Comments on: Still More on Self-Editing

By: Daan Van der Merwe

Daan Van der Merwe — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 06:35:51 +0000

I really hate being repetitious Randy, but once again, thank you very much.

By: Camille

Camille — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:31:14 +0000

Yes! I read that interview with Dean Koontz and cheered.

I’m going to take you up on the 5 minute sentence. Max word count, huh?

Thanks!!

By: Darcie

Darcie — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:30:43 +0000

I’ve read SELF EDITING more than once and loaned it to a friend. It’s great. It was helpful to hear from her directly. Thanks for setting that up.

I just jumped in and read all the posts on this topic and the question about hiring a professional editor still niggles me: Can a first-time author really recoup the cost?

I heard the same advice (to hire) at my local ACFW chapter meeting this Saturday. It seems like there are a lot of people out for dollars from unpubbed authors. Some of us are in super-tight financial budgets. Do we have ANY hope if we really can’t afford all the professional advising out there? What do you recommend if writing is our passion and we feel called to pursue the craft? ( I know there’s a “duh” God will provide thing coming…)

I’m not trying to sound fatalistic, I’m just looking for practical solutions in the meantime. I’m on my first (of many) re-writes.

By: Karla Akins

Karla Akins — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:42:24 +0000

Thanks from me, too.

By: Pam Halter

Pam Halter — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:46:33 +0000

You have to think of short stories like anything else. You need a beginning, middle and satisfying ending. It’s like writing for children, where you need less words to tell more stuff.

I find that when I’m writing longer manuscripts, I think of each chapter like a short story. Sort of. But each one needs a beginning, middle and end … even if the end leaves you hanging … which will make the reader want to read on.

I hope that makes sense.

By: Mary Hake

Mary Hake — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:40:28 +0000

I wondered why I wasn’t getting the email notices so I checked the blog site today and found I missed two days of great info. These are posts to save and reread. Has anyone else not been getting notified?

By: Christophe Desmecht

Christophe Desmecht — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:34:46 +0000

All nice info, Randy. Thanks!

I’m kind of thinking though, that you totally missed my question. It was the first one that got asked on self-editing and I think you probably missed it.

It’s no big deal and I certainly don’t want any favoritism, but it’s a question that’s been really burning in my mind and I have no idea who else to ask it to.

Anyways, keep up the good work!

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 21:03:53 +0000

Thanx for the short story help.

Pam, thats a good idea, treating chapters like short stories …