Revision. Re-vision. To see again. How can you see your writing from the detached perspective necessary for revision when you’ve been immersed in it for so long? Here are five ways you can approach your manuscript with a fresh perspective. 1) Put It Away Take the longest break possible between finishing your draft and  starting to revise. Time away from your work will give you the emotional and psychological distance you need to see it anew. Unless you’re bound by … Read More »

What writer hasn’t been stung by a critique? Sure it hurts, but criticism’s power to poison isn’t a given. The poison isn’t inherent in what is said, who says it, where or when it happens, or how it’s delivered. The  power of criticism to damage lies in how we take it in, what we allow it to mean to us, and the way we allow it to affect our work or eat away at our insides. When we automatically reject … Read More »

Many of those so-called grammar and punctuation rules that people are pushing in online forums are not really rules at all. Singular they If writers are not debating (or sharing memes) about the serial comma or the number of spaces after a period in online discussions, they’re often railing against the use of the “singular they” in modern usage. “Somebody used the milk, and they didn’t put it back in the refrigerator” should be written, they say: “Somebody used the … Read More »

Writers can come up with a lot of reasons for not finishing a first draft, and some of them even sound plausible. I know the real reasons. (And I’ve got a solution.) But first, here’s how to stop yourself from completing a first draft. Fall in love with the thrill of new ideas, but don’t fall in love with the work it takes to execute them. Need to begin at the beginning and make it perfect before you move on. … Read More »

We can probably all agree that time slows down painfully when someone is reading our writing in draft. And we’re particularly anxious about what our first reader will say about a first draft, yes? When you decide your work is ready to be read for the first time, who do you ask for feedback? A spouse? A friend? Another writer? Your writers group? Recently I came across an article from Poets & Writers that I’ve kept for a long time. Kevin Nance interviewed … Read More »

If you’re hiring an editor to look at your manuscript, it’s important to understand that there are a variety of editorial services available to you. They range from providing help to develop a book concept to polishing a fully formed work. All levels of editing are not typically done concurrently, and editors generally specialize. When you’re self-editing, you won’t draw lines between levels of editing. It’s a fluid process. But when you hire an editor, you want to be sure … Read More »