February 2023!
Woot! I managed two months in a row! :)
So here we go again!
Today I wanted to offer a quick word about grammatical expletives!
A grammatical expletive is, like the usual kind we think of, an extra word or phrase that doesn't contribute to the meaning of the sentence. They play no semantic role, though they may contribute to the rhythm etc. The usual culprits are: there, it, and here followed by a to be verb (is, are, was, were, will be)
We can find so many examples of this sort of sentence construction in literature. Two of my favorites, off the top of my head: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair... " - opening line of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
And “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of good fortune, must be in want of a wife." - opening line of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
What the grammatical expletive does is add emphasis to or delay the subject. And there are occasions (see what I did there?) where that is what you are deliberately trying to do.
However, the vast majority of the time, these little @*#&$^@ just add fill to your sentence and distance the reader. They are also often accompanied by another often superfluous word - that - as well as the passive mood, which is again, a thing to be generally avoided if you want your writing to have drive and kick and energy. (Sometimes the passive mood is perfect for the effect or situation you're going for, but not most of the time - I'll write more about that another time.)
Instead of : It was her fault that they were disqualified.
you could say: Jill took drugs, so the coach disqualified the whole team.
The first sentence is passive, has extra word filler, and doesn't tell us much. And maybe that is just how you want it to be, especially if it's in dialogue when someone doesn't want to confess too many details.
But the second compound sentence gives us all the details. It names specific subjects who did active things, and doesn't have a lot of extra verbiage.
I won't go into it in any greater depth (lots can be found on the web about when and when not to use grammatical expletives. I'll just offer a link to the inestimable Louise Harnby.)
When you are doing your self-edits, a search for those words can clue you in to how much you might be using them. Then you can judiciously decide if they are being used to good effect or ill.
Happy word wizarding, my BFFs!
Kate
Woot! I managed two months in a row! :)
So here we go again!
Today I wanted to offer a quick word about grammatical expletives!
A grammatical expletive is, like the usual kind we think of, an extra word or phrase that doesn't contribute to the meaning of the sentence. They play no semantic role, though they may contribute to the rhythm etc. The usual culprits are: there, it, and here followed by a to be verb (is, are, was, were, will be)
We can find so many examples of this sort of sentence construction in literature. Two of my favorites, off the top of my head: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair... " - opening line of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
And “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of good fortune, must be in want of a wife." - opening line of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
What the grammatical expletive does is add emphasis to or delay the subject. And there are occasions (see what I did there?) where that is what you are deliberately trying to do.
However, the vast majority of the time, these little @*#&$^@ just add fill to your sentence and distance the reader. They are also often accompanied by another often superfluous word - that - as well as the passive mood, which is again, a thing to be generally avoided if you want your writing to have drive and kick and energy. (Sometimes the passive mood is perfect for the effect or situation you're going for, but not most of the time - I'll write more about that another time.)
Instead of : It was her fault that they were disqualified.
you could say: Jill took drugs, so the coach disqualified the whole team.
The first sentence is passive, has extra word filler, and doesn't tell us much. And maybe that is just how you want it to be, especially if it's in dialogue when someone doesn't want to confess too many details.
But the second compound sentence gives us all the details. It names specific subjects who did active things, and doesn't have a lot of extra verbiage.
I won't go into it in any greater depth (lots can be found on the web about when and when not to use grammatical expletives. I'll just offer a link to the inestimable Louise Harnby.)
When you are doing your self-edits, a search for those words can clue you in to how much you might be using them. Then you can judiciously decide if they are being used to good effect or ill.
Happy word wizarding, my BFFs!
Kate
January 2023!
Wow! Not a single blog entry in 12 months. I've certainly had other priorities this past year.
But I'm hoping to get back in the groove this year!
Something I run across quite frequently in "showing" narrative that is describing how someone - scratches the back of their neck, or drums their fingers, or doodles, or fiddles with a purse handle "absent-mindedly."
I frequently correct this to "absently" or "distractedly" since "absent-minded" implies a habit or tendency to act while thinking of something else.
Here's how Merriam-Webster defines and distinguishes these near synonyms:
" abstracted, preoccupied, absent, absent-minded, distracted mean inattentive to what claims or demands consideration.
abstracted implies absorption of the mind in something other than one's surroundings, and often suggests reflection on weighty matters. -walking about with an abstracted air
preoccupied often implies having one's attention so taken up by thoughts as to neglect others. -too preoccupied with her debts to enjoy the meal
absent stresses inability to fix the mind on present concerns due more to mental wandering than to concentration on other matters. -an absent stare
absent-minded implies that the mind is fixed elsewhere and often refers to a habit of abstractedness. -so absent-minded, he's been known to wear mismatched shoes
distracted may suggest an inability to concentrate caused by worry, sorrow, or anxiety. -was too distracted by grief to continue working "
January 2022
Happy New Year, Book Friends!
Do you have rituals or traditions that help you say goodbye to the old year or ring in the new?
In recent years I’ve chosen a word for the coming year—a word that I can keep in the forefront of my thoughts, meditate upon, and which I try to embody in the year. I also use it as a filter through which I understand my own feelings and reactions.
This year, not for the first time, my word is Peace.
A new year means new beginnings, and we are full of anticipation, expectation, worry, curiosity, goals, etc. But the future also holds many unknowns. It seems like now more than ever, we look to the future and wonder … what will it bring? And how will we handle it?
New discoveries, new challenges, new joys, new sorrows, new failures, new accomplishments, new frustrations, new satisfactions, new understandings, new experiences, new relationships, new growth.
May your 2022 be a year of growth for you.
May you learn to understand yourself and others better. May you be kind and receive kindness from others.
May you read many good books. May you create!
Peace,
Kate
Happy New Year, Book Friends!
Do you have rituals or traditions that help you say goodbye to the old year or ring in the new?
In recent years I’ve chosen a word for the coming year—a word that I can keep in the forefront of my thoughts, meditate upon, and which I try to embody in the year. I also use it as a filter through which I understand my own feelings and reactions.
This year, not for the first time, my word is Peace.
A new year means new beginnings, and we are full of anticipation, expectation, worry, curiosity, goals, etc. But the future also holds many unknowns. It seems like now more than ever, we look to the future and wonder … what will it bring? And how will we handle it?
New discoveries, new challenges, new joys, new sorrows, new failures, new accomplishments, new frustrations, new satisfactions, new understandings, new experiences, new relationships, new growth.
May your 2022 be a year of growth for you.
May you learn to understand yourself and others better. May you be kind and receive kindness from others.
May you read many good books. May you create!
Peace,
Kate
November 2021
"Gardening tips for Writers"
As we in the southern hemisphere head into summer, I am spending more and more time in my garden. So last night I was watering and watching for signs of slugs, and my mind, inevitably, began to see comparisons to writing . And you probably know how much I love a good analogy. :)
I got to thinking about sustainable ecosystems and beneficial bugs and organic compost practices. It's kind of like a lot of things - you want to maintain a healthy balance, not go overboard with any one thing, put good things into the soil so that you can get good things out, prune overgrowth, amend poor soil, etc. I'm sure you can see where I am going with this.
In order to have a healthy and nutritious crop or attractive garden, you need to plant what is appropriate for the climate and soil type.
Likewise, if a writer wants a vibrant story that readers will enjoy and which will sell well, then they need to do their research and write what is marketable and on point with what is trending and what the genre dictates.
In order to have good soil in which to plant their crops, a gardener needs to fertilize and amend the soil in preparation for planting.
In order for a writer to craft a story and characters that come alive for their readers, they need to do research to ensure their story has correct and enriching details; or they need to imagine and create a world that is consistent within its own social or scientific premises.
Once the garden is planted and growing, a gardener needs to be alert for invasive pests and weeds and prune where needed.
After a writer has outlined and written a first draft of a story, they need to edit out the superfluous verbiage, bad and distracting writing habits, and irrelevant details.
Sometimes our garden plot or landscaping plan needs to be adjusted because plants die or grow in ways we did not expect. So we might need to replace or move plants around to create order or sense. The writer needs to lay out the story in a logical way that the reader can follow. But sometimes a character or plot might go off on a tangent the author hadn't planned. When that happens, elements may have to be moved around so that the plot still makes sense, tension is maintained, and mysteries and conflicts arise which lure the reader on . . . like a well-planned garden path.
"Gardening tips for Writers"
As we in the southern hemisphere head into summer, I am spending more and more time in my garden. So last night I was watering and watching for signs of slugs, and my mind, inevitably, began to see comparisons to writing . And you probably know how much I love a good analogy. :)
I got to thinking about sustainable ecosystems and beneficial bugs and organic compost practices. It's kind of like a lot of things - you want to maintain a healthy balance, not go overboard with any one thing, put good things into the soil so that you can get good things out, prune overgrowth, amend poor soil, etc. I'm sure you can see where I am going with this.
In order to have a healthy and nutritious crop or attractive garden, you need to plant what is appropriate for the climate and soil type.
Likewise, if a writer wants a vibrant story that readers will enjoy and which will sell well, then they need to do their research and write what is marketable and on point with what is trending and what the genre dictates.
In order to have good soil in which to plant their crops, a gardener needs to fertilize and amend the soil in preparation for planting.
In order for a writer to craft a story and characters that come alive for their readers, they need to do research to ensure their story has correct and enriching details; or they need to imagine and create a world that is consistent within its own social or scientific premises.
Once the garden is planted and growing, a gardener needs to be alert for invasive pests and weeds and prune where needed.
After a writer has outlined and written a first draft of a story, they need to edit out the superfluous verbiage, bad and distracting writing habits, and irrelevant details.
Sometimes our garden plot or landscaping plan needs to be adjusted because plants die or grow in ways we did not expect. So we might need to replace or move plants around to create order or sense. The writer needs to lay out the story in a logical way that the reader can follow. But sometimes a character or plot might go off on a tangent the author hadn't planned. When that happens, elements may have to be moved around so that the plot still makes sense, tension is maintained, and mysteries and conflicts arise which lure the reader on . . . like a well-planned garden path.
May 2021
"Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin into the future!" (Fly Like an Eagle, Steve Miller Band)
Wow! Where has the time gone? We humans are kind of obsessed with time - perception of it, use of it, organization, wasting, spending of it, etc. Here is an interesting look at the idiom "time flies" from Oyster English.
As the world "becomes smaller" through travel, the internet, etc., and especially in this pandemic world over the past year, we have probably all had to deal with time zones for Zoom calls. (Then just as you are getting it, along comes Day Light Savings Time!) Since I live and work in New Zealand, I have to calculate the time for my family, friends, and clients in the US and other countries a lot.
I am more aware, as a freelancer, of how I utilize my time than I've ever been before. I set my own hours. I have to be self-disciplined and aware of how long I spend on various projects. I can't let myself wander too far down a rabbit hole when I am researching something! :)
And I am affected by the time constraints of my clients.
How long does it take to write a book? to edit it? to format and publish it? What percentage of time should we spend on doing the prep work for publishing? on marketing? on research of trends? on social media and platform building?
Managing , prioritizing, and monitoring our time is a real struggle for some of us. I don't have any great wisdom here. I just wanted to share some of my musings and let you know you are not alone.
Do you have time to write that book you've been thinking about? I dare say you probably do. Time is a magically malleable thing. :) We can almost always find the time for something if it is a high enough priority. And if we don't let barriers such as fear prevent us.
One thing is irrefutably true about time: it doesn't stop. And we will all reach the end of our timespan at some point. So . . . best not put off until tomorrow what you can do today (SO many great "time" idioms!)
Peace,
Kate
"Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin into the future!" (Fly Like an Eagle, Steve Miller Band)
Wow! Where has the time gone? We humans are kind of obsessed with time - perception of it, use of it, organization, wasting, spending of it, etc. Here is an interesting look at the idiom "time flies" from Oyster English.
As the world "becomes smaller" through travel, the internet, etc., and especially in this pandemic world over the past year, we have probably all had to deal with time zones for Zoom calls. (Then just as you are getting it, along comes Day Light Savings Time!) Since I live and work in New Zealand, I have to calculate the time for my family, friends, and clients in the US and other countries a lot.
I am more aware, as a freelancer, of how I utilize my time than I've ever been before. I set my own hours. I have to be self-disciplined and aware of how long I spend on various projects. I can't let myself wander too far down a rabbit hole when I am researching something! :)
And I am affected by the time constraints of my clients.
How long does it take to write a book? to edit it? to format and publish it? What percentage of time should we spend on doing the prep work for publishing? on marketing? on research of trends? on social media and platform building?
Managing , prioritizing, and monitoring our time is a real struggle for some of us. I don't have any great wisdom here. I just wanted to share some of my musings and let you know you are not alone.
Do you have time to write that book you've been thinking about? I dare say you probably do. Time is a magically malleable thing. :) We can almost always find the time for something if it is a high enough priority. And if we don't let barriers such as fear prevent us.
One thing is irrefutably true about time: it doesn't stop. And we will all reach the end of our timespan at some point. So . . . best not put off until tomorrow what you can do today (SO many great "time" idioms!)
Peace,
Kate
February 2021
Life is chaotic. It's been so long since I've posted anything.
But I'm still in the weeds, so I'm going to cheat and refer you on to:
this cool article from Merriam-Webster (soooo many cool articles) about words and phrases and their etymology that relate to romance and love.
Take good care out there!
K
Life is chaotic. It's been so long since I've posted anything.
But I'm still in the weeds, so I'm going to cheat and refer you on to:
this cool article from Merriam-Webster (soooo many cool articles) about words and phrases and their etymology that relate to romance and love.
Take good care out there!
K
September 2020
The Genitive Case and Attributive Adjectives
While editing, I have now and then come across a situation where I couldn’t figure out if an apostrophe was needed in an idiomatic phrase like: in harm’s way, for old time’s sake, for heaven’s sake, a summer’s day, a full night’s sleep, a day’s ride, etc.
Why does this need an apostrophe?
It’s not a contraction, and it’s not exactly possessive.
So, what gives?
Well, English has this little-known and seldom-referenced case called the genitive case.
The possessive case is a subset of this that English speakers are most familiar with. But there are a number of instances where a noun (or pronoun) modifies another noun (often inanimate objects or concepts) in some sort of attributive way that does not actually indicate possession or ownership, but rather describes a trait, characteristic, sort, or relationship.
Relationships beyond possession or ownership:
The genitive case also includes possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives
But wait! There’s more! Sometimes two related nouns just walk along beside one another, content to be partners without benefit of a genitive apostrophe connection. 😊
Meet the attributive noun.
For instance, a situation that often trips people up—what about “pants pocket”?
It seems like a case of relationship, right? The pockets belong to or go with the pants. But this is not the genitive case, and you do not use an apostrophe.
Consider: you don’t say “coat’s pocket.” You just say “coat pocket.” Pants just happens to end in an s, causing many to stumble into the sin of unnecessary apostrophe usage. 😊
Pants is an attributive: a noun acting as an adjective and describing the kind of pocket.
When a noun is used to modify another noun, you have an attributive noun:
wolf pack, baby basket, swing set, golf ball, coven leader, dog park, chimney sweep, park bench, state senate, picnic table, town council, etc.
Some of these ideas can be communicated in the genitive case as well:
coven’s leader, state’s senate, town’s council
Or by using a preposition:
park for dogs, sweepers of chimneys, benches in the park, table for picnicking
But usually a concept will be better or more commonly expressed a certain way.
I enjoy learning about the English language. I hope you do too. Want to know more?
Follow up:
Difference between Grammar and Linguistics:
https://lumen.instructure.com/courses/113338/pages/grammar-and-linguistics
What are ‘writing conventions’?
https://www.time4writing.com/articles-about-writing/writing-conventions-updated/
Use of ‘of’
https://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/casepossgen.html
The genitive case also includes pronouns/ possessive adjectives: my, mine, his, her, ours, theirs
https://writingexplained.org/grammar-dictionary/genitive-case
The Genitive Case and Attributive Adjectives
While editing, I have now and then come across a situation where I couldn’t figure out if an apostrophe was needed in an idiomatic phrase like: in harm’s way, for old time’s sake, for heaven’s sake, a summer’s day, a full night’s sleep, a day’s ride, etc.
Why does this need an apostrophe?
It’s not a contraction, and it’s not exactly possessive.
So, what gives?
Well, English has this little-known and seldom-referenced case called the genitive case.
The possessive case is a subset of this that English speakers are most familiar with. But there are a number of instances where a noun (or pronoun) modifies another noun (often inanimate objects or concepts) in some sort of attributive way that does not actually indicate possession or ownership, but rather describes a trait, characteristic, sort, or relationship.
Relationships beyond possession or ownership:
- affiliation - Renea’s alma mater
- kinship or connection - Claudia’s son, Lisa’s editor
- measurement, amount, or degree - a night’s sleep, twenty years’ experience, a week’s worth of groceries, four hours’ difference
- description of sort - master’s degree, doctor’s appointment
- source (or who created it) - Scott’s photograph, James’ songs
- ‘for’ or ‘about’ - the men’s department of the store
The genitive case also includes possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives
- Possessive pronouns - mine, theirs, his, hers, its, ours, yours
- Possessive adjectives - my, their, his, her, its, our, your
But wait! There’s more! Sometimes two related nouns just walk along beside one another, content to be partners without benefit of a genitive apostrophe connection. 😊
Meet the attributive noun.
For instance, a situation that often trips people up—what about “pants pocket”?
It seems like a case of relationship, right? The pockets belong to or go with the pants. But this is not the genitive case, and you do not use an apostrophe.
Consider: you don’t say “coat’s pocket.” You just say “coat pocket.” Pants just happens to end in an s, causing many to stumble into the sin of unnecessary apostrophe usage. 😊
Pants is an attributive: a noun acting as an adjective and describing the kind of pocket.
When a noun is used to modify another noun, you have an attributive noun:
wolf pack, baby basket, swing set, golf ball, coven leader, dog park, chimney sweep, park bench, state senate, picnic table, town council, etc.
Some of these ideas can be communicated in the genitive case as well:
coven’s leader, state’s senate, town’s council
Or by using a preposition:
park for dogs, sweepers of chimneys, benches in the park, table for picnicking
But usually a concept will be better or more commonly expressed a certain way.
I enjoy learning about the English language. I hope you do too. Want to know more?
Follow up:
Difference between Grammar and Linguistics:
https://lumen.instructure.com/courses/113338/pages/grammar-and-linguistics
What are ‘writing conventions’?
https://www.time4writing.com/articles-about-writing/writing-conventions-updated/
Use of ‘of’
https://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/casepossgen.html
The genitive case also includes pronouns/ possessive adjectives: my, mine, his, her, ours, theirs
https://writingexplained.org/grammar-dictionary/genitive-case
May 2020 blog -
And the world went mad ...
Hello Book Friends,
We are almost halfway through this incredibly surreal year. It has been and continues to be challenging and painful, destructive and unprecedented in many ways. We each cope (or don’t) in our own ways.
Even though it messes with my equilibrium, and though I am in many ways remote from the worst of it, I keep abreast of the news in order to be in solidarity of spirit at least. I have tried to be present and positive on social media - but also call out those who are abusing power or part of the problem rather than the solution.
But I struggle to focus and feel overwhelmed at times. Perhaps you can relate.
Creativity has been a balm to my soul. Sometimes I doubt our worth as a species when I see the actions and attitudes of many of our co-inhabitants of the planet. But Art in all its forms has brought me joy and solace. The resiliency and creativity of human beings gives me hope.
And editing stories has saved my sanity. It is difficult to concentrate, but it really has been a blessing to me to be connected and working in collaboration with someone to create something of quality that will entertain and uplift.
Bless you for sharing your creativity. May it provide comfort to you as well as others.
Kia kaha (stand strong)
Kate
And the world went mad ...
Hello Book Friends,
We are almost halfway through this incredibly surreal year. It has been and continues to be challenging and painful, destructive and unprecedented in many ways. We each cope (or don’t) in our own ways.
Even though it messes with my equilibrium, and though I am in many ways remote from the worst of it, I keep abreast of the news in order to be in solidarity of spirit at least. I have tried to be present and positive on social media - but also call out those who are abusing power or part of the problem rather than the solution.
But I struggle to focus and feel overwhelmed at times. Perhaps you can relate.
Creativity has been a balm to my soul. Sometimes I doubt our worth as a species when I see the actions and attitudes of many of our co-inhabitants of the planet. But Art in all its forms has brought me joy and solace. The resiliency and creativity of human beings gives me hope.
And editing stories has saved my sanity. It is difficult to concentrate, but it really has been a blessing to me to be connected and working in collaboration with someone to create something of quality that will entertain and uplift.
Bless you for sharing your creativity. May it provide comfort to you as well as others.
Kia kaha (stand strong)
Kate
March 2020 blog -
“Let’s talk about dialogue,” Kate said.
A ‘dialogue tag’ or attribution, assigns a quote to a person—he asked, she whispered, Julia added, we said. A dialogue tag has to be a word that describes someone speaking. The actual words spoken combined with the tag form a sentence. The person speaking is the subject/noun, and said, asked, etc. is the predicate/verb. The quoted dialogue is the object of the sentence.
Said and asked are the two main dialogue verbs we should use, but in my opinion, you can occasionally use: answered, replied, whispered, muttered, added, yelled, etc. It is a style issue, and people have strong opinions on the matter.
Many professional writers, writing coaches, and editors advise us not to overdo it with fancy dialogue tags like proclaimed, exclaimed, reiterated, announced, enquired, retorted, enthused. They say that ‘said’ and ‘asked’ are invisible and therefore less distracting for the reader. I am not so dogmatically rigid. I agree to a point but believe in moderation. Style and utility and finding the best means of communicating your meaning should be the guiding forces in your writing decisions.
An ‘action tag,’ on the other hand, can show what the speaker is doing while they speak. It can also describe their tone of voice. Action tags are a great way to really show the story to the reader rather than merely tell it.
Sighed, laughed, scoffed, smiled, chuckled, snarked, etc. are not dialogue tags. They are actions that don't take the dialogue as their object. (You can’t smile a sentence.) Note: according to Merriam-Webster "snarked" isn't even a word, but I've seen it mistakenly used a lot as a dialogue tag.
One of the trickiest tags is spoke. This is an action tag. He spoke hesitantly. She spoke up. It is a complete sentence and does not take the dialogue as its object. Interrupted, and continued are also, usually, action tags, although it depends how you use them.
Even editors struggle to determine which is which. Here is my test:
Can the word form a complete sentence and idea with just the addition of a subject? (and perhaps the addition of a prepositional phrase?)
He spoke. She interrupted him. They smiled. We continued to disagree. I sighed. She scoffed.
These words naturally accompany dialogue, but they don't need the dialogue to make sense and feel complete. They are action tags.
Does the word feel like it needs an object to complete the meaning?
He replied (how?) She whispered (what?) He muttered (what?) They announced (what?) I said (what?) He asked (what?)
These words are dialogue tags.
You use action tags (or action beats) to describe the tone of voice or paint a picture for the reader of what the character was doing when they said something. Tone of voice and body language is a big part of how we communicate. If you don't describe it, your readers are only getting part of what is being said.
Writing experts also strongly recommend that writers not rely too heavily on adverbs—excitedly, disbelievingly, sarcastically, fearfully. You would be better off using action tags or the words of the dialogue themselves to “show” the reader how something is said.
Here are examples of the basics of how to correctly punctuate common dialogue formats (for standard American English.)
The unified quote: - the entire quote is contained within one set of quotation marks.
A dialogue tag followed by a quote needs a comma after said or asked.
Note - the quoted sentence is capitalized.
Also note - end punctuation for the quoted sentence is inside the quotation marks.
Julia said, “Maybe we’ll have tacos for dinner tonight.”
Julia asked, “Should we have tacos for dinner tonight?”
A quote followed by a dialogue tag requires a comma inside the end quote, unless it is a question or exclamation, in which case a question or exclamation mark, rather than a comma, goes inside the end quote.
Note - the tag following the quote is not capitalized.
“Maybe we’ll have tacos for dinner tonight,” said Julia.
“Should we have tacos for dinner tonight?” asked Julia.
An action tag followed by a quote uses a period/full stop at the end of the action sentence.
Note - thinking is an action.
Also note - a full sentence stating that someone has said something is also an action tag.
Julia thought for a moment. “Maybe we’ll have tacos for dinner tonight.”
Julia spoke with resignation. “I suppose we can have tacos tonight.”
A quoted question followed by an action tag requires a question mark inside the quotation mark. I feel that a simple attribution/dialogue tag with the word 'asked' is a waste since it is obvious from the question mark that it was a question. Why not use the tag to describe how they asked or what they were doing when they asked?
Note - an action tag that follows the quote also starts with a capital letter because it is a separate sentence.
Also note - a description of how someone speaks is an action.
“Must we have tacos for dinner tonight?” Her tone was less than thrilled.
“We could have tacos, if that's what y'all want?” Julia sighed, already knowing the answer.
The Divided quote: - a quote that is divided at punctuation indicating a pause - often used to adjust pacing, interject a change in tone or change in person being addressed, etc.
A quote that is divided at a period/full stop is pretty simple to punctuate, based on the above rules.
Note: a tag can be both a dialogue and an action tag (second examples).
Dialogue tag:
“Let’s have tacos for dinner!” Julia said, but added, “But we don’t have any salsa.”
“Should we have tacos for dinner?” Julia asked, then turned to her son. “Do we have any salsa?”
Action tag:
“Want to have tacos for dinner?” Then Julia reconsidered. “But I forgot to buy salsa.”
“We could have tacos for dinner!” Julia spoke with enthusiasm, but warned, “But we’ll have to do without salsa.”
A quote that is divided in the midst of a sentence is also pretty simple when you are dealing with a dialogue tag.
Note - there is a comma after the tag.
Also note - the interrupted quote resumes on the other side of the dialogue tag without a capital (just as it would if the tag weren't there.)
“Maybe,” suggested Julia, “we’ll have tacos for dinner tonight.”
Note - when using an ellipsis or em dash to pause the quoted sentence, you do not need a comma as well. The pause is indicated by the ellipsis or em dash. A comma would be redundant.
“Maybe… “ she said, considering, “we could have tacos.”
“We could have—” she began then dramatically suggested, “tacos!”
A divided quote interrupted by an action tag, on the other hand, is a whole other plate of nachos.
If a quote is divided in the midst of a sentence, you cannot punctuate an action tag in the usual way. You can’t write:
X “If I have the ingredients,” Julia checked the cupboard. “we could have tacos tonight.”
Just … because. You can’t have a lower case continuation of a sentence right after the period of the action tag. I’ve scoured the internet and asked my peers, and the answer to the questions: What is the rule? and How do you punctuate that? seems to be: you just can’t do it that way. 😊
Instead, we have to:
Also note - when you use them, you don’t need commas inside the first part of the quote or after the action tag.
Plus - no capitalization either of the start of the action tag or the resumption of the quoted sentence.
“Maybe”—she tapped her chin—“we’ll have tacos for dinner tonight.”
That’s all I have to say, for now, on dialogue. I think I'll go make some tacos.
Kia kaha,
Kate
PS For more instruction on correct use of quotation marks and adjacent punctuation see this article in The Punctuation Guide.
“Let’s talk about dialogue,” Kate said.
A ‘dialogue tag’ or attribution, assigns a quote to a person—he asked, she whispered, Julia added, we said. A dialogue tag has to be a word that describes someone speaking. The actual words spoken combined with the tag form a sentence. The person speaking is the subject/noun, and said, asked, etc. is the predicate/verb. The quoted dialogue is the object of the sentence.
Said and asked are the two main dialogue verbs we should use, but in my opinion, you can occasionally use: answered, replied, whispered, muttered, added, yelled, etc. It is a style issue, and people have strong opinions on the matter.
Many professional writers, writing coaches, and editors advise us not to overdo it with fancy dialogue tags like proclaimed, exclaimed, reiterated, announced, enquired, retorted, enthused. They say that ‘said’ and ‘asked’ are invisible and therefore less distracting for the reader. I am not so dogmatically rigid. I agree to a point but believe in moderation. Style and utility and finding the best means of communicating your meaning should be the guiding forces in your writing decisions.
An ‘action tag,’ on the other hand, can show what the speaker is doing while they speak. It can also describe their tone of voice. Action tags are a great way to really show the story to the reader rather than merely tell it.
Sighed, laughed, scoffed, smiled, chuckled, snarked, etc. are not dialogue tags. They are actions that don't take the dialogue as their object. (You can’t smile a sentence.) Note: according to Merriam-Webster "snarked" isn't even a word, but I've seen it mistakenly used a lot as a dialogue tag.
One of the trickiest tags is spoke. This is an action tag. He spoke hesitantly. She spoke up. It is a complete sentence and does not take the dialogue as its object. Interrupted, and continued are also, usually, action tags, although it depends how you use them.
Even editors struggle to determine which is which. Here is my test:
Can the word form a complete sentence and idea with just the addition of a subject? (and perhaps the addition of a prepositional phrase?)
He spoke. She interrupted him. They smiled. We continued to disagree. I sighed. She scoffed.
These words naturally accompany dialogue, but they don't need the dialogue to make sense and feel complete. They are action tags.
Does the word feel like it needs an object to complete the meaning?
He replied (how?) She whispered (what?) He muttered (what?) They announced (what?) I said (what?) He asked (what?)
These words are dialogue tags.
You use action tags (or action beats) to describe the tone of voice or paint a picture for the reader of what the character was doing when they said something. Tone of voice and body language is a big part of how we communicate. If you don't describe it, your readers are only getting part of what is being said.
Writing experts also strongly recommend that writers not rely too heavily on adverbs—excitedly, disbelievingly, sarcastically, fearfully. You would be better off using action tags or the words of the dialogue themselves to “show” the reader how something is said.
Here are examples of the basics of how to correctly punctuate common dialogue formats (for standard American English.)
The unified quote: - the entire quote is contained within one set of quotation marks.
A dialogue tag followed by a quote needs a comma after said or asked.
Note - the quoted sentence is capitalized.
Also note - end punctuation for the quoted sentence is inside the quotation marks.
Julia said, “Maybe we’ll have tacos for dinner tonight.”
Julia asked, “Should we have tacos for dinner tonight?”
A quote followed by a dialogue tag requires a comma inside the end quote, unless it is a question or exclamation, in which case a question or exclamation mark, rather than a comma, goes inside the end quote.
Note - the tag following the quote is not capitalized.
“Maybe we’ll have tacos for dinner tonight,” said Julia.
“Should we have tacos for dinner tonight?” asked Julia.
An action tag followed by a quote uses a period/full stop at the end of the action sentence.
Note - thinking is an action.
Also note - a full sentence stating that someone has said something is also an action tag.
Julia thought for a moment. “Maybe we’ll have tacos for dinner tonight.”
Julia spoke with resignation. “I suppose we can have tacos tonight.”
A quoted question followed by an action tag requires a question mark inside the quotation mark. I feel that a simple attribution/dialogue tag with the word 'asked' is a waste since it is obvious from the question mark that it was a question. Why not use the tag to describe how they asked or what they were doing when they asked?
Note - an action tag that follows the quote also starts with a capital letter because it is a separate sentence.
Also note - a description of how someone speaks is an action.
“Must we have tacos for dinner tonight?” Her tone was less than thrilled.
“We could have tacos, if that's what y'all want?” Julia sighed, already knowing the answer.
The Divided quote: - a quote that is divided at punctuation indicating a pause - often used to adjust pacing, interject a change in tone or change in person being addressed, etc.
A quote that is divided at a period/full stop is pretty simple to punctuate, based on the above rules.
Note: a tag can be both a dialogue and an action tag (second examples).
Dialogue tag:
“Let’s have tacos for dinner!” Julia said, but added, “But we don’t have any salsa.”
“Should we have tacos for dinner?” Julia asked, then turned to her son. “Do we have any salsa?”
Action tag:
“Want to have tacos for dinner?” Then Julia reconsidered. “But I forgot to buy salsa.”
“We could have tacos for dinner!” Julia spoke with enthusiasm, but warned, “But we’ll have to do without salsa.”
A quote that is divided in the midst of a sentence is also pretty simple when you are dealing with a dialogue tag.
Note - there is a comma after the tag.
Also note - the interrupted quote resumes on the other side of the dialogue tag without a capital (just as it would if the tag weren't there.)
“Maybe,” suggested Julia, “we’ll have tacos for dinner tonight.”
Note - when using an ellipsis or em dash to pause the quoted sentence, you do not need a comma as well. The pause is indicated by the ellipsis or em dash. A comma would be redundant.
“Maybe… “ she said, considering, “we could have tacos.”
“We could have—” she began then dramatically suggested, “tacos!”
A divided quote interrupted by an action tag, on the other hand, is a whole other plate of nachos.
If a quote is divided in the midst of a sentence, you cannot punctuate an action tag in the usual way. You can’t write:
X “If I have the ingredients,” Julia checked the cupboard. “we could have tacos tonight.”
Just … because. You can’t have a lower case continuation of a sentence right after the period of the action tag. I’ve scoured the internet and asked my peers, and the answer to the questions: What is the rule? and How do you punctuate that? seems to be: you just can’t do it that way. 😊
Instead, we have to:
- rewrite the sentence, moving the tag to the beginning or the end.
- interrupt the quote at a period, instead of a comma.
- turn the action tag into a dialogue tag.
- the easiest way to deal with it and the way my fellow editors and I often prefer, is to use em dashes on either side of the action tag so there is no period. Then you can resume the sentence with the lower case word, no problem.
Also note - when you use them, you don’t need commas inside the first part of the quote or after the action tag.
Plus - no capitalization either of the start of the action tag or the resumption of the quoted sentence.
“Maybe”—she tapped her chin—“we’ll have tacos for dinner tonight.”
That’s all I have to say, for now, on dialogue. I think I'll go make some tacos.
Kia kaha,
Kate
PS For more instruction on correct use of quotation marks and adjacent punctuation see this article in The Punctuation Guide.
February 2020 Blog -
Wow! I totally leaped/leapt over the month of February for my Blog! Let’s play catch up!
Here is what I started to write last month:
This is a Leap Year! Let’s talk about leaped vs leapt:
There are a number of verbs that have both regular and irregular past tense conjugations. They have varying degrees of current usage, and some of them are preferred forms depending on the kind of English used: American or British (and then there is Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, South Asian. This is a good article on the histories.)
burned/burnt, dreamed/dreamt, kneeled/knelt,
leaned/leant, leaped/leapt, learned/learnt,
smelled/smelt, spelled/spelt, spilled/spilt, spoiled/spoilt
That’s as far as I got. Just make sure you double check these words in your writing, and be consistent based on the kind of English you are writing in. And record your decision in your Style Sheet. 😊
Cheers,
Kate
Wow! I totally leaped/leapt over the month of February for my Blog! Let’s play catch up!
Here is what I started to write last month:
This is a Leap Year! Let’s talk about leaped vs leapt:
There are a number of verbs that have both regular and irregular past tense conjugations. They have varying degrees of current usage, and some of them are preferred forms depending on the kind of English used: American or British (and then there is Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, South Asian. This is a good article on the histories.)
burned/burnt, dreamed/dreamt, kneeled/knelt,
leaned/leant, leaped/leapt, learned/learnt,
smelled/smelt, spelled/spelt, spilled/spilt, spoiled/spoilt
That’s as far as I got. Just make sure you double check these words in your writing, and be consistent based on the kind of English you are writing in. And record your decision in your Style Sheet. 😊
Cheers,
Kate
January 2020
Impending Birth of the BFF Beta Brigade!
I’m excited to share my current project with you!
You know that whole "it takes a village" thing about raising a child? It is a similar situation when writing a good story. It takes Teamwork.
Besides various stages and specialties to get your story ready for publication, you also need multiple sets of eyes on your story in the earlier stages. No one person can see or anticipate or have the perspective or sensitivity to be able to catch all the issues that might need to be addressed in a story. So, it is a good idea to have some trusted people read the story as it is being crafted. Enter the Beta Reader.
Some writers are leery of sharing their unpolished story for a variety of reasons. But if you can make yourself take the plunge, it is better to find out in the early days if there are things that need to be rearranged, reworded, rethought or whatever - before you've invested too much time and energy and money on the road to getting it published in that condition.
Finding those trusted people - who are going to be impartial, who are even willing to read a, possibly, rough manuscript, who are responsible to do it in a timely manner, and who can give helpful feedback - is no simple thing. So I've put out the call to my FB friends and family and asked if any of them - intelligent, sensitive folk, many of whom are avid readers - would be interested and have the time to be a beta reader for my authors. It's all part of that Book Friend thing. :) And I got some immediate, enthusiastic responses! These are people I trust.
I am blessed to have a collaborator in this new venture. An associate of mine, a long-time friend and avid reader herself, Heather Jay will be my lead beta reader. And she is going to help me rally and ready these folks I'm calling my BFF Beta Brigade (isn't that clever? I love it!)
I'm asking each of them to write a little something about themselves and the kinds of books they read so my authors can pick the audience for their story. And, since everyone has a busy life these days, and not everyone will be the right reader for a given story - chemistry is very important! – the beta readers will also have the option to decline a project if they don't have time or don't think the book is right for them.
So, besides editing some lovely stories this past month, I’ve been dreaming and scheming to bring this new free service to my BFF author friends who may not have developed a strong Support Stars team. I’ll be sure to announce when we are ready to launch!
Peace,
Kate
January - Not a Proper Blog,
I've been wishing I could gift all my author book friends with a grammar/consistency etc. checker like ProWriteAid or PerfectIt, like I use. It would be so very helpful to them in their self-editing. I just ran across this article in Become a Writer Today that compares some of these programs and talks about their free versions. Worth a read?
I've been wishing I could gift all my author book friends with a grammar/consistency etc. checker like ProWriteAid or PerfectIt, like I use. It would be so very helpful to them in their self-editing. I just ran across this article in Become a Writer Today that compares some of these programs and talks about their free versions. Worth a read?
December Blog
Reviews – the gift that keeps on giving!
Meri Kirihimete, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel, Buon Natale, Fröhliche Weihnachten, Merry Christmas!
Giving. Gifts. Grace. Grieving. Generosity. Generations. Gentleness.
This time of year means different things to different people. I’m from the Christian tradition (in case my greeting didn’t give it away). But I appreciate that many other winter, solstice, family-centric, liturgical celebrations, and secular traditions, as well as powerful memories and emotions abound in this general time as well. May you all be blessed with peace and plenty.
I was given the gift of enlightenment this week, and it is a gift that will keep on giving. As it is totally relevant to the book publishing industry (although it has broader implications as well), I thought I would share my new-found understanding with you.
When it comes to many things in this age of capitalism and the internet - it’s all about reviews and ratings, folks. The reviews that goods and services receive, and even more the ratings - when the reviews are posted, by whom, how quickly, how many stars, whether or not they are verified purchases, etc. - all that data goes into complex algorithms that determine how well that product or service will do in the free market - whether it will get sponsors, whether it will get promoted, whether people will even consider buying or hiring or whatever. IT ALL MATTERS.
Now here is the thing I didn’t know: A 4 star rating (which means it was good, right? – a B+ or so, in my mind!) can actually hurt the standing of a book if there aren’t enough 5 stars to outweigh it in the algorithmic calculations (?!?) I DID NOT KNOW THIS. I started rating books for myself, years ago on my library site and then on Goodreads - to keep track of what I’d read and to jog my memory of whether I liked a book (4) or if I LOVED a book (5), etc. – but it was just for me.
Then I started reviewing eBooks and felt I needed to be conscientious and honest about editing issues especially, with future readers in mind. Later I became part of some ARC teams. I realized and embraced the responsibility to authors of pointing out typos (when requested) before publication and reviewing promptly. But this algorithmic thing keeps evolving and my personal rating system did not develop apace nor reflect the new reality.
Now I’m working directly with indie authors, and one of them finally explained to me how damaging a 4 star rating can be! I feel horrible that I didn't figure this out sooner! It doesn’t matter how many wonderful things you say about a book in the review, if you only rate it 4 stars, and don’t explain to the author or reader WHY you didn’t feel it was worthy of that 5th star, you aren’t really helping. In fact, you are probably seriously hurting their rating score percentage, which affects their success and livelihood in a fundamental way.
(I don't review books I’ve edited, btw. I have also stopped mentioning any editing issues I may find (unless specifically asked). No matter how well-intentioned, that is just a recipe for disaster, which I have also come to realize later than I should have.)
My method for coming up with ratings never evolved to reflect my new situations and was also wrongheaded. I was trying to compare books to each other, to others the author had written, and even across genres. In fact, I considered many criteria when determining if a book deserved a 4 or 5 star rating from me. I would save my 5s for books that were exceptional. My philosophy was actually the same as the bad guy in The Incredibles: If everyone is Super, then no one is.
Here is how I thought of the ratings:
4 : good story - would recommend
4.5 : really special story - would read it again if I had time
5 : couldn't put it down - can't stop thinking about it
But that – I now realize – does not factoring in how the rating system works in the real world.
To quote my friend (who gave me this gift of understanding):
"You shouldn't even rate books compared to other books. You should rate a book according to THAT book. Did you enjoy it, yes or no? If you couldn't put it down, it ticked all the right boxes, and made you sigh happily at the end then it deserves a 5. If you could easily put it down and were merely satisfied, then it's a four, and so on."
Author Taylor Rachel Branton has written a great article that has some wonderful Dos and Don’ts of Reviewing. She explains the situation further. She says:
"In a very real way, reviews help determine the wage the author earns. Reviews also decide whether or not certain companies will accept advertising for a book (some will not accept books rated below four stars), so your rating is important and it affects the author in serious ways."
(I'm not saying you should never give a book a score of less than 5 stars, but you should be thoughtful and realistic about what your review/ratings will mean for the author of that book. And consider writing to the author, especially if you are a fan, and asking them if they'd like to hear about the issues you have with the book, rather than just stating it publicly in a review.)
So, that revelation was the gift to me that will keep on giving. I hope it helps you as well. If you are an author who doesn't feel comfortable sharing your serious need for 5 star ratings with your trusted and supportive ARC readers, feel free to share the link to Taylor Rachel Branton's article or to this blog.
May you read a fantastic 5 star story this week and start the new year rested, at peace, and with joy.
Kate
Reviews – the gift that keeps on giving!
Meri Kirihimete, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel, Buon Natale, Fröhliche Weihnachten, Merry Christmas!
Giving. Gifts. Grace. Grieving. Generosity. Generations. Gentleness.
This time of year means different things to different people. I’m from the Christian tradition (in case my greeting didn’t give it away). But I appreciate that many other winter, solstice, family-centric, liturgical celebrations, and secular traditions, as well as powerful memories and emotions abound in this general time as well. May you all be blessed with peace and plenty.
I was given the gift of enlightenment this week, and it is a gift that will keep on giving. As it is totally relevant to the book publishing industry (although it has broader implications as well), I thought I would share my new-found understanding with you.
When it comes to many things in this age of capitalism and the internet - it’s all about reviews and ratings, folks. The reviews that goods and services receive, and even more the ratings - when the reviews are posted, by whom, how quickly, how many stars, whether or not they are verified purchases, etc. - all that data goes into complex algorithms that determine how well that product or service will do in the free market - whether it will get sponsors, whether it will get promoted, whether people will even consider buying or hiring or whatever. IT ALL MATTERS.
Now here is the thing I didn’t know: A 4 star rating (which means it was good, right? – a B+ or so, in my mind!) can actually hurt the standing of a book if there aren’t enough 5 stars to outweigh it in the algorithmic calculations (?!?) I DID NOT KNOW THIS. I started rating books for myself, years ago on my library site and then on Goodreads - to keep track of what I’d read and to jog my memory of whether I liked a book (4) or if I LOVED a book (5), etc. – but it was just for me.
Then I started reviewing eBooks and felt I needed to be conscientious and honest about editing issues especially, with future readers in mind. Later I became part of some ARC teams. I realized and embraced the responsibility to authors of pointing out typos (when requested) before publication and reviewing promptly. But this algorithmic thing keeps evolving and my personal rating system did not develop apace nor reflect the new reality.
Now I’m working directly with indie authors, and one of them finally explained to me how damaging a 4 star rating can be! I feel horrible that I didn't figure this out sooner! It doesn’t matter how many wonderful things you say about a book in the review, if you only rate it 4 stars, and don’t explain to the author or reader WHY you didn’t feel it was worthy of that 5th star, you aren’t really helping. In fact, you are probably seriously hurting their rating score percentage, which affects their success and livelihood in a fundamental way.
(I don't review books I’ve edited, btw. I have also stopped mentioning any editing issues I may find (unless specifically asked). No matter how well-intentioned, that is just a recipe for disaster, which I have also come to realize later than I should have.)
My method for coming up with ratings never evolved to reflect my new situations and was also wrongheaded. I was trying to compare books to each other, to others the author had written, and even across genres. In fact, I considered many criteria when determining if a book deserved a 4 or 5 star rating from me. I would save my 5s for books that were exceptional. My philosophy was actually the same as the bad guy in The Incredibles: If everyone is Super, then no one is.
Here is how I thought of the ratings:
4 : good story - would recommend
4.5 : really special story - would read it again if I had time
5 : couldn't put it down - can't stop thinking about it
But that – I now realize – does not factoring in how the rating system works in the real world.
To quote my friend (who gave me this gift of understanding):
"You shouldn't even rate books compared to other books. You should rate a book according to THAT book. Did you enjoy it, yes or no? If you couldn't put it down, it ticked all the right boxes, and made you sigh happily at the end then it deserves a 5. If you could easily put it down and were merely satisfied, then it's a four, and so on."
Author Taylor Rachel Branton has written a great article that has some wonderful Dos and Don’ts of Reviewing. She explains the situation further. She says:
"In a very real way, reviews help determine the wage the author earns. Reviews also decide whether or not certain companies will accept advertising for a book (some will not accept books rated below four stars), so your rating is important and it affects the author in serious ways."
(I'm not saying you should never give a book a score of less than 5 stars, but you should be thoughtful and realistic about what your review/ratings will mean for the author of that book. And consider writing to the author, especially if you are a fan, and asking them if they'd like to hear about the issues you have with the book, rather than just stating it publicly in a review.)
So, that revelation was the gift to me that will keep on giving. I hope it helps you as well. If you are an author who doesn't feel comfortable sharing your serious need for 5 star ratings with your trusted and supportive ARC readers, feel free to share the link to Taylor Rachel Branton's article or to this blog.
May you read a fantastic 5 star story this week and start the new year rested, at peace, and with joy.
Kate
November 2019
Cleaning before the maid comes
Kia Ora!
My family and I have been moving this past month and something struck me as a good analogy for the writing/editing process.
As you probably have experienced if you’ve ever moved, life and responsibilities go on, regardless of the boxes and chaos all around. So we decided to splurge and hire a cleaning crew to clean out our previous rental. There was enough to do at the new place, we work full-time, I don’t like to do things half arsed, and we wanted to leave it in good nick as a thank you to our wonderful landlords who have become good friends.
But I couldn’t just leave it as it was when we cleared out our stuff—dust bunnies and crumbs and detritus. I know it is cliché, but I did a bit of a whirlwind pick up, just so it didn’t look quite so bad for the professionals. I was happy to have them help me with the deep cleaning like behind the fridge, polishing the wood, cleaning the windows, etc. but my own pride, I guess, insisted that I should at least do the bare minimum of what I could easily accomplish myself.
This puts me in mind of the situation with writer and editor. Before a writer pops that manuscript over to the professional to dig deep—making sure everything complies with CMOS recommendations (more on that later), and fine tuning it for publication—they may want to do what they can first, to present it in the best shape they can.
There are a number of tools and strategies they can utilize to accomplish this story spit shine. Here are a few:
I say ‘possible’ because a computer program isn’t infallible. Neither is your professional editor! But only a human can understand context and nuance and the art of language. These programs, frankly, get it wrong sometimes. But they do help you see patterns in your writing and teach you grammar and punctuation rules and highlight spelling issues you may not be aware of or have just overlooked out of familiarity with your own words. You just have to see their recommendations as flags for further investigation.
So, that is my moving house wisdom - analogy to writing/editing.
Thanks for reading and joining me on my wordy wanderings.
Kate
Cleaning before the maid comes
Kia Ora!
My family and I have been moving this past month and something struck me as a good analogy for the writing/editing process.
As you probably have experienced if you’ve ever moved, life and responsibilities go on, regardless of the boxes and chaos all around. So we decided to splurge and hire a cleaning crew to clean out our previous rental. There was enough to do at the new place, we work full-time, I don’t like to do things half arsed, and we wanted to leave it in good nick as a thank you to our wonderful landlords who have become good friends.
But I couldn’t just leave it as it was when we cleared out our stuff—dust bunnies and crumbs and detritus. I know it is cliché, but I did a bit of a whirlwind pick up, just so it didn’t look quite so bad for the professionals. I was happy to have them help me with the deep cleaning like behind the fridge, polishing the wood, cleaning the windows, etc. but my own pride, I guess, insisted that I should at least do the bare minimum of what I could easily accomplish myself.
This puts me in mind of the situation with writer and editor. Before a writer pops that manuscript over to the professional to dig deep—making sure everything complies with CMOS recommendations (more on that later), and fine tuning it for publication—they may want to do what they can first, to present it in the best shape they can.
There are a number of tools and strategies they can utilize to accomplish this story spit shine. Here are a few:
- MS Word has amazing editing and formatting tools! Sometimes authors forget or don’t realize that when they transfer their manuscript to Word for their editor from whatever program (Scrivener etc.) they composed/organized their story in. They can and should go through their manuscript themselves using Word’s editing prompts first.
- Until Dec. 2, ProWritingAid is having a 50% off Black Friday sale on their lifetime Premium service including upgrades as they come out. Only $120 USD.
- There is also PerfectIt! – another editing program that can also (PWA and Word do these things as well) help point out possible issues with redundancy, passive verbs, patterns, homonyms, subject/verb agreement, punctuation, etc.
I say ‘possible’ because a computer program isn’t infallible. Neither is your professional editor! But only a human can understand context and nuance and the art of language. These programs, frankly, get it wrong sometimes. But they do help you see patterns in your writing and teach you grammar and punctuation rules and highlight spelling issues you may not be aware of or have just overlooked out of familiarity with your own words. You just have to see their recommendations as flags for further investigation.
So, that is my moving house wisdom - analogy to writing/editing.
Thanks for reading and joining me on my wordy wanderings.
Kate
October 2019 Blog
Yoga parallels
Dear Book Friends,
Learning how and what it means to be an entrepreneur, educating myself on skills needed to be a good freelance editor, designing and managing a website, learning how to communicate with people in new ways, developing a healthy work/life balance, striving for better organization …
I am continually learning new things and stretching myself. It strikes me as a lot like yoga – in order to improve and get the maximum benefits, you’ve got to stay right on the edge between where you are comfortable and where you're a bit ... not. I’ve been doing more yoga these past few years. I really love it. I helps me stay strong in my core and flexible in my joints, which is really important as I spend a LOT of time, not surprisingly, sitting. :) Editing does not burn many calories or tone muscle!
But I think I’ve gotten just as much from the philosophies and mental discipline I’ve learned from my various yoga instructors as I have from the strengthening and flexibility training I’ve received.
Push yourself to that fine edge of discomfort.
Relax into the poses and stretches.
Breathe deeply and consciously.
Be present in that moment, in that place, inside yourself.
Focus on the posture or lesson at hand.
Practice on the mat what/how you wish to live off the mat:
Mindfulness, gratitude, self-discipline, positivity, commitment, compassion.
An author can gain similar perspective, I believe, from the disciplines of yoga. Are you stretching yourself to learn and try new things in your writing? Are you relaxing into the challenges, breathing through the discomfort, confident that if you don't push that edge you won't grow in your craft? Do you focus on the story you are trying to tell and connect what is on the page to what you have experienced or observed through compassion off the page? Are you grateful for the opportunity to share your story and for the readers who will connect with the 'you' that is imbedded in the story?
Because ...
Books build bridges.
Yoga parallels
Dear Book Friends,
Learning how and what it means to be an entrepreneur, educating myself on skills needed to be a good freelance editor, designing and managing a website, learning how to communicate with people in new ways, developing a healthy work/life balance, striving for better organization …
I am continually learning new things and stretching myself. It strikes me as a lot like yoga – in order to improve and get the maximum benefits, you’ve got to stay right on the edge between where you are comfortable and where you're a bit ... not. I’ve been doing more yoga these past few years. I really love it. I helps me stay strong in my core and flexible in my joints, which is really important as I spend a LOT of time, not surprisingly, sitting. :) Editing does not burn many calories or tone muscle!
But I think I’ve gotten just as much from the philosophies and mental discipline I’ve learned from my various yoga instructors as I have from the strengthening and flexibility training I’ve received.
Push yourself to that fine edge of discomfort.
Relax into the poses and stretches.
Breathe deeply and consciously.
Be present in that moment, in that place, inside yourself.
Focus on the posture or lesson at hand.
Practice on the mat what/how you wish to live off the mat:
Mindfulness, gratitude, self-discipline, positivity, commitment, compassion.
An author can gain similar perspective, I believe, from the disciplines of yoga. Are you stretching yourself to learn and try new things in your writing? Are you relaxing into the challenges, breathing through the discomfort, confident that if you don't push that edge you won't grow in your craft? Do you focus on the story you are trying to tell and connect what is on the page to what you have experienced or observed through compassion off the page? Are you grateful for the opportunity to share your story and for the readers who will connect with the 'you' that is imbedded in the story?
Because ...
Books build bridges.
September 2019 Blog
Beginnings
Dear Book Friends,
September in the US is a time of new beginnings for many people. Growing up, it was the beginning of school and that meant new clothes, new school supplies, new rhythms, new teachers, new classrooms, new friends, new lessons.
This past year has brought a lot of ‘new’ to my life. And now I’m going to be learning another new thing. I’m being hired to help a writer become a traditionally published author. I’ve never accompanied a writer down this path, and I’m stoked. It will be a learning experience for us both.
One of the good resource I’ve discovered: Exploring the options for publishing a novel article on The Writing Cooperative website by Elise Edmonds.
Beginnings
Dear Book Friends,
September in the US is a time of new beginnings for many people. Growing up, it was the beginning of school and that meant new clothes, new school supplies, new rhythms, new teachers, new classrooms, new friends, new lessons.
This past year has brought a lot of ‘new’ to my life. And now I’m going to be learning another new thing. I’m being hired to help a writer become a traditionally published author. I’ve never accompanied a writer down this path, and I’m stoked. It will be a learning experience for us both.
One of the good resource I’ve discovered: Exploring the options for publishing a novel article on The Writing Cooperative website by Elise Edmonds.
August 2019 Blog:
Building Bridges for Book Friends-
I love the idea that books build bridges! And I love communication and learning. My website is constantly evolving as I learn about webdesign, discover resources, and dream up content to help my newer authors as they climb the steep learning curve of the indie publishing industry. So, even if you've perused my website before, take another wander. You never know when I might have added some new item of interest or assistance or a new service that could be a bridge to helping you build your book business.
Building Bridges for Book Friends-
I love the idea that books build bridges! And I love communication and learning. My website is constantly evolving as I learn about webdesign, discover resources, and dream up content to help my newer authors as they climb the steep learning curve of the indie publishing industry. So, even if you've perused my website before, take another wander. You never know when I might have added some new item of interest or assistance or a new service that could be a bridge to helping you build your book business.
July 2019 Blog:
Attitude of Gratitude and Acknowledgements-
Gratitude is my usual default attitude and the awareness and recognition of my many blessings is never far from my mind.
I have been extraordinarily blessed in my life and born into privilege. I have a solid, supportive family, been born with and enjoyed good health and intellect, opportunity, and education. I’ve been blessed to have a wonderful marriage, friendships, and faith communities.
I’m also grateful for the challenges that I have encountered as they have helped me grow and learn and strengthen my mind and understanding, faith and relationships.
I have tried to acknowledge, express, and show my appreciation for those who have assisted and befriended me on my journey through life. I’ve gotten better at this, not surprisingly, as I’ve gotten older and wiser, realizing that we can take only some of the credit for our successes, having little real control or power to direct our own lives. We definitely benefit from those who have paved the way or laid the foundations upon which we live and work, or who have nurtured and assisted us to reach our goals.
I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to work with the authors who have trusted me to help them shape and polish their stories. I have never come away from a project having learned nothing. And I have been so humbled by the generosity of my authors and other editor colleagues and friends who have freely offered advice, instruction, support, and perspective, which continually contribute to my understanding of how to be a better editor and entrepreneur.
Recently one of my lovely author book friends offered to credit me in her copyright page as editor and asked, very sweetly, how I’d like to be listed. I had to think about that for a while. A few times in the past, I have been honoured, and frankly tickled pink, to be listed as editor alongside the author’s name on Amazon book pages. I got such a kick out of that recognition. It really gave my confidence a boost as I was spreading my wings professionally.
But I’ve always identified myself as a support person, who gets things done and is content to stay in the wings. And after some research, I’ve come to realize and decide that the copyright or title page, or after the author’s name is not the place for an editor to be listed. It is not appropriate. The author has given of themselves, sacrificed and invested their time, energy, heart, mind, and soul in the creation of this story. They deserve the ultimate credit for their creation.
Likewise, authors are the ones who have the responsibility for submitting the manuscript to be published. The buck stops with them as to the final shape and form of the book. An editor is not ultimately responsible for the condition of the final manuscript or published story. Those decisions and the responsibility are on the author. Editors are merely advisors.
To continue my theatrical analogy – The author is like the playwright (and I suppose an audiobook narrator is the actor). The editor is supposed to be invisible, like a director or dresser. We might direct and influence the form the story will take on the public stage - helping to whip it into shape, influencing style and delivery, choreography and pacing. Or we might be like the dresser, entering into the process during the dress rehearsal stage, influencing only with presentation – costume, makeup, hair. While those are both very important role in presenting the story and they contribute much to the audience's enjoyment, it is the storyteller or playwright who gets and deserves top billing. They are not only the ones who have made a huge investment to bring the story to life, they are also the ones making themselves vulnerable, taking the risk and putting themselves out there for criticism, as well as applause.
I have this article: "How should you credit your editor - advice from a former publisher" by Roz Morris to thank for helping to clarify my position and thoughts on recognition for the editor. The author of the blog suggests the Acknowledgement Page at the end of the book as the most appropriate place for listing an editor, if the author wishes to do so. It is not a right or expectation to be listed there, however, but a privilege and honor to be acknowledged thusly.
My Acknowledgements:
I want to thank my parents, spouse, children, siblings, friends, extended family, faith community, teachers, and God for all the joy, nurture, support, encouragement, silliness, adventures, conversations, experiences, perspective, wisdom, instruction, mentoring, forgiveness, grace, and love they have brought to my life. I am also grateful for my health, education, opportunities, the arts and creativity, stable governments, for strides in equality, for those who work and fight and speak for the vulnerable - including creation, for advancements in science and modern medicine, for technological advances in communication, for indoor plumbing, and for good food – especially popcorn, sushi, coffee, and chocolate. All of these things have contributed to the creation of the story of my life thus far.
Peace, my wonderful Book Friends,
Kate
Attitude of Gratitude and Acknowledgements-
Gratitude is my usual default attitude and the awareness and recognition of my many blessings is never far from my mind.
I have been extraordinarily blessed in my life and born into privilege. I have a solid, supportive family, been born with and enjoyed good health and intellect, opportunity, and education. I’ve been blessed to have a wonderful marriage, friendships, and faith communities.
I’m also grateful for the challenges that I have encountered as they have helped me grow and learn and strengthen my mind and understanding, faith and relationships.
I have tried to acknowledge, express, and show my appreciation for those who have assisted and befriended me on my journey through life. I’ve gotten better at this, not surprisingly, as I’ve gotten older and wiser, realizing that we can take only some of the credit for our successes, having little real control or power to direct our own lives. We definitely benefit from those who have paved the way or laid the foundations upon which we live and work, or who have nurtured and assisted us to reach our goals.
I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to work with the authors who have trusted me to help them shape and polish their stories. I have never come away from a project having learned nothing. And I have been so humbled by the generosity of my authors and other editor colleagues and friends who have freely offered advice, instruction, support, and perspective, which continually contribute to my understanding of how to be a better editor and entrepreneur.
Recently one of my lovely author book friends offered to credit me in her copyright page as editor and asked, very sweetly, how I’d like to be listed. I had to think about that for a while. A few times in the past, I have been honoured, and frankly tickled pink, to be listed as editor alongside the author’s name on Amazon book pages. I got such a kick out of that recognition. It really gave my confidence a boost as I was spreading my wings professionally.
But I’ve always identified myself as a support person, who gets things done and is content to stay in the wings. And after some research, I’ve come to realize and decide that the copyright or title page, or after the author’s name is not the place for an editor to be listed. It is not appropriate. The author has given of themselves, sacrificed and invested their time, energy, heart, mind, and soul in the creation of this story. They deserve the ultimate credit for their creation.
Likewise, authors are the ones who have the responsibility for submitting the manuscript to be published. The buck stops with them as to the final shape and form of the book. An editor is not ultimately responsible for the condition of the final manuscript or published story. Those decisions and the responsibility are on the author. Editors are merely advisors.
To continue my theatrical analogy – The author is like the playwright (and I suppose an audiobook narrator is the actor). The editor is supposed to be invisible, like a director or dresser. We might direct and influence the form the story will take on the public stage - helping to whip it into shape, influencing style and delivery, choreography and pacing. Or we might be like the dresser, entering into the process during the dress rehearsal stage, influencing only with presentation – costume, makeup, hair. While those are both very important role in presenting the story and they contribute much to the audience's enjoyment, it is the storyteller or playwright who gets and deserves top billing. They are not only the ones who have made a huge investment to bring the story to life, they are also the ones making themselves vulnerable, taking the risk and putting themselves out there for criticism, as well as applause.
I have this article: "How should you credit your editor - advice from a former publisher" by Roz Morris to thank for helping to clarify my position and thoughts on recognition for the editor. The author of the blog suggests the Acknowledgement Page at the end of the book as the most appropriate place for listing an editor, if the author wishes to do so. It is not a right or expectation to be listed there, however, but a privilege and honor to be acknowledged thusly.
My Acknowledgements:
I want to thank my parents, spouse, children, siblings, friends, extended family, faith community, teachers, and God for all the joy, nurture, support, encouragement, silliness, adventures, conversations, experiences, perspective, wisdom, instruction, mentoring, forgiveness, grace, and love they have brought to my life. I am also grateful for my health, education, opportunities, the arts and creativity, stable governments, for strides in equality, for those who work and fight and speak for the vulnerable - including creation, for advancements in science and modern medicine, for technological advances in communication, for indoor plumbing, and for good food – especially popcorn, sushi, coffee, and chocolate. All of these things have contributed to the creation of the story of my life thus far.
Peace, my wonderful Book Friends,
Kate
June 29, 2019
June was Jumping!
My clients have been keeping me so busy that my blog for this month just never got written - until now!
I hope everyone is well, reading wonderful books, writing interesting things, and creating in other ways.
I think creativity is a very life-affirming and enhancing thing. When we create art, in whatever medium - food or music, dance or costume, landscaping or poetry, tattoos or sculpture - we are expressing ourselves and enriching others. It feeds the mind and soul of the giver and receiver.
I love the quote by Maya Angelou:
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
That's what art does. It makes you feel.
Peace, dear Book Friends!
Kate
June was Jumping!
My clients have been keeping me so busy that my blog for this month just never got written - until now!
I hope everyone is well, reading wonderful books, writing interesting things, and creating in other ways.
I think creativity is a very life-affirming and enhancing thing. When we create art, in whatever medium - food or music, dance or costume, landscaping or poetry, tattoos or sculpture - we are expressing ourselves and enriching others. It feeds the mind and soul of the giver and receiver.
I love the quote by Maya Angelou:
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
That's what art does. It makes you feel.
Peace, dear Book Friends!
Kate
May 1, 2019
Happy May Day!
I currently live in the Southern Hemisphere, but May still conjures images of Springtime - budding trees, daffodils, tulips, and that fresh rain and soil smell that makes me want to get outside after a long winter and start planting stuff!
I think starting a business (as writer or editor or other) is kind of like a novice planting a garden. We have a dream that we can create beauty for others, or that we can feed our families, or we just feel driven to grow things/express ourselves. So we start by tilling the soil. We dig up and rearrange our yards and our lives in pursuit of our dream, and it can create quite a mess. We may have to reassess our priorities and what is the new 'normal.' It may take sacrifice.
Hopefully we are fertilizing and learning new things so that we can grow bigger and better. We might ask our friends for recommendations, but what works for them may not work for us. We invest in tools and seeds. Sometimes we have very little idea of what crops, if any, will arise from our efforts and investment. But if we keep nurturing our garden, working on it a little bit every day, and if we are patient and don't give up--one day--POW! Bumper Crop! ;)
Keep practicing your writing. Keep learning about marketing, and publishing. Keep honing your craft by reading! Study what good writing looks like and what it takes to create it. Keep investing in your dream.
May your writing garden bear much fruit!
Peace,
Kate
Happy May Day!
I currently live in the Southern Hemisphere, but May still conjures images of Springtime - budding trees, daffodils, tulips, and that fresh rain and soil smell that makes me want to get outside after a long winter and start planting stuff!
I think starting a business (as writer or editor or other) is kind of like a novice planting a garden. We have a dream that we can create beauty for others, or that we can feed our families, or we just feel driven to grow things/express ourselves. So we start by tilling the soil. We dig up and rearrange our yards and our lives in pursuit of our dream, and it can create quite a mess. We may have to reassess our priorities and what is the new 'normal.' It may take sacrifice.
Hopefully we are fertilizing and learning new things so that we can grow bigger and better. We might ask our friends for recommendations, but what works for them may not work for us. We invest in tools and seeds. Sometimes we have very little idea of what crops, if any, will arise from our efforts and investment. But if we keep nurturing our garden, working on it a little bit every day, and if we are patient and don't give up--one day--POW! Bumper Crop! ;)
Keep practicing your writing. Keep learning about marketing, and publishing. Keep honing your craft by reading! Study what good writing looks like and what it takes to create it. Keep investing in your dream.
May your writing garden bear much fruit!
Peace,
Kate
March 4, 2019
Happy National Grammar Day! (in the USA, anyway)
Okay, I’ve got 3 wee grammatical bugaboos to highlight on this geeky day of days. ;)
When people are trying to sound ‘proper’ or ‘formal’ or ‘well educated’ they often fall into the trap of ‘hyper-correction’ - usually of themselves but sometimes even of others (so embarrassing!) Some examples? You got it!
Case 1)
When people are trying to sound proper or formal they will often hyper-correct by using ‘whom’ instead of ‘who.’
Who is a 'subjective case pronoun,' which means you use it when the pronoun is taking the place of the subject of the sentence or phrase. (The predicate noun is a bit different but it uses the subjective case pronoun as well. The predicate noun re-names the subject of the sentence, and it follows a 'to be' verb. e.g., That is she. She is the one.)
The Subject is who or what is the star of the sentence, the one doing the action.
(FYI - Subjective pronouns are: i, we, he, she, it, you, they, who, and whoever.)
Whom is an 'objective case pronoun,' which means you use it when the pronoun is taking the place of the object of the sentence or phrase.
The object is who or what is receiving the action.
(FYI - Objective pronouns are: me, us, her, him, it, you, them, whom, and whomever.)
But there is a correct and an incorrect usage of these words that has nothing to do with formality. The question to ask is whether the word is in the position of being the subject or the object of the sentence or phrase.
____ went to the opera with Stan?
‘Who’ is the form you use for the subject of the sentence.
Stan went to the opera with ____?
'Whom’ is used for the object of the sentence.
Keep in mind that sometimes the object of a sentence will be placed at the beginning - before the subject!
To whom do I address this letter? I address this letter to whom?
But these precious pronouns can be tricksy:
Notice in the first example I said, 'the subject or the object of the sentence or phrase.' Sometimes the pronoun is the subject of a phrase that is the object of the sentence!
Stan went to the opera with _____ wanted to go.
Whoever - a subjective pronoun - is used here as the subject of the phrase: 'whoever wanted to go' even though it followed after the preposition with, just as it did above.
Case 2)
When you are speaking about yourself and another person, many people automatically assume they should use ‘I’ instead of ‘me.’ But the issue is not whether or not you are combined with someone else or about being polite. (If you want to be polite list them FIRST, and then yourself!).
The issue is whether the pronouns are the subject (one doing the action) or the object ( one receiving the action) in the sentence.
Susie and ___ went to the beach.
‘Susie and I’ are both the subject of the sentence (the subject is doing the action.) ‘I’ is the pronoun we use as the subject of a sentence.
The way to test this with your English ear is to take away the noun and try saying it with just the pronoun: Me went to the beach. (boo!) I went to the beach. (yay!)
Do you want to go to the beach with Susie and ___?
In this sentence, ‘Susie and me’ are both the object of sentence (they receive the action). ‘Me’ is the pronoun we use as the object of a sentence. Test it out with your English ear by taking away the noun: Do you want to go to the beach with I? (Bzzzzt!) Do you want to go to the beach with me? (ding ding ding!)
Case 3)
Personal pronouns continued and expanded:
When referring to their own being, people often don't know whether to use ‘I,’ 'me', or ‘myself.’ Sometimes they err on the side of 'I' or 'myself' since they think that sounds more proper. Very often they are mistaken. Here are some tricks for determining which is correct.
____ wrote a shopping list for Steve.
As stated above, 'I' is the pronoun you use for the subject.
Steve went with ____ to the store.
As stated above, ‘me’ is the pronoun you use for the object. Here, ‘Steve’ is the subject, and ‘me’ is the object.
Steve wrote a shopping list for _____.
If someone else is the subject, ‘me’ would be used as the object of a sentence.
I wrote a shopping list for Steve and _____.
Since in this sentence ‘I’ is the subject (the one doing the action), you would use ‘myself’ for the object.
Why? Because: ‘myself’ is a reflexive pronoun.
The way I remember what they are called and how these pronouns work is to think of a mirror, which reflects the subject back to itself.
I wrote a list for myself.
If the subject of the sentence is also the object of the action, then the reflexive (or reflecting, like a mirror) pronoun would be used, rather than the usual pronoun form for the object of a sentence.
In other words, if the same person is both subject and object … AND there is an action verb between them (see 'predicate noun' in Case 1) . . . use the reflexive!
All pronouns have a reflexive form:
he-himself, she-herself, it-itself, they-themselves, we-ourselves – obviously we have some weird irregulars in there, but you get the idea.
He gave himself a pep talk.
She treated herself to a spa day.
They could just be themselves when they were alone.
We reminded ourselves that all was well.
You can also use a reflexive pronoun to give extra emphasis that he, as opposed to any other, was the subject.
“And he, he himself … the Grinch … carved the roast-beast!”
-Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas
(If you want to get into Exceptions … a reflexive pronoun CAN, in certain circumstances and dialects, be used as a subject - think of the Scottish ‘himself’ for the Laird. And sometimes those irregular forms are NOT irregular - think of the Irish ‘meself.’ But let’s not tackle those today.)
February 26, 2019
Dear Book Friend,
This is not another commentary on editing idiosyncrasies, as I promised. Going down a different road today. Stream of consciousness. Just go with it.
I have been hearing a lot about 'mirror neurons' lately (Google it, it's fascinating!), and this quote seems to 'reflect' that concept well. lol
"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it." - Edith Wharton
I think there is, actually, a third way. A lens - like in a light house - also spreads light when combined with a flame. I think the message of the writer is the flame. Language is the lens. The job of the editor is to make it all clean and shiny and to project the writer’s meaning through that clean lens, thus amplifying and focusing the light that comes from the author so that it can inspire, illuminate, or guide others better than a flame alone could.
...
As a compulsive editor, I have a hard time reading with my eyes, sometimes. :) And I've always enjoyed a good audio book - it also helps me be productive while still enjoying a good story, guilt free! So that has become my way, of late, to read for pleasure; I listen to a lot of audio books.
Somehow, I've recently gotten on a Bookshop story kick. I'll keep adding to this list. Any suggestions?
I have 'read': (awesome narrators in all of these!)
They all talk about the power of books to get inside a person and transform them, cure them, or enlighten them. This last book has totally gotten under my skin. The protagonist calls his bookshop/himself the literary apothecary and he 'prescribes' books to people to treat what ails them. Very cool premise. But the thing that is my biggest take away from this book I think, is the discovery/appreciation for the German poet Hermann Hesse.
I have never been a poetry person. Even song lyrics are not generally my thing - I like the rhythms and harmonies. I like story lines and character development. But as with many things in life, there is a time for everything, and we need to be willing to let go of the old in order to embrace the new, including our own selves or perceptions of ourselves. I'm beginning to think I might have a poetry appreciating bone in my body, after all. And apropos of this very concept is the poem Stages, by Hermann Hesse and translated by Richard and Clara Winston. (see below)
I think writing a book or starting any new enterprise (e.g. going back to school, starting your own business, retiring, becoming a parent, moving to a new country or community, etc.) means saying goodbye to something else. Some other way of living. Some other 'you.' We go through stages, if we are continuing to grow as human beings. The passage of time makes it inevitable, to a certain extent, even if we are unwilling. And it is scary. But ... It is life.
I think to NOT do something (splitting my infinitive deliberately, there) because of fear, is a recipe for regret, for stagnation, for death. Be smart, be safe, but still find a way to do something that scares you. Take a chance. A new friend of mine, starting on her 40th birthday, and to celebrate being alive, began doing one thing a year that was new, scary, or challenging for her. It is marvelously inspiring to me. Live boldly. Don't be afraid to say goodbye. It is life.
Peace,
Kate
Dear Book Friend,
This is not another commentary on editing idiosyncrasies, as I promised. Going down a different road today. Stream of consciousness. Just go with it.
I have been hearing a lot about 'mirror neurons' lately (Google it, it's fascinating!), and this quote seems to 'reflect' that concept well. lol
"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it." - Edith Wharton
I think there is, actually, a third way. A lens - like in a light house - also spreads light when combined with a flame. I think the message of the writer is the flame. Language is the lens. The job of the editor is to make it all clean and shiny and to project the writer’s meaning through that clean lens, thus amplifying and focusing the light that comes from the author so that it can inspire, illuminate, or guide others better than a flame alone could.
...
As a compulsive editor, I have a hard time reading with my eyes, sometimes. :) And I've always enjoyed a good audio book - it also helps me be productive while still enjoying a good story, guilt free! So that has become my way, of late, to read for pleasure; I listen to a lot of audio books.
Somehow, I've recently gotten on a Bookshop story kick. I'll keep adding to this list. Any suggestions?
I have 'read': (awesome narrators in all of these!)
- How to Find Love in a Bookshop - by Veronica Henry, narrated by Fiona Hardingham
- The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend - by Katarina Bivald, translated from Swedish by Alice Menzies, narrated by Fiona Hardingham and Lorelei King
- The Bookshop on the Corner - by Jenny Colgan, narrated by Lucy Price-Lewis
- The Little Paris Bookshop - by Nina George, translated by Simon Page, narrated by Steve West, Emma Bering, and Cassandra Campbell
They all talk about the power of books to get inside a person and transform them, cure them, or enlighten them. This last book has totally gotten under my skin. The protagonist calls his bookshop/himself the literary apothecary and he 'prescribes' books to people to treat what ails them. Very cool premise. But the thing that is my biggest take away from this book I think, is the discovery/appreciation for the German poet Hermann Hesse.
I have never been a poetry person. Even song lyrics are not generally my thing - I like the rhythms and harmonies. I like story lines and character development. But as with many things in life, there is a time for everything, and we need to be willing to let go of the old in order to embrace the new, including our own selves or perceptions of ourselves. I'm beginning to think I might have a poetry appreciating bone in my body, after all. And apropos of this very concept is the poem Stages, by Hermann Hesse and translated by Richard and Clara Winston. (see below)
I think writing a book or starting any new enterprise (e.g. going back to school, starting your own business, retiring, becoming a parent, moving to a new country or community, etc.) means saying goodbye to something else. Some other way of living. Some other 'you.' We go through stages, if we are continuing to grow as human beings. The passage of time makes it inevitable, to a certain extent, even if we are unwilling. And it is scary. But ... It is life.
I think to NOT do something (splitting my infinitive deliberately, there) because of fear, is a recipe for regret, for stagnation, for death. Be smart, be safe, but still find a way to do something that scares you. Take a chance. A new friend of mine, starting on her 40th birthday, and to celebrate being alive, began doing one thing a year that was new, scary, or challenging for her. It is marvelously inspiring to me. Live boldly. Don't be afraid to say goodbye. It is life.
Peace,
Kate
February, 2019
Dear Book Friend,
You know how sometimes you find something that a loved one does to be annoying? You don't mention it because it's just a little thing and you 1) don't want to take out your crankiness on them when it might really be a poor night's sleep that has made you extra sensitive or B) don't want to 'sweat the small stuff' because really, it is all just 'small stuff'. No one is perfect and they really are pretty darn amazing in other ways. Ever experience that kind of dilemma?
Well, I'm about to launch a series that will hopefully 'express my discontent,' shall we say? in a constructive and entertaining way (hopefully) with some things that I've encountered in the writing of authors I otherwise adore. If this were a one-off, as a reader, I wouldn't sweat it. Honestly. But I keep encountering the same idiosyncrasies, from authors with whom I am not in a position to comment, really, since I am not their editor. I got to thinking: if it is bugging me then it is probably bugging other readers as well. The lovely authors I read have a genuine desire, I am convinced, to uplift and entertain their readers, and they would not want to be doing something, all unknowingly, that is distracting their readers from maximum enjoyment of their story. Yea? So here goes.
1. The number one fly in my reading soup takes a number of forms but they all have some variation on ‘can't/couldn’t help but’ (... feel, smile, notice, wonder, and think are the most common I've encountered.) This phrase is so over-used and half the time nonsensical that I cannot help but be driven mad! (groan)
He was reluctant to admit the lack of self-discipline, but he was totally preoccupied with thoughts of her gorgeous, brown eyes.
He couldn’t prevent a gasp and an accelerated pulse as he was confronted with a large spider on the wall.
That's all for now. I'll be back soon with more idiosyncrasies I've encountered as a reader and as an editor.
Happy reading and writing!
Kate
Dear Book Friend,
You know how sometimes you find something that a loved one does to be annoying? You don't mention it because it's just a little thing and you 1) don't want to take out your crankiness on them when it might really be a poor night's sleep that has made you extra sensitive or B) don't want to 'sweat the small stuff' because really, it is all just 'small stuff'. No one is perfect and they really are pretty darn amazing in other ways. Ever experience that kind of dilemma?
Well, I'm about to launch a series that will hopefully 'express my discontent,' shall we say? in a constructive and entertaining way (hopefully) with some things that I've encountered in the writing of authors I otherwise adore. If this were a one-off, as a reader, I wouldn't sweat it. Honestly. But I keep encountering the same idiosyncrasies, from authors with whom I am not in a position to comment, really, since I am not their editor. I got to thinking: if it is bugging me then it is probably bugging other readers as well. The lovely authors I read have a genuine desire, I am convinced, to uplift and entertain their readers, and they would not want to be doing something, all unknowingly, that is distracting their readers from maximum enjoyment of their story. Yea? So here goes.
1. The number one fly in my reading soup takes a number of forms but they all have some variation on ‘can't/couldn’t help but’ (... feel, smile, notice, wonder, and think are the most common I've encountered.) This phrase is so over-used and half the time nonsensical that I cannot help but be driven mad! (groan)
- a) It is more words than you need to convey the thought: She couldn’t help but be embarrassed to have been caught staring. vs She was embarrassed when he caught her staring. He couldn’t help but notice her. vs He noticed her.
- b) It is over-used! In the last book I noticed 20 plus variations. It just becomes a habitual way of writing/speaking, and they aren't aware they are doing it.
- c) Most of the time it is nonsensical: She couldn’t help smiling to herself as she thought of him. - My thought is: why would a person be reluctant to smile TO HERSELF at a happy thought?
- d) If reluctance to do something is what needs to be communicated, then the author should step up to the challenge of using less trite language and being more creative:
He was reluctant to admit the lack of self-discipline, but he was totally preoccupied with thoughts of her gorgeous, brown eyes.
He couldn’t prevent a gasp and an accelerated pulse as he was confronted with a large spider on the wall.
That's all for now. I'll be back soon with more idiosyncrasies I've encountered as a reader and as an editor.
Happy reading and writing!
Kate
January, 2019
Dear Book Friend,
I've got 2 versions of a new LOGO!! (thank you Benjamin Schieber and Nickolas Schieber!)
and I've got my own Domain now! www.bffediting.com
Woot!
Exciting way to start the new year!
Peace,
Kate
PS It took a while for us to get the domain transferred and posted to a site but I think we are good to go now!
Dear Book Friend,
I've got 2 versions of a new LOGO!! (thank you Benjamin Schieber and Nickolas Schieber!)
and I've got my own Domain now! www.bffediting.com
Woot!
Exciting way to start the new year!
Peace,
Kate
PS It took a while for us to get the domain transferred and posted to a site but I think we are good to go now!
December, 2018
Dear Book Friend,
Hiya!
I can't believe it is December already!
I finally got my Facebook Page up. It's not much yet but it will grow.
I'm still looking for the perfect LOGO. My son is an artist and he really really wants to have a go at capturing the BFF Editing brand in a logo for me but he's still finishing up finals. So I must be patient. :-) oi
Meanwhile, I am going to be working on a Book Friend's Final Polish this coming week! Yay! It is a Christmas story and I've been indulging for the last few weeks in holiday stories. I am still on the ARC reader teams for a number of terrific authors and there are some really good stories about to 'hit the shelves' at Amazon (what is the ebook equivalent phrase for that? 'Going live?') I highly recommend:
"The Wish of Christmas Present" by N.D. Jones
"Bride for Christmas" by Serenity Woods
"Romancing the Holidays 3" Anthology by Tracey Alvarez and friends
"A Lot Like Christmas: A Small Town Southern Romance" by Kait Nolan
"The Christmas Gift" by Jordan Ford
"Christmas Dreams and Santa Schemes" by Barbara Lohr
All get 2 thumbs up!
That's all, folks!
Peace,
Kate
November, 2018
Dear Book Friend,
Kate Schieber here, from BFF Editing!
As I describe in My Story, I'm not so much a writer as an editor of other people's writing. However, I will do my best to come up with witty and edifying content for my Book Friend Blog. ;)
Please be patient with me, as the learning curve is steep for all these 'starting up a business, building a website, setting fees, learning how to market yourself' types of things.
Hope you are having a Great Day!
Peace,
Kate
Dear Book Friend,
Hiya!
I can't believe it is December already!
I finally got my Facebook Page up. It's not much yet but it will grow.
I'm still looking for the perfect LOGO. My son is an artist and he really really wants to have a go at capturing the BFF Editing brand in a logo for me but he's still finishing up finals. So I must be patient. :-) oi
Meanwhile, I am going to be working on a Book Friend's Final Polish this coming week! Yay! It is a Christmas story and I've been indulging for the last few weeks in holiday stories. I am still on the ARC reader teams for a number of terrific authors and there are some really good stories about to 'hit the shelves' at Amazon (what is the ebook equivalent phrase for that? 'Going live?') I highly recommend:
"The Wish of Christmas Present" by N.D. Jones
"Bride for Christmas" by Serenity Woods
"Romancing the Holidays 3" Anthology by Tracey Alvarez and friends
"A Lot Like Christmas: A Small Town Southern Romance" by Kait Nolan
"The Christmas Gift" by Jordan Ford
"Christmas Dreams and Santa Schemes" by Barbara Lohr
All get 2 thumbs up!
That's all, folks!
Peace,
Kate
November, 2018
Dear Book Friend,
Kate Schieber here, from BFF Editing!
As I describe in My Story, I'm not so much a writer as an editor of other people's writing. However, I will do my best to come up with witty and edifying content for my Book Friend Blog. ;)
Please be patient with me, as the learning curve is steep for all these 'starting up a business, building a website, setting fees, learning how to market yourself' types of things.
Hope you are having a Great Day!
Peace,
Kate
