Catch 23, Because Catch 22 is Already Taken by Linda S. Glaz

So, let’s talk social media and networking and its importance to our writing.

“Get the numbers up. Show growth!”

“Build that platform!”

“We’d love to take on this new author, but they need to have a stronger platform!”

“Platform’s pretty good, but he might want to work on editing a tad more.”

“How about having her showcase her work at conferences, workshops, libraries, and the like.”

What’s a person to do?

As writers, let’s face it, we wanna write. But we’re also being pulled in dozens of different directions. Everyone, mom included, loves the story. And when I say everyone, I mean local readers, readers I’ve met at conferences, other editors, agents, agents’ assistants, and even a librarian or two. So what’s the problem? And we all know the answer: the writer needs to build his or her platform and present a flawless work.

Time is precious. We all know that. Particularly those would be contracted authors who also much hold down a day job. “Don’t quit your day job! You have a family to care for.” And whether that means the CEO of a company, or a mom raising 3 or 4 adorable little rugrats who have a right to her attention…as well as the housework. We all have outside responsibilities, even if our true love is the computer and the stories dancing in our heads like sugarplums.

And now…the added pressure of social media. So how do we plan our writing time?

First and foremost is story. It simply has to be, because all of the rest means nothing if there isn’t a wonderfully well-told story to peddle.

Second is social media. Yes! I said second. Focus. Target. You need to decide what aspects of social media that you’ll use and go for it.

Do you enjoy spending those precious five extra minutes a day playing on Pinterest? Then make Pinterest your work as well. Decide how much time each day and then go for it. Put everything you have in connecting on Pinterest and developing your book as you go along. Get your literary foot in the door, and make it fun.

How about FB? Enjoy the banter? Be sure you aren’t wandering on FB. Decide on a short daily presentation that will benefit others, either writing, or giving to the common good. Have fun with it, but reach as many as possible.

Do you have wonderful little daily tidbits of wisdom that you’d like to share? How about Twitter? Again, make it fun, and focus your efforts.

The most important thing to remember is to focus. Don’t get sidetracked with others’ rants, playing games, or deciding who will best rule the world in 2090!!! Connect with readers, other writers, and those who might be willing to swap help along the way.

And even though story trumps everything else, you can still give yourself a time allowance for social media each day, even if it’s just fifteen minutes. Target that time to the place where you find the most interaction for yourself, and make the comments and time spent be focused. On point. Always on point.

One: choose your extra media

B: focus your time

Four: don’t get distracted

XI: story trumps all

Five: You can do this!

Hire the Right Editor by Andy Scheer

I did the writer a favor—by redirecting her to another editor.

Somehow she hadn’t realized her style and mine fall on opposite ends of spectrum. In my class for her writers group, I’d advocated that “vigorous writing is concise.” I’d shown where excess words often lurk in prose. I’d even given examples of my editing.

When she asked about editing her novel, I assumed she resonated with my perspective. But from the first paragraph, I could tell she’d come to the wrong editor.

Rather than let readers’ imagination take an active role, this author had filled in every blank. Aiming for sophistication, she’d raided her thesaurus.

Yes, I could edit her novel. But neither of us would have been happy.

So I pointed her to an editor much more at home with the conventions and vocabulary of her genre—and the expectations of its readers.

When considering an editor, skill is important. But so is style.

Editing Gone Wild by Jim Hart

Thomas Jefferson reportedly had over 6,000 books in his personal library. How could you read all of those books in a lifetime? Reading just one book a week would take nearly 115 years.  But in his entire library there was one book that Jefferson took it upon himself to perform some major editing.

In what became known as the Jefferson Bible, Jefferson took a blade, cut out selected portions of the New Testament, and then re-assembled them, omitting references to Jesus’ miracles, His resurrection and His deity. Jefferson, in his interest with ancient philosophers, was only interested in the doctrine and moral teachings of Jesus Christ.

So…..wow…..where to begin. Removing the supernatural changes who Jesus was in a foundational way. His message of the Good News is not complete without the miracles, His claim to be the Son of God, and His resurrection from the dead. Without them, Jesus’ teaching could be cut and pasted into any other teacher’s, philosopher’s or holy man’s story. 

That’s the power of editing.

A single word by itself usually will not adequately communicate a complete and coherent theme. But string some words together and the mystery happens. Is there a formula to achieve that mystery? Nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives and punctuation used in the right fashion and sequence transform those lonesome words into a thought, a concept, and eventually an entire book. And then a proper edit can enhance the message. Or wreck it.

There’s a scene in the B movie Tremors in which actor Michael Gross’s character is asked what was in the explosives that he used to kill the giant worm monsters. His classic response was “a few household chemicals in the proper proportions.”  Words, assembled properly, are also pretty powerful. And it helps to know the proper proportions.

The repeated practice of putting words together properly (writing) increasingly yields better results, and the wonderful mystery that is writing becomes all the more compelling. To borrow another movie quote: “Writers write.”

We were talking about macro editing and micro editing this week with in our agency. Both approaches have their place, and both are needed to produce a publishable manuscript.

Your book, be it non-fiction or fiction, has a central theme and message. And we know that editing can either steer us to that message, or make it difficult to find and comprehend the message.

So what’s the point? When it’s time to edit that manuscript, take a step back, look at the big picture, and remember to leave room for the mystery.

Thomas Jefferson used a razor blade to edit; today we can use tools like Scrivener. What’s your personal editing philosophy? What tools do you use? How have you learned to trust your editor?

Let the Sun Shine on Your Words by Diana Flegal

Yesterday, I had planned on spending my lunch time outside basking in the sunshine- enjoying it’s warmth and the promise of Spring it spoke of. But when I left my desk, that very same sun exposed my lint and crumb festooned carpet and all my housekeeping flaws. Ugh!

So instead of getting outside, I grabbed my vacuum and attacked the litter, promising myself I’d get outside later. (I did.)

Critique partners and editors are a lot like the sunshine, revealing things we need to eliminate. Fingerprints (personal opinion) and excess words can cloud our readers vision and what we intended to say. Excess description clutters the beauty of a scene.

Do not be afraid to allow others a view of your work. Their suggestions might clear up your story's meaning, redefine your plot or help you clarify the point you were making, providing a punch to your words. You and your reader will be happier. 

How do you review your work objectively?  With the help of others, or with a set formulaic structure?

Leave Out the Good Stuff by Andy Scheer

That principle served me well on my latest book project.

I'm assembling a photo gift book for my father-in-law, based on the 10-day, 2,700-mile trip we took this fall in his 1930 Ford Model A. I served as navigator, co-driver, and photographer. Along the way we explored five antique car museums.

At the end of our trip, thanks to digital photography and a pair of cameras, I'd shot some 2,700 photos.

How could I make the decisions to assemble a photo book? Simple. First eliminate the bad stuff: photos with poor composition, focus, or exposure. But that still left more than 2,600 photos. So I had to eliminate the good stuff.

My book would have no room for images that are merely good. Or that overlap with better photos.

Today as I saved the final draft, my photo book has 56 pages and 203 photos. Each earned its place by telling an essential part of the story in a distinctive way.

I expect my target reader will keep turning pages, all the way to the end.

Lose Extra Word Fast by Andy Scheer

What do these phrases have in common:

● Wayne blinked his eyes.

● Cristie nodded her head.

● Meagan paced back and forth.

How about these:

● safe haven

● free gift

● tuna fish

In first drafts, we naturally use more words than necessary. But in editing, we can delete ones that merely take up space.

My favorite examples are those that Jerry B. Jenkins credits with accomplishing a hat trick — saying the same thing three times: Paul nodded his head in agreement.

Thriller writer Graham Brown gave me this example: She unlocked the door with the key in her hand. Unless she's a burglar, who needs the additional information?

Having long been coached to cut pleonasms, I was embarrassed to learn I'd recently let one slip through. But the second editor caught my gaffe before we allowed the writer so say she'd flossed her teeth. What else?

Take a Break by Andy Scheer

Sometimes the best technique when you’re stuck in a writing project is to step away from the keyboard.

I spent much of last month performing a heavy edit on a large nonfiction project destined for self-publishing. The content was deep and theological — often supporting positions I didn’t. Worse, the writer was not a polished communicator.

Most days I found I could track the writing for only a half-hour before I stopped being able to disentangle his prose.

So I applied the strategy I’ve learned with jigsaw puzzles. When I can no longer make sense of a particular part, I get up, stretch, and switch to another side of the table.

Not all of that works with a writing project. If you’re stuck in chapter 7, it’s hard to skip to 17. But it sure helps to get up, stretch, and allow your mind to attend briefly to something else.

One of my techniques involves music. Not only do I play instrumentals to help me concentrate, I play it in a format that forces me to get up often.

While the LP in LP records stands for long-playing, they usually provide no more than 25 minutes on a side. Perfect timing for getting up, walking to the record player, and flipping to side two or putting the album away and deciding which to listen to next.

A minute or two later I’m back at the keyboard — and the solution to the next sentence seems obvious.

Don’t have a turntable? Then keep a cup of your favorite hot beverage next to your screen and force fluids. You’ll have to get up often, and the ideas will also flow.

Begin Recovery by Andy Scheer

I just had to reconstruct three pages of editing.

While I didn't enjoy the process, it yielded an improved result. Maybe that's also been your experience.

I'm a third of the way though a client's 85,000-word nonfiction manuscript. Using tracked changes on a file that large puts a strain on my three-year-old little computer.

A few previous system freezes convinced me of the need to save this file often, usually after editing each paragraph. But this afternoon I let nearly fifteen minutes elapse before the attempted save that caused the system to lock up.

So instead of editing another page or two fresh, I revisited three previous pages.

Recreating the most difficult editing came easily. Because I'd pondered the solutions, they remained caught in my short-term memory. Likewise the obviously needed changes, such as removing excessive use of italics and splitting long, complex sentences.

But with the hard edits and the easy edits out of the way, my eyes caught a fresh glimpse at passages that were okay, but could still benefit from polishing.

First drafts of editing are like first drafts of writing. There's nothing like taking a hard, fresh look at your work, whether a week later, the next morning, or after a crash.