January 2009

Does your novel need a glossary?

January 29, 2009

Including a glossary in your fiction is one of those topics that it’s difficult to find advice about on the web. Search “glossary” and “fiction” on Google and you’ll get about three million hits, but trying to refine a search so that you get “incorporating a glossary into your fiction” instead of “here’s a glossary [...]

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Good Parts and Other Parts

January 26, 2009

When you first get the idea for a story, there are certain plot elements and scenes that spring to mind. Sometimes they’re pivotal moments. Sometimes they’re just fun moments. Regardless, they’re the moments you most want to write. Some writers will do these scenes first, then drop them into place with a little refining when [...]

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The painful ‘nowning’ process

January 22, 2009

BUFFY: How do you get to be renowned? I mean, like, do you have to be ‘nowned’ first? WILLOW: Yes, first there’s the painful ‘nowning’ process. (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, episode 4.1 “The Freshman”) Clever wording aside, the process of gaining renown is, often, a painful one. Yet, renown, or reputation, or recognition, or whatever [...]

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In Homage to Mr. Poe

January 19, 2009

Today is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe. In his honor, Evil Editor is calling for short-short-short stories or scenes in the style of Mr. Poe. The link is here. Reference works by Poe can be found here. The deadline is Sunday the 24th. The limit is 400 words. Enter. Enjoy! [...]

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Grammarphobic?

January 15, 2009

When it comes to commonly misunderstood rules of spelling or grammar (like whether to use “discreet” or “discrete”, “fewer” or “less”, or “as if it was” over “as if it were”), I’ve often found that a writer who is uncertain about the correct usage will alternate back and forth. It may be completely unintentional, but [...]

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Editing Tests

January 12, 2009

How Publishers Hire Editors I should start with a disclaimer: I’ve never had to take an editing test. I’m at a point in my career where I’m kept pleasantly busy with my work for Dragon Moon Press, and my additional projects arrive through referrals—situations in which my work has already spoken for itself. My experience [...]

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Mascot: Editorcat

January 8, 2009

I had a serious post in mind for today, but I saw this on icanhascheezburger last night and, well, I think this one speaks for itself. I never have days like this, either. Actually, I’m really fortunate right now. All my clients lately have been wonderful, eloquent, and easy to work with. May the trend [...]

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Old Books, Online

January 5, 2009

Way, way back (or, at least, a long time ago as Internet history goes), there was Project Gutenberg. It began in 1971, with project founder Michael Hart typing in the Declaration of Independence, and slowly expanded to include other historical documents and out-of-copyright literature. In 1991, Project Gutenberg took its current form. Its initial goal [...]

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