Little Syllables: The Blog
Review - The Way of the Fearless Writer by Beth Kempton
I received an advanced copy from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Beth Kempton’s The Way of the Fearless Writer weaves together her knowledge of Japanese language and culture with the process of writing. She offers a mindful approach to writing that is based on Buddhism.
This book was inspiring.
I have been an aspiring writer all my life, but I am often held back by fear of what others will think of me and my writing. So I don’t share. This is exactly the problem that Kempton addresses in this book. She offers guidance for a fearful writer to embrace the process of creativity and to know when it’s time to share the writing.
I found this book and its author to be insightful, wise, and realistic. She provides writing prompts throughout and I found myself highlighting prompts that I wanted to come back to. This would be an excellent book to read slowly and work through the exercises as they are introduced. But it is also an excellent book to read straight through.
I especially appreciated how the author shares her own creative process. I think that writers often don’t know what the initial process looks like for others. Classes and workshops teach the end of the process, the refining, the editing, and the polishing. But Kempton spends a good portion of this book discussing how to get started, how to piece together a larger work, and how to be patient as the ideas form.
I heartily recommend this book for any writer, but especially for a writer looking to be more mindful and less fearful.
The Way of the Fearless Writer is now available.
Editing Business Copy
Editors are not just for books and stories; we’re also essential for businesses. Whether it’s marketing copy, web copy, product descriptions, video captions, or procedure manuals, the writing that is done for your business needs to be edited.
Potential customers are quickly put off by spelling and grammatical errors on business websites, advertisements, and correspondence. Employees can be confused and make mistakes if instructions are not clearly written.
Errors hurt your credibility with customers, employees, and others in your industry.
Errors in copy can lead customers to wonder if you really know your stuff.
So how does a business solve this problem and prevent errors from cropping up in their copy? There are automated tools available that can help, but they’re not infallible. For example, spell check won’t catch if you accidentally type exist instead of exit, or two instead of too. Word processing grammar checkers often introduce errors because the automated system misses nuance in writing. Automatic voice-to-text software can misinterpret speech and create some pretty spectacular errors (such as “drug sales” instead of “direct sales”).
The easiest way around this is to employ an editor or proofreader to check your copy before it goes live.
Editors are trained to watch for those pesky typos where one word is accidentally replaced with a similar (though incorrect) word. Editors are trained to catch easily misunderstood phrasing or references that may be too niche or jargony. And humans are much better suited to interpreting nuance!
Best of all, an editor can help your business maintain credibility, gain customer’s trust, and communicate clearly and consistently.
Copyediting vs. Proofreading—What’s the Difference?
For writers who are just starting out, the publishing process can seem daunting! Knowing industry terms and procedures can empower you through the process.
Here is an illustration of the publishing process. Many of these steps can (and will) be repeated as needed.
First, create an outline or a rough draft. Consult a developmental editor to nail down big-picture details.
Second, complete a first draft.
Third, find someone to read your draft and give feedback—either on specific areas or the manuscript as a whole.
Fourth, edit and revise your first draft into your second draft.
Repeat steps three & four until you’re ready for professional editing!
Fifth, send your manuscript to a copyeditor.
Sixth, review the edits and revise. Repeat step five as needed.
Seventh, have your book designed.
Eighth, send your proofs to a proofreader.
Finally, after updating anything the proofreader catches, you are ready for printing!
Many people confuse or combine the tasks of copyediting and proofreading, but they are not the same. Read on to see the differences.
Copyediting
Copyediting comes right in the middle between drafting and printing. It is a crucial step that should not be skipped over.
By the time you’re ready for copyediting, your manuscript must be complete! Hopefully, you have gone through several drafts of your manuscript already. You’ve gotten feedback from a substantive (or developmental) editor, a writing group, and one or more critique partners. You’ve ironed out the wrinkles from the manuscript as best as you can, and the work is ready for new eyes.
Your copyeditor will take a very detailed approach to your manuscript. Of course, copyeditors are human and we all work in different ways, but ultimately, in the hands of a copyeditor, your manuscript will be read paragraph-by-paragraph, sentence-by-sentence, and word-by-word. Every punctuation mark will be scrutinized. Your word choices will be analyzed.
With the right copyeditor, you will feel like your work is under a microscope.
The First Pass
Your copyeditor will probably perform several passes over your writing. And they should be able to tell you how they will work before you sign a contract and hand over your manuscript.
I perform at least two full passes on every manuscript that crosses my desk. During the first pass, I am familiarizing myself with the full work and fixing any glaring issues as I encounter them (things like duplicate words, misplaced commas, misspellings, etc.).
During my first pass, I also highlight things I want to come back to in the following pass. Some elements I commonly flag are word choice, sentence structure, tense shifts, character specifics or setting details that don’t match, and timeline issues.
Remember, at this stage, I’m still getting acquainted with the story, so I don’t want to make any big changes at this point.
Watch the video to see a demonstration of what a first-pass copyedit looks like!
The Second Pass (and beyond)
Once I have read the entire manuscript, then I go back for a second, deeper pass. This second pass can get intense!
Not only will I be checking again for the same things I looked for in the first pass, but now I’ll be addressing bigger issues like plot, character, setting. I’ll be looking at sentence structure, flow and pacing. I’ll also be very meticulous about making sure the words you’re using are the most fitting words for the context.
While I do all that, I’ll also create a detailed style sheet (if you don’t have one already), a timeline for the story, and a character sheet.
This second pass takes the bulk of my time in a copyediting project, and hopefully you can see why!
Clean-Up
After the second pass through, I clean up the manuscript and finalize any comments I have left on it. This way, you can focus your revision time on things that need your approval—not every typo or comma.
Proofreading
Proofreading comes after copyediting, revision, and design/layout.
A proofreader looks at the pages of your book (on paper or digitally) as they will appear when printed. Because proofreading comes last, this stage is often only used to check for the most egregious errors that have slipped through.
Proofreaders check:
Typos and spelling errors.
Indentation
Page numbering
Punctuation
Formatting
Widows and orphans (keeping lines of text together on the same page)
The proofreader is the final set of eyes on your manuscript before printing (except you, the author, of course).
You Have Control
One important thing to note, especially in regard to self-publishing, is that the author gets the final word on what is printed in their book. Editors are there to make your writing the best it can be. They are not there to rewrite your book.
Ultimately, you can accept or reject any changes or suggestions that your copyeditor and proofreader make. Just know that they usually have your best interests in mind.
Tips for the Fiction Author - Prepare for Editing
There are a lot of factors that contribute to the success of your fiction writing. A good editor can help streamline the process, but your editor can’t do it all. Before you send your novel or short story to an editor, prepare the following items for your editor:
Character List
Make an alphabetical list of every character in your story. Include descriptions of the characters, relationships between the characters, and any background information that is relevant to your story. Your editor doesn’t need a full character sketch, but a basic description can help your editor catch inconsistencies throughout the manuscript. For example, if your fictional murderer has red hair, there had better be a good reason for the detective to find black hair at the crime scene.
What this might look like:
Alex: male, blonde, freckles, brother of Barb.
Barb: female, blonde, short, sister of Alex.
Chester: male, bald, bushy eyebrows, walks with a limp, angry neighbor of Alex and Barb.
Location List
If your manuscript involves more than a couple locations, it can be very helpful to give your editor a list of locations. This should include any setting description for the location, as well as distances and terrain between locations if that is relevant to the story. This could also include characteristics of the people who are found in the location, such as special accents, rituals, clothing, etc. For example, if your hero has to ride his bicycle to school, make sure the distance between the two places is feasible for a daily commute on a bike (don’t put his school at the top of a mountain 30 miles away).
What this might look like:
Alex & Barb’s house: yellow, two-story, at the north end of the street.
Chester’s house: brown, single story, south of Alex & Barb’s house.
Park: Across the street to the east of A, B, and C’s houses. Playground, soccer field.
Timeline
No matter the length of your manuscript, a timeline of events will help your editor check for consistency and flow. For a novel, break your timeline down by chapter. Indicate how much time has passed and the major event of each chapter. You can also track point-of-view shifts and the location of the action. For a short story, list major events in chronological order.
What this might look like:
Alex and Barb move into the neighborhood.
Barb joins the soccer team that plays in the park across the street.
Barb loses her soccer ball over Chester’s fence.
Research summary
This won’t apply to all manuscripts, but for those that have required research to write, be sure to offer your editor a summary of the research and a list of sources. For example, if you’ve researched that the bicycle was invented in 1817, make sure your hero could really have access to a bicycle in 1818 when the story takes place, then give your editor the evidence so that they don’t have to fact check it. Or if you’ve researched the topography of Mars for your science fiction novel, send your editor a list of facts and sources that are relevant to your story. Some facts are simple for an editor to check with a quick internet search. Others are not. Give your editor a head start and save them some time.
When in Doubt, Ask!
If you have any doubts about what items are useful for your editor to have, ask! A good editor is there to help your writing be the best it can be, and they should be communicative about what you can do to help the process along.
Reading about Reading, Writing, and Editing
I’m building up my collection of books about reading, writing, and editing. I would love recommendations for other books that fellow readers, writers, and editors!
These are the books I have so far. Give me recommendations in the comments.
Writing a History—Decide What to Include
One of the biggest dilemmas of the personal or family history writer is deciding what to include, what to gloss over, and what to leave out entirely. This can be a sensitive issue, especially if there are differing opinions within the family. Here is my basic advice on how to handle sensitive information:
Write it all down first.
Write your story in its entirety. Include everything. This draft is for your eyes only, so don’t worry about offending anyone while you write this. Writing your story down will help you understand exactly what story you want to tell. You can weed out problem areas later on.
Think about your audience.
Are you writing this just for your own family to read? Will it be published online or in print? These are important considerations before you move on to revising. The fact of the matter is, whatever you write could be read more widely than you intend.
Also consider the impact that omitting certain information would have on the narrative. Make sure that your reader isn’t going to feel like they’re missing something. For example, if it’s important to your story to mention that your Great-Uncle Joe had a drinking problem, then make sure you include it! That doesn’t mean you have to go into great detail about all of Uncle Joe’s indiscretions. If you’re unsure how to sensitively mention something, consult your editor.
Know the legal ramifications.
If you’re writing anything that could be considered defamatory or libelous, tread very carefully. If the person you’re writing about is deceased, you can write just about anything you want to about them. But consider possible ramifications if that person’s family were to read what you’ve written. Sometimes the best course is to change identifying details to avoid harm, or only refer to certain people by their initials. This must be taken on a case-by-case basis.
When it comes to writing anything that could be damaging for a living person, it’s best to consult an attorney to help protect yourself from lawsuits. Do not publish something that could damage a person’s reputation or livelihood without a legal consultation!
Consider the value.
Once you’ve made sure that you’re protected from a legal standpoint, consider the value of the information you are considering publishing. Some sensitive information about your forebears (such as health information, spiritual experiences, criminal histories) could be valuable to family members now or in the future. But publishing sensitive information that doesn’t have a direct impact on your personal or family story may not be as useful.
When in doubt, consult your editor.
Professional editors generally have experience and resources to help you in these matters. Often, an impartial set of eyes will be enough to help you make a decision regarding the sensitive material. For particularly complex issues, consider consulting an editor who specializes in sensitivity reading!
Prepare Your Manuscript for Editing
As you prepare your manuscript for editing, there are a few things to keep in mind. As every manuscript is different, the need for these items will vary depending on the project.
Make copies of original sources for your editor to check. This should include anything that you would cite—both direct quotations and paraphrases. Be sure to include all the bibliographic information you have. Remember: it’s always better to cite the original source if you can! Your editor’s job is to make sure you’ve handled these items correctly so that you can avoid violating Fair Use Law. Your editor will also ensure that your reference sheet is complete and formatted consistently.
Procure permissions from outside sources. It’s important to play it safe and ask for permission before referencing someone else’s work. When in doubt about whether or not you need it, ask for permission! Most editors will include a clause in their contract indicating that it is the author’s responsibility to avoid plagiarism and get necessary permissions. Many things will qualify as “fair use,” and can be used without written permission, but there are several factors that come into play in determining what qualifies. You can find more information about Fair Use Law on the U.S. Copyright Office website.
Create a style sheet, glossary, or timeline for your editor. Most editors work with a style sheet. This is a document the editor uses to keep track of all editorial decisions made during the edit. An author can start their own style sheet, glossary, or timeline to pass on to the editor to speed up the process. A style sheet can include any editorial decisions you’ve already made, such as unique spellings, colloquialisms used, and stylistic preferences. Make sure any glossary or spelling list is organized alphabetically. This can be especially helpful in memoirs, personal histories, and fiction, where there will often be personal names used and place names referenced. A timeline should include any dates referenced within the text in chronological order. Include a brief description of relevant information for each date. If the author can provide this information in advance, the editor won’t have to spend time fact-checking each one.
Save a copy of everything. Your editor will probably do the same. Make sure you have a copy of all your original material in a safe place. If something should go wrong, you will be glad to have a backup!
Where to Begin
If you’re looking to begin writing your own history, the first thing to know is that there is no wrong way to do it. The important part is to begin. You don’t have to start with your birth and end with today. Start anywhere you like and organize it later on. Look online for prompts to get the memories flowing. Here are a few links to help you get started:
This Is Me Challenge: This is an older blog, but it is a great resource for prompts. There is also a section with information on starting a history for your kids as well.
FamilySearch Blog: On the FamilySearch Blog, look for “52 Stories.” This includes prompts for each week of the year to help you write about different aspects of your life. There is also a list called “52 Stories for Families,” to help you write the story of your family.
Writing Through Life: For more in-depth writing advice on writing a memoir or history, check out this site. It has a wealth of information about how to turn memories into stories that others will enjoy reading.
A personal history could become an endless project, as every day there is more to add. Instead of being discouraged by the project, try to embrace and celebrate any progress you make. Something is better than nothing. Break it into parts. And when you come to the end of a section, hire an editor to help you with clarity and consistency. It’s worth it because every life story is worth reading. Editing can help make yours more readable. Future generations will thank you!
Get started.
Then get help.
Reading Aloud Can Help
How often do you read aloud? As an adult, it’s probably not very often, unless you have small children like mine, who want to hear Go, Dog, Go every day. This type of reading isn’t very intellectually stimulating, but apparently it’s good for our brains anyway. An interesting article by Sophie Hardach was posted this week on BBC Future. It highlights several reasons to start reading aloud regularly. (Read the article in full here.) Reading aloud helps you process and remember what you’ve read, but there are other benefits as well.
When you’re writing or editing a piece, reading it aloud is an important step in the process. It’s common for writers to know what they’re trying to say, so when they read silently, they tend to fill in the blanks with what they expect to read. Slowing down and reading a text aloud will highlight missing or added words, awkward phrasing, typos, and incomplete or run-on sentences.
Reading the text aloud will help you see the mistake you might otherwise miss. Mistakenly repeated words are commonly found on line or page breaks, as shown in this example.
So next time you’re finishing a draft, take the time to read it aloud. You might be surprised by what you find.