Write & Edit

The art of writing is often a process of discovery and self-taught lessons. I’ve always enjoyed telling my own stories as any writer’s first audience is theirself. I’ve also proven to be my harshest critic. Learning to edit is an ongoing process and one that is rarely discussed. And while creating will always be my first love, I’ve come to find some happiness in fixing troublesome sections or artfully tying together disparate subplots. 

Here I would like to share some tips, thoughts and techniques I’ve developed in editing my work. For, even those lucky writers blessed with editors, every writer needs to edit their words at some level. Hopefully I can spare some aspiring authors some time in learning these tricks on their own. And, if not, maybe I can spread a little more appreciation for an often tedious element of the writing process. 

  • Please Clap

    I’ve written before about the audience’s need to connect with your story through sympathetic characters. Sure, any rule of writing can be broken and there are lots of examples of successful stories where the protagonist is a complete jerk. However, it’s best if you know how to make a compelling narrative with someone the audience…

  • A Jot About Plot

    So today, let’s discuss plot. But only a little about plot because plot is a pretty big topic and there’s lots that can be said about it. While I’m sure you all like really long dissertations on writing elements, there’s only so much that my blog system allows me to say before it starts getting…

  • Subtractives

    This concise, beautiful blog is full of helpful, insightful, important tips that will undoubtedly give your fledgling, wonderful prose a little extra umph and polish to push it over that distant finish line of completion and perfection. Today’s tip is to write exactly like that, up there. You know, throw out adjectives like they’re candy…

  • Find The Fun

    Writing is hard.  Presumably, if you’re following along with these writing tip entries, you’ve taken a stab at the process yourself and already know what I mean. If you haven’t, I encourage you to go and give it a try. Our inspirational stories and authors make the process look so effortless and simple. But there’s…

  • Who Do You Think You Are?

    So, if you’ve read my previous posts, you already know my bias towards strong characterisation. I personally believe that stories are all about us. Well, not us specifically. Probably not a lot of people that care about you or me. But we’re innately interested in the lives, trials and tribulations of others. And the more…

  • What’s It About

    Let’s talk about theme. I know, some of you are probably rolling your eyes. I know when I had to do literature study in school, most of the time was spent trying to find what nonsense the author really meant when they put that peg leg on the not-a-pirate lesbian. And the teacher sat up…