Sample Articles from FIRST DRAFT:

Edit Out The Glitches
by Sandra Parshall

At long last, you've finished your mystery novel. You've created dynamic characters and put them to work in a strong story. You've double-checked your research, and you know the facts in your book are accurate, including the details of police procedure. Your story is ready to venture forth into the world, right? Hold on a minute. You'd be wise to make one more run through the manuscript to look for those little things that can make a subtle but damaging difference in the way agents and editors react to your writing. Sit down with your pages and a blue pencil and ferret out these glitches.

Overused Words
We all get stuck on certain ways of saying things, but endless repetition may have the same effect on the reader as the fabled water torture. Mark each instance of the words or phrases you overuse and find a variety of good substitutes.

Clichés
Find fresh ways to express the same ideas and you'll make your story stronger.

Unclear Pronoun References
When two or more people of the same gender appear in a scene, make certain the reader always knows which person you're referring to. Consider these sentences: Jane was already seated at their table when Mary entered the restaurant. She'd never seen her look happier.

Weak Verbs
The novelist's challenge is to make the reader "see" the characters and the action. You have a precise image in your mind. Reproduce that image in the reader's imagination by using strong, specific verbs.

Misplaced Modifiers
These can produce an undesired comic effect, as in: "She strutted past him with her poodle, gorgeous and sexy in a tight red dress." If you can't place modifiers next to the words they modify, you might want to rewrite the sentence.

Overused/Misused Dialogue Attribution
When only two people are talking, use "he/she said" as seldom as possible, to avoid creating a boring rhythm. Wherever you can, use action to clarify who is speaking. Example "I wouldn't say that." Mary ripped petals from the rose and tossed them aside. "Where did you get such an idea?" Avoid using action this way"Hey there," he grinned. People can't grin words. Choose verbs that are specific to speech if you want to use something other than said.

"There" and "It"
This boring pair can sap energy from your writing if you have the habit of starting narrative sentences with them. Make your writing active and specific. "It was stuffy and hot in the room" can be changed to "The room was stuffy and hot." (The latter sentence could be improved further by showing the room's atmosphere through a character's reaction.) "There" can always be eliminated by giving the subject of the sentence the place of honor. "There were no children playing on the beach that day" can be changed to "No children played on the beach that day." Dialogue is a different matter. Let your characters speak naturally, even if they make mistakes you wouldn't allow in narrative.

Typos/Spelling & Punctuation Errors
You may miss some, but careful attention will get most. Don't rely entirely on your word processor's spell checker, because it won't find correctly spelled words that are used improperly. (He red the book.) Consult a style book when you're unsure about placement of commas, semicolons, etc.

Tighten, clarify, strengthen. Taking time for a final edit may help you avoid those disheartening letters that say, "I'm afraid the writing style didn't appeal to me as much as I would like..."

Sandra Parshall ©2003
This article originally appeared in First Draft, Volume 8, #1, January 2003