Editor-Proof Your Writing


Book Description

Don McNair lays out an easy-to-follow and systematic method for clearing up foggy writing--writing that's full of extra, misused, and overused words--in this guide to producing sparkling copy that attracts readers, agents, editors, and sales. McNair explains the common mistakes made by most writers and shows how eliminating unnecessary words strengthens action, shorten sentences, and makes writing crackle with life.




How to Fix Your Academic Writing Trouble: A Practical Guide


Book Description

Are you confused by the feedback you get from your academic teachers and mentors? This clear and accessible guide to decoding academic feedback will help you interpret what your lecturer or research supervisor is really trying to tell you about your writing—and show you how to fix it. It will help you master a range of techniques and strategies to take your writing to the next level and along the way you’ll learn why academic text looks the way it does, and how to produce that ‘authoritative scholarly voice’ that everyone talks about. This book is an easy-to-use resource for postgraduate students and researchers in all disciplines, and even professional academics, to diagnose their writing issues and find ways to fix them. This book would also be a valuable text for academic writing courses and writing groups, such as those offered in doctoral and Master's by research degree programmes. 'Whether they have writing problems or not, every academic writer will want this handy compendium of effective strategies and sound explanations on their book shelf—it’s a must-have.' Pat Thomson, Professor of Education, University of Nottingham, UK




Making Sense of 'Show, Don't Tell'


Book Description

This fiction-editing guide shows authors and editors how to recognize shown and told prose, and avoid unnecessary exposition. Louise Harnby, a fiction editor, writer and course developer, teaches you how to identify stylistic problems and craft solutions that weave showing and telling together, and understand why there's no place for 'don't tell' in strong writing. Topics include: Shown and told prose in different scenarios; the relevance of viewpoint; when exposition serves story and deepens character; and tools that help writers add texture.




The Subversive Copy Editor


Book Description

Each year writers and editors submit over three thousand grammar and style questions to the Q&A page at The Chicago Manual of Style Online. Some are arcane, some simply hilarious—and one editor, Carol Fisher Saller, reads every single one of them. All too often she notes a classic author-editor standoff, wherein both parties refuse to compromise on the "rights" and "wrongs" of prose styling: "This author is giving me a fit." "I wish that I could just DEMAND the use of the serial comma at all times." "My author wants his preface to come at the end of the book. This just seems ridiculous to me. I mean, it’s not a post-face." In The Subversive Copy Editor, Saller casts aside this adversarial view and suggests new strategies for keeping the peace. Emphasizing habits of carefulness, transparency, and flexibility, she shows copy editors how to build an environment of trust and cooperation. One chapter takes on the difficult author; another speaks to writers themselves. Throughout, the focus is on serving the reader, even if it means breaking "rules" along the way. Saller’s own foibles and misadventures provide ample material: "I mess up all the time," she confesses. "It’s how I know things." Writers, Saller acknowledges, are only half the challenge, as copy editors can also make trouble for themselves. (Does any other book have an index entry that says "terrorists. See copy editors"?) The book includes helpful sections on e-mail etiquette, work-flow management, prioritizing, and organizing computer files. One chapter even addresses the special concerns of freelance editors. Saller’s emphasis on negotiation and flexibility will surprise many copy editors who have absorbed, along with the dos and don’ts of their stylebooks, an attitude that their way is the right way. In encouraging copy editors to banish their ignorance and disorganization, insecurities and compulsions, the Chicago Q&A presents itself as a kind of alter ego to the comparatively staid Manual of Style. In The Subversive Copy Editor, Saller continues her mission with audacity and good humor.




Editor-Proof Your Writing


Book Description

Don’t let simple mistakes ruin your book’s chances! If you’re not getting published, you may suffer from foggy writing—writing that’s full of unnecessary, misused, and overused words. Foggy writing drives editors crazy, and it’s the number one reason most manuscripts are rejected on first glance. Let veteran editor Don McNair show you how to clear up your foggy writing and produce sparkling copy that will attract agents, editors, readers, and sales. Editor-Proof Your Writing will show you how to avoid fatal writing mistakes by eliminating unnecessary words—and in the process you’ll strengthen your book’s action, invigorate your dialogue, and make your writing crackle with life. Containing 21 simple, straightforward principles, Editor-Proof Your Writing teaches how to edit weak verb forms, strip away author intrusions, ban redundancies, eliminate foggy phrases, correct passive-voice sentences, slash misused and overused words, and fix other writing mistakes. A must-have addition to every writer’s toolkit, Editor-Proof Your Writing won’t just make your writing clearer; it will make you a better writer — more expressive, more entertaining, and more likely to sell.




Proofreading, Revising & Editing Skills Success in 20 Minutes a Day


Book Description

"In this eBook, you'll learn the principles of grammar and how to manipulate your words until they're just right. Strengthen your revising and editing skills and become a clear and consistent writer." --




Proofreading and editing skills


Book Description

Features a selection of passages of text for correction by pupils - each with a punctuation, grammar, spelling and vocabulary focus. This title provides a variety of fiction and non-fiction writing genres, including legends, traditional poems, instructions, persuasive writing and reports. It includes teachers notes, answers and curriculum links.




Notes from an Alien


Book Description

Told from the perspective of Sena Quaren, a woman from another star system, this is a story about unifying three very different worlds to create one lasting peace.




The Plot Dot


Book Description

An Adult Coloring Book for Authors!This book will help you paint powerful visual scenes that stick with readers long after they're finished your book. The techniques described within are simple and easy to use. Think of this as a guided coloring book adventure. YOUR adventure.There are lots of systems and guides to plotting, but if you're like me you have journals filled with notes, scenes and description... it can get overwhelming. I've based this book on traditional three-act story architecture, but it's greatly simplified. Plotters and pantsers can use the guided exercises to gain greater visual clarity and build more meaningful scenes with resonance. This book will help you get organized and unlock hidden potential in your scenes that you didn't know was there, by going beyond words and focusing on drawing and coloring your scenes until you have a full outline.This book makes an excellent workbook for writing retreats, is simple enough for children to use (it's never too early to write your first novel), and introduces a new, and hopefully useful, way to organize your novel, improve your writing, and create unforgettable scenes that will make a deep and lasting impact.




How to Write what You Want and Sell what You Write


Book Description

Not loaded with theory, Skip's invaluable book contains concise, easily understood and applied advice for both writing and marketing any kind of book, article, story, play, screen-play, report, proposal or anything else you can think of.How to Write What You Want and Sell What You Write is for every writer or wannabe who needs to sort out his or her desires, capabilities and strengths and, even more importantly, learn the particular formats for the kind of writing in which he or she is interested.