Conflict drives narrative, as I don’t need to tell you. But a problem with the conflict is probably the number one issue I see in the manuscripts I edit. Yet it can be difficult to identify conflict problems. Outside of the most formulaic of approaches, we don’t have a lot of rules about how the…
If you’ve ever taken a class from me, you know that I have a pathological hatred of using questions in editorial queries. By this I mean asking questions like, “What is Joe’s motivation?” where you are, or think you are, asking the author to address the problem of Joe’s lack of motivation. Use statements instead…
I want to share some self-editing tips for fiction writers to help you fix issues in your novel before you hand it off to an editor. Self-editing Tips for Fiction Writers – Common Problems & Solutions As a developmental editor, I see some common problems in manuscripts written by newer authors. If you’re revising (self-editing)…