(If you just cannot afford an editor, do this at the very least)
”Proofreading means examining your text carefully to find and correct typographical errors and mistakes in grammar, style, and spelling.”(https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/Proofreading.html) The basic idea is to trick your mind so that you don’t get caught up in the story and miss the mistakes.
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Basically there are 3 types of editing. Here they are along with a definition of each.
PROOF READ “Proofreading means examining your text carefully to find and correct typographical errors and mistakes in grammar, style, and spelling.” https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/Proofreading.html LINE EDIT A line edit addresses the creative content, writing style, and language use at the sentence and paragraph level. COPY EDIT the goal of a copyedit is to address flaws on a very technical level – to make sure the writing that appears on the page is in accordance with industry standards. This is like an incredibly high-end proofread. Internal consistency means your plot, setting, and character traits don’t have discrepancies http://nybookeditors.com/2015/01/copyediting-vs-line-editing/ “Things never work out as planned. I was wide awake a little before six AM. Way too early to go out for breakfast, I’d make do with some instant coffee using my hot plate and read the ads for used sailboats. Coffee in hand I must have dozed until my cell phone rang. I jumped up, spilled my coffee, found the phone and answered. “Yeah?”
“CASEY!” the voice roared. “GET YOUR SORRY ASS DOWN HERE LIKE RIGHT NOW OR YOUR GONNA’ HAVE MY WHOLE GANG ON YOUR TAIL!” I glanced at my watch, 6:15 A.M. It was still dark outside. Got to be a wrong number I told myself. “I think you got the wrong Casey,” I quietly responded and started to hang up. “FOR CHRIST’S SAKE, I KNOW I GOT THE RIGHT CASEY AND THE RIGHT NUMBER, YOU ASSHOLE. YOU JUST GAVE IT TO ME LAST NIGHT,” he bellowed. A light dawned. “You the guy I met last night down at the docks?” Now he lowered his voice and became even more threatening. “You bet your sweet ass I am, and I’m telling you right now, get off the damn phone and down here fast.” “What’s wrong, did I put the boat in the wrong slip?” “Jesus H. Christ. Are you stupid or something? Do I hafta’ send some of my gang up there and beat the crap out of you? Who the hell cares what slip you put it in?” “Is there something wrong with the boat?” “Shut the hell up and listen. I’ll make it real slow and simple for you.” In short staccato sentences he said, “Some guy’s been murdered on your boat. The police are here. They want to blame it on me. I told the police about you. They want you here, I want you here. Is that simple enough? “A murder?” “Finally, you got it. Now get on your little bicycle and get down here right now or I’ll have my Devils drag you down.” “Okay, okay. I’m on my way.” “Murder? Police? Devils? What the hell’s going on?”.............” In 1946 just after the end of WWII, I was stationed on the U.S.S. CHINCOTEAGUE in TSINGTAO, CHINA. We were harbor control in the outer harbor, challenging all ships as they passed through the outer harbor toward the inner harbor. Night and day we challenged all ships by flashing dot-dash, dot-dash (morse code for a-a), the universally recognized request for identification.
The searchlight we used were carbon-arc, about 3 feet in diameter and could be seen from horizon to horizon. It took several minutes to light the carbon arcs and each carbon lasted about 2 hours. The outer harbor was open to the weather and it was hurricane season. One night the wind kept building up until it reached hurricane force and the chincoteague along with several other ships were blown off their anchors, totally unexpectedly. Complete bedlam ensued. Absolute darkness, huge winds, an unknown number of ships careening wildly, collisions iminent, all ships communications unusable --except the searchlights. The moment the captain arrived on the bridge he ordered all engines and the searchlights on. It took the other signalman and me several nervous minutes to get them on but when we did, we almost wished we hadn’t. The bow of a huge merchant ship was heading directly toward our bridge. In a few moments their bow would be looming over us and we would be crushed. The captain ordered “hard a starboard,” in a strangled voice and the helmsman spun the wheel. My memory says he anticipated the order by a fraction of a second. Our ship was a navy ship, small destroyer size and very maneuverable. Just barely under power, she slowly answered the helm and we slid, bumping and grinding down the side of the merchant ship looming over us. We were port side to port side right where I was stationed. I trained the searchlight on the two hulls and there was not a sound from our crew as we watched our ship narrowly escaping disaster. A small portion of the outer bridge was torn off but other than that we emerged unscathed. When CASEY’S SLIP needed searchlights for a scene, my memory produced that memorable night and that’s how they got into my novel. http://tinyurl.com/caseysslip NEWSFLASH.
5/24/15 - The Province, British Columbia. The recent discovery of a black bear carcass missing its paws and gall bladder near Sechelt serves as a grim reminder that a black market for bear parts still thrives in B.C. The trade of such parts “still goes on” in B.C., said Ernie Cooper, an environmental consultant and former director of the World Wildlife Fund’s wildlife trade monitoring program. Articles such as the above inspired me to write JOSHUA’S REVENGE, an adventure and mystery novel about a Yosemite Park Ranger who is also an expert at martial arts. He’s assigned the job of breaking up a gang killing and eviscerating Yosemite black bears. The novel progresses from the back woods of Yosemite to the back alleys of San Francisco’s Chinatown. $2.99 on Kindle. http://tinyurl/joshuasrevenge All of my proceeds from the sale of this book in 2015 are being donated the World Wildlife Fund. Visit my website at http://www.rlwren.com/ Don't be afraid to describe yourself as an author!
It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting your first or on your tenth book, you ARE an author. Referring to yourself as an author can open important doors for you, particularly in research. Don’t be afraid to say, “My name is John Doe. I’m writing a book about people that have names that are hard to remember. I need a little information that I think you can help me with.” I’ve done it successfully with Police departments, National parks, Cities, Morgues, etc. It’s amazing! People will go out of their way to help authors. One of many ideas and tips in “A Practical Guide to Writing & Publishing a Novel.”http://www.rlwren.com/ 4 novels since age 82? I did it & so can you.
I’m a late bloomer, having started writing my first novel at the tender age of 82. Now I’m 89 and finishing my 4th novel plus I’ve authored a “How To” book in my spare time. People tell me that makes me a rarity and want to know how I re-invented myself at that late age. The fact is, after having been retired for several years and made the requisite number of bird houses, one day I announced to my wife that I thought I’d start writing a novel about sailing. I had no previous writing experience, no schooling, no advisors, I was on my own, but we had accumulated a lot of experience sailing the West Coast, having owned 4 sailboats. I was the greenest of greenhorns as far as writing, editing, publishing and anything else having to do with getting a book into print. In my innocence I just wrote the damn thing, talked to hundreds of people, read lots of books, paid for some good advice and lots of bad advice, got ripped off a few times...but lo and behold, at age 85, after 3 years, book-labor and book-birth occurred and my book was published. THEN, it went on to become a finalist in National Indie Excellence Book Awards. Visit my Author Page at http://amazon.com/author/ richardwren Here’s a list of things you must do or get in order to get your book written and published.
Proof read------- edit------- cover picture-------- cover design-------- title page------ acknowledgement page-------- chapter summary-------- spine design------- format it-------- ISBN-------- ASIN------- Copyright-------- e-book design------- paperback design-----avoid publishing scams--- CreateSpace acceptance------- KDP (Kindle) acceptance------ priced accordingly---publish---and more... Sounds formidable doesn't it? Believe it or not, my booklet “A Guide to Writing & Publishing a Novel,” provides answers for FREE directions, addresses, websites, phone #’s to help you with all above. Save time, money, headaches and your hair. Publish your book for $35.00 including US Copyright. These are somewhat interchangeable terms in the industry. If you Google “Book Publishers,” you will get dozens and dozens of offers. Most of them are not worth a tinker’s damn. Many of them are outright crooks. They will lure you with “mail or e-mail your book, if we find it acceptable, we will mail you a contract.” Guess what, they’re all acceptable. A few years ago a group of authors cobbled together a horrible novel on purpose to test one of these companies. It was accepted. The next step? Mail money, no surprise. I was strung along twice (slow learner) by these outfits. It cost me money and time and was discouraging.
If you’re intrigued you can check out this site. (www.writerbeware.com), or e-mail them at beware@sfwa.org for a direct and specific answer. They list dangerous and dishonest publishers and are being sued for being so direct and honest. Another source is Predators & Editors (http://pred-ed.com) It lists many editors and agents and highlights the bad ones. Buy a steno notebook?
Absotively! In it you will FAITHFULLY, day by day, page by page, record the date, page numbers and a short summary of what that days writing includes. On the far right margin enter new names as they occur. Highlight in yellow. On a separate page you will record each and every character’s name and short clue as to who he or she is as they appear. These actions will save you time, money, frustration, heartache, headaches, editorial mistakes and maybe even lawsuits & I guarantee that you will be eternally grateful to the idiot that gave you the idea! (Many more ideas like the above in “A Guide to Writing & Publishing a Novel) http://tinyurl.com/o72cmnk |
AuthorRichard L. Wren IN HIS NEW CAREER AS AN AUTHOR, RICHARD DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS TALL, DARK, HANDSOME AND A LIAR. A FOURTH GENERATION CALIFORNIAN, A SAILOR, FATHER OF FOUR BEAUTIFUL AND SUPPORTIVE DAUGHTERS, AND HUSBAND TO ONE OF THE BEST WIVES OF ALL TIME. [MORE]
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