tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post2612914215685673693..comments2023-12-09T00:33:24.572-08:00Comments on Novel Matters: Distance and Lists in the Editing ProcessBonnie Grovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-14206582332666683652010-09-24T06:41:55.910-07:002010-09-24T06:41:55.910-07:00This sounds like a winning book all around, not ju...This sounds like a winning book all around, not just for writing books. Would love to win it. Please enter me. <br />desertrose5173 at gmail dot comLindahttp://www.onedesertrose.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-2926177618337438052010-09-20T16:18:38.416-07:002010-09-20T16:18:38.416-07:00Action tags...so true. And good point. I just th...Action tags...so true. And good point. I just thought of a few non-action tags in my novel now. I've got my red pen ready.Nikole Hahnhttp://www.thehahnhuntinglodge.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-79176330753237584392010-09-17T14:24:56.778-07:002010-09-17T14:24:56.778-07:00I saw the title of this entry again, and had a tho...I saw the title of this entry again, and had a thought. It's very cool to have a list. That'll help take the editing decisions out of the emotional realm. "Sorry, adverb. You're on the list. See ya!" Or at the very least, it forces you to give a reason why you're breaking the rule.<br /><br />Voni<br /><br />TABECAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-40543274588389489982010-09-17T09:52:49.658-07:002010-09-17T09:52:49.658-07:00Excellent list. Thank you.
TABACExcellent list. Thank you.<br /><br />TABACLaurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03812932664199311878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-35565547817412463422010-09-17T00:06:16.211-07:002010-09-17T00:06:16.211-07:00Come on...Wake UP, America...
on THIS side of the ...Come on...Wake UP, America...<br />on THIS side of the Pacific it's 5:00 already...!Megan Sayerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15410068162701570057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-67626688306392642492010-09-16T23:07:29.250-07:002010-09-16T23:07:29.250-07:00Thank you, Samantha. Thank you all for your terrif...Thank you, Samantha. Thank you all for your terrific comments.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-52892366714641518022010-09-16T16:04:09.515-07:002010-09-16T16:04:09.515-07:00Bookmarking this post for future edits. Thorough a...Bookmarking this post for future edits. Thorough and funny. A winning combo.Samantha Bennetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15712749844855298929noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-40810463589412639282010-09-16T14:37:07.166-07:002010-09-16T14:37:07.166-07:00I have a difficult time with the "distance&qu...I have a difficult time with the "distance" part of anything I write so I will fall into the trap of editing as I write, which can be disastrous as well as a complete waste of the little time I actually have to write.<br /><br />I appreciate a refresher on the "guidelines". I think it's easy, especially for pre-published writers, to fall in the trap of thinking this list is full of hard and fast "rules".<br /><br />TABECBlazer67https://www.blogger.com/profile/17954340249076836708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-71522834624389066602010-09-16T13:56:39.138-07:002010-09-16T13:56:39.138-07:00I've stumbled upon this a little late, but wha...I've stumbled upon this a little late, but what the heck, I'll give a go.<br /><br />It is a handy list to have though, thank you! I'm horrible with adjectives and -ing words.<br /><br />TABECMichellenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-33527018357431519772010-09-16T13:31:43.075-07:002010-09-16T13:31:43.075-07:00Thank you for this list. I've printed it out a...Thank you for this list. I've printed it out and pinned it up on my wall for reference!<br />TABECPip Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02141472079095619099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-52669214125973833152010-09-16T04:27:38.302-07:002010-09-16T04:27:38.302-07:00Hey, Megan, great idea. I'm totally, absolutel...Hey, Megan, great idea. I'm totally, absolutely going to use it :)<br /><br />TABECKaren @ a house full of sunshinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17787916466155321686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-83745117432751289772010-09-15T22:16:57.511-07:002010-09-15T22:16:57.511-07:00Megan, that's good advice. Thanks for sharing....Megan, that's good advice. Thanks for sharing.<br /><br />Pat, we're very happy to hear that. We always enjoy your comments.<br /><br />J, It's always good to have an honest, knowledgeable critique partner. It's hard for most of us to be as objective as need to be.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-81822076271184631662010-09-15T21:06:17.985-07:002010-09-15T21:06:17.985-07:00Thanks for the great tips. Do you think an author...Thanks for the great tips. Do you think an author can adequately edit his or her own work? Don't you think an objective pair of editing eyes is needed for a substantial work? Thanks, Joan TABECAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-30594987973238616302010-09-15T20:56:27.625-07:002010-09-15T20:56:27.625-07:00Thanks for the helpful list, Sharon. It's been...Thanks for the helpful list, Sharon. It's been useful to me as I work my way through revisions and editing. I tend to use the exclamation point often and put too much of the internal dialogue in italics. This blog has become the one that I turn to for dependable writing guidance. Thanks to all for sharing their expertise.<br /><br />TABECPat Jeanne Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05000956321646970512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-48358423686560315342010-09-15T20:50:19.814-07:002010-09-15T20:50:19.814-07:00Sharon I love the list too! It's so good havin...Sharon I love the list too! It's so good having all the "rules" together in front of you.<br /><br />I did a short writing course recently, and the tutor suggested the following technique for searching out unneccessary qualifiers:<br /><br />1. In MS Word go to the edit menu and scroll down to "find" (or ctrl F)<br />2. Type in ly (letter l, letter y, followed by a space)<br />3. press enter<br /><br />It'll then show you all the really, probably, totally, amazingly and actually unneccessary words. <br /><br />I was pretty impressed. Makes things heaps easier to find, especially in a big manuscript. <br /><br />TABECMegan Sayerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15410068162701570057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-52230776424369302992010-09-15T17:40:33.392-07:002010-09-15T17:40:33.392-07:00Sharon, I like that... "the surprising adject...Sharon, I like that... "the surprising adjective instead of the expected adjective". Something to ponder on today.<br /><br />TABEC<br /><br />P.S. Go, Marcia!!Karen @ a house full of sunshinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17787916466155321686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-68442251224369361442010-09-15T15:32:12.929-07:002010-09-15T15:32:12.929-07:00I've been gone all day and come back to some g...I've been gone all day and come back to some great comments. Bonnie, sharpen away! You're absolutely right about action tags. We don't use them merely to keep from using dialogue tags. And adjectives are wonderful. I love adjectives. Just have to be careful how I use them. And using the surprising adjective instead of the expected adjective gives us all the excuse we need to use them guilt free.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-6759146002661025212010-09-15T15:07:44.196-07:002010-09-15T15:07:44.196-07:00Ellen: We adore Tosca. She's fun, laid back, a...Ellen: We adore Tosca. She's fun, laid back, and genuinely nice - in addition to writing wonderful novels.Bonnie Grovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11377519561074174038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-1315696051464669142010-09-15T15:01:54.070-07:002010-09-15T15:01:54.070-07:00I'm excited. I have a one page and a three pa...I'm excited. I have a one page and a three page synopsis finished. And of course my bulky twelve pager, the first attempt. Looking forward to applying the list of hints to my rewrites.<br /><br />Excellent site! Found you through Tosca Lee I believe.<br /><br />TABECEllen Staleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-17394493946701624552010-09-15T14:57:33.913-07:002010-09-15T14:57:33.913-07:00Love your code for "not under contract" ...Love your code for "not under contract" and Bonnie's "polishing poop."<br /><br />When I set a story aside and then read it again, I'm surprised to notice themes that I didn't consciously weave in. I wonder if they grow organically out of our mindset while we're writing? It's fun to find them, though, and bring them out.<br /><br />Thanks for an excellent editing list. This will go in my notebook!<br /><br />TABECLynn Deanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11167302687594477675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-35466538486266955782010-09-15T13:57:11.089-07:002010-09-15T13:57:11.089-07:00Thanks for this list. These Teeth and Bones postin...Thanks for this list. These Teeth and Bones postings are helping me immensely.<br /><br />TABECMarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12990101542996298555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-22399272874297473802010-09-15T13:42:37.410-07:002010-09-15T13:42:37.410-07:00Oops, I didn't mean to post that last one twic...Oops, I didn't mean to post that last one twice. The prompt asked me if I really wanted to navigate away from the page and I clicked "cancel" --and that was the result. Weird.<br /><br />Anyway, I've got to go do some more work on my synopsis. It would be embarrassing to win and not be ready!<br /><br />--Marcia<br /><br />P.S. My dear husband is praying I'll win this contest. Could he be tired of me harping about publishing a novel for 30 years? That's probably longer than some of you have been alive :-)<br /><br />TABECMarciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229466889267340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-79943322571343258572010-09-15T13:33:30.742-07:002010-09-15T13:33:30.742-07:00Since it's a new concept to me, I couldn't...Since it's a new concept to me, I couldn't remember the reason why I shouldn't use an “ing” word at the beginning of my sentences. So I looked it up just now in “Self-Editing for Fiction Writers.”<br /><br />Browne & King say on p. 193, “One easy way to make your writing seem more sophisticated is to avoid two stylistic constructions that are common to hack writers, namely:<br /><br />“Pulling off her gloves, she turned to face him.” and: “As she pulled off her gloves, she turned to face him.”<br /><br /><br />Both the “as” construction and the “-ing” construction as used above are grammatically correct and express the action clearly and unambiguously. But notice that both of these constructions take a bit of action and tuck it away into a dependent clause. This tends to place some of your action at one remove from your reader, to make the actions seem incidental, unimportant. If you use these constructions often, you weaken your writing.<br /><br />Another reason to avoid the “as” and “-ing” constructions is that they give rise to physical impossibilities. We once worked on the autobiography of a behavioral biologist who, in the process of describing her field work, wrote, “Disappearing into my tent, I changed into fresh jeans.” The “-ing” construction forced simultaneity on two actions that can't be simultaneous. The doctor didn't duck into the tent and pull on clean pants at the same time—she was a biologist, not a contortionist. <br /><br />We are not suggesting that you avoid these phrases altogether. There are going to be times when you want to write about two actions that are actually simultaneous and/or genuinely incidental—actions that deserve no more than a dependent clause. And given the choice between an “as” or “-ing” construction and a belabored, artificial alternative, you're well advised to use the as or -ing. But be aware that hacks have long ago run these useful constructions into the ground. Learn to spot them in your own writing and, if you see more than one or two on a page, start hunting around for alternatives. <br /><br />For instance, “Pulling off her gloves, she turned to face him” could easily be changed to “She pulled off her gloves and turned to face him” or even, “She pulled off her gloves, turned to face him.” Or you can make an -ing phrase less conspicuous by moving it to the middle of the sentence rather than the beginning, where it seems particularly amateurish.”<br /><br />--Marcia<br /><br />TABECMarciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229466889267340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-31993170378814473992010-09-15T13:33:25.516-07:002010-09-15T13:33:25.516-07:00Since it's a new concept to me, I couldn't...Since it's a new concept to me, I couldn't remember the reason why I shouldn't use an “ing” word at the beginning of my sentences. So I looked it up just now in “Self-Editing for Fiction Writers.”<br /><br />Browne & King say on p. 193, “One easy way to make your writing seem more sophisticated is to avoid two stylistic constructions that are common to hack writers, namely:<br /><br />“Pulling off her gloves, she turned to face him.” and: “As she pulled off her gloves, she turned to face him.”<br /><br /><br />Both the “as” construction and the “-ing” construction as used above are grammatically correct and express the action clearly and unambiguously. But notice that both of these constructions take a bit of action and tuck it away into a dependent clause. This tends to place some of your action at one remove from your reader, to make the actions seem incidental, unimportant. If you use these constructions often, you weaken your writing.<br /><br />Another reason to avoid the “as” and “-ing” constructions is that they give rise to physical impossibilities. We once worked on the autobiography of a behavioral biologist who, in the process of describing her field work, wrote, “Disappearing into my tent, I changed into fresh jeans.” The “-ing” construction forced simultaneity on two actions that can't be simultaneous. The doctor didn't duck into the tent and pull on clean pants at the same time—she was a biologist, not a contortionist. <br /><br />We are not suggesting that you avoid these phrases altogether. There are going to be times when you want to write about two actions that are actually simultaneous and/or genuinely incidental—actions that deserve no more than a dependent clause. And given the choice between an “as” or “-ing” construction and a belabored, artificial alternative, you're well advised to use the as or -ing. But be aware that hacks have long ago run these useful constructions into the ground. Learn to spot them in your own writing and, if you see more than one or two on a page, start hunting around for alternatives. <br /><br />For instance, “Pulling off her gloves, she turned to face him” could easily be changed to “She pulled off her gloves and turned to face him” or even, “She pulled off her gloves, turned to face him.” Or you can make an -ing phrase less conspicuous by moving it to the middle of the sentence rather than the beginning, where it seems particularly amateurish.”<br /><br />--Marcia<br /><br />TABECMarciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08469229466889267340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6360410252358941163.post-17597126703629222012010-09-15T11:10:27.032-07:002010-09-15T11:10:27.032-07:00(I was merely whining in the last post, but my di...(I was merely whining in the last post, but my didn't show up.) :)<br /><br />Voni<br />TABECAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com