The Editing Brain Never Rests

 

This will be short and sweet--I hope. I'm now going into my 6th quarter at Eastern Oregon University and not doing too badly. I made the Dean's list for the last three quarters. Enough chuffing.

It amazes me at the convoluted way 'scholars' present their work. When a direct, simple approach would relay their idea with speed and efficiency, they choose the most obscure, winding, $18 word path imaginable. I have to admit the strength of my glasses has gone higher due to the reading of vast amounts of information spread over innumerable pages with just the slightest hint of space between the sentences. 

What a cluster! While reading a university level approved textbook that, by the way, costs nearly $200, I have found so many errors in the text I'm ready to pull out my hair. I'm tempted to write the publishing house and tell them they need a good line editor, but they might put me to work. I still have five more quarters to graduation. 

The 800 different editing styles is no excuse to ignore basic, common-sense editing. I'll just have to get my degree and show them how to do it right--if I still care.

Ta for now and watch those p's and q's. They're sneaking little characters.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pen

 The Ink well ran dry.

The pandemic created huge waves in my lifestyle. I found deep holes in the fabric of my person I didn't know existed. It has taken this amount of time to patch those holes and move to a point I can be tolerable to those around me. 

I enrolled in college to complete the pursuit of a degree and will be working for the next two years to achieve said goal. 

While the amount of writing in my life has increased, it hasn't been, unfortunately, on my novels. But -- I am writing. I will try to visit more often and gift you with my rants and raves about writing and other such topics. Until then - BIC - butt in chair.

Let the red ink flow...

Even those who claim to be 'experts', need relearning. I have given myself the gift of finishing college to receive my degree in English/Creative Writing. I can safely say -- I must have lost my mind!

I'm not sure what I was expecting but, literally, picking apart speeches by the Bard one-word-at-a-time and analyze what he was, might have been, could be saying, was not far up on the list. I understand words, a word, has the ability to change the entire direction of a sentence or thought. However, I don't feel the urgent need to take apart soliloquies piecemeal. Yet... I will do what is needed to reach my goal.

In that vein, I suggest you do the same. Keep the end goal in sight. Understand there will be many bumps in your road, but you have the wherewithall to overcome them and create magic.

Until later...

 

Mistress of the Red Ink Pen

Ruminations of a caged writer

You would think with all this time on my hands I'd be writing until my fingers bleed. Not so. I find my brain feels permanently idled. The ideas flit in and out. I get excited about putting them on the page until I sit at my computer. Then that blasted cursor blinks at me -- unrelenting -- patient -- waiting. All thoughts drain from my brain, and my stress level rises through the roof.

As human beings, we are put through so much stress on a daily basis we get used to the pressure. When we are forced to slow our life, breath, and live, many of us don't know how.

I have three sewing projects I want to accomplish. Twenty-five books waiting in the queue to be written and places I would love to visit, but I sit feeling stymied. I'll be going back to work toward the end of this week. My leave has expired, however, it may prove to be a blessing in disguise. I'll be forced to move forward. Maybe, my other projects will benefit as well.

Time will tell. Be safe, stay healthy.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pen

Hello... Goodbye

GOODBYE

This sweet face is our kitty, Dusty. She wandered into our yard about a month after we moved into our new home. She was emaciated, bones showing, and craving attention. While skittish, she soon came to trust us and went from an outdoor kitty to a house kitty. We really didn't know how old she was but we spoiled her for her last five years. 

HELLO

I've finally been hired to a full time position. I've been working as a temporary, part-time, whatever-I-could-find person since 2013. It will be nice to have a bit of security.

How has your January shaped up?

Mistress of the Red Ink Pen

New Year, New Options

Happy New Year!

A new year shines before us. Don't blow it. Stop talking about that book you're going to write, and put the words on paper or a computer. As Yoda says, "Do or do not." There is no middle ground.

Find a friend, writing partner, online group who will guide you on your journey. Make sure they have your best interest at heart. Hearing about all the mistakes you're making doesn't move you to a positive place. Do what I call 'throw up' writing. Just put all the words down. Don't edit, yet, just write. This advice is as old as writing. Once you have the unadulterated version on paper, computer, walk away for a day or two. Rest, watch a favorite program or play a favorite game. Give your brain time to recover.

Then... pick up your red pen and start to edit, edit, edit. Words don't bleed and, like bunnies, once you get started, they multiply by the hundreds. The process will be slow to start, but once you put the concept into action, you'll realize how easy it is.

Good Luck and have a safe New Year.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pen

Missing in Action

I have been missing in action. No excuses. I was never one to keep a diary as a young girl, so, putting my feelings and emotions out for all to see is -- uncomfortable. 

As with many others, I do have opinions regarding politics and religion. However, at a very young age, I learned to keep my opinions to myself. Years of working as a bartender, and bouncer, proved just how dangerous spouting off about your opinion can be.

To the business at hand; if you are an entity of any note whatsoever, make sure what you put in print shows your intelligence, not the lack thereof. Having an unlimited supply of bright compatriots surrounding you should be the key to relying on their knowledge [and loyalty] to make you appear bigger than life.

Do not follow the bad example being set in Washington, D. C. Think before you type.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pen

Slipping...

Today,  I'm pushing shameless self-promotion. My 18th publishing has been released and is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

I'll be trying to post to this space more often. Life just keeps getting in the way!

Mistress of the Red Ink Pen

Fear and how to use it

Wednesday started as a routine day. Hotter than normal for my corner of the country, but nothing out of the ordinary. I attended an interview for a bill-paying job and joined my husband at the hospital where he was having a scope run through his arteries. Not my idea of a good time. I've been exposed to this medical procedure as heart problems have effected my father and brother; the pair experiencing two quadruple, and one triple, bypasses between them. 

This, however, is my husband. Waiting four hours to have the explanation of what was done beyond, 'a stint was put in', pushed me to experience fear as I've never felt before. I admit I've gotten sissy-la-la as I've aged. I used to be a bit fearless [read reckless] and would accept any challenge if someone said 'I bet you can't do it'. After all, I was going to live forever.

Not now. I am aware of my lifespan limitations and, as such, have developed myriad fears. This was beyond anything I've experienced. Nauseous, where's-the-bathroom, breaking-out-in-a-sweat raw fear. 

When the doctor arrived and explained just how close my husband had been to a heart attack, I'm surprised I didn't throw up. As I said, I've been down this road several times before, but this was in my life right now. He's been having problems for a couple years of exhaustion and breathlessness, and this diagnosis from the doctor just reinforced the idea of pushing for help until you find the root of the problem. 

I have a recent, vibrant, sensation of fear and, in my writing, I will be dredging up those feelings to give umph to my work. Use good, or bad, experiences to pull your readers into the fray. After all, you want them standing next to you with light sabre in hand. Right?

Mistress of the Red Ink Pen

Back again in red ink

Editing is very much like cutting the claws of your dragon. 

You, the editor, are trimming the unnecessary words, descriptions, information an author is certain makes their work 'majestic'. ALL writers become blind to their novels. They have been so immersed in quieting the voices of their characters that, sometimes, they ignore all the other common sense rules of writing. 

Don't hobble your editor. It is their job to ensure what you have written is awe-inspiring. After all...

the more you get paid, the more they get paid.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pen

New Year's Resolutions

Every year we all go through the same ritual. We decide those issues we wish to change about our lives and resolve to change them in the forthcoming year. Some succeed. For most of us, it's just another year of empty promises. Well... the Mistress of the Red Ink Pen is slamming down the gauntlet to all you writers out there.

In my fifteen years of editing, I've seen the good, the mediocre, and the what-the-hell-were-you-thinking. There is NO EXCUSE for today's novelists, or any writers for that matter, not to present writing that is error free. The internet is available over the world and access is better than ever. 

RESOLVE to use the internet if you can't find a dictionary or thesaurus--most programs have them automatically installed.

RESOLVE to learn the correct tenses of verbs. This is another case of using the internet, public or personal library to verify the correct word/s. Don't make your editor crazy.

RESOLVE to perform at least ONE edit/read through before sending off your manuscript to the publishing house. Yes, editors are supposed to find the little glitches in the manuscript and note them to you so you can correct them. How lovely would it be if your editor emailed you there were none?

RESOLVE to be the best writer you can be.

Don't make me break out my red pen. Have a great new year and create some magic.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

Merry Christmas

The Mistress has set the red pen on the desk and is contemplating the state of the world. I think we all need to take one or two days, shut off all of the annoying outside distractions and savor what we have. So many have far less.

Wishing all of you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pen

One more time...

IT

A pretty talented young writer named Stephen King wrote a story entitled IT. This has nothing to do with that story.

This has to do with the overuse of the word it. The word is small, only two letters, yet the impact made by these two letters can drive some people to contemplate -- literacide. 

I'm not suggesting elimination. I'd be at an utter loss with the use of it, however, after you've written your preliminary draft, edit your work, putting in the time to search for alternatives.

When you spot the little devil, ask yourself what is the it? Are you referring to a person? Item? By putting in a specific descriptive word, will you be creating a redundancy of phrases? If so, then you need to work a bit harder to be clear. 

Writing for others to read requires the author to be knowledgeable about the language while still entertaining. Do the work. Your good novel will become a great novel.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pen

Three little letters

It's so simple. Just three little letters that seem to confuse the heck out of writers, professional and otherwise. Let's break it down...

It's - is a contraction of two words: it is. Put them together and you have it's.

its - a possessive pronoun, for example: The shield is its protection against fire. 

Read the context of your sentence. Are you trying to shorten it is, or are you describing a possession of some thing?

Now do it right.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

What's in a name?

Names. They are necessary for characterization when writing. I have a 'naming' book I use if my stories are short and punchy. The book provides simple meanings for basic names of most nationalities. I also have reference books for the specific cultures I might feature.

If I wish to portray a female character who'll be a strong warrior and lead a clan into battle, I'll go to my reference material and search for a name that provides those characteristics. Aife is a Celtic name of a great warrior woman of myth.

When you are choosing names for your characters, be cautious not to make them sound alike if possible. You don't want your readers paging backward to remember if it was Bill or Phil who is the bad guy. They'll do it once. Then the book goes in the trash and you lose a reader.

If you decide on a name and something nags at you that the name is familiar, check it. While names can't be copyrighted, they can be so heavily identified with a character, you'll appear to be plagiarizing someone else's work. Not a prospect I want to consider.

There is a world of names out there and some have unique meanings. Spend time to give your characters an identity from the start. After all, most of us know who Albus Dumbledore is, don't we?

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

Welcome to Genie Gabriel

From the Mistress:

I'm taking time to quit kvetching and share with you the writings of an amazing talent. Please take a look and keep in mind the author will be giving away a digital copy of 'More than Just a Dog' to one randomly selected visitor. So please stop and leave a comment for your opportunity to win a copy of this novel.

Here's a taste:

Three generations of independent women, driven in different directions by one man’s anger. Until his death reconnects them with their mystical Irish ancestors and wonders beyond this limited human existence.

Trained in the shamanic arts by her Irish grandmother, Chessie Durand travels to alternate worlds to rescue animals in danger. Aided by her Chosen One, an angel dog and a mysterious merkaba necklace, she discovers powers unknown to most humans.

Ever practical, her mother provides a sanctuary for these alien and exotic species stall-beside-stall with barnyard creatures. And when their paradise is threatened by ignorance and poachers and unknown dangers beyond the stargates, Marlise loads her shotgun and joins the fight.

Oh, alright. Here's more of the story.

With only a fleeting second thought, Peter entered the coordinates in the computer implanted in his wrist to transport to the cave on Chessie’s farm. His mentor had warned him of disturbances in the stargate that caused several “incidents” and had resulted in the decision to seal it off. However, Peter hoped opening the surface entrance had corrected those disturbances.

This was the most direct route to see Chessie and, after weeks of waiting, he wanted more than to just court her in dreams. He wanted to touch her. Smell the scent of flowers in her hair. Convince her they could build a relationship in the real world.

But which real world? His dimension or hers? Or perhaps somewhere totally different.

One step at a time, Peter reminded himself. After his abrupt departure the last time he had seen her, Chessie might not exactly fall eagerly into his arms. Best he establish a cover story before he contacted her. Thanks to a disagreement between the ruling governments of his dimension, he had some time off between assignments of retrieving endangered species during which he could pursue his Chosen One.

He stepped through the stargate in his dimension, anticipating the look of pleasure on Chessie’s face when she saw him.

”Danger. Danger. Coordinates cannot be guaranteed.” His computer implant transmitted the message to Peter’s brain as his body was sucked into a spinning vortex, faster and faster, buffeted on all sides by angry voices and recriminations until he blacked out.

~ * ~

The rock formations fascinated Chessie as she descended into the cave. However, the hot springs drew her most strongly. She loved to slip into the heated water and feel all her tensions wash away, as she was doing today. She thought about posting a notice at the entrance of the cave informing her family of her private hours in the hot springs so she could soak in the nude. But so far, she limited herself to wearing a modest one-piece bathing suit while in the springs.

Her body floated slightly as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back on a rubber pillow she brought with her. “Ahhh…”

She wondered if Peter would enjoy the hot springs as much as she did. Where was he? Were her dreams of Peter and the cave simply her overactive imagination?

Intuitively, she knew more than fantasies were involved. She hoped by returning to the cave, she could solve this mystery.


With her eyes closed, her mind and body relaxed even more. The water rippled against her skin, soothing and calming. A small wave splashed against her chin and Chessie shifted her body. Opening her eyes, she noticed tiny, choppy waves across the pool’s surface that hadn’t been active when she first stepped into the pool.

Sitting up straight now, she touched the merkaba around her neck and wondered if some of its magic was at work.

The ground began rumbling.

Get out of the pool. Chap’s image appeared in her mind.

She didn’t need to be told twice. She shoved her feet back in her tennis shoes and pulled the terry cloth robe around her body.

Frozen with fascination, she stared toward the rock wall where the cave ended—that her grandmother insisted wasn’t the same as when the cave had been closed up.

The rock wall was now splitting apart like giant elevator doors, revealing the dark night sky filled with billions of stars and a spinning vortex that grew larger and larger as it moved toward her.
Use the merkaba, Chap stated. Do not give in to fear. Simply know the merkaba will protect you.
Chessie braced her feet at shoulder width apart and placed a hand over the merkaba. Protect all that is pure. Surround us with love and keep us safe.

She didn’t know where the words came from, but Chessie repeated them over and over as the vortex engulfed her, echoing with her grandfather’s angry voice. “You will never practice your witch’s spells again! You will be obedient! You will do as I tell you!”

Images of her grandfather as he had been when alive swirled within the vortex. Chessie held fast to the merkaba and called upon the spirit of her grandfather. Help us! By all that is loving and pure, keep us safe!

As Chessie repeated these words, a body fell at her feet as the vortex faded and drifted away like mist dispersing under the morning sun.

About Genie...

Fur against my face and the soft smell of a dog curled protectively around me existed before my first memories of this life. So began my journey of being more in tune with animals than with people.

I went through the expected motions of marriage, kids, divorce, and career, but usually out of step with most of the human population. This proved to be an advantage in developing an independence and a curiosity about things most people don’t even consider.

A minor health issue led to energy healing and becoming a master level Reiki practitioner. Working at the local animal shelter flipped on the switch to communicating with animals. Each dog I adopted showed miraculous changes most people couldn’t believe.

As a writer, I explored the mysteries of why people behave as they do, and also became fascinated by science, especially quantum physics. But perhaps my favorite way of writing stories is to ask the question, “What if?” and dive into those imagined worlds—surrounded by my beloved furbabies, of course!

Website URL: www.GenieGabriel.com
Blog URL: http://quantumcanines.blogspot.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/genene.valleau

Very, very, very interesting subject

Today, we attack the overuse of adverbs. The biggest problem I find as an editor is writers insisting on using overwhelming amounts of adverbs. The words very, really, hardly, every, pretty much all the ly words should be banned from use in manuscripts. A strong adjective or precise verbs can relay the information you need to get across to your readers. Adding very or really doesn't make quite the impact. For example:

She was very pretty or her beauty was breathtaking. 

He worked really hard or he toiled from sunup to sundown.

Go through your manuscript, search and find all the verys, reallys, and ly words. Then eliminate them and use proper adjectives to enforce your story.

I'm Baaaccckkk!

You thought you were shed of me. Ha!

Today, I'm approaching a subject where I have been guilty of committing this sin. Character crowds.

What? Character crowds. As I mentioned, I'm guilty of creating such a phenomena. I was encouraged to expand a story I'd written about a reverse Frog/Princess story with Dragons and Shapeshifters. The story started simply with the main female shapeshifter discovering her condition and a real dragon near Mt. St. Helen's in Washington. I made the mistake of allowing the characters to take over and, quickly, wound up with clans of dragons and shifters from all corners of the world. 

This book did become the base for my dragon series but, initially, that was not my intention. Having so many characters vying for the reader's attention will make them tired, cranky and liable to put the book down and walk away. I've been fortunate my readers liked the story enough to slug through the characters and ask for more.

If you must have myriad characters, give them names that aren't similar. Provide solid descriptions of the characters and give each a particular trait shared by no other. Let their personalities shine so your reader knows exactly who is speaking when they read the lines. If there have been numerous pages since the character appeared, give a short introduction, i.e., Bob, Betty's old boyfriend who recently returned from Asia...

You can always create an index page listing the names and a few identifying traits.

I think it best to create your characters so well, there is no need for an index. After all, look what J.K. Rowling accomplished with her cast of thousands. Everyone knows who Snape is.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

Putting life on hold.

The Mistress of the Red Ink Pens is putting all projects on hold for the time being. 

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens

Two little words -- as, so

AS

I recently edited a story consisting of around ninety thousand words. In the one hundred fifty pages of text, the word as was used 2600 times. After the first thirty or forty instances, I decided to search and find just how many were in the manuscript. To say I was blown away would be an understatement. 

My Doubleday Dictionary cites the word to be an adverb. Adverbs are defined thusly: 'Any of a class of words used to modify the meaning of a verb, adjective, or other adverb, in regard to time, place, manner, means, cause, degree, etc.'

When writing your story, after the first draft, check your verbs. If they are strong active verbs, the need for additional adverbs will be unnecessary. Don't tack on additional bits and bobs with, "as he left the room" or "as if she didn't already know". Once or twice in your work is sufficient; 2600 times is over the top. Your reader will close the story and walk away. 

SO

Another adverb overly abused in writing. I'm finding too many authors depend on this little word to start a sentence or conversation. "So, what do you think?" While this is common everyday language, we as writers should strive for the best standard to present to the reader. "What do you think?" conveys the same message and doesn't sound -- sloppy. 

This little word, along with a couple others I'll rave on about later, has become a standard crutch for too many. After you have finished your novel, newspaper piece, or story, do a search/find to see how much you might have abused the two little adverbs here; as, so.

Mistress of the Red Ink Pens