Monday, October 31, 2011

Verb It Up

Okay, so I know today is Halloween, and many of you are probably blogging about said holiday, but I absolutely hate Halloween with every fiber of my being. I cannot tell you how happy I am that I don't teach on Monday and that Halloween is on a Monday this year.

The joy is too huge.

Anyway, today's blog post is really about verbs. I love verbs. I think verbs make or break what I deem to be "good" writing. When I read, I'm looking for brilliant use of verbs, and when I find it, it's what makes me fall in love with a book.

Let's examine:

A MILLION SUNS by Beth Revis: That's right, I've read it. If you haven't read ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, you should. Beth is a master with verbs.

Now, no spoilers, since this book isn't out for a couple more months, but I just want to highlight some sentences.

"She snaps the box open."

This seems simple, but the verb "snaps" really adds, well, snap to this sentence. It could've easily been "She opens the box." but it wouldn't then have that something extra. That something that gives me an idea of how she opens the box, that emotional element.

"A million suns stretch out beyond me, their light piercing the darkness."

Again, this is a beautifully crafted sentence, and I think it's because of the "piercing." I love that the light can pierce the darkness. "Stretch" isn't anything to shake a stick at either. In fact, it's perfect.

I think using vibrant verbs is something every author can do better. I know I can, and when I sit down to write, I try to get the right verb to convey the meaning I want. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but the intent is there.

And there's always revisions. ;)

What do you think about verbs? Which books have you read where the author seems to be a master of verb usage?

Friday, October 28, 2011

inkPageant - A Great Opportunity/Resource for Writer/Bloggers

Dude, you guys! Have you seen this site? inkPageant is the place to be checking for the most informative posts in the publishing and writing industry.

Here's what the site is, but let's face it, you're going to be clicking over there in a minute anyway.

About inkPageant: inkPageant is an online parade of high-quality blog posts for those who are interested in writing and publishing.

Each box you see is a link to a relevant and informative blog post. Clicking on the title will take you directly to the post. Clicking on the photo will show you the profile page of the blogger who submitted the post.

inkPageant is a great place to submit your own blog posts. This will benefit other writers and put your blog in front of a wider audience. Just register, review our submission guidelines, and submit! You can also submit blog posts from other websites.

So basically, you can submit the posts you've written that you think other writers will enjoy, and you can use this huge, awesome resource to find articles that appeal to you. It's a great way to build your platform as well, and get more people to come to your blog. The content is king.

As if that's not awesome enough, their October contest is a $50 Amazon gift card! So get out there and find those posts that either you've written, or that you've bookmarked and submit them to inkPageant!

Follow @inkPageant on Twitter.

Where are you going to get your blog fix these days? Who writes some amazing how-to posts in the writing industry?

Thursday, October 27, 2011

SURRENDER Cover Reveal!!

Dude, okay, I may or may not have been waiting for this day for, oh, forever. I saw this cover a while ago--before I even had edits!--and it's been eating at me, and eating at me.

We revealed the title of the companion novel to POSSESSION a while ago, but not the whole cover.

I seriously thought nothing could hold a candle to the enthusiasm and excitement I had for my first book.

I was wrong.

Click here to see the full cover of SURRENDER. Then come back here and tell me what you think!!

So...what do you think?

Check out what the other Bookanistas are up to this week at the Reading Room.

Or on their blogs:

Monday, October 24, 2011

How To Gear Up For NaNoWriMo

Dude, so I've done NaNo for a few years now. And, as an immersion writer, 50K in a few weeks doesn't bother me. I'd almost say it wasn't even a challenge... but some of you might start throwing Coke cans.

But it's true. Some friends and I decided at the end of September that we'd write two more books by the end of the year. For me, that meant a personal goal of one book in October, and one in November.

I am a bit behind on this lofty goal, but I've only written for something like 13 days (maybe 14) and have just under 40,000 words. My goal is still to finish one book by next Monday and turn around and start another on Tuesday, November 1.

Here's how I gear up for NaNo, which I realize probably doesn't apply to any of you, but you never know.

1. I sit on my story idea for a while. I don't allow myself to jump right in. I need words, after all.

Some of you might outline at this point, or take some notes or something. Since I'm opposed to those things, I just sit on my story idea, stewing about it.

2. I name stuff. This sounds very technical, I know, and it sort of sounds like note-taking too. You have to understand that usually when I write, if I don't know a character's name, I simply put AAA or XXX and move on. Sometimes I make up a placeholder name and use that, fully intending to change it later.

But for NaNo, I actually think this through first. I may or may not write it down, depending on when I think of it and where I am.

3. I think of titles. Lame, I know, but it helps me to name my book for the NaNo site, and to have something to reference in my nightly emails.

Which brings me to the most important part of NaNo (and for all writing for me)...

4. I gather the troops. Let's face it: I'm useless by myself. I can set all kinds of goals and whatever whatever, but if I don't have someone I have to report to...fail.

So I get a few people who are going to be writing (or NaNo-ing) too, and we commit to emailing each other each night with two things. 1. Word count for the day and 2. Last line written.

I like this. Scratch that. I LOVE THIS. It helps me make writing connections with my friends, and it reminds me that in this business of writing where it's so easy to feel isolated and alone, that I'm not that isolated or alone.

I have used the NaNo site for this in the past, but I like the intimacy of the emails more.

Then when November 1 hits, I 5. Write like crazy.

And that's the method to my madness. It's a little bit like the Tasmanian devil, but hey, it works for me.

What do you do to get ready to NaNo?

Monday, October 17, 2011

Dude, Like, I'm in California

Okay, so I'm on the road this week. I thought we were going to leave today, but we decided to go to Vegas so we didn't have to drive for twelve straight hours.

Plus, I love Las Vegas, so there's that too.

If you happen to find yourself near the San Diego area, I'd love to meet you at one of my events! I'll be at Mysterious Galaxy on Wednesday night at 7 PM. Then, on Thursday, I'll be at the Oceanside Barnes & Noble at 6 PM. Full addresses are available on my "Appearances" page.

Both events are with the lovely and amazing Jessi Kirby (MOONGLASS), Kirsten Hubbard (LIKE MANDARIN), and John Corey Whaley (WHERE THINGS COME BACK).

Because of this epicness, I won't be blogging this week. Hope you have a good one!

So, are you a big Vegas fan? Or California? Where do I need to eat and/or visit while I'm here?

Friday, October 14, 2011

You Want To Be Edited? Get Ready For Some Heavy Advice...

Okay, so you want to be edited? All right, but don't say I didn't warn you... Because it's not pretty all the time.

Last week, I gave you some tips to avoid indulgences, find your voice, and to flesh out those relationships.

This week, I'm going to give you the ugly. You know, the parts where you cringe because you got caught trying to put a band-aid on a flesh wound that clearly needs stitches. And you left it so now it's all infected and there might be gangrene in there.

Don't even pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about.

Here's the best tip I have for you today: DELETE.

When your editor (or your CP, or whoever is now editing your stuff--sometimes just you!), points out something that is not working, delete it.

Don't try to make it work. Don't slap on another band-aid. Don't get caught up in your clever or your word count or the fact that you have to have that particular scene.

You don't.

You can write another scene to fill the hole. One that actually works.

Then you have to go into the MS and push out all the antibiotics to kill all the infestation that that one little scene created.

I know you've heard of this. The domino affect. Change something on page 52, everything after that has to be brought into consistency.

True fact. And one of the horrors of deleting and rewriting.

But trust me. Those of us who edit, delete. We delete a lot. We rewrite what doesn't work into something that does.

And, for me personally, I find that working with blank pages is the best way to remove the offending parts. Otherwise, I might not get it all. Because your goal as an author is to become the best storyteller you can, using only the best words to do that.

If you're afraid of deleting your words, you're just a writer. You want to become a master storyteller that readers feel comfortable spending hours with, because they know you can weave a story around them using only words.

In order to do/become that, you have to be willing to delete. Is it painful? Sure. That's what copy + paste are for.

Have you overcome your fear of the delete key? You should really get on that.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Do You Need Some CARMA? Oh, You Know You Do...

Okay, so I'm super excited about these upcoming books. See, Ali Cross and I have been in a critique group together for, oh, I don't know, three years? Four? I can't keep track anymore. I'm a big fan of Ali's, and she's got her book BECOME coming out in just about a month.

She's launching with 4 other people, as part of the Dark C.A.R.M.A. Tour. (Do you know how long that took me to type with the periods in between? Longer than I want to admit. Freak.)

So I thought I'd let you know a little bit about each of the books I'm eagerly anticipating! (I've already read BECOME. Can't recommend it enough!)

BOUND (#1 in THE CRYSTOR Series)
by C.K. Bryant
YA Paranormal Romance

When a photo shoot ends in tragedy, Kira discovers her best friend, Lydia,has been keeping a secret. Knowing the truth, and accepting it, will change Kira’s life forever and thrust her into a world of ancient curses, magical objects, and savage enemies. What happens next will challenge everything Kira knows about her world, herself and the shape-shifting warrior she’s falling in love with. No longer the timid mouse her mother accused her of being, but a woman who finds the mental and physical strength to endure and survive.

BOUND is a heroic tale of true friendship, infinite sacrifice and untamed love.

Find Christine on the Web
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Google+ ~ Goodreads

BECOME (#1 in the DESOLATION Series)
by Ali Cross
YA Urban Fantasy

Sixteen-year old Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where it’s cold and lonely and totally predictable. Instead, she’s sent back to Earth where she Becomes the evil she despises and the good she always feared.

When Desi is forced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her Choice has been made—that she has no hope of being anything other than what her father, Lucifer, has created her to be. What she doesn’t count on, is a reason to want to change—something she’s never had before—a friend.

What she Becomes is neither Light nor Dark.

Something neither Heaven nor Hell expected.

Find Ali on the Web
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Google+

EXILED
by RaShelle Workman
YA Sci-Fi Romance

Stubborn, sixteen-year-old Princess Venus of Kelari wants one thing, to become a kelvieri, that is, until someone exiles her to Earth, kills her irrihunter and takes her family.

Now she wants revenge.

First she’s got to get home. But before she can return to Kelari, the Gods have commanded her to help an arrogant boy named Michael find his soul mate.

Only she doesn't know the first thing about love.

Rather quickly, her inexperience with human emotion is obscured by other matters—alien-controlled psychotic teens that are out to kill her, and a government group that is set on capturing and dissecting her.

Worst of all, Venus will suffer a painful death-by-poisoning, thanks to Earth’s atmosphere, if she remains on the planet longer than one week.

Still, Venus is a Princess and she's got a plan. Surely, with her help, Michael will fall in love with a human.

But time is running out and Michael is falling for the wrong girl—-her.

Follow RaShelle on the Web
Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Blog

BREATHE
by Melanie McCullough
YA Contemporary

Life's hard. People make it harder. They tether you to them. Make it difficult to breathe, and damn-near impossible to leave...

One Moment Can Change You

Seventeen year-old Abby Rhoades knows this all too well. Born to a mother who could never love her and who vacillates between a sloppy drunk and a suicidal maniac, Abby's never had it easy. But Abby can swim. And Abby has a plan--win the state championship, earn a free ride to Penn State, and leave her small town and suffocating mother behind.

One Action Can Haunt You

But then the body of Tom Ford, her mother's latest boyfriend and a man Abby adored, washes up along the shore of the Susquehanna River. His injuries suggest murder and suspicion quickly falls on Abby then on her best friend Garrett Scott, both of whom saw Tom the night he died.

And One Misstep Could Destroy Everything

They both know what happened that night, but neither one is talking. There's too much at stake and the truth could tear them apart.

Find Melanie on the Web
Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

PIGMENTS OF MY IMAGINATION
by Angela Kulig
YA Dark Fantasy

From the moment Lucia steps into Bayside Art Academy, she is fed a steady stream of lies, but it’s not until she meets Michael that she begins to question the people she trusts. Unraveling fact from fabrication seems impossible until Lucia finds her first painting, and discovers the dead do not lie--at least not to her.

A dozen lifetimes ago, Lucia started a war. Not a war with armies or guns, but a bloody war nonetheless. The path leading Lucia to the truth is hidden within lovely art that spans the ages. In this life, however, Lucia doesn't know where to look. Lost, she turns to the one thing she knows with certainty--she is in love with Leo, and has been before.

Follow Angela on the Web
Website ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

Okay, see what I mean? I hope you've added these books to your Goodreads list! I'm not gonna spill ALL the beans now, but there will be chances to win some of these fabulous books as we get closer to 11-11-11. So stick around!

Which one of these grabs your eye? I know they're going out into the e-publishing world. Do you read on an e-reader? Big fan of e-books? Let me know!

Check out what the other Bookanistas are up to this week at the Reading Room.

Or on their blogs:

Monday, October 10, 2011

Mixing the Strange with the Normal

Okay, so it's almost Halloween, and that seems like a good time to be mish-mashing parts together to create a monster.

Or, in this case, mish-mashing ideas together to create a unique story.

BTW, I'm totally stealing this from a talk Dan Wells gave at this Book Academy thing I went to last week. He said that the best story ideas are born from one normal thing, and one strange thing.

And for the life of me, I couldn't identify the "normal" thing or the "strange" thing in my WiP. So then, as per my usual, I started panicking. Now, don't get all alarmed. I panic if I leave my phone in the car. So yeah.

I didn't really panic. I may or may not have had a tiny bit of fear creeping its way up my stomach. You know the kind. Oh my heck. What if my story sucks? What if I should've outlined it first? Or at least thought about it? You've got 30K, girl, and IT ALL STINKS. DELETE IT! DELETE IT NOW!

You know. That kind of fear.

But I veer off-topic, as I'm wont to do.

So Dan said to mix something normal (say, buying a dog) with something strange (say, the dog has the ability to give people special powers when they pet it).

He challenged the Book Academy attendees to start keeping an idea journal, where we're supposed to write down 5 story ideas each day.

I'll freely admit I haven't done that. Not even for one day. But I'd like to. I'd like to start seeing if I can come up with some strange bedfellows and create them into a story.

What do you think? Do you mix the strange with the normal? Do you keep an idea journal/file? Wouldn't you love a dog that could give you the power to snap your fingers and have dinner ready? I mean, seriously.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Editing Your MS in 30 Days or Less

Okay, so sue me. This is a re-post from my days on the QueryTracker blog. It's about 2 years old, but I still think it's frawesome.

So, uh, take it away Past-Self!

Okay, so imagine you've finished the fifth draft of your amazing NYT bestseller. You've let some time go by. And now you're ready to edit the manuscript. Again. (*Note: for the purposes of this post, editing and revising are synonymous.)

You sit down, open the document, and...proceed to stare into the great black abyss like somehow your MS will edit itself. Oh, sure, maybe you're like me and you immediately click on gmail when something earth-shattering doesn't hit you about your novel. Or Twitter. Or Facebook. Or a writing forum. Heck, maybe when you get really desperate, well, let's not go there.

I know (trust me, I KNOW) the thought of editing an entire manuscript is overwhelming. Daunting. Like climbing the mountain--again.

So today, I'm going to give you some pointers that have helped me tackle my 320-page manuscript, edit it, polish it, get it to betas and then out the door in less than 30 days. Strap yourselves in.

1. Set goals. Not only a "finish-by" goal date, but goals for what you want to accomplish in the edit. Does character A need more depth? Do you need to introduce the antag earlier so readers know who/what the MC is up against? Do you need stronger world-building? Faster pacing? A sub-plot that needs fleshing out? What are you trying to accomplish with the edit?

Know what these are. Don't freak out that there's SO MUCH that needs to be done. Just make a list.

2. Chunk your MS. It's much easier to wrap your mind around 100 pages rather than 350. So chunk your MS into manageable sections. I split mine into three distinct pieces and worked on them individually.

Okay, so you really haven't opened the document and started yet. This is all the "behind-the-scenes" stuff that you can do in a notebook or in your head. It usually takes me 2-3 days to make my list and chunk my MS. Take some time to do this. It helps things settle in your head before you actually start.

3. Read. That's right. Hopefully, it's been a while since you've read or worked on your MS. You'll be able to see things with fresh eyes this way. I printed the first chunk and sat down to read. Yes, I had a pen (it was black, not red) in my hand. During this reading phase, I was doing three things:

Line-edits (for awkward phrasing, repeated words, word choice, paragraphing, funky formatting, etc. Everything looks new and different on paper. I strongly encourage printing the chunk and editing on paper.)

Outlining (I don't outline before I write. So I create my outline as I edit a finished draft. I have a pad of small (2-inch by 2-inch) post-it notes next to me. After I finish reading a chapter, I write the main focus of that chapter on a post-it and place it neatly in my manila folder. Can't sum it up? Maybe you don't need that chapter. Every chapter must advance the plot. Even if you write from an outline, you can do this to see if you've really used every chapter, every scene to advance your plot. And hey, maybe your outline has changed.)

Making Notes (I know my goals for the edit, so as I'm reading, I draw a star and make myself a note. Like, "Insert a memory about character B here." Or "This would be a great place to reflect on plot point G." Or "Introduce antag here by way of video." Or "More world-building/setting here." I don't actually write the insertions. I simply make notes of places where they could go.)

4. Transfer from paper to computer. Remember, this is only for the first chunk. For me, it was about 115 pages, and it took me about 3 days to read, line edit and make notes for the section. Then I finally opened my Word document and started with page one. I entered the line edits, written changes and deletions. When I got to spots where I had a note for new material, I wrote it. Everything is done with the "Track Changes" feature on, so I can see what I've done. Actually transferring the changes is easy. And since you have something tangible to do, you don't waste any time staring at the screen, wondering what to do and where to do it. Transferring only takes 1 day. Maybe longer if you have large sections to add/rewrite.

5. Rinse and repeat. After section one is transferred into the computer, print section two. Read, pen in hand, post-it's nearby, computer off. Transfer to manuscript. Print section three. Read, transfer. Since I only had three sections, I edited my entire novel in about 12 days. With the goal-making, I finished a round of (major) edits in two weeks.

(*Note #2: Some of you might stop here. If this is say, the second draft, and you're not ready to send to readers yet, you're done! In only 2 weeks. Leave the MS for a while, write something else maybe. Then come back and start with #1 with new goals for another edit.)

6. Send to readers. Now, this could be an entire post by itself. But I don't have time for that, so I'll just say to choose people who you A) trust and B) love and C) will read FAST. I mean, you only have 16 more days. I recommend recruiting a few (meaning: 2 or 3) readers who will critique as you finish chunks. So really, you could have stuff out with Beta readers after you transfer the first chunk. When they finish, send them the second, and so on. This way, you're not stalled at this point in the process, waiting for reads. You've been getting them back on shorter sections. Which is how you want to work anyway.

7. Go over crits, make changes. Add stuff, delete stuff, etc. This is just a polish. You've already done the major reconstruction. Now you're just smoothing over the edges, based on what your readers have said. If you have fast readers, you can probably get this done in a week or so. I think I had my chunks back and crits incorporated in about 8 days.

8. Leave it alone. Which means, leave it alone. Don't open it. Don't read it. You can think about it if you want. I didn't. 2 days. I actually did this immediately following the final transfer (step 5), while waiting for reads to come back on chunks. It doesn't matter when you do it, but it's vital. Seriously, leave it alone.

9. Send entire, repolished MS to trusted readers. These are NOT the same people who read the chunks. Different people. I had 4. I sent them the "final" MS as well as a list of my goals so they knew what I was trying to accomplish with the edit. (*Note, I did this because with one exception, my readers had already read my book, so I wanted them to know specifically what I was trying to do this time around.) Again, they need to be A) trusted B) loved and C) fast.

10. Final edits based on final reads.

11. Done!

This system worked for me. I managed to edit my 83,000-word novel, get reads, and polish it up in under 30 days. Hopefully, you've seen something in this list that can help you focus your energy into accomplishing an edit (no matter if it's your third draft or your, um, eighth) of your manuscript without falling into the great black abyss.

What do you do that helps you get the editing done?

Thursday, October 6, 2011

POSSESS by Gretchen McNeil

Today's featured read is POSSESS by Gretchen McNeil. And holy holy water, people, you've got to get your hands on this book. The cover is all sorts of shiny and gorgeous, but the words inside are the real treat.

Let's examine.

About POSSESS: Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her over-protective mom, by Matt Quinn, the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, the voices are demons—and Bridget possesses the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from. Literally.

Terrified to tell her friends or family about this new power, Bridget confides in San Francisco’s senior exorcist, Monsignor Renault. The monsignor enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession, but just as she is starting to come to terms with her freakish new role, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. And when one of her oldest friends is killed, Bridget realizes she’s in deeper than she ever thought possible. Now she must unlock the secret to the demons’ plan before someone else close to her winds up dead—or worse, the human vessel for a demon king.

Okay, I will freely admit that the premise of this book scares the socks off me. I am not what you'd call a horror fan, but mostly in the movie arena. I liked I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER (Dan Wells) just fine.

And the reason is because I imagine in cartoons.

So I start reading POSSESS, and I just can't put it down! There are many things to be admired here, one of which is the way Gretchen can craft a story.

1. The voice: I have never read such an amazing voice. It's almost conversational, something I really like. (If you've read POSSESSION, you know this is true.) The voice is clever, and witty, and sarcastic, and just right. It compliments the character, as well as the plot, which is hard to do.

2. Bridget Liu: She's flawed, and I absolutely love that. Sometimes in books, you see a character that has problems they have to overcome. Everyone does. We can relate a little bit. But a character that is genuinely flawed is very hard to create and stay true to.

And Bridget is perfectly crafted in that way. She doesn't just have problems (which she actually has a plethora of those), but she's FLAWED.

And we as humans, are flawed. We work to overcome those things, and it's refreshing to find a character that isn't just overcoming problems, but she's overcoming flaws.

So there. Go get and read POSSESS. Imagine in cartoons if you have to. *wink* It's that good.

Check out what the other Bookanistas are up to this week at the Reading Room.

Or on their blogs:

Monday, October 3, 2011

Tips From the Edited

Okay, so I'm not professing to be a professional editor. I worked my freaking tail off to find one of those for my books, so I could suck. (LOL! Not really. I mean, I still work hard to make my books the best they can be.)

But nothing compares to having an objective, professional, extra set of eyes. As someone who's now been through two books, both of which required some pretty heavy edits in spots, I'm going to give you the low-down of what I've learned.

Now, both you and I would be delusional to think this is a comprehensive list. In fact, I might do a blog series on this or something.

But let's start with the top 3 things I've come to realize about my writing and how to make my books better BEFORE I send them to my agent/editor.

1. Don't be indulgent. You know those scenes you write just so the main characters can kiss? Yeah, you do. I do too, because I've written them in the past.

Take those out. Kissing scenes are fantastic--don't get me wrong--but they have to be carefully placed, and very rarely do we need a whole blow-by-blow of such actions. (Consider your genre, please.)

You know those scenes you write where you think you're being all clever? Yeah, you do. I do too, because I put them in my books too.

Take those out--or at least consider them very carefully. EVERYTHING in the story should be there for the sake of the story--NOT so the author can feel clever. I've learned to put my indulgences in my pet project.

The books I'm writing for publication (or submission) are indulgent-free. Every word I write in them goes toward establishing 4 things: plot, character, world, or emotion. If it doesn't, it doesn't belong.

Trust me, when I get my edit letters, those are the first things my editor calls me on.

2. Relationships can drive plot. I'm a lover of fast-paced books. It's a struggle for me to insert setting and world-building. I like "things to happen" and all the time.

I'm also very angsty. I like to pour that into my characters, and use it to drive my plot forward. This may sound basic, but it's hard to do.

Sometimes, we read books where there's only relationship things going on. And then the next chapter is plot things. Then relationship. Then plot.

I think it's better to layer the relationship INTO the plot, so they must co-exist. My editor thinks so too, as she's always calling me on the half-baked relationships I put in my books. One of my heaviest edits is always in the relationship realm.

I'm really trying to think about the relationships in my new books in advance, and USE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS to BUILD THE STORY.

3. Take the time to find your character's voice. I find my voices overlapping, and it's a problem for my editor (and me), trust me. She doesn't want a book that has language exactly like my previous book.

So do some writing exercises to find your character's voice. You won't be sorry, and neither will the agent/editor you're submitting your work to. (I have a post about this here. Might be worth a read.)

So there. Sorry this is such a long post. Maybe I should've split it up today. But now that I'm drafting like crazy again, these are the top 3 things I'm trying to do BEFORE my editor calls me on them.

What are your top 3 editing tips?

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