Microsoft Word). Yes, you heard me right. Any changes you make need to be tracked from here on out. Why? Because you are more likely to introduce errors into your manuscript at this stage than at any other. Yup. This is because despite your best efforts, you’ll start rushing through accepting edits, and you won’t pay attention to the fact that an extra space just slipped into that sentence or the first letter wasn’t capitalized, etc. This happens ALL the time. Trust me. I know.

7. Choose your direction.

This depends on the type of edit/critique you’ve received, but usually you can separate your edit into the “easy stuff”and the “hard stuff.” The easy stuff is straight copyediting issues: grammar, punctuation, etc. These are relatively quick fixes. I have to say that I heartily recommend this route. It will:

• ease you into the revision process.
• eliminate a lot of the editing marks that are riddling your document.
• ensure that most of your grammatical problems are fixed before you press on to more difficult edits.

Conversely, you could go straight to the more time-consuming developmental or substantive edits. Bear in mind that this will save you some time if you end up cutting a lot of scenes from your manuscript. But again, I don’t recommend this route for the reasons I listed above.

8. Don’t just make changes. Learn!

If you’ve hired a professional editor to work on your manuscript, you’ve invested in that editor’s expertise and knowledge. To get the most from your investment, don’t just go through and blindly make changes. Understand why the editor has made these edits and suggestions. If you notice an editor has repeatedly added in paragraph breaks around blocks of dialogue, find out why. What is the general rule/guideline? What is the goal? If you notice the editor has re-done your comma usage in a particular type of sentence construction, find out what you are doing wrong. Memorize that grammar rule. Look it up in the Chicago Manual of Style (the fiction writer’s style manual). Learn the rule and vow never to make that error again. This will aid you not only as you rewrite your current MS but in subsequent manuscripts as well.

9. Incorporate only what you feel will serve your story.

Remember that you don’t have to incorporate all suggestions. I personally break my edits into two categories:

• Comment is optional/recommended.
• Ignore at your own risk.

My optional comments usually involve issues of language, style, voice, clarity, or sentence structure. I’ll suggest a change in these instances sometimes, but there are always other ways to smooth out structure, rhythm, or language in your own author’s voice. Often, I’ll set off these types of comments with a “consider this” or question mark to make its optional nature clear. For example, I might say: Delete this phrase to tighten the sentence structure here? Or: Consider expanding on your description of the MC to better illustrate her tendency toward self-deprecation. Other editors/critiquers might use different methods, so ask them if you are unsure.

The key is to use both your head and your gut when making these decisions. If you feel a suggestion may compromise the overall plot or the characterization or the theme, etc., then put that comment on the back burner. You can always come back to it later or ignore it completely if you feel it doesn’t serve your story well.

WARNING: There is a big difference between deciding that a change isn’t right for your story and being too lazy to make the change. Confession: This is a problem for me personally as a writer. I’ll often see the merit in a critiquer’s suggestion, but due to lack of time or energy, I’ll put it aside and “conveniently” forget to go back to it. *blushes with shame* This is a bad practice for writers, considering that our ultimate goal is to better our books. And don’t forget that the critiquer took his or her valuable time to make the suggestion in the first place. So, don’t be lazy or use busyness as an excuse. Do the hard work—you won’t regret it.

10. Overhauling? Then get out of your MS.

If your editor has recommended doing major revisions to whole scenes or chapters, I highly recommend copying and pasting those scenes into a new document. Playing with ideas or major fixes outside of your master MS file accomplishes two things:

• You eliminate the possibility of losing any valuable original material.
• You allow yourself the freedom of exploring ideas and possibilities in a “throwaway” document.

Once you’ve rewritten a scene to your satisfaction, you’ll want to re-paste it into your master file and save the file again.

11. Take another vacation.

Once you’ve made (and tracked) all the edits you can bear to make without keeling over from exhaustion, then take another “vacation.” Yes, you’ve earned it! But only a couple of days’ worth, because you’ve still got work to do on this draft. Once you’re back at it, go through the MS again and accept your tracked changes one by one. Make sure that you double check those edits before you accept them, to ensure that you aren’t introducing more errors. You’ve spent countless hours on spit-polishing your masterpiece; you don’t want to screw anything up at this point, eh?

12. Get to work!

All right, now that you know all my secrets for a proper revision, you’ve no more excuses. Get to work and get that manuscript out there already!

*****

Over the course of her thirteen-year career, Cheri Lasota has edited fiction, nonfiction, screenplays, and short stories for publication. Clients include McGraw-Hill Publishing Company as well as individual fiction writers and screenwriters. She has five years of experience editing various types of fiction, including genre fiction, children’s books, and screenplays.

Cheri has over twenty-​​four years of expe­ri­ence writ­ing poetry and fic­tion. She has recently signed on with SpireHouse Books, which will pub­lish her debut novel, ARTEMISRISING, later this year. The YA his­tor­i­cal is set in the Azores Islands, Portugal, and is based on mythology. Currently, Cheri is writ­ing and research­ing her sec­ond novel, a YA romance set on the Oregon Coast.

Editor's Note: This post originally appeared on STET in August 2010, but when I was wandering around the web in search of some editing posts, I came to this one again and again as one of my favorites! Enjoy and good editing, all! 

How to Strengthen Your Writer's Core

by Rebbie Macintyre

On any given day online, there are hundreds of posts, tweets and blogs about the art of marketing your writing. And it seems to me they all reach one conclusion: No one knows what, or even if,anything works.

So if all the hours of promotion has questionable results, what's a writer to do?

I believe that the only thing we can do is to capitalize on the core of success: writing a wonderful story. If that's correct, then the building of a writer's creativity becomes critical.

And yes, I believe creativity can be nurtured and grown.

Below are my suggestions. Some I've tried, some are still on my writer's bucket list.

* Take one session of acting classes a year. It'll teach you the basics of that art and give you insight into your own character portrayal.

* Take one session of visual art classes a year, ie painting, drawing, sculpting etc. Concentrate on the act of creating and how it transfers to writing.

* If you can afford it, pay a counselor or therapist for a series of six sessions, once a month for six months. Your goal is to get help in accessing your buried uniqueness that is uninfluenced by media and curltural expectations.

* Pledge to yourself to have a weekly art date, time alone to experience something new and different. (This is from Julia Cameron) Use your insights for writing.

* One week a year, do your own writer's retreat. Not a conference with networking and seminars. And not a week long getaway where you finish up that novel that's on a tight deadline. Those are different. What I mean is to retreat from the world and renew. Go to someplace where you are ALONE and you actually use the time to let your mind to explore and foster your creativity. (Did you know there are monasteries that offer this for a very reasonable price? Search online to find one in your area.)

* Learn to meditate and practice it daily. Yoga teaches meditation techniques. Transcendental meditation is good. That quiet time is like letting the well fill from a silent, underground stream.

Who knows what masterpiece will emerge?

***
Rebbie Macintyre was born in America's heartland and now lives in Florida. She graduated from the University of Missouri and earned her master's degree at the University of South Florida. Her life experiences have provided the fodder for a number of her stories. She's been a teacher, counselor, salesperson, violinist, swimming coach, SCUBA diver and sludge truck operator. She enjoys hiking, biking, a glass of wine and mountain sunsets. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. Her first novel, Cast the First Stone, was released in March, 2009. Her second book, A Corner of Universe, was released in February, 2010. Rebbie is a Backspace member.

Symphony in SLANG (1951, dir. by Tex Avery)

In honor of Labor Day, relax with a classic and very writerly cartoon by Tex Avery.

Here's to the end of summer and the staying power of cliches!

Buy Buy Buy

by Amy Nathan

I buy books. Do you?

I bought books before I labeled myself a writer and editor by trade as well as by intention and passion.

Sometimes I wonder if the all-inclusive writer community isn't really a self-supporting entity. It didn't take the closing of book stores and the downturn in the economy of publishing to remind me that fewer folks are purchasing books -- I see it around me. Most of my friends borrow books -- from the library and from each other.

I don't get it. These women are voracious readers, some verging on literary snobbery. I don't care that they won't and don't read a variety of genres. I do care that they expect -- even demand -- that there are books worth reading on the shelves of their libraries or in their friends' discard piles. They trade and share their TBR lists like a favorite family recipe. They puff with pride when the book they liked hits a note with another.

Lately I've been reading on my Kindle. I, unlike so many others, do not miss the smell of a book or turning the pages. And while I do miss being able to pass on a good book, I still pass on my knowledge and suggestions.

"Can I borrow it?" a friend said after I recommended a book.

"It's on my Kindle," I said.

"Oh, I'll see if the library has it."

If the library doesn't have it, I bet she doesn't read it.

I'm not comfortable determining what someone should spend his or her money on, yet it irks me that people won't spend money on books.

How about everyone in a group buy one book, and then pass it around?

How about buy one, borrow one?

I haven't asked if they know authors they admire only make money when their books sell. (Does it matter how many people read a book? Not in a business sense, no) I do know that libraries buy a lot of books and I, too, have borrowed many books in my day, but not to the detriment of my personal collection of hardbacks and paperbacks and craft books, cookbooks and coffee table books. I buy physical books by my author friends and since I've become a Kindle user, I've bought more books (some priced at more than $9.99) than ever before.

I don't believe my friends are against supporting authors, I figure they just don't think about it. And I do believe one day (fingers crossed) my friends will buy my book.

But probably only after the shock wears off that they don't all get a copy for free.

*****

Amy Nathan is the editor of STET! and the monthly Backspace newsletter, as well as organization's social media liaison. She is a published writer and freelance editor with a son in college, a daughter in high school and two dogs under her feet.

Amy is also a lifelong reader who hopes bookstores and bestsellers don't go the way of boy bands.

How Revising a Manuscript is Like Rehabbing a House

by Judith Lindbergh

I had a dream last night that my house was crumbling. The front stairway, made of concrete, was so precarious it broke beneath my feet as I tried to mount. The porch displayed its gray, rotted wood in the cloud-light, and the front door was hanging on its hinges.

Into this wreck, I entered optimistically, skipping when the stairs collapsed, my hammer hanging from my work-pants like a decoration. I felt certain that everything around me could be spruced up to perfection. I already had a plan to center the stairs (they were dangling far off to the right) and to tear off the front railings so the porch would stand breezy, open and welcoming.

When I awoke, at first I panicked, thinking that this really was my house. But after a moment’s reorientation, I realized this dream house was my novel. Indeed, this dream was laced with apprehension, but also a sense of determination, empowerment and purpose. I would rebuild this crumbling chaos into something embracing and beautiful.

Yesterday I finished reviewing my editor’s manuscript notes. There’s a lot of work to do, though somehow it all feels doable. Perhaps that is the message of this dream, that even before a daunting task (one I thought I could avoid… hoped I could anyway) I am optimistic and even energized; that the goal of my efforts is worth all the sweat and dust of tearing apart and reconfiguring, dovetailing and pegging. I can see it in my mind. Now it’s just a matter of making it happen.

I expect to spend most of this week reviewing my review of my editor’s review, typing up my notes, and going through the hard-copy manuscript. I expect to add more slashes and arrows, more inserts that slip onto the back sides of pages, and more cut and paste. Really, I’m thinking of using scissors and scotch tape!

All of this, in preparation for one final push that had better NOT be just one among many.

Even for the most accomplished writers, it’s never, ever easy. And there are no guarantees in this changing world of publishing. I’m as nervous as anyone that my efforts will prove futile and I’ll never see these hard-sweated-over words in print, even digital print, anytime soon. But I have no control over any of that. In a recent webinar hosted by Digital Book World, an editor from a major house attempted to reassure listeners, “The job of the writer really hasn’t changed. Write a good story as well as you possibly can.”

So I take my fortitude in hand like a hammer and hop-skip those crumbling stairs two at a time; and I hold my breath as I take my first swing and knock down that wall. It won’t be long before I’ve reassembled my dream house. That’s the kind of energy, determination and clarity of vision that’s required to be a writer.

*****
Judith Lindbergh’s debut novel, The Thrall’s Tale, was a Booksense Pick and a Borders Original Voices selection. She is the director of The Writers Circle Creative Writing Workshops and works with professional authors, aspiring adults and children to share the joy and struggle of writing. Read more at her blog, The Writers Circle: Process, practice, hope, and the business of writing.