Editing = UGH

Those of you who follow me on Twitter & Facebook will notice something … I like to complain about editing. It is by far my least favorite part of creating a story. The necessary evil IMO. And I don’t ‘go’ this part alone. Oh no. I’m involved in a critique group over at Scribophile, a workshop for serious-minded writers.

I’ve gotten tons of feedback over the past year and not just grammar related. Plot holes, believability – you name it.

What do I use besides my forum? A biggie list.

Once a WiP is all on paper or in the computer I read for content. This is where I take into consideration all those plot holes or questions forum friends & beta readers bring to attention. I also address three other major items:

#1 Plot. Is it believable? Interesting? Are all my i’s dotted? T’s crossed? It must make sense and have an arc.

#2 Tension. Are there primal stakes every reader can relate to – facing death, fear, hunger, etc? Is the conflict (inner & outward) clear? Granted there will be down times. We all need to breathe and take a potty break. BUT a well-written story will keep those pages turning & e-readers clicking.

#3 Pacing. Is every scene essential to the plot? Does it drive the plot forward? If not then slash it. It’s fluff.  

After these three are mostly ironed out I go onto the finishing touches:

#1 Grammar. Spell check is always first. You’d think ‘well duh!’ but it’s amazing to me how many e-books I’ve come across with misspelled words. Sloppy & sad.

#2 Over used, repeated words. Ever get lazy & use the same verb over & over? Take ‘walk’ for example. How ‘bout spicing up the visual with a different word to convey how they walk? Amble. Hobble. Dart. Sprint. They create much better pictures in your brain, don’t they?

#3 ‘And then’ eliminations. Other than being ‘telly’ they’re boring and create no visuals whatsoever.

#4 Cliches. Gotta be original. Bring something new – something fresh – to entice readers and capture their imaginations.

#5 Vary sentence starts. It’s not pleasing to the eye or mind if every other paragraph starts with the MC’s name followed by a map-out of what they’re doing or have done.

#6 Correct word usage. There, their, they’re. To, too, two. I’m sure you get my drift!

Quite the daunting task isn’t it? Thank God for sites like Scribo & Writer’s Digest for helping with the vast majority of the first checklist.

The finishing is TONS easier when using AutoCrit or Pro Writing Aid. Never heard of them? Check those sites out. You can thank me later.

I know I need to stop complaining about editing. For me it’s just another twenty seconds of procrastination.

How ‘bout you? Have any tried & proven ways? Helpful websites?

Active Voice vs. Passive Voice - Who Gets the Championship Belt?

 You sneak into the Grammar Arena.  It's packed full to capacity, and the spectators are screaming, waiting for their favored fighters to appear.  You wander down to ring-side where I have seats.    

"Care to join me?" I ask, patting the empty chair beside me. 

"Who's gunna win?" you wonder while sitting down. 

"Who knows?" I reply.  "But, as an avid reader I can say that a scene written in the active voice is more enjoyable."

"Why's that?" you ask.

"Because the active voice creates conflict and drives a story forward.  It keeps me turning pages late into the night.  The passive voice on the other hand is flat, uninteresting, and has no conflict."  I yawn, my jaw cracking. "The active voice is stronger than the passive because it's more direct and cuts unnecessary words.  That's especially helpful if you're writing micro or flash pieces. 

"Here." I hand you a brochure.  "It gives you a bit of information on today's fighters."

Active voice – When the subject is causing the action.  

Passive voice – When the subject receives the action expressed by the verb.  

            Examples:

1.     Jack was loved by Jane.  -passive 

      Jane loved Jack.  -active    

2.      The boat was driven by Jack.  -passive

            Jack drove the boat.  -active

3.   Dust was kicked up by the horse's hooves.  -passive

      The horse's hooves kicked up dust.  -active

4.   The barrels were stacked in the cart by John.  - passive

      John stacked the barrels in the cart.  - active

Ways to recognize the passive voice

1.       It will often include a form of the verb ‘to be.’  Examples:

The flowers were being picked by Jane.

The car had been washed by John.

*Using these verb forms does not always make a sentence passive. 

  Example:  I am understanding the concept.  – Here the subject ‘I’ is doing the action, thus       

it’s in active voice. 

2.      The sentence will include ‘by the’ after the verb.  Examples: 

Jack was bit by the dog.

Heat was thrown off by the furnace.

The gurney was pushed by a nurse.

            

Fixing the passive voice

            It’s easy.  Put the character / subject (doer of the action) up front.  Here’s the above examples in the active voice:

            Jane picked the flowers.    

            John washed the car.

            The dog bit Jack.

            The furnace threw off heat.

             A nurse pushed the gurney.

Use of the passive voice is not always wrong

Here are some times when it is better or necessary to use the passive voice:

1. If the subject is purposefully being kept a secret / you wish to create mystery in your sentence.   When you want your reader to say, “Who did it?”  (You'll notice from the first example that politicians are fond of doing this.)

A mistake was made.

Shots were fired.

2. Highlighting the object because it's the focus of the story.  If 'what' is stolen is more important than 'who' stole it, you would write:  

           The files were stolen by the intruder.

3. When you wish to stress the victim of the action rather than the doer.  If it’s more important to the story  that we remember who Jane kissed, you would write:

John was kissed by Jane.

You re-fold the brochure, your brow furrowed.

"Still not sure who's gunna win?" I ask.

"It won't matter who wins.  There's bound to be a rematch."   

I nod.  "One last thing - I've read that the active voice shows the reader what is happening and the passive voice tells it.  You've heard about the 'Show vs. Tell' fight, right?"

"I have," you say, "but we can discuss that on another day.  Here comes today's fighters."

Which voice do you gravitate toward in your writing?  In your reading?