Line Editing In 10 Easy Steps
Submitted by kingrat on Tue, 2007-09-04 15:27.Eliminate unnecessary modifiers. Eliminate repeated words and phrases. Search for extraneous thats and hads. And more...
I just read a book where every character giggled instead of laughed. I think that author probably didn't realize he was repeating the word so often.
If you had a Wordsy account you could comment on this story. Get an account now!
If I could, I'd word you up again for this one. These steps will see you well on your way to a 'clean' manuscript, and editors will love you...or at least the copyeditors will. Most certainly your readers will. Good one.
I'm surprised the editiors didn't catch those 'giggles' in the book you read. But then again, the author does have to agree to any changes made, and they can be notoriously difficult about things.
There is no thief like a bad book
--Italian Proverb
While I agree on most of his points.
Point #1 annoys me... I don’t see why writers should strip the flavor out of a sentence.
E.g. Why write “It was quite hot out that day” or “It was extremely hot that day” when the sentence “It was hot that day”
Because “It was quite hot out that day” has more character that’s why.
Now let’s tighten this up ...” Most certainly your readers will love you.” To “certainly your readers will love you”, or”your readers will love you”, now I’m sorry Mary I most certainly liked it the first way, your way but it did say the same thing the second or third way...
Then point #4
“He had been talking about how he had needed to get new glasses” could be phrased better as “He talked about how he needed new glasses,” or even “He talked about needing new glasses.”
Why!! I seriously liked it best the first time.
Point #7
Not too bad, but why should the writer feel the need to show off how many clever words he knows. What’s wrong with speaking to an audience instead of over them?
Not excessively terrible, except why must the writer sense the need toward a demonstration of how many clever expressions he knows. What’s wrong with speaking to an audience instead of over them?
1) IMO, instead of telling the reader it was 'extremely' hot out, a good writer will illustrate it.
2) I'm not writing for effect here, I'm writing informally as conversation...not for publication. Thankfully, there's a difference. Now if I had written the article I might be fair game. ;)
3) When the author chooses the wrong tense (or an unnecessarily complicated one) I find it annoying and confusing.
4) I think the author is just suggesting that the writer vary the words used (throw, toss, pitch, fling) so the characters won't be 'giggling' all the time.
I don't think he's saying to edit all the style out of it, but there's a lot of crappy stuff out there that might be a decent read if it were cleaned up a bit. That's my take on it, anyway.
There is no thief like a bad book
--Italian Proverb
Looks like a good list. Just keep in mind that every (good) rule can be broken as long as there's a good reason.
You're right, of course. I have a fondness for--and thus a tendency toward--split infinitives. It's part of my writing voice. Some editors would try to correct it, but the best editors can distinguish poor grammar from writing style. I think it's a matter of knowing when and how to break the rules for the best effect, though. That's part of the craft of writing.
There is no thief like a bad book
--Italian Proverb
"Rewrite, rephrase, reconfigure"
That point made me wonder if writing has become better since pens and typewriters have been replaced by computers. Today, editing your text is pain-free, unlike when I first went to school and had to rewrite a whole sheet of paper to get my sentences and paragraphs right. Does easier editing mean higher quality text?
I think in some cases it does, at least for those of us old enough to recall what it was like before computers. I wrote my first thesis on a typewriter. One typo and it was back to the top of the page with a clean sheet of paper. Ugh. For my second one I got a computer, and what a difference it made! Rewriting/editing was a breeze, so I was more inclined to spruce up the prose. But I think editing is still a lot like work for some writers, no matter how easy technology has physically made it. It can still be a mental challenge, so I suppose there's no guarantee the writing's gotten any better.
There is no thief like a bad book
--Italian Proverb
Being that I found it impossible to edit my own writing within a few months of writing it I would say initially better. The words exist in my head and no matter how many times I read it; I read what I wanted to write.
But Word is no substitute for real editing. I still need a proper pro for the sterilization.
Yea I know what you’re thinking I’m a real biatch in an argument also; I remember word for word what was said months earlier.
I can’t remember that I have a form to fill out tomorrow, or to get the meat out of the freezer in time to defrost, or anyone’s birthdays, or appointments and arrangements.
I’m thinking it’s easier to have some cash ready to pay the fine to the tax man than remembering to sit down and fill out the details for the last few years.