Basic Editing

Here are a few basic tips I follow when editing. Feel free to add in your own.

1.) Does your character do something too much? Giggle? Blush? Belch? Brush her hair aside? A character only has to do these things a few times for the reader to understand it's part of the character's personality. Brutally cut the rest.

2.) Don't be redundant with dialogue tags. It is not necessary to write, "But why can't I go?" she asked. It is not necessary to write, "She's always gets her way!" he shouted. And a conversation between two people needs very few dialogue tags at all. Don't burden your dialogue (and word count) with he said/she said. Make your tags count.

4.) Be refreshing. Use the search mechanism on your document and find words you use too much. Then visit your friendly neighborhood thesaurus to get rid of boring/over-used words.

5.) Be methodical. Read your manuscript over for typos only. Then read it over for numbers 1-4 only. Then read it over for voice/craft only. Isolating one problem at a time will help you make sure you didn't miss anything.

6.) Above all else: First draft work is zoo dirt. Don't send an agent/editor zoo dirt.

How Far is Too Far?

This past week I've been sick with the flu. Right now, my body feels like it wants to hibernate. If I weren't a writer, I would let it. But my story won't leave me alone. So I sit at the computer pumped up with flu medicine, tissues to the left, water to the right, cold-air vaporizer in the corner. For the past week, I woke up early every. Single. Morning. To write. In my sweatpants and socks, tissues crammed into my nostrils. Instead of sleeping in, instead of taking an extra long steamy shower to break up the phlegm. Instead of eating a good breakfast. Is this insane?

So, my question is: What is the craziest thing you've done in order to write? Post anonymously if you have to. Just tell me I'm not insane.

INSERT PICTURE HERE

Because I expect to be published one day, and because many of my friends seem to be signing contracts these days, I've been giving thought to my public image. Sure, I'll never get the chance to press charges against the paparazzi. I'll never have to wear a wig and big weird sunglasses to avoid a potential fan mob. But eventually, you will be able to Google my name and come up with a picture of me. And the more I think about it, the more I want that picture to be professionally done.

We hear talk about how author websites need to appear professional, efficient, and informative. So then, your author pic next to your bio shouldn't be of you in hair curlers, or you sliding down a suspicious looking pole. Probably you don't want the camera-phone picture your best friend took of you with that big glob of ketchup on your chin.

Does a good picture have to be expensive? Nope. Should you hire a professional photographer? Probably. You want to put your best face forward (and if you're a woman, you know you have variety of faces) so you don't want to leave that public image up to chance, flash, thumbs, zits, or lighting that makes you look recently resurrected. Sure, you don't want to spend a fortune, but you don't necessarily have to. Maybe you could exchange advertising favors. Maybe you could negotiate the price, or get a discount for referrals.

Bottom line though, I plan to use a professional. What about you?

NOT GONNA HAPPEN

I think it's safe to say I won't be making the RWA Golden Heart deadline this year. I've got 36k words of a 65k word manuscript, and while I'd love to hurry up and register my place in the contest, there's this itty-bitty section that makes you promise the manuscript is complete. I. JUST. CAN'T. DO IT.

So here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna say that I have faith in my current WIP. That after it's spanked by my critique partners, after it's trimmed by the shaking scissors of self-editing, after it's shining so brightly I can use it to find my way to the bathroom at night: I have faith it will earn me an agent. Who will then win over a publishing editor. Who will offer me enough money that I can buy myself a flashlight instead of re-breaking the same toe on the corner of the door while I shuffle my way to the 2 am meeting.

So my question to you is: Have you or anyone you know ever landed an agent/publishing contract from entering a contest? And how often do you participate in writing contests, and what are your likes and dislikes about them? (No need to name specific ones, generalizing will do).

IN THE MOOD

What gets you in the mood to write? For me personally, it's music. I've always been a fan of movie soundtracks. Maybe that's because the key points in movies are always accompanied by music to enhance the impression made on the audience. "What a Feeling" from Flashdance, "Take My Breath Away" from Top Gun, "Must Have Been Love" from Pretty Woman, "I Will Always Love You" from the Body Guard, "Eye of the Tiger" from Rocky, and so on.

When I'm prepping to write a particular scene, I listen to music beforehand. If I'm writing a fight scene, I'll select something with a fast pace, and it will probably be hard rock or some hateful rap (edited, though). Something that makes me want to scrap. If I'm writing a first-kiss scene, I usually go for 80's love songs, because they tend to be sweeter, and they build to a climax, like a first-kiss. And if my character is overwhelmed by loss, well, then, there are plenty of depressing songs out there for that.

But what gets you in the mood? Meditation? Reading other works in your genre? Exercise?

LOSING MOMENTUM

Okay, so not as many words this week as last week. I only churned out 6k words, so I'm at a total of about 23k words. What I'm finding is that I'm more meticulous in word selection now. And being meticulous is time-consuming. While my word-count goal is still important, I don't want to rush this story. This story needs to be told, but it needs to be told right.

A few of you mentioned that I don't have to submit it the very first day the contest opens. While I want to get as close to that date as possible, all of it would be a waste if I turned in a rushed manuscript. It would be like baking a cake but forgetting a key ingredient. It looks delicious, the icing is pretty, but when you dig in...something is missing.

I don't want the judges to spit my manuscript in their napkins. So, meticulous it is. Is this the right decision?

Progress Report

I promised to give weekly updates on my WIP, as I've set a break-neck word count goal in order to whip my WIP in shape for the RWA Golden Heart Contest. The result? Since my last post, I added 10k words to my manuscript, for a total of about 14.5k words. While it falls short of my goal of 2166 words a day, you must take into consideration that Mockingjay came out Tuesday. 'Nuff said.

I will say that the more I write, the more I enjoy my story, and well, the more I write. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some dialogue that's screaming to be written!