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The Red Sneaker Writers #7
Excellent Editing: The Writing Process
Why do so many people talk about writing a book but never get the job done? Why do so many start books they never finish? And why is the final product often so much less than what editors and agents want? Because writing is a process, and no steps can be omitted without impacting the quality of the work. As bestselling author William Bernhardt explains, editing begins before you start writing and doesn't end until the book is in print (if then). This book guides writers through that process, explaining what's worth doing and when to do it. With his usual straightforward, demystified approach, Bernhardt explains how to produce a book of exceptional quality.
- GenresWritingNonfiction
112 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 10, 2016
About the author
William Bernhardt
99 books517 followersWilliam Bernhardt is the author of over sixty books, including the bestselling Daniel Pike and Ben Kincaid legal thrillers, the historical novels Challengers of the Dust and Nemesis, three books of poetry, and the ten Red Sneaker books on fiction writing.
In addition, Bernhardt founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. The Center hosts an annual writers conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast. More than three dozen of Bernhardt’s students have subsequently published with major houses. He is also the owner of Balkan Press, which publishes poetry and fiction as well as the literary journal Conclave.
Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award eighteen times in three different categories, and has won the award twice. Library Journal called him “the master of the courtroom drama.” The Vancouver Sun called him “the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer.”
In addition to his novels and poetry, he has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. OSU named him “Oklahoma’s Renaissance Man.”
In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion winning over $20,000.
When Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.”
In addition, Bernhardt founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. The Center hosts an annual writers conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast. More than three dozen of Bernhardt’s students have subsequently published with major houses. He is also the owner of Balkan Press, which publishes poetry and fiction as well as the literary journal Conclave.
Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award eighteen times in three different categories, and has won the award twice. Library Journal called him “the master of the courtroom drama.” The Vancouver Sun called him “the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer.”
In addition to his novels and poetry, he has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. OSU named him “Oklahoma’s Renaissance Man.”
In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion winning over $20,000.
When Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.”
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 29, 2021
As always William Bernhardt brings solid actionable advice on how to improve your writing. All of these Red Sneaker Writing books are well worth the time.
(Though I pointedly disagree with Bill on his "Don't read your work aloud as part of your editing process" mandate)
(Though I pointedly disagree with Bill on his "Don't read your work aloud as part of your editing process" mandate)
June 12, 2016
Delivers far more than you expect from a book on editing.
The seventh installment in William Bernhardt's empowering series on the writing process surprises the reader from the first chapter. We are told that excellent editing begins before you start writing. When you are still brainstorming a story idea, you can do so in way that anticipates the editing that will follow. He cogently explains to the resistant author why an outline isn't just a good idea, but a critical step. He then frees the author to write the entire first draft without digressing or revising. But he goes on to reveal that completing this step merely allows the real work to begin. That a minimum of five complete edits are required before the author can consider sharing it with other readers. The appendices at the end of the book provide the kind of actionable instruction in how to edit effectively that is a hallmark of each book in this series. This ability to demystify the process and provide tools to the budding or established author to achieve their goals, encourages them to attempt the hard work described, not because they are told to but because it makes good sense. I am already applying what I learned from this little book to my current work in progress. I encourage you to do the same.
The seventh installment in William Bernhardt's empowering series on the writing process surprises the reader from the first chapter. We are told that excellent editing begins before you start writing. When you are still brainstorming a story idea, you can do so in way that anticipates the editing that will follow. He cogently explains to the resistant author why an outline isn't just a good idea, but a critical step. He then frees the author to write the entire first draft without digressing or revising. But he goes on to reveal that completing this step merely allows the real work to begin. That a minimum of five complete edits are required before the author can consider sharing it with other readers. The appendices at the end of the book provide the kind of actionable instruction in how to edit effectively that is a hallmark of each book in this series. This ability to demystify the process and provide tools to the budding or established author to achieve their goals, encourages them to attempt the hard work described, not because they are told to but because it makes good sense. I am already applying what I learned from this little book to my current work in progress. I encourage you to do the same.
March 16, 2019
The most practical help I've found yet in a very concise format.
This book takes you from the first steps (the planning stage) of writing your book straight through to the final product, including tips on publishing. Includes basic guides to formatting, which I found very helpful. Don't even begin writing until you have read this book. The suggestions in this book will keep you from making a lot of mistakes, save you time, and result in a better product--a book you can be proud of and one which readers will enjoy reading.
This book takes you from the first steps (the planning stage) of writing your book straight through to the final product, including tips on publishing. Includes basic guides to formatting, which I found very helpful. Don't even begin writing until you have read this book. The suggestions in this book will keep you from making a lot of mistakes, save you time, and result in a better product--a book you can be proud of and one which readers will enjoy reading.
December 7, 2023
I’d recommend this book to any writer looking for help with their process.
I was a pantser when I was younger, but this book is 100% right. Learning to write out plot points and plan was one of the best things I could have done for my writing. I tried it with a book called Lost and finished the draft within a week of starting. After that I went and knocked out ten first drafts for books in another series. Planning can save you a lot of time.
I’m excited to read the next book in this series.
Thanks for the lessons.
I was a pantser when I was younger, but this book is 100% right. Learning to write out plot points and plan was one of the best things I could have done for my writing. I tried it with a book called Lost and finished the draft within a week of starting. After that I went and knocked out ten first drafts for books in another series. Planning can save you a lot of time.
I’m excited to read the next book in this series.
Thanks for the lessons.
June 18, 2023
Another perfect book in the series, and something I'll be incorporating into my own writing journey over the next 12 months. Conciseness might just be William Bernhardt's middle name, because despite its brevity, the breadth of knowledge he imparts on both burgeoning and experienced writers is astounding. Approaching the editing process as a writer is a whole different mindset than approaching it as an editor, and I'm glad I'm taking the time to learn the intricacies of them both.
December 31, 2023
Why do so many people talk about writing a book but never get the job done? Why do so many start books they never finish? And why is the final product often so much less than what editors and agents want? Because writing is a process, and no steps can be omitted without impacting the quality of the work.
OUTSTANDING. I love the Red Sneaker series. I've learned so much!
OUTSTANDING. I love the Red Sneaker series. I've learned so much!
November 10, 2018
Great book to get a writer's perspective on the editing process. Easy to read, practical, written with great energy, funny anecdotes and inspiring quotes from well-known figures, I recommend this book to anyone looking to improve their fiction writing.
June 30, 2021
The entire Red Sneaker series is very accessible for new novel writers and helped me get my first novel from idea to polished, published product. I recommend it for anyone who is trying to write their first novel or wants to.
November 27, 2017
An extremely helpful resource for authors
September 12, 2018
Inspirational and educational read before editing my own work. Recommend this and all of The Red Sneakers series for beginning through best-selling authors.
January 2, 2019
Love, love, love the Red Sneaker series. Each book is packed with wisdom, advice, and practicality of writing. Highly recommend.
September 5, 2020
Great guidance for Self-Editing!
November 13, 2022
A quick and concise read with plenty of advice about writing and editing a novel.
February 4, 2017
Good information, but with a misleading title. Rather than Excellent Editing: The Writing Process, a better title would have been The Writing Process: Prewriting, Outlining, Drafting, and Editing.
I read this book because I'm editing a novel (like I imagine most readers of this book are). But by that point, you read this book as, "Here are the things you should have done already to make your editing easier."
It's helpful information--for when you begin your next novel.
I read this book because I'm editing a novel (like I imagine most readers of this book are). But by that point, you read this book as, "Here are the things you should have done already to make your editing easier."
It's helpful information--for when you begin your next novel.
Currently Reading
June 29, 2016An excellent book for the consummate writer. Bernhardt's series is excellent...I have them all on my Kindle. I have the pleasure of working with Bill at Rose State College in Midwest City, OK. HE's great in person, too!
September 13, 2016
I like the Red Sneaker books. They cover just one topic, rather than trying to tell yo everything about everything, so you can go straight to what you want to know. Couple of pronouncements I didn't agree with for my own system, but on the whole a common-sense approach.
April 7, 2017
I love the Red Sneakers writing series, but this book's title is misleading. The first half has little to say on editing.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews