Lots of people ask me what exactly an editor does when they read through a manuscript.  Instead of me giving a vague answer, take a look here for a detailed description by a top editor.

When you’re reading through your writing, try to notice which words you use too often.  I’ve just finished editing my next novel, and my editor pointed out that there were several words I leaned on far too frequently.  With some imagination, some hard work, and the find key in Word, I was able to expand my vocabulary, improving the text.

Here are three of my weak words which kept cropping up:

MOMENT

FOCUS

STARE

What are your weak words?  Can you find and replace them?

I’m reading a book called The Artful Edit by Susan Bell as I gear up to edit my third novel.  The book is helpful on all levels.  She writes about the importance of understanding your INTENTION while you’re editing your work.  I keep thinking about this as I reread my own book – what is my intention?  what am I doing with the text?  As I think, I excavate and try to discover what my intention is truly.

Here’s a direct quotation from Susan Bell to think about: ‘… to edit is to listen, above all; to hear past the emotional filters that distort the sound of our all too human words; and to then make choices rather than judgements. As we read our writing, how can we learn to hear ourselves better?’