Editing: Computer or Paper?

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 4 Comments

That is the question. #writetip

If you are editing your own work, I think it depends on where you are in the writing process.

If someone else it editing your work, I think it depends on what they prefer.

If you are editing someone else’s work, I think it depends on how they like to receive feedback.

So . . .

Editing your own work:

Early in the process, I like to edit on paper. I use the blank space for story ideas, for writing whole new scenes, and for research ideas. The flow of the pen feels good in my hand.

Late in the process, I like to edit on the computer. This is when I am checking grammar, format, repeated words, etc. All things that are easier to search for and do global changes on if you are working on your computer.

Someone else editing your work:

I like to ask what my reader prefers. Some think better if they can write on paper. I’ve had readers comment on a kindle copy. Others like software. Whatever they want is fine with me. If they are willing to comment on my novel, I’m happy to get the comments in any form.

Editing someone else’s work:

I decide this based on what the author prefers. Sometimes geography dictates how.

Do you have any preference for editing?

Hints for a Murder (in a Mystery Novel)

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 10 Comments

#writetip

Are you writing a murder mystery, crime novel or other type of mystery? Sometimes it’s hard to tell when to drop hints and when to hold them for later in the story.

I like to read a mystery and not know who committed the crime until the climax. I like to guess, but I don’t want to be sure. There is a balance between knowing who done it and only having an idea.

Too many hints and the answer is obvious, and I feel let down by the book. Too few hints, and I feel cheated.

So what do I do to avoid this problem?

I have readers that only look for the guilty party. I ask them to read my novel but not correct any errors. I want them to concentrate on who done it.

 I have them mark the margin every time they suspect a character. I ask them to put the character’s name in the margin along with a note of why they think the character is guilty.

Do you have a method for  finding out if your hints are in the right place?

Dogs, Toys and Bad Ideas

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 3 Comments

#dogs The last two Friday’s I’ve posted about dog toys and thought I’d continue on that theme.

Sometimes a fun idea turns into a bad idea. So here’s ours.

My crazy wheaten terrier, FARLEY,  had a great time playing with the ball fender. All was good until he decided to eat it. Then, he thought all fenders were meant to be eaten.

So what was I thinking when I allowed him to play with the fender? He was occupied and we could concentrate on what we needed to get done on the boat. Okay, so I didn’t think that on through.

When boating, don’t let your dog chew lines, fenders or any other item that you might need. Even it’s an old line, the dog doesn’t know that.

As they say, learn as you go? Learn from your mistakes? At least I’m learning in this adventure of owning a dog. 🙂

Writing A Journal NOT

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

#writing Sometimes experiments fail. I wrote about writing a journal and how I thought it might help writing a novel in Does Writing a Journal Help you Write a Novel?

Well, all my journal entries have turned into scenes of my novel. I start out with something about me or what I observed during the day, but then I move right on to Look the Other Way (My fourth novel).

I think the problem is my novel is WAY more exciting than my day-to-day life :), so why would I write about my day?  I haven’t given it a long time to work, but I guess I like to write fiction, not fact or thoughts.

Anyone else find journal writing doesn’t come naturally to them?

The Final Proofread

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 11 Comments

#writetip

I’ve discovered the final read of a manuscript is not much different in English or German. Yeah, so they are two different languages, but once the writer is ready to submit their manuscript to an agent or for self publishing, there are a few things to check that don’t depend on language.

To make this step easier, I:

  • change the font to anything other than the font I normally type in,
  • increase the viewing to %175,
  • turn the invisible characters on,
  • AND, read slowly.

This step takes time. For an 80,000 word manuscript, I need 40 hours to do this properly. That’s 40 hours of intense concentration without interruptions.

What do I look for? At this point, I’ve already proofread for spelling and grammar mistakes so I want to check for:

  • extra spaces,
  • double periods,
  • quotations marks that don’t have a matching partner,
  • extra lines between paragraph or page breaks,
  • consistent heading format for chapters,
  • consistent headers, footers and page numbering.

Before you send of your manuscript, don’t forget to:

  • remove bookmarks,
  • accept or reject any changes,
  • and turn off markups,

Your story may great, but you give yourself an edge over other submissions if your manuscript is technically perfect.

If you have any tips, let me know.

Dogs and Toys Continued

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

#Dogs

Mother nature can provide free toys. This lab, retriever and rottweiler have figured out how to play nice together.

Even when we gave Chica, Henna and Murphy one stick each, they all wanted the same one. And aren’t they proud.

My only caution about this toy nature gave us. They are sharp and can hurt the dog. Be careful when throwing a stick. It can land with one end in the ground and the other pointing into the air. The pointy end can stab the dog.

Having said that, have fun and play hard! 🙂

Public Versus Private Writing

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 6 Comments

#writetip

To write well, you must experiment. There might be those who can write genius without practice, but who really believes that?

I get nervous when I present new work for the first time to readers. The advanced readers copy is a special piece of work. It means the first comments from someone who doesn’t live in my head. The work becomes public.

So I started thinking about public versus private writing. Private writing stays hidden in the basement of my computer. A room where only I have the key. Okay so it’s a password, but what the hey.

This is the place where I can write whatever I want without worrying about whether someone else will like it. I love this place. It’s a fun place to be where the imagination can soar.

Without private writing, I don’t think I would ever have finished a novel.

Do you have secret writing?

Dogs and Toys

~ Kristina Stanley ~ 2 Comments

#dogs

Do you let your dog play with stuffed toys?

Clearly we do. But there are some drawbacks.

If the toy contains stuffing, then the dog might eat it when it rips the seams apart. That can’t be good for the dogs stomach. To solve this, we’ve found stuffed toys at pet stores that don’t contain stuffing. That probably means they aren’t called stuffed toys 🙂 We also look for toys that don’t have buttons, eyes, or anything else Farley, my wheaten terrier, could swallow.

Chica at 8 weeks old with her favourite toy.

Farley doesn’t have this issue, but our Yellow Lab, Chica did. She thought all stuffed toys belonged to her. That meant, the unsuspecting child walking down the street would innocently hand Chica the toy. Chica consistently ran away with it. The child would cry. Not a good scene. We had to learn to get Chica under control when kids were around playing with stuffed toys. Lucky for us, we returned every toy unharmed and convinced each child Chica was only playing with them.

Any thoughts on toys for dogs?