Customer Reviews

Self-Editing For Fiction Writers

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

However, I give it 4 stars for the slight "cover blurb vs actual content" problem. In short, if you already have a copy of this book, the second edition is not dramatically different. One of the chapters has been moved to earlier in the book and the checklist questions at the end of chapters are pretty much the same. If you have the earlier edition, I don't recommend buying the second one. If you DON'T have this book at all, then you definitely should.

Parts of this book left me confused. The authors say that you should not use thinker attributes such as he thought, he wondered, or he told himself. They make much of this point and give exercises for eliminating these phrases. But I read all the stories in the Pushcart 2001 and noticed that in almost every story the authors often used he thought, he wondered, and other such thinker attributes. In every novel I've picked up recenlty, best seller sort, sci-fi, or literary realism, I see all the authors using he thought and he wondered to refer to the thoughts of their characters. Perhaps the authors of Self-Editing meant to say that these thinker attributes should not be over used. Bu to me they came across as saying that you should almost never use them.

Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea violates almost every concept that Self-Editing mentions, and it's a masterpiece. Hemingway uses thinker attributes in just about every paragraph of the sections that present the old man's struggle with the fish and sharks.

Some explanations on point of view are flat out wrong. The authors oversimplfy point of view such much that what they say is beyond useless; it's just incorrect. They say that omniscient POV is when you're outside all the minds of the characters. It's really just the oppoiste. Omniscient narrartors are all seeing and all knowing; they see inside the heads of all characters.

The points about repetion, dialogue, and beats are good though.

No one writes the way the authors of Self-Editing describe good writing, except in short stretches.

I don't recommned the book. The authors seem convincing because of their statures as editors, but they seem to have a personal agenda of steering writers to their unique conceptions of what good writing should be like rather than making writers aware of what good writing actually is, as practiced by established writers.

Read, follow the checklists, and complete the exercises included with each chapter. Check your versions in the Answers to Exercises section of the book. Applying the techniques within this book will help you write, not just for publication, but something that is memorable.

"Authors who sell well are almost always certain to go to the highest bidder, and publishers can't reasonably afford to develop an author for a competing house." (Browne, King) The business of publishing changed, and those great editors who supported their clients and helped create stellar books are gone. The business is about making money. Therefore, "self editing is probably the only kind of editing your manuscript will ever get."

Chapter 1: Show and Tell. The difference is 'to tell' is to describe what happened through a narrative summary, while 'to show' is to experience what happens. With the use of cartoon sketches, the concept is clearly revealed. Yet, pacing is important and you accomplish this by slowing the scene with narrative summary, or descriptions.

Chapter 2: Characterization and Exposition. "A lot of readers seem to feel they have to give their readers a clear understanding of a new character before they can get on with their story." This stops the story. Each character is psychoanalyzed and physical details are listed. It may not seem like a list, but it is. "When you define your characters the minute you introduce them, you may be setting boundary lines..." rather than letting your characters grow.

Chapter 3: Point of View. Many times a switch in POV is subtle, but it changes the perspective and makes it hard for readers to relate to the characters in the scene, story, or book. The first person POV is limiting, yet it is an excellent exercise because you can only know what "I" experience. The omniscient POV is informative, and narrative summary is an aspect. In using the third person POV, which is the compromise between the two, it is imperative to stay in one person's mind for the entire sequence, or no interior monologues by multiple characters.

Chapter 4: Dialogue Mechanics. "If the dialogue doesn't work, the manuscript gets bounced." Many writers hate to use said, but it is transparent and does not require the reader to interpret the author's expression, which has taken the reader into the writer's head and away from what the characters say.

Chapter 5: See How It Sounds. "The creation of character voice ... is one of the most ... challenging acts you can create as a writer." Why? Every individual is different, each has their own voice, and so must your characters. In addition, the dialogue has to be meaningful. An inane conversation does not move the story forward, it is boring, and it stops the story. Listen to your dialogue aloud. Would you say it?

Chapter 6: Interior Monologue. Thoughts are constant, they interrupt our conversations by taking our attention elsewhere. We live different lives in our own minds, so do your characters, it is emotion and perception that makes them real, and interior monologue is the technique.

Chapter 7: Easy Beats. This is rhythm. A waltz is playing, what do you see? It is the Tennessee Waltz, your images change. Patti Page is not singing the song, a reggae band is. Each change creates a different feeling because each type of music has its own beat or connection. Scenes, words, dialogue, and events pace your story. "Beats enable your readers to picture the action in a scene."

Chapter 8: Breaking Up is Easy To Do. Frequent paragraphs can add tension just as a rapid-fire talk show host does. Readers' eyes move down the page more quickly, which adds momentum. However, maintaining this pace will wear you out, there will be no sudden surprise. Slowing the pace lulls the reader, provides intimacy, and creates suspense. Both are needed.

Chapter 9: Once is Usually Enough. Repeating words, phrases, descriptions, and effects are boring. When a reader knows that a map is missing in chapter one, they still know it in chapter five, they know it until it has been found. "When you try to accomplish the same effect twice, the weaker attempt is likely to undermine the power of the stronger one."

Chapter 10: Proportion. The setup in chapter one must be resolved in the climax, but if another event becomes more important, then the impact of the problem resolution is lost. If the object is to find the missing map, then a duel in a romantic liaison cannot take half the book; the proportion is off; that single event becomes more important than the premise itself.

Chapter 11: Sophistication. This contains a very good description of "the hack's favorite construction." Take care in using -ing words or linking events with as.

Chapter 12: Voice. "A strong, distinctive, authoritative writing voice is something most fiction writes want -- and something no editor or teacher can impart." It is individual, it belongs to you, and to each character you create. They are different; make sure your interior and exterior dialogue for each character is theirs.

Five stars. I recommend two books to writers, this is one of them.

Victoria Tarrani

I've been using Self-Editing for Fiction Writers for the past few years and find it invaluable. I have even recommended it to two writers' groups in Edmonton, Alberta, plus numerous authors.

Although there are some tips/suggestions that I may not agree with (such as using 'said' virtually exclusively), I use each chapter as a checklist when editing my work. I find the chapters on Point of View (POV), dialogue, interior monologue and beats most useful and easy to understand.

Along with explanations and examples, there are short exercises you can do to help improve your writing and editing. I would suggest writers remember some of these suggestions are based on preference while others follow basic writing rules.

If you are a fiction writer--whether short stories or novel--I highly recommend this book by Renni Browne and Dave King. You won't be disappointed!

Cheryl Kaye Tardif
[.....]

I ask that all of our fiction writers buy a copy of this book. Enough said!

Eric Bollinger
Publisher
McKenna Publishing Group
Publisher of "Two Dozen Lessons From An Editor" by Jim Woods

Self-Editing For Fiction Writers was recommended to me by another author -- aren't they all? (G) It's the kind of book I would have devoured when I was first starting out, but when I read it just recently I learned and relearned a lot about the nuts and bolts of writing. Author Stephanie Bond claims to reread this book at least once a year, and I think that's an excellent suggestion.

Great, but I offer a caveat: don't let it paralyze you. You have to have a bit of confidence in your writing to read this book, as you will undoubtedly find many things in it that you do which these editors say is a no no. But I find that if I follow their advice slavishly, it sort of takes away the uniqueness of individual writing. But it is great advice, though I don't necessarily agree with their statements on attribution--i.e., that he said, she said is the absolutely only way to attribute a speaker's words. Their statement that "said" is as transparent as punctuation is highly illogical, because I certainly get tired of seeing it after awhile. However, many of their other comments are right on target, and you will feel yourself smarting afterward. My advice--skim it before you read, write your work, and THEN give this book a good rereading, eliminating the bad habits that you missed from your text. Don't dwell, though, and trust your instincts if you disagree.

After finishing the first draft of your first novel (congratulations, by the way), 'Self-Editing for Fiction Writers' serves as an excellent resource to help new writers polish their writing and get it closer a professional-grade manuscript.

Bypassing the most basic editing functions like fixing spelling, grammar and sentence structure, 'Self-Editing' focuses on practical issues and common errors to get rid of those literary devices that mark the traits of an amateur writer and to radically improve their narrative styling so that the story at the core of the novel is raised to its greatest potential.

It's written in a very straightforward style that is neither academic nor overtly casual. The rules presented are never imposed on the reader, but are instead provide a guide to improve one's fiction writing.

The overarching principal is for the author's words to be transparent, letting the story come through and immersing the reader in the world the writer's created instead of being distracted by the various foibles that could derail the experience.

It shouldn't be the only book you consult when getting help with your first few novels or short stories, but I would definitely recommend it among the top ten references you should have on hand for its practical advice. If you follow its principals, it's fairly certain that your manuscript will be, at the very least, drastically improved.

Great book, great advice.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne & Dave King is an excellent editing book that isn't at all boring. At the end of each chapter, there's a check list for quick consultation or to see if you understood the main points. And after that, there are questions to see if you can fix the problems that that chapter pointed out, none of which I did, but they seemed helpful. Their answers were in the back of the book.

"As you read, be on the lookout for places where you are tempted to change the wording. Give in to this temptation whenever you can." (112)

Each chapter is divided into the small sections that help you learn with examples from other works or novels in between every few points. There were hints on how to read your work and notice certain details to help you improve in that aspect and make you aware of your own writing. The following are the chapters in the book and some points I learned. Of course the entire chapter covers much more than what I state below:

1. Show and Tell: Rather than saying the word explicitly, sometimes when you show the character doing a certain action, the point is made clear. Thus, needless explanations aren't needed. "Rather than telling your readers that your hero's car is an old broken-down wreck, you can show him twisting two bare wires together to turn on the headlights or driving through a puddle and being sprayed from the holes in the floor." (18)

2. Characterization and Exposition: "What information (technical details, characters' past histories, backgrounds on locations or families) do your readers need in order to understand your story? At what point in the story do they need to know it?" (37)

3. Point of View: If you want intimacy, use first person. If you use the third person point of view, then don't make it confusing by going through each of the characters' minds in the same scene without having a space in between.

4. Proportion: "Are the details you give the ones your viewpoint character would notice?" (80)

5. Dialogue Mechanics: Do not explain your dialogue, it'll annoy readers. Such as if your dialogue portrays annoyance, don't say `she said, annoyed.' But if your dialogue doesn't portray the annoyance well enough, then change it so it does.

6. See How It Works: Read your dialogue aloud and see if it sounds realistic.

7. Interior Monologue: Don't use interior monologue for things that should be told.

8. Easy Beats: Between quotes, characters move around or do something, these actions are called beats. Don't interrupt the dialogue with too many actions. Usually readers just need a few beats to involve them in the scene. And don't use clichés.

9. Breaking Up Is Easy to Do: Changing the number of paragraphs in the scene might heighten the suspense. Make sure there aren't paragraphs that are more than half a page long.

10. Once Is Usually Enough: Don't repeat the same thing again and again in different words or the same. The more times the same thing is repeated, the weaker the effect is.

11. Sophistication: Stay away from verbs ending in -ing and phrases with `as'. Also, limit -ly adverbs and don't italicise many verbs.

12. Voice: Reread your story and look for lines that you like, and also look out for lines that "make you wince or seem to fall flat..." (229)

I have a love-hate relationship with this book. It is very useful in editing, others and your own writing, but there is one main thing I hate about this book.

As I have read other books (including HARRY POTTER, classics such as THE THREE MUSKETEERS) I have noticed that whoever worked on those books plainly did not read SELF-EDITING FOR FICTION WRITERS. They break all the rules of the book. And if some of the best books break the rules, why should everyone else follow those rules? It bugs me, because I've read and loved those books, and now I don't get to enjoy them as much because I see what's wrong about them. But I never noticied it before.

So if these things need to be followed to get published, why are there so many books out there that don't follow them?

On the other hand, a lot of things in this book are relavent and are useful when editing and writing, and for those that can forgive the above mentioned problem, it's a great book.