Day 324...Editing Secrets

Welcome to Day 324...

And some editing secrets...

Let's start off by saying, as an writer, it's hard to self edit.  I've written before about the mistakes we make and the big watch outs when editing our own work.

That said, I still do numerous spot checks along the way as well as a final strong edit on my books when they are done. Because even though I use an outside service for my editing, I still want to give my team the best possible draft I can. 

So when the last word has been typed, I go back to page 1 and here's what I look for...

First there's the obvious...
Miss-spelled words, duplicate words, irregular spacing, missing punctuation...

Consistency of place and time...
I look to make sure that I'm consistent in my timing and giving enough of it for events to occur. For example, if lab tests are being run on a victim, make sure you allow for a reasonable amount of time for a character to share the results.  It's the same with locations. If a character is in a room or a bar or a store...the things they are looking at, picking up or seeing should be consistent with what you might find there.  


Consistency of names and events...
If you mention someone in the beginning of the story, make sure you're correct with their name in the middle of the story and at the end. This can be especially true for secondary characters. And as far as events, even the slightest ones need to be watched carefully. In one of my books, I had a waiter bring a character a fish dinner, but in one of the following scenes, I referenced that character "taking a bite of his steak." You get the picture.

Consistency of a character's truth...
You don't want the strong and silent type hero to suddenly be weeping by the end of the story. It's okay if he show's some emotion and depth, but keep him true to himself.

Consistency in references...
My books have tie ins to previous novel characters and places. Again, they are usually secondary to my current story so I have to make sure I'm accurate with names and locations anytime they get mentioned. Readers have a great memory so watch out.

Here's  Today's Takeaway Lesson...

"Because Today Is Another Chance To Get It Right"  

Here's to Being All In,

Maggie 

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365 Days & Counting...

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