writing tip
Below is a quote from book editor Ray Rhamey from his blog at http://www.editorrr.com
But most edits also include "plussing" as well as pruning. It usually falls in two areas that authors have trouble seeing clearly because, when they read through their manuscripts, they're seeing both the words on the page and the "moving picture" of the story as they see it in their minds. Unfortunately, a reader can only see the first part.
Scene setting is the first added work that my comments frequently call for. Often it's missing altogether (writer sees movie, reader sees nothing). My approach is to explain why it's needed, to suggest ideas that the author can build upon, and how to couch it in terms of a character's point of view so it becomes more involving than a verbal rendition of a postcard. I can't save the day for the writer, but I can set them on the path.
Staging is another area that turns into a swamp for some writers. They are so focused on moving the story forward that the physical movements they call for are either unlikely or impossible. Here's an example I cited in an earlier post:
Once safely inside her apartment on the fourth floor, she went to her bedroom window. She recoiled behind the curtain when she saw a long shadow on the pavement below recede into darkness. She recognized him.
"How?"
But most edits also include "plussing" as well as pruning. It usually falls in two areas that authors have trouble seeing clearly because, when they read through their manuscripts, they're seeing both the words on the page and the "moving picture" of the story as they see it in their minds. Unfortunately, a reader can only see the first part.
Scene setting is the first added work that my comments frequently call for. Often it's missing altogether (writer sees movie, reader sees nothing). My approach is to explain why it's needed, to suggest ideas that the author can build upon, and how to couch it in terms of a character's point of view so it becomes more involving than a verbal rendition of a postcard. I can't save the day for the writer, but I can set them on the path.
Staging is another area that turns into a swamp for some writers. They are so focused on moving the story forward that the physical movements they call for are either unlikely or impossible. Here's an example I cited in an earlier post:
Once safely inside her apartment on the fourth floor, she went to her bedroom window. She recoiled behind the curtain when she saw a long shadow on the pavement below recede into darkness. She recognized him.
"How?"
posted by Bob Liter at 9:54 AM
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