Many amateur writers mistakenly believe that they don’t need a solid grounding in the language in order to write. After all, great writers break the rules all the time, right?

The fact is, those writers break the rules precisely because they know which rules to break. You can’t write well if you don’t know which rules can be broken and which can’t – and in order to know that, you’ve got to know the rules in the first place.

If you want to be a good writer, or even a great one, get started with a solid grounding in your language.

• Spelling: know what the word is supposed to look like before you try to spell it in dialect
• Vocabulary: know enough words to say what you want to say
• Definitions: know what a noun is, or a possessive; understand what goes on behind your sentences so you know how to achieve the effect you want to achieve
• Process: know how to make the proper plural or past tense; understand how the words change depending on what you want them to do
• Grammar: know how to match your verb to your noun, or how to catch a run-on sentence or sentence fragment before you try to change things around

Any good language textbook will be useful if you didn’t pick up enough in school. Learn the rules so you can break them.

One of the things most people take for granted is that a writer will be able to use proper English. Yet, especially today – when anyone can spend the money to publish anything they write – we see that this is not exactly the case.

Many beginning writers feel that they don’t need to spend a lot of time learning the basics of language – things like proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. However, the truth is that not using proper English brands you as an amateur instead of a professional, and tells your readers that you’re just not interested in working to produce a professional product.

Don’t be that sort of writer!

Take the time to learn the rules of the language. Spell-check can only do so much, so you need to understand which word you should actually use in a given situation. There are a couple of good lists of common errors HERE and HERE – check them out and be sure you don’t get them confused yourself.

Another error is the use of the common apostrophe. Learn how to use that correctly, because there’s nothing that screams ignorance like a misplaced apostrophe.

There are plenty of good English books out there that will easily teach you the basics of the language. You might also peruse Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style and Brown’s Self-Editing for Fiction Writers.

The important thing is this: unless you have a firm grasp of the basics, you’re not really going to be able to bend those rules to create a unique voice for yourself.

 

I’m nearly done with my second re-write of the book, and it’s time to think about editing again. How do you edit your own work, and when do you know that you’re finished editing and ready to send the work out to the agent or editor?

 

Rules for Editing:

1. Print out your manuscript. Somehow, it’s easier to edit if you have the paper in front of you. You can write notes in the margins, circle things you want to change, and even read from back to front when you need to. If you can’t print, at least use the “Track Your Changes” feature of your word processing software.
2. Make passes. I’ll explain each one below, but the idea is that, with each pass, you are concentrating on only one aspect instead of trying to edit everything at once.
3. Edit without rewriting. It’s really tempting to start rewriting as soon as you spot an error, or a place you want to add something – but resist the urge. Finish your edits, then start rewriting.

How to Self-Edit:

• First Pass: Read through the entire manuscript, looking for only spelling and grammatical errors. If you happen to catch something else that seems wrong, just make a note in the margin and keep going. You may choose to rewrite at this point, or just swing right into the next pass.
• Second Pass: Read through the entire manuscript again, this time looking for word choice and clarity. One great trick to catch poor word choices is to read the manuscript from back to front. This forces you to concentrate on each word, not on the total sentence. Rewrite at this point, where needed.
• Third Pass: Read through the manuscript for continuity. Make sure that any actions make sense, that all of the loose ends are tied up, and that any “props” brought into a scene are used properly. Just as a continuity checker in a movie or TV show checks to be sure everything is still in the correct place, you need to be sure that the pistol your character shoots in Chapter 7 was properly introduced in Chapter 2, when you showed us the gun cabinet in the study. Make notes in the margin and keep track of everything you’ve introduced to be sure it’s used. Rewrite after this pass, adding any necessary scenes or dialogue.
• Fourth Pass: Read through the dialogue. Make sure each line is spoken in the unique voice of the character, and that each line advances the plot in some manner. If it doesn’t move the plot, expand the character, or deepen the setting, then drop that line. Use something else, or drop the conversation entirely if it’s not doing anything. Rewrite after this pass.
• Fifth Pass: Yes, you might need one. If you’ve done extensive rewriting, you’re going to want to start editing again on those sections, checking for everything you’ve checked the rest of the manuscript for.

How do you know when you’ve finished editing? Most authors agree that when you reach the point where you’re changing only around 10% of the manuscript, you’re through. Stop fiddling with the thing and send it out!