 Fantasy: December 12, 2007 Issue [#2114] |
  Fantasy
This week: Edited by: rose_shadow
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1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
"It is perfectly okay to write garbage--as long as you edit brilliantly."
-C.J. Cherryh
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| ASIN: B0CJKJMTPD |
Product Type: Kindle Store
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Amazon's Price: $ 4.99
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Editing Checklist
So you’ve written your story and there’s that “new story” twitch in your fingers. You want to show it someone, anyone—and since it’s so easy to post your story here at Writing.com, your portfolio is the first place you head to. But stop right there. Before you post your story, before you eagerly receive all that wonderful feedback, your story is missing one final component: editing.
Ideally, you should get someone other than yourself to edit your story, someone who isn’t afraid to tell you that there are too many adverbs cluttering up your story or that the scene with Character A is cute but completely unnecessary to the plot. These kind of editors you can find plenty of here at Writing.com by a simple search through the community message boards. Some charge a giftpoint fee—which is their right because editing takes time and we all have lives other than the one online that takes up its fair share of the day. Others will charge a reciprocal review or something similar; others may be completely free.
If you decide not to choose outside help, or even if you do, there are still a few simple editing tips that you the author can do yourself. The first step, however, is distance. I find that looking at a story a day after I’ve written will let me see things that I didn’t see before. For example, just today I opened up a story I wrote yesterday and saw that I had used the same phrase twice in the same paragraph—and I hadn’t noticed it at all while writing.
Now, for the list. Most of these can be found by doing a very simple CTRL+F; the search function which will bring up a box for the word you’re looking for; that way, you won’t have to reread the whole story in search of the things I’m pointing out. The key phrase here my friends is “search and destroy.”
[ ] Be very wary of modifiers that say nothing. Words like: really, truly, genuinely, very, etc. As you can see in the sentence I started with, no meaning has been lost by removing “very”, so it’s like eating sugary cereal—filling, but no nutritional value whatsoever.
[] In the same vein, avoid vague modifiers like a lot, perhaps, kind of, somewhat, quie, seemingly, essentially, rather, and fairly The list could go on. I’m guilty of using “somewhat” big time; I think it’s because I’ve attempted to either copy the style of a favorite author, or I’m trying to write like I talk—big mistake on both counts. First, admiring a favorite author’s style is good, but develop your own style instead of copycatting, Second, writing like I talk is a mistake because have you ever listened to how people actually talk “Um…. Er…. That is…. You wanna… I gotta,” YAWN.
[] Watch out for overuse of adverbs. I’m not going to go Stephen King on you and demand that they be eliminated entirely altogether, but when cutting the fat in a story, they are among the easiest to find and get rid of. The meaning you’re trying to capture in an –ly word can usually be better expressed by using a stronger verb or by showing your subject in action. Adverbs are any word ending in “-ly”. Just type in “ly” in your CTRL+F box and you’ll find them.
[] Use specific verbs rather than general.
 Ayame went to the academy. “Went” tells us nothing; use verbs that show us how she “went”.
Ayame ran to the academy. “Ran” is such a basic verb, but it shows us so much more—running implies eagerness, anxiety, and gives the reader a mental picture much better than “went”.
Whew! There's a lot more here than I thought. Perhaps I'll turn this into a two-part series. Now, obviously, this is basic stuff; it's not going to fix your character development issues or plot problems--that's what the other editors I mentioned above are for. But these little tips can make your writing look a lot cleaner and less cluttered.
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 Erin's Fantasy Book of the Month
Twelve years ago, a demon fox nearly destroyed the village of Konoha. Sacrificing his own life, a high level ninja got rid of the demon in the only way possible--sealing it inside the body of a newborn boy. This boy is named Naruto who grows up lonely and unwanted in his village for the demon inside him that he knows nothing about. But he's a lovable scamp with a penchant for mischeif and this first volume is only the beginning of how he finds friends and learns to deal with the darkness in the world.
Yes, I'm cheating a little this month, because this isn't a novel, it's a comic book. Strictly speaking, it's a manga and it is very, very good. I fell in love with the characters from this show (the manga has been made into a successful TV show) and eagerly await each new chapter that chronicle the adventures of Naruto. Even if you're not a fan of anime or manga, I encourage you to give this story a chance.
| ASIN: 1569319006 |
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Amazon's Price: $ 9.00
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
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| ASIN: B01FST8A90 |
Product Type: Toys & Games
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From: Suze the Rock Chic  
Thank you for explaining the mysteries of Flash Fiction. I've often wondered exactly what this is and what qualifies as a flash. I think there is a common misconception that to be a writer you need to write a certain amount of words, usually novel length. Those who always want to start writing usually say they'll write a book. It's good to see encouragement for shorter pieces of work and acknowledgement that being a writer doesn't depend on your word count.
From: ndean
For a good flash fiction sci-fi site look at www.365tomorrows.com.
It isnt my site, but I have read stories on there, and they are exceptional :D
From: Brit-Girl
This is a great newsletter! I feel the same way as your friend! I haven't been able to stay on a single character or story for more that a couple thousand words! Flash fiction is so fun, I really enjoy writing it. I do try to expand my skills and try to write longer pieces though
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| ASIN: B07YXBT9JT |
Product Type: Kindle Store
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Amazon's Price: $ 4.99
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