Reading your story aloud is an excellent editing device. If nothing else, read the dialog out loud to make sure it’s authentic. Remember to use contractions. More often than not, a person will say “I’m going to the store” as opposed to “I am going to the store.”
Watch for proper subject-verb agreement. “Writing skill IS important” vs. “Writing skill and grammar ARE important.” As a writer or author, knowing proper grammar is part of your job; even more so if you’re an editor.
Here’s an oldie but a goodie from 2008 that I just stumbled upon, from one of my favorite people, physicist Michio Kaku. I did a blog a while back on teleportation that was based on a white paper I discovered when I worked at NASA, which you can find here.
Source: Teleportation? Very Possible. Next Up: Time Travel. | DiscoverMagazine.com
Need a story idea? Fill in the blanks using the formula for the classic “What if?” premise. What if a ____ and a ____ went to _____ and ______. For practice, fill in the blanks based on your favorite sit-com or movie. This works well for creative writing teachers to fire up students’ imagination. The crazier the idea, the better.
If a paragraph is too long, it’s hard on the reader’s eyes. Break them up for visual appeal, even if in a technical sense it’s only one thought. It also helps keep the story moving.
Paragraphs should contain connected thoughts and have an introductory and closing sentence. Of course, this is not always easy to do when writing a novel, but essential for nonfiction. Jumping around too much in a paragraph will confuse your reader. A new paragraph is a signal that something has shifted.
When someone asks a question, be sure to punctuate with a “?” However, this can vary with narration. “He wondered whether the police had all the evidence” is a statement but “Did the police have all the evidence?” is a question.
There are several ways to say “said”, such as replied; asserted; stated; opined; declared, etc., but don’t overdo it; too much variety gets annoying as well. When expression is required, use substitutes to avoid adverbs, such as “he yelled” vs. “he said loudly.” The feeling behind it can also be described by how the character looks, his or her expression, or body language. Only a small portion of communicating is done via words.
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Don’t slow down an action scene to describe the locale, whether it’s a room or city street. Do that in detail, long before the scene occurs, so the reader is already familiar with it. Then use a few keywords to trigger the image.
Marcha's Two-Cents Worth 