Callie James's Blog - Posts Tagged "seek-and-destroy"
WRITERS: Self-Editing Fiction
SELF-EDITING FICTION
Step 1 - Seek and Destroy
Searching for specific words/phrases is a massive time sucker and often takes me weeks to complete, but I've found it's a process worth finishing. I usually cut my use of the words listed below by half and reduce my manuscript by 3,000-5,000 words. This is a great way to tighten up those sentences.
Since I have so many lists to share (and these are "short" lists), I'll keep my comments to a minimum. I've listed these in the following order:
1. Do you need all of those prepositions?
2. Change "to be" verbs (stop passive writing to make your sentences stronger).
3. Delete unnecessary words/phrases.
4. Find deep point of view opportunities.
5. Don't start sentences with these words.
6. Define indefinite words.
7. Check capitalization and specificity.
8. Remove or replace repetitive words/phrases.
1. DO YOU NEED ALL OF THOSE PREPOSITIONS? People often clutter sentences by using too many prepositions. A quick fix is to try to eliminate the preposition and make two sentences. The preposition or prepositional phrase is often not needed.
aboard
about
above
across
after
against
along
amid
among
anti
around
as
at
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
besides
between
beyond
but
by
concerning
considering
despite
down
during
except
excepting
excluding
following
for
from
in
inside
into
like
minus
near of
off
on
onto
opposite
outside
over
past
per
plus
regarding
round
save
since
than
through
to
toward
towards
under
underneath
unlike
until
up
upon
versus
via
with
within
without
2. CHANGE "TO BE" VERBS (STOP PASSIVE WRITING). Try to make the doer the subject of your sentence.
Am
Are
Is
Was
Were
Be
Being
Been
Become
Became
Have
Has
3. DELETE UNNECESSARY WORDS/PHRASES. These will clutter your sentences.
A lot
Actually
Almost
Although
Always
Awfully
Basically
Begin/Beginning
Certainly
Essentially
Even
Extremely
For a moment
Generally
In spite of
It occurred
Just
Kind of
Literally
Mostly
Nearly
Perhaps
Pretty much
Quite
Rather
Really
Slowly
So
Something
Sometime
Somewhat
Sort of
Started/Starting
Suddenly
Sure
That
Then
Usually
Very
Yet
Most words ending in "ing" and "ly"
4. FIND DEEP POINT OF VIEW OPPORTUNITIES. No doubt, you've heard to show and not tell. When you find these words below, see if you can reword from a deep point of view perspective. For example, substitute "she felt sick" with "her stomach churned" or "she tasted bile." You get the idea.
Feel/Felt
Hear(d)
Think/Thought
Know/Knew
Notice(d)
Realize(d)
See/Saw
Seem(ed)
Watch(ed)
Wonder(ed)
5. DON'T START SENTENCES WITH THESE WORDS.
• Hopefully
• Fortunately
• It is
• There is
• There are
6. DEFINE INDEFINITE WORDS. This helps to avoid confusing the reader.
• Few
• Many
• Some
• Pronouns
7. CHECK CAPITALIZATION AND SPECIFICITY. Search names and pronouns. I find after so many passes, I'll often miss mistakes like "my Mom" should be "my mom." No capitalization needed in this case.
8. REMOVE OR REPLACE REPETITIVE WORDS AND PHRASES. This list will be your own personal list of words/phrases you use too often. I'm sharing words/phrases below that I overuse.
Again
At least
Definitely
Glanced
Heart
Laugh
Likely
Look
Nod
Possibly
Probably
Sigh
Smile
Stared
Turned
Was deciding
Was going to
Was happening
Yeah
This is a constantly changing list for me, and each time I go through the process, I get a little better at not making these mistakes. However, I sometimes pick up new problems while trying to avoid old ones.
After several self-editing passes, crushing self-doubt will begin to overwhelm me and I have to fight a burning desire to chuck my manuscript into the trash. That’s how I know I’ve reached Step 2. Time to hand over your baby to someone else.
Step 2 - An Honest Look
Beta readers and critique partners are important for any writer to have. That said, I highly recommend only asking people you trust.
• Beta readers should be anyone with an interest in what you write. Preferably someone who has good copy editing skills and can spot obvious errors. Send your manuscript to 2-3 beta readers.
It still surprises me when I get the copy edits back with all of those glaring mistakes that I can no longer see. Mistakes such as "the" instead of "they" or "conservation" instead of "conservative." Easy fixes, but wow, those errors would have marred the final product to the point of distraction.
• Critique partners should be mentors or experts in your field/genre who read a great deal of the subject matter. They also need to be people who will give you an honest opinion.
Hopefully, you’ve already gone over your story scene by scene. You’ve made sure the chapters are similar in length and that you’re at least close to adhering to standard industry chapter word counts:
1500-3500 words for YA
2000-4500 words for Adult
You also note that each chapter:
1. Begins by describing some new problem.
2. Raises the stakes for the main character and/or characters.
3. Concludes at some critical decision or turning point.
These are issues a critique partner might spot faster than you can, as well as pacing, timeline or blocking issues. For instance, a sagging middle likely means you've missed steps 1, 2 and/or 3 for a scene, a whole chapter or even several chapters.
If a scene/chapter does not include these three elements, consider adding or deleting to the scene/chapter until it does. You may even consider deleting altogether, especially if you’re trying to cull enough of the manuscript to fit into a publisher’s word count guidelines.
Once I incorporate the final edits, I usually make one final pass, preferably in a different format (I read the final pass in printed format). Manuscripts look very different in the various formats available and you may find a few more errors on that last read because of it.
Good luck!
Step 1 - Seek and Destroy
Searching for specific words/phrases is a massive time sucker and often takes me weeks to complete, but I've found it's a process worth finishing. I usually cut my use of the words listed below by half and reduce my manuscript by 3,000-5,000 words. This is a great way to tighten up those sentences.
Since I have so many lists to share (and these are "short" lists), I'll keep my comments to a minimum. I've listed these in the following order:
1. Do you need all of those prepositions?
2. Change "to be" verbs (stop passive writing to make your sentences stronger).
3. Delete unnecessary words/phrases.
4. Find deep point of view opportunities.
5. Don't start sentences with these words.
6. Define indefinite words.
7. Check capitalization and specificity.
8. Remove or replace repetitive words/phrases.
1. DO YOU NEED ALL OF THOSE PREPOSITIONS? People often clutter sentences by using too many prepositions. A quick fix is to try to eliminate the preposition and make two sentences. The preposition or prepositional phrase is often not needed.
aboard
about
above
across
after
against
along
amid
among
anti
around
as
at
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
besides
between
beyond
but
by
concerning
considering
despite
down
during
except
excepting
excluding
following
for
from
in
inside
into
like
minus
near of
off
on
onto
opposite
outside
over
past
per
plus
regarding
round
save
since
than
through
to
toward
towards
under
underneath
unlike
until
up
upon
versus
via
with
within
without
2. CHANGE "TO BE" VERBS (STOP PASSIVE WRITING). Try to make the doer the subject of your sentence.
Am
Are
Is
Was
Were
Be
Being
Been
Become
Became
Have
Has
3. DELETE UNNECESSARY WORDS/PHRASES. These will clutter your sentences.
A lot
Actually
Almost
Although
Always
Awfully
Basically
Begin/Beginning
Certainly
Essentially
Even
Extremely
For a moment
Generally
In spite of
It occurred
Just
Kind of
Literally
Mostly
Nearly
Perhaps
Pretty much
Quite
Rather
Really
Slowly
So
Something
Sometime
Somewhat
Sort of
Started/Starting
Suddenly
Sure
That
Then
Usually
Very
Yet
Most words ending in "ing" and "ly"
4. FIND DEEP POINT OF VIEW OPPORTUNITIES. No doubt, you've heard to show and not tell. When you find these words below, see if you can reword from a deep point of view perspective. For example, substitute "she felt sick" with "her stomach churned" or "she tasted bile." You get the idea.
Feel/Felt
Hear(d)
Think/Thought
Know/Knew
Notice(d)
Realize(d)
See/Saw
Seem(ed)
Watch(ed)
Wonder(ed)
5. DON'T START SENTENCES WITH THESE WORDS.
• Hopefully
• Fortunately
• It is
• There is
• There are
6. DEFINE INDEFINITE WORDS. This helps to avoid confusing the reader.
• Few
• Many
• Some
• Pronouns
7. CHECK CAPITALIZATION AND SPECIFICITY. Search names and pronouns. I find after so many passes, I'll often miss mistakes like "my Mom" should be "my mom." No capitalization needed in this case.
8. REMOVE OR REPLACE REPETITIVE WORDS AND PHRASES. This list will be your own personal list of words/phrases you use too often. I'm sharing words/phrases below that I overuse.
Again
At least
Definitely
Glanced
Heart
Laugh
Likely
Look
Nod
Possibly
Probably
Sigh
Smile
Stared
Turned
Was deciding
Was going to
Was happening
Yeah
This is a constantly changing list for me, and each time I go through the process, I get a little better at not making these mistakes. However, I sometimes pick up new problems while trying to avoid old ones.
After several self-editing passes, crushing self-doubt will begin to overwhelm me and I have to fight a burning desire to chuck my manuscript into the trash. That’s how I know I’ve reached Step 2. Time to hand over your baby to someone else.
Step 2 - An Honest Look
Beta readers and critique partners are important for any writer to have. That said, I highly recommend only asking people you trust.
• Beta readers should be anyone with an interest in what you write. Preferably someone who has good copy editing skills and can spot obvious errors. Send your manuscript to 2-3 beta readers.
It still surprises me when I get the copy edits back with all of those glaring mistakes that I can no longer see. Mistakes such as "the" instead of "they" or "conservation" instead of "conservative." Easy fixes, but wow, those errors would have marred the final product to the point of distraction.
• Critique partners should be mentors or experts in your field/genre who read a great deal of the subject matter. They also need to be people who will give you an honest opinion.
Hopefully, you’ve already gone over your story scene by scene. You’ve made sure the chapters are similar in length and that you’re at least close to adhering to standard industry chapter word counts:
1500-3500 words for YA
2000-4500 words for Adult
You also note that each chapter:
1. Begins by describing some new problem.
2. Raises the stakes for the main character and/or characters.
3. Concludes at some critical decision or turning point.
These are issues a critique partner might spot faster than you can, as well as pacing, timeline or blocking issues. For instance, a sagging middle likely means you've missed steps 1, 2 and/or 3 for a scene, a whole chapter or even several chapters.
If a scene/chapter does not include these three elements, consider adding or deleting to the scene/chapter until it does. You may even consider deleting altogether, especially if you’re trying to cull enough of the manuscript to fit into a publisher’s word count guidelines.
Once I incorporate the final edits, I usually make one final pass, preferably in a different format (I read the final pass in printed format). Manuscripts look very different in the various formats available and you may find a few more errors on that last read because of it.
Good luck!
