Editors Expect Punctuation Perfect

Fiction and non-fiction, presented to an
editor, should be free of spelling errors,
poor sentence structure, and weak writing.
Now, that is not to say, you will never error.
Simply, edit your work.

The important step is creating. There
will be time to go back, review, make
changes.

I have been in the moment of writing,
many times. I stopped, read through it.
Some paragraphs were unreadable, weak
verbs. I had to put it aside for a few days,
and then do the editing. If I found mistakes
immediately after writing, what would I find
when refreshed?

Like I always say, longer writing projects
require more time away.

An editor can spot mistakes in paragraph
one. To be honest, it is a waste of the editor's
time, and your energy when your best work
is not sent out.

"How do you know?" You asked.

I have made similar blunders. Yes, I
speak from experience. It has led to
failures, of course. I gained from the
process, learned to write better. It set
me on the rode to developing an editor's
eye.

The editor's eye took me some years
to grasp. It could happen, sooner or later,
for you. Keep learning, writing. It is the
only sure way, I know of, to reach goals.

It is good form to request writer's
guidelines before submitting, include
a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Sometimes, the guidelines can be read
online. There are publications that offer
issues for sale, online. Reading back
issues of magazines informs you about the
style, flavor of it. You are better able
to give the editor what he/she wants.

The dictionary and thesaurus are
tools that should be kept at your finger-
tips. Spell-check more than once.

The dictionary, as you know, explains
the meaning of words. It, also, helps
with spelling.

The thesaurus provides words with
the same, almost the same meaning,
and opposite meanings of words.

"Why is the thesaurus needed?" You
asked.

Let's look at the word angry.

"What's the point?" You stared at the
word.

Your writing calls for an emotion, anger,
for example. Instead of using angry nine
times, replace it with: annoyed, bitter,
cross, enraged, fuming, irate, vexed,
heated, or offended.

It is boring to read the same words.
Also, it marks you as an amateur.

I will show you.

Henry was angry at Jess. They
fought over the cat. Jess kicked
the chair. I guess, she was angry.
They were so angry until I had to
get my brothers.

Tom and Bill persuaded Henry
to leave. Henry broke the door.

The re-written version follows.

Henry was irate, when he walked
in the door, at Jess. They fought
over the cat. Jess fumed, kicked the
door.

They exchanged heated words, and
I ran to get my brothers.

My brothers, Tom and Bill, urged
Henry to leave.

They offended Henry, and he shattered
the door as he left.

Critique the above two paragraphs.
Leave me some comments about them.

The goal is to pull-out weak, bloated,
and grammatically incorrect sentences.
Once that is done, you are on your way
to success.
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Write Everyday For Success

I don't have time, or a place to

write everyday." You said.

Slip, at least, a couple of hours

in to write during the day or night.

Set the alarm, for example, two hours

earlier than usual. Especially, if your

surroundings tend to be busy, noisy.

I have the problem of inner-city living.

It is loud where I live. So, I learned

to concentrate on what I am writing.

As with anything else, practice for

success, everyday.

Simply, slice away some time to

reach your goal of writing.

The best time for you could be on

a break at work. Use a tape recorder

to take notes on a possible story, or

article.

Take the reason why you feel

there's no time to write, and turn it

into fiction. It should be no longer

than one thousand words.

It is what writers do, or a large

part of what they do.

"What do writers do?" You asked.

They find time to write, scribble

words down. At a later time, go

back to make corrections.

The more you write, the better you

become. You develop an editor's

eye, even to critique your own

work. Now, that isn't to say you

will not make mistakes. However,

you acquire the skill to correct them.

Who knows? It could be something you

do for a fee.

I am referring to critiquing or teaching

to make extra money. I believe, it is

harder to edit one's own work. Once the

editor's eye is developed, it can take you

down many interesting paths. If you are

able to spot mistakes in your work, you

can do it for others.

Some teens, in my neighborhood, were

making, unnecessary, noises on the street

I live. I made several notes, on different

days:

-teen boys trying to bully

-why?

-who?

-teen boys doing drugs

My observations can roll into fiction

or non-fiction.

"Can you turn it into an essay?" Someone

asked.

The teen boys, ages range from twelve to

seventeen, congregate on the same corner,

everyday. The fact that they sell drugs

exposes all of us to more danger. Child

on child crime. How sad, but it is a fact

of life, in the city.

Feelings of heightened anxiety...

Let's look at how the same notes are

turned into fiction.

"Tom, what's that white powder 'round

your nose?" Jeff stopped at his front door.

"Mind ya're biz." Tom rubbed his nose.

"You should have cleaned your face before

coming home." Jeff opened the door to

their house. "That would upset mom."

Tom pushed Jeff into the door. They

fell to the floor, struggled with each other.

"What's going on here?" Mrs. Balls asked.

"Stop it!"

She ran to the kitchen, returned with a

pitcher of water. She poured it on the

teens. They pulled away from each other.

A few notes supplied me with many ideas.

The same can hold true for you.

Everywhere you go material, for writing,

waits to be plucked, and smoothed into

fiction or non-fiction.

Yes, ideas for writing are everywhere.

Have you untentionally over-heard a

conversation at the mall? Something funny

or unusual happen at a family get-together?

I sat next to an older lady who was talking

to a teen. I was deciding if I wanted to visit

the chocolate store.

"I don't think you should go." The older

lady protested.

"I never go anywhere." She whined.

"They're my family too."

"But they didn't want anything to do with

you. Now, you inherited..."

I quietly left, because that was, after all, a

personal conversation.

I jotted down notes at the chocolate store,

but not exact words.

My idea was to have a teen raised by her

grandmother. The parents died, years before,

and the daughter is at an age where she can

receive money left, or claim funds from a trust.

There are numerous ways to move with it.

At the usual, family get-together pin-down,

the write everyday for success, ideas.

You will be amazed at the ideas found, and

success is yours. You must believe in yourself.

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