Every weekday morning I get the kids up and dressed, ensure they've brushed their teeth, make their breakfasts and lunches, tuck them into hats and mitts (on days like today), give them a kiss, and wish them luck at  school. No one knows what that day at school will bring. 

Every time I finish editing a book, I make sure every word, every phrase is complete and polished, check to ensure the story flows so readers will be hooked, dot every "i", cross every "t", give the manuscript a (symbolic) kiss, and wish them luck. No one knows how that book will do when it finally appears in public. 

But it takes a brave soul to put it out there. And it takes both a brave and a smart soul who shows they care enough about the final result to hire an editor before just going ahead and pressing "Publish". Self-publishing is easy. Anyone can do it. It's easy to type, easy to blather on about whatever, easy to press "Publish" on any one of the self-publishing sites. But once that book is out there, it's out there. And if anyone reads that book, they'll remember if the author was good, bad, or indifferent. 

We don't want that. We want everyone to remember our book as being the BEST. We want them to wring their hands, dying to get their hands on the next one.

I'd never send my kids to school half-dressed or unfed. I'd never allow a kid to head out into public with bad manners or lack of respect for those around them.

I'd never publish a book which hadn't been professionally edited and obviously treated with love. I respect readers and book buyers. Books take time and money to read. I wouldn't waste their time.

Don't waste your talent. If you've written a good book, let an editor make it the best it can be. Doesn't have to be me. There are a lot of excellent editors out there. Get referrals, read testimonials, check out the edited books. This is a major commitment and deserves just as much time and deliberation as you spent writing the book.

You owe it to your book. You owe it to yourself. You owe it to the publishing world in general —too many nasty, unedited books are out there, making readers question the quality of all writing.

Hire an editor.

Tip #6:
Get rid of words you don't need. 

These lists a few of the top "most used and unnecessary" words and phrases. Do a Search for them when you're done your manuscript and cut or alter when you can. Too many words make your reader yawn. Sometimes the words can just be deleted, sometimes the whole sentence needs to be rearranged. And sometimes the words are perfect and you should just let them be. Read these sentences aloud, first of all using the unnecessary word, then trying it without. Smoother?

• That … "She told me that it would be possible"
  
• There was … "She told me there was no way it could be done." (makes it a passive sentence) "She told me it couldn't be done." (active)
  
• Just … "I just wanted to do it."
  
• Really … "I was really glad she'd said that." or use a better word: "I was thrilled she'd said that."
  
• Was  … "The problem was being discussed by management." (passive) "Management  discussed the problem." (active, and usually preferred)
  
• Quite … "Everything about the problem was quite difficult."
  
• Very … "Everything about the problem was very difficult."

Tip #7
Acknowledge your characters' traits.

He's not just "John". He's a man. What kind of man?

He's a somewhat stooped, tall man whose shirt is constantly ironed but gives the impression it fought him all the way. He has a voice that makes you want to clear your throat when he's speaking, if only to help him clear that "ahem" trapped in there. His dull brown eyes are either downcast or looking away, suggesting disappointment in himself, lack of self-confidence. Though he shaves every day, he always misses that little patch under his right ear. He takes short steps and watches the ground as he walks. 

Tip #8
Don't combine "And" with "Then". 

Choose one or the other.

• "She buttoned up her coat, and then reached for an umbrella."
  
• "She buttoned up her coat and reached for an umbrella." (this is weak because it suggests she's doing it simultaneously. Notice the comma disappears because the second phrase is dependent.)
  
• "She buttoned up her coat then reached for an umbrella." You can see her doing it now, can't you?

Tip #9
Avoid Lists

"She opened her tiny suitcase and stared fearfully at the pile of clothes she'd have to squeeze in. She'd have to make room for ten shirts, four pairs of pants, socks, underwear, a skirt for the party, three different kinds of shoes, her mousse and hair products, make-up, and a winter coat."

"She opened her tiny suitcase and stared fearfully at the pile of clothes she'd have to squeeze in. Besides the mandatory socks and underwear, she'd have to make room for ten shirts and four pairs of pants. Those were obvious. She'd need a skirt for the party, and that meant she'd have to fit in not only her two regular pairs of shoes, but a fancy pair as well. With resignation, she puffed through her lips, sounding somewhat like a horse. She'd have to make herself presentable, so she'd need all her hair products as well as make-up. And crowning it all, she'd have to stuff in her big, fat, down winter jacket. How was she going to manage all that?"

Tip #10:
Avoid "I feel" or "he felt".

That's way too easy, and way too boring. Instead of 
"He felt the night descending"

put him right out there and experience it with him. 
"His skin prickled as darkness shadowed the woods; the lack of sunshine sent shivers of uneasiness tickling down his spine."

Tip #11
Explore all the senses.

It doesn't all have to be in one sentence, because that can be overwhelming, but you can try. This first example is a clean but dull example. The second takes in all—or most of—the senses, brings your reader into that room with your character.

"Jenny stepped acros the room and smelled Clara baking a birthday cake."

"The worn grey planks creaked as Jenny's bare feet shuffled across the floor, and she shivered at the chilling evidence that it was mid-January. She should have taken the time to search out her cracked old moccasins, hidden somewhere in the dust beneath her bed. From under the  kitchen door seeped an almost sickly sweet aroma of vanilla, and she realized Clara had remembered her birthday. The clanging of pots and Clara's muttered curses confirmed it."

Tip #12 
Enjoy what you're doing

If you're writing for the money, you've chosen the wrong career path. 

The dream of writing, of expressing oneself through words, comes from something much deeper than your wallet. Write to open your spirit and let your imaginings fly. Write to lose yourself  in chills and tears and laughter that come purely from your own imagination. Write to feel the pride of accomplishment and see proof of what you've created on your screen or page. Write because the thoughts are trapped in your heart and need to be set free. 

Sure, being published may eventually become a priority, but never make it the priority. Writing is for you, not your bank account. Let it set you free.

This is why I'm in writing and editing, not math. I shall now squeeeeeeze in those 8 tips over the next four days ... wish me luck!

12 Editing Tips of Christmas 

Tip #5: Opening Lines

Marley was dead, to begin with.
A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

It doesn't matter what you're writing. If you don't hook  your reader right off the start, nobody's going to read what you've written. Well, maybe your mom, or your spouse, or someone you pay … but why torture them? Give them a great opening line.

Sounds easier than it is. But a good opening line—nay, a great opening line is worth all the effort. You might write it once and leave it, thinking it's perfect, or you may rewrite it fifty times. Do whatever it takes. On the other hand, don't get too technical. This is one of those intuitive processes you need to work with. Let yourself sink into the opening, feel it, be One with it, then let it spill out of you onto the page. 

If coming up with this first line is giving you such a hard time you can't seem to work past it and get to your second line, then skip it. Sometimes a writer will come up with the perfect first line only after they've finished writing the last line!

The opening sentence is a multi-tasker. It sets the tone for the entire book, connects the reader emotionally to the character or narrator, hints at something yet to be revealed. You want to have the reader lean in, frown at the words, nodding, and say something like, "Wow. This is gonna be good."

Here are a few classics. How can you do this with your own story?

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.
The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger.

"'To be born again,' sang Gibreel Farishta tumbling from the heavens, 'first you have to die.'"
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie

I'd never given much thought to how I would die - though I'd never had reason enough in the last few months - but even if I had, I would not have imagined i like this.
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Writers' Burnout is something very different from Writers' Block. 

Writers' Block is a desire to write but a void of inspiration. A wall you keep butting up against.

Writers' Burnout is a void of everything to do with writing. A dangerous state in which writing can almost become the enemy.

Burnout has to be treated very differently from Block. I'll approach Writers' Block in another post, but in a nutshell , burnout is like you're running on empty. Like lifting your fingers to your keyboard is a chore. You can feel as if your writing's going nowhere … so what's the point? It can manifest physically, in headaches, irritability, poor sleep, exhaustion.

Writing is supposed to be a beautiful thing. To me, when it's good, it's like therapy. So what do we do when this therapy becomes torture?

Take personal time. Just like a "real" job, you need to give yourself a break, and take a break. Maybe schedule a week where you just get away from that keyboard. Enjoy whatever fuels you: people, nature, silence, music, etc.

Here are some other suggestions:

1. Clean up your workspace. Do you have stacks of notes around? Books? Coffee cups? Find places to put everything so you can put your focus back on writing. You might even want to dust.  :)
   
2. Read. Read anything you can, whether it's in your genre or not. What do you like about it? What do you dislike? Is there anything in there that rings a little bell for you? An "aha" moment? Write it down, then keep reading.
   
3. Read "How to Write" books (I especially like Stephen King's "On Writing" because he's so down to earth). Take notes, but don't return to your writing until you're sure you can use some of the advice.
   
4. Write something just for you. Journal. Try your hand at something new, like poetry, non-fiction. Don't plan on showing this to anyone. Just let words work their way back into your heart, where they belong. 
   
5. Try writing your current Work In Progress, but from a different perspective. Are you focused on one character? Just for today, put yourself in the place of a different character.
   
6. Write lists. Get all that junk out of your head and onto paper where it's manageable.
   
7. Go for a walk. Hit a beach, museum, movie, walking trail. Take a buddy out for lunch.
   
8. On that same vein, sometimes helping others helps yourself. Donate time to your local Food Bank. Write a handwritten letter to an old friend you haven't seen in a while. Send flowers to someone … just because. 
   
9. You might even consider talking to a professional about all this tension or indifference built up inside you.
10. Meditate. Breathe. Take care of yourself first. And yes, that means leave the cell phone, the emails, the facebook. Walk away. The world will keep on keeping on while you're gone for however long it takes. People will understand.
    

The 12 Editing Gifts of Christmas ... DAY #3!

Between December 1-23 I’ll post twelve editing suggestions I hope you can use in the coming year when you’re working on your manuscript. I suppose you could print them off and hide them under your tree, but don’t feel like you have to.

Okay, first I'm just gonna complain a bit because I had this post almost done and the internet swallowed it up ... must have been all the electricity I got going in the air because my very first copy of my BOOK arrived today!! Yes, the delivery guy, henceforth known as the delivery ELF, brought it. Can you imagine? He had no idea what it was. Anyway, suffice to say, much celebrating and photo taking has taken place. If you're curious, go see my facebook page.

Okay! On to today's Editing Tip.
DAY #3:

What is Syntax, and what can it do for my writing?There are zillions of words in the English language (that might possibly be an exaggeration, and the cool thing is how you can transform those words from boring old sentences into great ones just by using syntax. What is syntax? Glad you asked.

*****

syn·tax  [sin-taks]   (c/o Dictionary.com)
noun
1.Linguistics 
a.the study of the rules for the formation of grammatical sentences in a language.
b.the study of the patterns of formation of sentences and phrases from words.

*****

So really, it's using words  effectively. Here are some examples:

Let's start with two simple sentences. Hmm …

I wrote a book. I hope people will buy it.

Let's connect the two phrases with a conjunction ("and"). In this case, I removed the "I" from the second phrase, meaning the second phrase can't stand independently. When this happens, no comma is necessary.

I wrote a book and hope people will buy it.

Now let's connect them again, but this time I'll pop that "I" back in so the second phrase is just as independent as the first. When you have two independent phrases joined by a conjunction, you have to add a comma before the conjunction.

I wrote a book, and I hope people will buy it.

Now let's use what's called a "dependent marker" so phrase #1 become a modifier for phrase #2.

While I was writing my book, I hoped people would buy it.

Let's switch them around now so phrase #2 starts first. We can play with phrase #1 to make it more interesting.

I hope people buy the book I wrote.

Just to make things even more interesting, we can insert a "nonessential phrase" and surround it by commas BUT you have to put the comma after the conjunction ("and" in this case). The reason the conjunction is before is because the nonessential clause modifies the second phrase, not the first.

I wrote a book and, of course, I'm hoping people will buy it.

Along the nonessential phrase thing,  you can also insert one that modifies the first phrase. In that case the conjunction comes after the nonessential phrase.

I wrote a book, which was amazing to me, and I hope people will buy it.

If you want to make that nonessential phrase stick out, like it's something that just popped into your head, use em dashes. The conjunction comes before the dashes in this case.

I wrote a book - which surprised the heck out of me - and I hope people will buy it.

If you use brackets instead, it will de-emphasize it. Don't forget the comma after the close bracket.

I wrote a book (which surprised the heck out of me), and I hope people will buy it.

Semi-colons can be used as well, but sparingly. Too many times writers replace commas or periods with semi-colons. But you use it in a few cases. For example, if we change the second phrase into something a little more interesting, we can add it to the first one.

I wrote a book; I'm hoping when folks head into a bookstore they'll pick up a copy.

Use the semi-colon again, still using a more interesting second phrase, but add an adverb or adverbial phrase after the semi-colon, followed by a comma.

I wrote a book; naturally, I'm hoping when folks head into a bookstore they'll pick up a copy.

When you are writing, or when you've finished writing something, read what you've done out loud. Are your sentences all the same length and rhythm? Do they lack a little depth and variety? Anything gets dull if it's all the same. 

Look at syntax. Take a sentence or two and play with them. Create something beautiful out of something plain.

Thank you to Daily Writing Tips for sending out such great tips.

The 12 Editing Gifts of Christmas ... DAY #2!

Between December 1-23 I’ll post twelve editing suggestions I hope you can use in the coming year when you’re working on your manuscript. I suppose you could print them off and hide them under your tree, but don’t feel like you have to.

DAY #2:

Misplaced Modifiers

These can occasionally prompt giggles. Even so, you should avoid them.

First off, what’s a modifier? Words or phrases that modify other words or phrases. “Only” is a typical modifier, and one that is easily misplaced. Other modifiers of which you should be careful are: almost, even, hardly, nearly, and often.

Neither one of these sentences is incorrect, but look at how the placement changes the meaning.

• I only speak English.
  

This means: 
>I don’t speak anything but English. No French, no Mandarin, no Polish.

• I speak only English.
  

This means:
>The only thing I did with English was speak it. I didn’t write it or read it. 


Here is a valid example of a misplaced modifier.

Dressed all in blue, Susan paused to study the crowd of women.
Who was dressed in blue? Susan or the crowd of women? 
How about:

• Susan paused to study the crowd of women who were all dressed in blue.
• Susan, who had dressed in blue that day, paused to study the crowd of women.

And another example:

Walking home, the birds sang noisily.
Who was singing?
How about:

• Walking home, we were aware of the birds singing noisily.
• The birds sang noisily as we walked home.

These can be hard to spot. Read them out loud to be sure!

Like commas, apostrophes have a ton of rules, but I was reminded of a couple when I read a great blog today. 

Here are those two rules:

Do NOT use an apostrophe as a replacement for a plural. Seriously. That's just silly.

Dad's Against Daughter's Dating. Really?
Normally I'd be all up in arms about capitalizing every letter, but the reason for this is they're trying to create that D.A.D.D. idea, so I'll let it go ... this time.

I suppose there are a few ways this could have been done, but neither includes an apostrophe replacing a plural.
1. Dads Against Daughters Dating.
2. Dads Against Daughter's Dating (meaning the dad is against the fact that his one daughter is dating)
3. Dads Against Daughters' Dating (meaning the dad is against the fact that his multiple daughters are dating)

Once again, I'm not a fan of capitalizing willy-nilly, but marketing takes advantage of these things sometimes, figuring a capital letter might give it more of an impact. Whatever. I'm not going to whine about that today.

But I do have a complaint, obviously. Loyal followers of this blog will pick up on the problem here right away, because I know I did an "its/it's" blog a while back. 

What this sign says, in fact, is: 
Building On It Is Heritage Shaping It Is Future.

Do not use It's as a possessive or a plural. Its only job is to replace the "i" in Is.

There should also be a period, comma, or semi-colon after Heritage, but I'm kind of skipping over that.

Proper form:
Building on its heritage; shaping its future.

There are so many different usages for commas that I thought I'd address one at a time. Today I'm talking about something called a "serial comma". A serial comma can also be called an "Oxford comma" or a "Harvard comma".

Serial commas, I have learned, are a STYLE ISSUE, which means not everyone agrees on their usage. They are standard in American English but are used less often in British English. Some countries don't use them at all. But I'm going to address serial commas anyway because when my first novel came back from the editor at Penguin, she had added - oh, I don't know - I'll say hundreds of serial commas to my writing.

Kind of funny. I understand the reason for the term, since one the meanings of the word "serial" is: "of, relating to, or resembling a series" (www.dictionary.reference.com), and a "series" is "a group or a number of related or similar things, events, etc., arranged or occurring in temporal, spatial, or other order or succession; sequence." (www.dictionary.reference.com). The funny thing to me is that I can't help thinking "serial killer" every time I see that term.

I guess serial commas are kind of like serial killers in that they just can't stop.

When you are writing a sentence which includes a list of more than three items, you might be tempted to leave out the final one. It might feel redundant. But it's usually not, and it's often necessary to use one in order to avoid ambiguities. 

Here are a few examples of when the serial comma.

I'm going to a movie with Cathy, a teacher and a librarian.
hmm. Is Cathy a teacher AND a librarian?
or ...
I'm going to a movie with Cathy, a teacher, and a librarian. 
Ah. So you're going with three people, not just one. Or if it's two people, you could say "I'm going to a movie with Cathy, who is a teacher, and also with a librarian."


For dinner we had roast beef, salad, potatoes and ice cream.
Ew. Imagine eating potatoes and ice cream together?
or ...
For dinner we had roast beef, salad, potatoes, and ice cream. 
Yum. Now I'm hungry.

I love to ski, play tennis, ride my bike and juggle.
Wow. You can bike and juggle simultaneously? You should join the circus.
or ...
I love to ski, play tennis, ride my bike, and juggle.
That makes more sense.

And one more just because it makes me laugh:
“With gratitude to my parents, Mother Teresa and the pope.” (from the Chicago Manual of Style)

Every book requires at least one main character, a "protagonist". Your book may have more than one. That's cool, too. Your book will most likely also have an "antagonist".

For the record, "Protagonist" = good guy, "Antagonist" = bad guy.

Pick one of them. It doesn't matter which, because eventually you're going to do this for all of them - every character, no matter how small.

As in life, everyone in your story is somehow different from everyone else. For example, I am an introvert who loves thunderstorms and Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Latte. I enjoy chatting with interesting people, but have a lousy memory for just about everything. Let's say I have a friend (This is an imaginary friend. Nobody get defensive!) who has a quick temper, loves fried food, hates time wasters, but can sit for hours petting her cat for comfort.

Let's say she calls, wants me to go in for coffee and talk about business. 

"Motivation" is the reason she and I will or will not go.

She is motivated because she likes to keep busy and on top of all things efficient. She knows I like my Starbucks latte, so is using that to lure me, knowing it usually takes a crowbar to pry me off my keyboard. Her hidden motivation is to ask me to join a committee because she is overwhelmed by all the hours it's requiring of her.

I am motivated because I haven't had a latte in a week and my social life is ebbing. But I have a deadline for my latest editing job and use that as an excuse. I apologize and take a rain check.

Would your protagonist go with her? Why or why not?

How do you know the answer to those questions? Because you know your characters inside and out. They are not cardboard cut-outs, or at least they shouldn't be. They need to be real. My all-time favourite mentor, Rona Altrows, taught me this lesson in one easy phrase. Ironically enough, she suggested I take my characters out for coffee. Once there, I would get to know that character as I would anyone in "real life". How do you do that? Ask questions. And don't just whip off the answers. Sit down and plan on a good, quality interview. Get into that character's head, help the reader . Here are a few questions to get you started.

- Do you like loud parties ... and why?
- Who is your favourite author ... and why?
- What is your favourite kind of music ... and why?
- Who is your best friend ... and why?
- Are you close to your family?
- Do you like to drive or be a passenger?
- Do you shop with credit cards or cash?
- Do you have a debt?
- What's your bedroom like?
- Are you, or have you ever been, in love?
- Are you more of a cat person or a dog person?
- What's your favourite meal, and do you like to cook?

From the answers, you can see into that person. Deduce if they are an introvert or extrovert, if they like to live on the edge or push boundaries, do they "work to live or live to work", if they are the kind of person who would enjoy a coffee with that kind of friend.

You don't have to hit us over the head with character information. Be subtle. Say your character owes some pretty big money. No need to remind us repeatedly of that. Just slip in the occasional hint, like when she sips on her latte she admits she shouldn't be spending her money on frivolities like a latte. But why did she go then? Did she think her friend could help with her money difficulties perhaps? And what if her friend refuses? What if her friend is offended and stomps off, ready to announce your character's woes to the world? After all, that could be in the other character's personality.

Once you know your character(s) well enough, you can determine his/her reasons for what they do in the book. You know what path they will naturally follow. HOWEVER, you will also know how far you can push them before they snap and do something "out of character". As much as a character is interesting on his/her own, the moment when they jump the opposite way can be pivotal to the story.

Character Motivation, or lack thereof, can make or break a story . Make it believable that certain characters would or would not do certain things. And help the reader care about that character. Make him/her deep enough that we understand them and we say "Yes! That's what he would do there!" or "I can't believe he did that, but it might just work ..."