animals outside of the industry often confuse the profession of editor with that of proofreader.
the role of the editor is far less about grammar and punctuation and much more about removing the bits that don,t work, suggesting additions and improvements and generally giving advice on how to ,tighten, a piece of writing.
i use a pen with red ink. i do not own a green pen.
if a book needs proofreading, it,s unlikely to make it to a professional editor. that i did not give a proofreader,s advice, but an editor,s, should tell you that with the right combination of dedication, hard work, ideas, timing, intelligent self-marketing, professionalism and luck you might get there.
now…
1 - take a deep breath.
2 - re-read my post carefully. see where i said to delete these 623 words. note carefully that i only said that you needed to delete these 623. not every word you’ve written. just these 623.
3 - go back to your manuscript.
what is the next sentence.
there is a very good chance that you,ll find the inspiration right there.
this really is far more positivity and motivation than i can stand for one day. where is my scratching post.
Your assumption, vis à vis my assumption, is entirely erroneous. I had already imagined the said chaos—the resulting dread is still painfully percolating, in fractured crystalline globules, from every twisted, wretched fibre of my being.
if you,re worried about being scratched i hereby promise not to comment on anything else anyone posts in the scrivenings section unless expressly invited by the author.
Well, let’s try it. English is not my native language so please consider this free translation as a discrete effort to convey the general idea. Here is the opening paragraph of my WIP:
I met Diego Puerta at a book launch a few years ago. Not one of his own, of course. He said that his books were not supposed to be simply launched, that was to be done with the trash: discard it or throw it away. As he explained, his manuscripts deserved more sublime destinations, and had already arranged with someone he trusted to have everything he ever wrote “put into a bonfire, on due time”, just like Kafka.
Rodrigo,
Having read the opening paragraph, my immediate reaction is, ‘More please’. It seems a polished offering from an accomplished author. I will certainly keep my eyes peeled for it’s launch
This appears to me, to be a typo:
Should it not read, ‘onto a bonfire, in due time’? Apologies if I’m mistaken.
Vic
You’re probably right. (As I said, English is not my native language and the only fiction piece I’ve written directly in English was my chapter for NiaD 2013.)
I’m glad you got that “more please” reaction. The first chapter is supposed to be a hook, and much better if the first paragraph serves that purpose.
I finished the first draft of my WIP (a novel) back in December and decided to take a break before summoning the second draft. That break is over now and I’m getting into it these days. The distance of time really helps to get a new perspective indeed.
Well, okay, they might not be MY four. They sound very nice, though.
The intro is too big to post here, but here’s a snippet:
The first element is position: knowing where the victim will be at a given time. The second element is observation: being able to spot the victim against the backdrop of space. The third element is motion: having sufficient velocity to intercept the victim. The final element is misdirection: presenting the victim with a plausible set of events so that they overlook or misinterpret any inevitable discrepancies until it is too late. Achieve all four elements and the relative levels of force are nearly irrelevant.
