tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post7603002231723539646..comments2024-03-18T09:40:52.281-06:00Comments on Author Elana Johnson: Tips From the EditedElana Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05877856005992028912noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-49564862173421331482011-10-14T08:03:32.779-06:002011-10-14T08:03:32.779-06:00Wonderful tips Elana.
I am a firm believer that ...Wonderful tips Elana. <br /><br />I am a firm believer that relationships can drive a plot--using the term relationships in a comprehensive manner rather than just those physically attracted to each other.Slamdunkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13087161268629251860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-46719255540213449112011-10-14T05:43:06.950-06:002011-10-14T05:43:06.950-06:00I love this: plot, character, world, or emotion. I...I love this: plot, character, world, or emotion. It really boils down to those four things. Good post, EJ!Kristine Asselinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18257286523945921891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-62923603779223685322011-10-09T11:12:20.420-06:002011-10-09T11:12:20.420-06:00Thanks for revealing your tiger traps to help us n...Thanks for revealing your tiger traps to help us not fall into them. My tip is to never let your MC really have the time to take a breath. Then you know they are zipping through the story. If you are feeling benevolent a breath may be added later.Leslie S. Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17122865337924270039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-25818276661343748252011-10-05T21:07:18.527-06:002011-10-05T21:07:18.527-06:00Wise words. I just had a convo with my agent today...Wise words. I just had a convo with my agent today about getting rid of clever, but extraneous words and paragraphs!Catherine Stinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08131569196977321229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-38585901258885679952011-10-05T14:58:27.977-06:002011-10-05T14:58:27.977-06:00These are fantastic and spot on. It's amazing ...These are fantastic and spot on. It's amazing how shiny our own writing looks until someone else points out the tarnished spots. Please do a blog series on it. I would love more insights!Jaime Thelerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12442679809704484650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-24214427317232324282011-10-05T14:15:39.665-06:002011-10-05T14:15:39.665-06:00These are fantastic tips! I especially like the on...These are fantastic tips! I especially like the one about relationships and plot entertwining and moving things forward.Stacy Henriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03303383087338174942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-77183306067106263312011-10-05T10:32:29.042-06:002011-10-05T10:32:29.042-06:00Thanks for these tips! I'm currently revising ...Thanks for these tips! I'm currently revising my WIP. I especially love this line:<br />"Every word I write in them goes toward establishing 4 things: plot, character, world, or emotion." It's hard not to overindulge sometimes but you're right that every scene has to have a specific purpose.Ghenet Myrthilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12621168379560585094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-74113790378749280642011-10-05T08:02:44.623-06:002011-10-05T08:02:44.623-06:00Great tips! I'm especially guilty of the indu...Great tips! I'm especially guilty of the indulgent trap. Must work on this.Susan R. Millshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09578747592345750650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-38493539101739309112011-10-04T22:05:19.011-06:002011-10-04T22:05:19.011-06:00I can't indulge in my clever self???? :) The...I can't indulge in my clever self???? :) These are fabulous tips. Thanks for sharing! One of my tips-to-self, that was a long time coming, is not to edit as I go. There needs to be a somewhat complete story to really edit first.Donea Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15393184831994368021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-33477858711231200552011-10-04T11:52:14.307-06:002011-10-04T11:52:14.307-06:00I find the last one to be such a struggle. I try t...I find the last one to be such a struggle. I try to define my characters as people different from me but they usually all end up being just like me.KamilleEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06845951906601926878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-79539325051952111032011-10-04T11:36:31.606-06:002011-10-04T11:36:31.606-06:00I do agree on you should layer the relationship wi...I do agree on you should layer the relationship with the plot and it should flow together. <br /><br />Unfortunately, I've read a ton of books where there's too much focus on the relationship and plot...is full of holes. Giant holes. But hey look, I have a torrid romance going...you see what I'm saying? <br /><br />All good points though!!Hannahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16915603693944523761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-1053898513928459522011-10-04T10:40:25.674-06:002011-10-04T10:40:25.674-06:00Great tips!
Mine are to always have varying sente...Great tips!<br /><br />Mine are to always have varying sentences. You don't want the reader to pick up on a dull rhythm same sentence structure after same sentence structure.<br /><br />Another is inner conflict with each character by showing it via visceral reaction--body language, you know, show, don't tell?<br /><br />The next one is if it doesn't move the plot/character forward, cut it. ;)<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://elizabethmueller.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">♥.•*¨Elizabeth¨*•.♥</a><br>Elizabeth Muellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06028099814857743134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-49899002093878821822011-10-04T10:07:35.363-06:002011-10-04T10:07:35.363-06:00I really enjoyed this post. My tip is to :
Rememb...I really enjoyed this post. My tip is to :<br /><br />Remember the Reader -<br /><br />If it's not on the page, the reader can't see the images in your head.<br /><br />Put him in the scene : <br /><br />have him/her -<br /><br />taste the salt of the sea in the storm breeze.<br /><br />feel the hammering of the wind as it rocks his tiny life boat<br /><br />see the sharks circling his fragile, leaking craft.<br /><br />lurch in the boat as one of them scrapes underneath it.<br /><br />hear the lonely cry of the gull so high in the sullen sky above, so unreachable -- <br /><br />as unreachable as safety and the love who died in his arms just moments before.<br /><br />Remember the Reader. Thanks for such a great post. RolandRoland D. Yeomanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00338410857990551352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-45745346317088178132011-10-04T04:09:59.475-06:002011-10-04T04:09:59.475-06:00Excellent post. Nice to know what an editor will ...Excellent post. Nice to know what an editor will point out. I'll keep this in mind with rough drafts and the editing page.<br /><br />My tips:<br /><br />Watch out for too many adverbs and dialogue tags. Be spare.<br /><br />Look for repeated phrases. <br /><br />If you put the draft down for a while and continued it, make sure there was no change in voice.Theresa Milsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03477761307315565259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-28490500772719215802011-10-03T23:18:24.984-06:002011-10-03T23:18:24.984-06:00Thank you! Awesome post. I love reading tips fro...Thank you! Awesome post. I love reading tips from published authors about anything to do with the process. This is definitely something I will keep in mind as I write!Amy Bealshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16862842105682261457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-48136713960832847082011-10-03T21:43:47.959-06:002011-10-03T21:43:47.959-06:00Great post Elana! And great advice.Great post Elana! And great advice.Carolyn Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03780443388339294502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-53771375907461701652011-10-03T20:47:55.093-06:002011-10-03T20:47:55.093-06:00Great advice Elana, thank you so much for sharing ...Great advice Elana, thank you so much for sharing :)WritingNuthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16326756274887055685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-88947829365988443202011-10-03T20:44:54.948-06:002011-10-03T20:44:54.948-06:00This is a great post! I guess my top 3 editorial t...This is a great post! I guess my top 3 editorial tips would be (in no particular order):<br /><br />1. You have to know what your main character is doing at any point in the book, and you have to know why. Really. ANY POINT. Same with the main antagonist.<br /><br />2. A tried and true one: If you can begin the story at a later point, do it. Start the story as close to the action as possible.<br /><br />3. Remember that most people only say what they need to say and nothing more. Dialogue should be as concise as possible, unless a character has a good reason to be long-winded.REINHARDT!https://www.blogger.com/profile/01809613551100700183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-33861539665443558312011-10-03T19:55:25.879-06:002011-10-03T19:55:25.879-06:00Excellent and useful post, Elana.
I now have plot,...Excellent and useful post, Elana.<br />I now have plot, character, world or emotion written on my sticky note on the right hand of my laptop.<br />Thank you!Kelly Polarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10968381456100611120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-34821496494189584392011-10-03T16:48:54.752-06:002011-10-03T16:48:54.752-06:00Great post, Elana.
These are the reasons I have ...Great post, Elana. <br /><br />These are the reasons I have an awesome writing group. So they can catch my weaknesses and help me make them my strengths.Jodi Henryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03216373059861459896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-85825723021360704682011-10-03T16:43:43.132-06:002011-10-03T16:43:43.132-06:00Great post!
Even though it's the biggest &quo...Great post!<br /><br />Even though it's the biggest "UGH" moment of a writer's life, writing your synopsis is a great way to edit yourself. I notice that if I'm only hitting salient points for a two pg. synopsis, I'll think, "Hey, but if I jump to the next time something happens, I skip like 50 pages!" Uh.... well then I guess I don't need those 50....BBChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13750774359232145507noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-3828552943315949752011-10-03T16:05:33.340-06:002011-10-03T16:05:33.340-06:00This post really hit the spot. I was told the voic...This post really hit the spot. I was told the voice of two of my characters sounded too similar and it was hard to tell them apart. I, too, am not fond of writing setting and worldbuilding and I've been called on that as well. I LOVE to write about the relationship--guess that's why I'm a therapist! Lol...I'm reading Shatter Me. It has some pretty heavy love scenes--almost made me blush...ha ha ha...It wasn't hard to figure out exactly what that character was thinking: "the cargo pants set a little too low on his hips...my fingers fumble down his abs...My fingers rest on the button holding his pants together...I want to taste...<br /><br />I guess I'll stop right there! LOL...This book's getting major buzz, so I guess they're liking the hotness...see...you just never know! <br /><br />Great post, Elana.June Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08570382577796763370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-85593447086425042662011-10-03T15:55:18.471-06:002011-10-03T15:55:18.471-06:00Great post. It would be interesting - for some of ...Great post. It would be interesting - for some of aspiring authors - to see an example of a "half baked relationship" that an editor wanted changed. And then see the change. Of course, that would make a good interview for me. <br /><br />I don't have any good editing tips, other than I get critical feedback from my writing group. Then again, I write much slower than you and spend a significant amount of time plotting the book before I start writing. So, my tip is: plot more - edit less.Randyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16621043763559564251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-44294753823042399952011-10-03T15:27:42.088-06:002011-10-03T15:27:42.088-06:00Great tips, thanks!Great tips, thanks!Nichole Gileshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12536148445303996747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9058478111996476699.post-4414436197825136172011-10-03T15:10:35.816-06:002011-10-03T15:10:35.816-06:00These tips come at the perfect time. Not editing y...These tips come at the perfect time. Not editing yet, but going to get back into some major writing this week. So it's good to have some of these things in mind. :)Krispyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09492607213249874138noreply@blogger.com