The Editing Hit List

Business Craft & Skills Editing Joshua Essoe 3 Comments
At Work
At Work

What cursed names do you reserve for your editor? We know you have them. We know you give them to us. And we don’t care. We actually kind of like it.

When you work with an editor for the first time, you’ll start to shed preconceived notions about the shape your story is in. Getting that MS back bleeding and red can be a shock. But, I swear, we only do it in self-defense. I want to help you and your MS avoid some of that unnecessary blood loss.

I see a lot of things I wish I didn’t. Every editor does. I’ve already spoken about how important it is to pay attention to your submission guidelines, and what industry standard formatting looks like, so here are a few other things on my hit list.

1. Single quotation marks.

I sometimes wish writers weren’t taught they existed. In fiction writing, the most common use you’ll have for single quotation marks is to indicate a quote within dialogue. Enclose the speaker’s dialogue in double quotation marks, then enclose the phrase they are quoting in single quotation marks. You nest them, with the double quotation marks on the outside.

“So this guy, he actually growls at me, his eyes turn red, and he tells me, ‘Give me a keg of beer.'”

Is that the only time you can use single quotation marks? No, outside fiction, it’s the convention in studies like linguistics, philosophy and theology to infer special meaning by enclosing some words in single quotation marks. They’re also used by the Associated Press for headlines.

Use double quotation marks for dialogue (obviously), around titles of short stories, magazine articles, and TV episode titles; they can be used as a style choice when you are writing a sentence and you want to refer to a word rather than use its meaning, as I will in the next item on the hit list.

Double quotation marks can also sometimes be used as scare quotes. I’m sure you’ve heard the term. All scare quotes do is indicate that a word is special in some way, usually a sarcastic or ironic author showing that he doesn’t believe or buy into the meaning.

And I see . . . hell, everybody sees double quotation marks used incorrectly in this way all the time. Check this out.

2. Mixing up “a” and “the.”

I see this more than a little. And I can see you shaking your head already. You totally don’t do that, that’s dumb. Well, not so fast, Speedy. I see it a lot for a reason.

These words infer very different things. Only use “the” when referring to something or someone that has already been introduced to your story, and “a” for something new to the story.

For example, when introducing a new element, like a big, slashy red pen, upon the first mention of that red pen, it is always, “a” red pen, not “the” red pen. “The” references a specific red pen, and since the red pen has never appeared nor been mentioned in your story thus far, the characters couldn’t possibly know to which red pen you were referring when you said “the red pen.” In this instance, it would be “a red pen.”

Thereafter, since the red pen has now been introduced, and your readers and your characters know about it, it would be “the red pen.”

3. Paragraph breaks.

Give them to us. New paragraphs are important for your readers. They tell when you’re switching time, place, topic or speaker, and they break the page up so it is not a solid block of words.

Don’t downplay the psychological impact of how the writing actually looks. It is intimidating and discouraging to see huge blocks of uninterrupted text, and you don’t want your reader to be discouraged before they even start to read, right?

Paragraphs create white space on a page and that white space provides a visual and mental break for readers — like coming up for air. New thought, new paragraph. It is often a good idea to separate lines of dialogue into new paragraphs; and the same goes for thoughts.

There are a few standard times to make a new paragraph:

a. when you start in on a new topic,
b. when a new person begins to speak,
c. when you skip to a new place,
d. when you skip to a new time, &
e. when you want to produce a dramatic effect.

Some of these breaks may require a new scene, or even a new chapter, but at the least, give us a new paragraph.

4. Action sequences.

Action is usually the most difficult for writers to become proficient in. Time and again the manuscripts I work on will have the heaviest line editing concentrated in action scenes. I start hacking harder when characters do, so here are some rules of thumb.

Less is more. Use fewer words; more words merely gunk up the flow and muddy clarity. Action should be sharp and fast, your words should suit that.

Use only the actions that are necessary to show what is going on and no more. If there is no reason to include an extra dodge, sway, swing, leap, scream or twist, then don’t. Each movement should build off the last and serve to increase the stakes and the tension until the climax and resolution. If it doesn’t, cut it.

Save your big, dynamic action verbs like “slam,” or “jolt,” or “roar” for action scenes. You can only use each a finite amount of times, so save them for when they fit the scene and when they’ll have the most impact.

Anything that slows the tempo doesn’t belong. Tempo is the level of activity within a scene via dialogue, action or a combination of the two. Together with rhythm (the way scenes interact with one another), tempo dictates the pacing of your story.

Pay close attention to that pacing too. Is your story filled with action scene after action scene after action scene? The whole point of an action scene is to get the blood moving, create tension, make readers fear for your characters. It’s easy to make your readers numb by overdoing it. If your tension is getting stale, it is because you’re hitting the same emotional beat too many times. Too much action — but this can be applied to any kind of scene, any emotional beat.

When that’s happening you have to use an opposing beat. So change it up and throw in some romance or mystery. Or mysterious romance. Give readers a rest so they can step back and appreciate your action again. To put it another way, if you love bacon (and you do), and so all you eat is bacon (and you might), you’re going to grow tired of bacon . . . this is a bad example.

With that, I close my hit list to you for now, and leave you to your own devices. But I’ve got my eye on you. My big, bright, baleful, red eye. Go ahead, call me all the bad names you want. I’m here for you.

Joshua Essoe is a full-time, freelance editor. He’s been editing and writing for twenty years in one form or another, but has focused on speculative fiction in the last several. He’s done work for David Farland, Dean Lorey, Moses Siregar and numerous Writers of the Future authors and winners, as well as many top-notch independents.Together with Jordan Ellinger, Diana Rowland and Moses Siregar, you can find him waxing eloquent (hopefully) on the writing podcast Hide and Create.

Cultivating Fanaticism

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A guest post by Sam Sykes.

The first rule of being a successful writer, as any author will tell you, is to write a good book.

Indeed, if you felt so inclined, you could call this the sole rule of being a successful writer.  For if your book is even just pretty good, it will sell and your needs will be largely taken care of.  And if your book is very good, it will likely sell very well and you’ll find yourself doing what all successful writers do, which is largely hiding in a dark room and weeping into a glass of whiskey as you struggle with the desperate self-conviction that you are a fraud.

While this is still technically possible, it’s much rarer than it used to be.  Because it used to be quite common, with a fantasy author’s readership largely pre-defined as small, humble geeks who would buy whatever you put out because they were immensely starved for entertainment.

But it’s not quite the same anymore.  There’s no 02_finalshortage of absolutely thrilling fantasy authors these days and the audience is much, much broader.  The geeks are louder, more outspoken, more eager to be open with their passions.  You see this scrawled out in events such as Comicon, where movie geeks, comic geeks and video game geeks all brush shoulders with your readership, the book geek.

This is frequently the source of bemoaning the end to Comicon’s purity, but I view it as a good thing.  To find a niche-specialized nerd these days is increasingly uncommon, as the more we brush against each other, the more our passions are shared.  Suddenly, gamers are comparing the stories they play against the stories they read and comic book readers are keen to devour any story they can, be it illustrated or not.

This is the future.  This is your audience.  They are massive, they are multitalented and they are hungry.

And with a new, varied audience comes a new opportunity to draw in potential readers.  While your book (undoubtedly very good) will be the thing to hold their attention and make them a fan, there are a number of ways you can draw people in.

One such means I found was in creating a comic book with the help of the tremendously talented artist, Ashley Cope, creator of the webcomic, Unsounded.

Set as a prologue to my newest book, The City Stained Red, due out in 2014 by Orbit Books, it’s a means of quickly and vividly conveying what my book is all about to an audience increasingly focused on absorbing information quickly through visual stimuli.

05_finalThat all sounds dreadfully scientific, perhaps even a little coldly mercenary.  I assure you, though, that any thought and study as to the practical effects of this were an afterthought.

Because I am one of the new nerds.  And my first thought was for the simple fact that I freaking love comics and wanted to see my characters, my stories made into one.

Now, it’s certainly a good idea, from a business standpoint.  It stretches across the medium to reach a new audience and it’s quick to be digested to hook new readers.  So, if this sort of thing appeals to you, as an aspiring author, I’d like to offer you three tips as to how to make it work for you.

Let Enthusiasm Guide You

One of the big things you’ll learn about geeks is that they can smell crass corporate dictation.  A lifetime on the internet has left them cynical and suspicious of anyone pretending to be like them.  But this also means they are more easily infected by enthusiasm and passion.

Hence, be enthusiastic in all your side projects.  Never do anything unless you’re excited about it.  Never let yourself be dictated solely by business.

If you don’t understand comics and aren’t interested in them, it’ll seep through and alienate people.  Likewise, if you’re absolutely mad about directing and cinematography, then putting together book trailers or short web videos to act as supplement to your books will draw people in.

 Always Be a Professional

One of the biggest joys of this sort of thing is the creative collaboration between artists that occurs.  I, for one, can’t draw with any great skill, and thus I sought out Ashley Cope (who can write with incredible vigor, how unfair is that).  It was a tremendous joy working with her and learning how to let my thoughts be made into something illustrated.

I have an immense respect for artists.  I’ve worked with several of them and I know, as I implore you now, that you must treat them well.

Always be respectful of their time; good artists are always in demand and have busy schedules.  Always be prompt with payment; they work hard for you, you owe them the courtesy and the payment.  Never be afraid to offer feedback; they’re interested in making the work come alive, not in having their butts kissed.

And never, ever, ever offer to “pay them in exposure.”

I will seriously kill you if you do.

Remember Rule One

Supplemental side projects are just that.  They are only as strong as the story you’re going to write and it’s always going to be the story that holds the attention of your readers.

You can have the finest comic, the best trailers, the coolest web series around, but if it’s based on a crappy book, it’s not going to mean much.

Don’t get caught up in the excitement.  Finish the book.  Then make plans.

Good luck, and keep writing!

Sam Sykes Bio: Sam Sykes
Sam Sykes is the author of The Aeons’ Gate trilogy, a vast and sprawling story of adventure, demons, madness and carnage.  Suspected by many to be at least tangentially related to most causes of human suffering, Sam Sykes is also a force to be reckoned with beyond literature.At 25, Sykes is one of the younger authors to have arrived on the stage of literary fantasy.  Tome of the Undergates and Black Halo are currently published in nine countries.  He currently resides in the United States and is probably watching you read this right now.

Information about Superstars Writing Seminars

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You may have noticed that quite a few of the posts this month have mentioned Superstars Writing Seminars. There’s a good reason we keep bring up this particular seminar, other than it’s because what all of the Fictorians have in common (we have all attended at least once).  It’s because it’s a darn good conference.

Superstars is a 3-day conference that happens once a year about the business of writing. Kevin J. Anderson and his wife Rebecca Moesta organize the events and are part of the faculty. Brandon Sanderson, James A. Owen, David Farland, and Eric Flint are also faculty and partners. All will be instructors at the upcoming Superstars in February 2014.

What you need to know about Superstars Writing Seminars 2014:

And most importantly, if you are serious your writing career, this seminar is for you.

Click here to register now.

 

The Solitary Life of a Writer

Business Conventions Guest Posts Motivation 2 Comments

A guest post by Heidi Wilde.

As soon as I discovered the existence of books and realized that human beings wrote these precious passports to lands unknown, I knew that I wanted to be a writer.  The span between that realization and the present day I like to call My Rationalized Life (sounds better than My Wasted Life, don’t you think?).  A little over two years ago, I decided that if I was ever going to be a writer I needed to get serious.

At first I thought that becoming a writer would involve a lot of time locked in my room, alone.  That I needed to sequester myself away from “real life” in order to get in touch with my Writer Self.  It’s a romantic notion, and you do need focused, concentrated time for your writing, but I found that merely sitting alone with my laptop wasn’t getting me very far.  I started looking online for inspiration, tips, advice and stumbled into the world of Conventions and Workshops and all manner of Enticing Gatherings.

I try not to do anything in half measures and my first foray into this strange land was no different.  I found a workshop that was held in conjunction with Dragon*Con and involved submitting a short story or the first chapter of a manuscript to the author who was running the 3 day workshop.  It popped my eyes wide open, let me tell you.  It also introduced me to the idea that writing is a community effort.  Yes, when it comes down to it, the only one who can tell your story is you, but we aren’t meant to walk the path from inspiration to fruition alone.

My second convention experience was attending LTUE (Life, the Universe, and Everything – a speculative fiction symposium) where I became acquainted with a group of people who were interested in forming a writing group.  I’d never had a writing group and I was a little nervous about how it would all work.  I mean, these people would expect me to submit my writing.  I would be expected to critique theirs! It was all very new and scary to me, so of course I jumped aboard.

In the beginning these people were strangers.  They held no familial obligation to tell me my writing was good.  They were going to give me what they wanted me to give them in return; honesty and ways to improve.  If you aren’t currently in a writing group and have any interest in publishing – or at the very least improving – your work, I highly recommend finding a group.

There are a few things to consider when you begin searching for a group.  First, you need to figure out what you want to get out of being in a group.  Do you have a few projects that are nearly finished? Just need those extra set of eyes?  Do you want to develop better critiquing skills?  Do you need moral support for your writing addiction?  A place where people speak your language?  Know what you want/need so you can communicate those things to prospective groups.

Every group dynamic will be different; you need to find the one that fits you best.  Trust me when I tell you you don’t want a group whose only feedback is that everything you write is awesome.  This may sound like a good thing, and at times we do need to cosset our egos, but how much will you improve if you’re never told how or what needs improving?  On the flip side, you should avoid groups that make you contemplate suicide at the end of each session. Moderation in all things, right?  This is just as applicable to writing groups as to anything else.  Find a group where you feel safe to submit, but also challenged to improve.

Don’t forget, writing groups are as much about what you can offer the rest of the group as they are about what you can gain from them.  Make sure you are willing to read other people’s submissions and give them your honest feedback.  Again, moderation.  Don’t hang in the shadows for too long, but don’t expect that the spotlight is there just for you.

Be sure you are ready to accept and (where you deem appropriate) apply criticism. Once you have decided what story you want to tell, listen to your group’s comments to make sure you are telling the story you want to be.  There is no need to make every change suggested by your group (that is one good way to lose your story), but if you hear the same comment from multiple sources you need to pay attention.  A problem area is being highlighted.  Somewhere along the way what you meant to say and what you actually said became two different things.  Whether or not you use any suggestions you receive on how to fix the problem, the section needs to be fixed.

In addition to writing groups, I found that attending seminars and workshops help your craft as well as get you out mingling with people “in the know”.  Yes, I’m talking about networking, rubbing shoulders, brushing elbows, playing footsie.  No matter how nervous the idea of actually speaking to other people may make you, it is a very important piece of the pie.

The best experiences I have had with this aspect of writing have been during Superstars Writing Seminars.  I could write a long post full of effusive praise for this seminar, but since this post is already quite lengthy, I’ll just mention one thing.  This is where the budding thought of community that I received at the Dragon*Con workshop and watered during LTUE fully bloomed and bore fruit.  Never in my wildest dreams did I image Superstars such as Kevin J. Anderson, Brandon Sanderson, Rebecca Moesta, Dave Farland, Tracy Hickman, Eric Flint and James Owen would claim me as a member of their Tribe, but they did.

Of the millions of things these wonderful authors said that touched me, the one that really changed my outlook on this business of writing was when Kevin told us to look around at the rest of the attendees.  “These people are not your competition; they are your comrades.”  Build your Tribe.  Work on your writing, of course, but especially develop strong relationships with your fellow writers, editors, publishers, agents – and yes, even those I.P. attorneys (hey, we all need love) and you’ll find fulfillment and success in this insane, scary, wonderful world of writing.

Heidi Wilde Bio: Me in the Scots Tower
Heidi A. Wilde is a Respiratory Therapist by night and aspiring author by day.  She spends her nights dragging people back from the brink of death, but she has dedicated her daylight hours to the pursuit of all things writing.  Current projects include a Children’s “How to” Poetry book, a Regency romance series as well as a foray into the realm of Steampunk.  She attributes the bulk of what knowledge she can claim to attendance in fabulous programs such as Superstars Writing Seminars, Dave Farland’s workshops and various conventions.