Journal
Notes from inside the press: how a book gets written, edited, designed and published.
32 items, page 1 of 2
Editing
We measured the voice of our own novel
Sentence length held steady across Dreamscape Code. Stock phrasing rose almost sixfold. The drift was real, and it was countable.
Editing
Twelve promises a draft didn't keep
A setup without a payoff is a debt. Here is how we find them, and why we don't pay all of them off.
Editing
What a story bible is actually for
Before the last pass on Dreamscape Code we built a document that recorded only what was on the page. The useful half was the part that recorded what wasn't.
Editing
Numbers in fiction: words or figures
Fiction usually spells numbers out, but "usually" hides a set of exceptions. Here is how to set a rule and apply it.
Editing
When a prologue earns its place
Prologues have a poor reputation, and many deserve it. Some, though, do work the first chapter cannot. Here is how to tell which yours is.
Editing
The style sheet: a document every book needs
A style sheet is a short record of every choice a book makes about spelling, punctuation and names. It saves more time than almost anything else.
Editing
Proofreading is the last pass, not the only one
A proofreader who finds a plot hole has found it too late. Here is what proofreading is for, and what it cannot fix.
Editing
Structural edit or line edit: which does your book need?
Polishing sentences in a chapter that may not survive the next draft is the most common way writers waste an edit.
Editing
Endnotes, footnotes or neither in narrative non-fiction
Every source note is a small interruption. The question for narrative non-fiction is how to show your evidence without breaking the story.
Editing
Tense drift in long manuscripts
Past tense slides into present when a scene heats up, and nobody notices until chapter twelve. Here is why it happens and how to check.
Editing
The first page has one job
A first page does not need to explain the world, introduce the cast or hook with a shock. It needs to make the reader turn to page two.
Editing
Knowing when to stop revising
Revision has no natural end point, so you have to choose one. Here is how to tell improvement from mere change, and when to put the pen down.
Editing
Naming characters so readers can tell them apart
Readers take in names at a glance. Give two characters similar shapes and some readers will quietly merge them.
Editing
Spelling invented words the same way every time
An invented word has no dictionary to check it against. The book's own glossary has to do that job, and someone has to keep it.
Editing
Exposition in speculative fiction without the info-dump
Readers of fantasy and science fiction will work to understand a new world, provided you do not make them sit through a lecture first.
Editing
Adverbs are not the enemy; stacked modifiers are
Deleting every word ending in -ly will not fix flat prose. The real problem is usually a pile-up of modifiers doing a verb's job.
Editing
Authenticity reads: what they are for and what they are not
An authenticity read can tell you where a portrayal rings false. It cannot tell you whether you are allowed to write a book, and it should not try.
Editing
How to read an editorial letter without despair
The first read of an editorial letter is for feelings. The useful reading comes later, and it goes in a particular order.
Editing
Decide once: serial commas, capitals and other house choices
Many style questions have no right answer, only a consistent one. The skill is in choosing early and sticking to the choice.
Editing
Beta readers and editors do different jobs
Beta readers tell you how a book feels to read. Editors tell you why, and what might be done about it. You may want both.