Repetition

Repetition can occur in many forms in your fiction, and eliminating it will help to keep your prose sounding fresh. Before you submit a work to a publisher or editor, run your own checks, looking for the following items as you read through the manuscript.


1) Repetitive Words—Common culprits here include ‘filler’ words like really or just. However, all writers have their own quirks and favoured words/phrases. Once you recognise these, you can search for them. Do a Find and highlight in Word. You’ll probably be surprised how often they crop up, and how many you can change or cut.


2) Repetitive Paragraphs—Watch how you start your paragraphs. Do they all begin in the same manner and/or with the same word? If so, try to change things up a little. The same goes for the sentences within the paragraph. Ensure they don’t all commence identically.


3) Repetitive Actions—Are your characters always smiling or walking? As you read through the story, check for these repetitive actions and try either eliminating some completely or changing for a synonym. Often the latter fix also adds to the impact of a scene. Consider, for example, the different feeling suggested by ambling, walking, striding and dashing.

Top Tips for Editing Dialogue in Fiction

Dialogue is an area in which it is easy to make mistakes, leading to readers disengaging with your characters. Follow these tips to keep your dialogue fresh, readable, and above all, believable.

1) Dialogue Tags—Use these only when necessary (for example, to show a change in style of speech or emotion, or to identify the speaker in a group situation). At other times, let the dialogue speak for itself, or have the character commit an action either immediately before or after, rather than using a tag.

2) Real Conversations are Boring—If we wrote dialogue along the lines of real conversations, it would be exceptionally dull. Discard most of the pleasantries and hesitations, and cut to the chase. Make sure all dialogue is relevant to the unfolding story.

3) Natural Speech—Dialogue in fiction needs to sound natural even though it isn’t. One way to achieve this is to use contractions and fragments. Even the best of us don’t speak 100% correctly all of the time. We’re more likely to let grammar slide in speaking than in writing.

4) Quirks of Speech—Certain ‘catchphrases’ can work well for characters; however, don’t overdo it as it can also become repetitive or descend into caricature.

5) Accents—Caricature is also a potential risk when dealing with accents. There’s nothing wrong with showing an accent phonetically, but don’t make it so heavy the sentence becomes unintelligible, or comes across as a cultural stereotype. Choose one (two at most) aspects to show (e.g. a dropped H) and leave it at that.

Editing for Proportion

What do we mean by proportion? Well, essentially, it relates to the amount of time spent on various points within your story. Ideally, you want to achieve good balance between action that should be mentioned only briefly and that over which more time needs to be spent. Here are a few scenarios to illustrate when your proportion might be off.

1) Extended discussion of simple actions—If someone is leaving the house, this should be accomplished within a sentence or two. The only reason to go into detail about a character putting on their shoes etc. is if those points are vital to the plot. Readers have imaginations. You don’t need to tell them every little step in opening doors etc.

2) Glossed over actions—At the other end of the scale is when major events take place but the author glosses over them in barely a sentence. If you’ve been building towards a confrontation, but then only say that the character fought the gang and won, it is going to be something of an anticlimax for the reader. Describe the fight. Tell us how they did it.

3) Your favourite things—Let’s say you love Jane Austen, so you imbue your character with the same trait. Be careful that, in your enthusiasm, you don’t go on to give your character lengthy monologues on the topic that have no bearing on the plot.

In general, when you read through your story, check where your principal focus lies. Are you highlighting unimportant characters, places, or events—ones that have little relevance to the plot? If so, those sections probably need some trimming. The reverse is true if you find you have glossed over key figures or incidences. Readers need to know more about something only if it advances the plot or adds to character development. Otherwise, you risk losing their attention while your character waffles on about why Pride and Prejudice is superior to Sense and Sensibility.

Vlog: Ask An Editor - Commas

Today I discuss the different ways you might employ commas in your writing.

Revising Punctuation Basics

For today’s post, I thought I would share a quick revision checklist for your punctuation basics. The infographic summarises the points for easy reference.

Full Stops
•    mark the end of a sentence (It is all over.)
•    show contracted words (Prof., cont.) (Some countries use them for every contraction. Others only do so if the last letter of the contraction is not the last letter of the word e.g Mr. (US) but Mr (UK))
•    are used in common abbreviations (e.g., i.e., etc.)

Apostrophes
•    indicate possession (the boy’s book)
•    indicate omitted letters or figures, including when showing accents (’tis, ’98, ’ere)
•    indicate time or quantity (one week’s worth of chocolate)
•    indicate plurals of letters or words (two F’s)

Commas
•    show lists (whether or not including the Oxford comma) (apples, oranges and pears)
•    join sentences with conjunctions (Harry went out, but it rained.)
•    fill gaps (Harry had blue eyes; Sally, brown.)
•    appear before/after direct speech (“It’s raining,” Harry said.)
•    off-set interjection (Well, it was true.)
•    bracket additional information (Harry wanted to go, regardless of the weather, but Sally said no.)

Colons
•    introduce an additional part of the sentence that exemplifies, explains, or undermines what came before (There was only one thing Harry hated: getting wet.)
•    start lists (usually these then have semi-colons instead of commas) (There were three things Harry hated about the winter: the rain; the cold; and the lack of sunlight.)
•    set off subtitles (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom)
•    precede dialogue in play/film scripts (Harry: Hang on a minute, Sally)

Semi-Colons
•    separate two complete but related sentences where there is no conjunction and where a comma would create a splice (Sally bought an ice cream; she loved eating them whatever the weather.)
•    separate list items introduced by a colon (see colon example above)

Vlog: Ask An Editor - Repetition

In today's vlog I talk about three types of repetition to check for in your manuscript.

Vlog: Ask An Editor - Editing for Proportion

In today's vlog I look at several ways you can edit for proportion in your manuscript.

Editing to Remove Filler Words & Overused Words

In this month’s editing tip I am going to talk about filler words and how to weed them out of your final draft.

Filler words creep into everyone's writing. It's hard to avoid them in first drafts, when you're intent on getting the story down, but you should remove them as you edit.

What I mean by filler words are those little ones like just, very, really, a little and quite. Removal of these words will strengthen your prose and make it seem more confident.

One way to do this is to take your manuscript and run a 'find and highlight' search. You'll be surprised, I'm sure, at how many come up. And how many you can remove.

Now, I do not advocate removal of every single one, because occasionally they are needed. Simply read each sentence where they appear and ask if they are required for the sentence to make sense. If the answer is yes, leave them be; if the answer is no, delete.

The same holds true for repetitive vocabulary. If you know you have a penchant for a particular word, plug that into the search too. Should the search highlight the word several times in the same paragraph or on the same page, consider whether you can change a few out for synonyms or rephrase a sentence here and there.

Using Dialogue Tags in Fiction

Today’s editing tips topic is dialogue tags. In fiction, it is generally considered good practice to dispense with these completely if it is clear who is speaking in each line. Naturally, if there is a room full of characters and they are all involved in a conversation, you’ll need tags (or some sort of descriptive action) to differentiate between the speakers. However, in a simple back and forth between two people, it’s best to keep them to a minimum and simply show the dialogue, along with any necessary actions.

In cases where you do need to use them, try to stick to a plain verb as much as possible, rather than adding too many adverbs. Here are a couple of examples:

1) He said softly
This could be rendered as 'He murmured' or 'He whispered'.

2) He walked quickly
Here you could go for He dashed, He hurried, He hastened, He strode etc.

See how the single verbs pack more punch and add some flavour to the narration? The choice of verb is important. Think of the different sense of the scene you get by choosing 'he dashed' over 'he strode'. The first has a feeling of urgency; the second imbues him with purpose.

Author's Guide to Comma Splices

In today’s editing tip for fiction authors we'll take a quick look at the comma splice.

A comma splice occurs when you connect two separate main clauses with a comma, and they are occurring all the more frequently in literature these days with so many people (and publishers) shying away from other punctuation marks.

Here is an example to show what I mean by a comma splice.

Nicki sat down to read a new book, she had already finished the other one.

You might also see the same sentence written with no punctuation at all, which is known as a run-on sentence.

Nicki sat down to read a new book she had already finished the other one.

Luckily, there are several ways in which you can fix both of these grammatically incorrect sentences.

1) Add a full stop
Nicki sat down to read a new book. She had already finished the other one.

2) Add a conjunction
Nicki sat down to read a new book since she had already finished the other one.

3) Use a semi-colon
Nicki sat down to read a new book; she had already finished the other one.

Vlog: Ask An Editor - How To Give Your Language Punch

In today's Ask An Editor vlog, I discuss a few of the ways you can give your language punch.

Common Word Confusion Part 1/4

Today I’m sharing a few of those little words that tend to catch authors out, and some tips on how to remember the difference between them.

Set vs. Sat
If you are placing something down you use set. If you are taking a seat, use sat.
Here are some examples to clarify.

He set the book upon the table.
He sat on the table.

Rise/Stand/Wake (up)
There are several verbs to which writers often wish to add 'up'. However, in most cases it is unnecessary and can be removed.

He rose up  sb.  He rose
He stood up sb. He stood
He woke up sb. He woke

Ask yourself if you would ever say 'down' instead. He rose down? Clearly not. Therefore you don't need the 'up'. An exception is stand, because you can stand down; however, this has an entirely different sense and if you simple say 'stand' everyone will assume the 'up' unless you tell them otherwise.

Weary/Wary
Weary is when you are tired.
Wary is when you are uncertain.

He was weary after a long day at the office.
He was wary of entering the haunted house.

Vlog: Ask An Editor: Self-Editing Tips for Authors

In today's vlog, I share a few tips on self-editing your manuscript, ready to submit to your publisher, or to send to your professional editor, if you are self-publishing.

US Versus UK Spelling: A Quick Guide for Authors

As an author, you often have to write for a particular market, so today I will highlight three of the key spelling differences between the UK and the US:

OU vs. O

S vs. Z

RE vs. ER

If you are writing fictional works (or, indeed, non-fiction too) for a publisher outside your country, check their spelling requirements prior to submission to avoid either outright rejection of your work or, at best, a lot of fiddling come editing time. As an author, you want to give your story the best chance of success right from the outset.

Set your document to UK or US spelling (as appropriate) from the start as this will highlight most of the errors. However, watch out for RE vs. ER as Word’s spell check does not always pick up on that one!

Three Research Tips for Historical Fiction Authors

I love historical fiction; however, I encounter the occasional work in which it’s clear the author hasn’t done sufficient research. So, today I thought I’d share my three top tips on conducting research for your historical novel.

1) Read Contemporary Literature
Assuming your work is set from the Middle Ages onward, you should have no trouble finding texts from that time. Read them to get a feel for the cadence of the language as this will help you achieve a sense of authenticity in your dialogue in particular but also in your prose.

2) Verify Your Sources
There are plenty of websites offering historical information, but are they all accurate? An Internet search can be a great way to start your research, but take care over where you place your trust. Ensure it is a reputable source. The same goes for books; although, in general, I would trust a non-fiction text by a well-known historian over a web page created by a nameless entity.

3) Watch Your Language!
One of the worst areas for slip-ups tends to be dialogue. I’ve seen works in which the author offers careful detail of period clothing and customs but then ruins all that by having characters say “okay” or “cool”. I try to keep my stories period appropriate in both dialogue and prose, but at least pay attention to the dialogue. If you are unsure about a word, plug it into the Merriam Webster website, as their dictionary definitions usually include a first usage date. If you’re still in doubt and have a reasonable alternate word, use that.

Vlog: Ask An Editor - Editing Historical Fiction

In today's Ask An Editor vlog, I discuss how to go about editing historical fiction.

Vlog: POVs

In today's vlog I talk a little about POVs.

Three Cuts to Streamline Your Prose in Works of Fiction

When writing a novel, what an author needs is clean, concise prose. This is unlikely to happen when you pen the first draft, but there are things you can do during edits to tighten your language. Today I’ll look at three phrases in particular to consider cutting. Removal of these will help add punch to your prose.

1) Felt/Feeling
Although there are certain situations that call for people to feel something, in many cases you can eliminate the word itself.

Compare ‘She felt a deep love for him’ with ‘She loved him deeply’.

Both these sentences say the same thing, but the second option has far more impact.

2) Thought/Thinking
The same holds true for things a character thinks.

Compare ‘She certainly thought it was unusual’ with ‘It was certainly unusual’.

We’re already in the character’s POV; therefore, we know that she’s the one thinking ‘it’s unusual’ without needing to be told so in the prose.

3) Started to/Began to
In some cases it does make sense to use one of these phrases. For example, they are necessary if you plan to interrupt the action the character is performing before they have completed it. However, most of the time they aren’t needed.

Compare ‘She started to run down the corridor’ with ‘She ran down the corridor’.

Both are true, yet the second has more immediacy and suggests a greater urgency to the action. I would only use the former if you plan to continue the scene with something along the lines of 'but after a few steps, she tripped'.

A Fiction Writer's Guide to Epithets

The topic I would like to discuss today is the issue of epithets in works of fiction, as this is something I see in manuscripts from authors across genres, sometimes with such prevalence that barely a paragraph goes by without one popping up.

Perhaps some of you are thinking, “What is an epithet?”

Basically, it is an adjective or phrase that describes a person or thing by their/its key characteristics. Examples often seen in works of literature include ‘the young man’, ‘the blonde’, ‘the taller man’, or ‘the petite woman’.

Epithets are often a sign of lazy writing and you should avoid them like the plague. The exception is when you introduce a new character whose name we don’t yet know. Then ‘the old man’ or ‘the stranger’ is fine. Otherwise, stick to the character’s name or relevant pronoun.

Why? Because using epithets makes no sense, especially when you are in a deep POV. Imagine yourself in bed with your partner (a time in stories when epithets are prone to run rampant). Things are getting heated. You look into each other’s eyes. Do you then think of that person as ‘the blond’? I doubt it. You’d think of them by their name or a nickname/endearment.

Even in a more removed POV, epithets only serve to create further distance, limiting the reader’s connection to a character, and there really is no need for them. Most authors who use them do so because they’re worried that too many ‘he’s and ‘she’s will be confusing. But, honestly, if you write clear and concise prose, readers should have no difficulty keeping track of to whom each ‘he’ or ‘she’ refers.

Vlog: Conflicting Rules in Editing

In today's vlog I discuss some of the conflicting editing rules you may encounter, many of which stem from a difference in preferences between UK and US English.