Written by Martin Wiles As writers, we aim for powerful writing. And as editors, we want to help other writers realize dynamic writing as well. But how? A simple pyramid will help. Every day, I read sentences that lack zing—ones I’ve written or edited for other writers. I appeal to my vocabulary, the built-in thesaurus […]
Written by Ken Walker Growing up, roller coasters were my favorite amusement park ride. I especially remember one at Chicago’s now-defunct Riverview Park. As we finished, my father chuckled; apparently, my 10-year-old eyes had widened like saucers as I grabbed the car’s rails. But fear didn’t create the reaction that sparked Dad’s laughter: I was […]
Written by Megan Ryan Many of my favorite novels are those about books, writing, or writers. I wrote the blog post “Some of My Favorite Novels About Books” last year, but there are so many good choices that I am back with more of my top picks. Atlas of Untold Stories by Sara Brunsvold Christian […]
Written by Martin Wiles Computer class. I was the teacher assigning my students exercises to complete. The trouble? Other middle school and high school classes used the same computers. On those computers existed the files of all computer students, past and present, leaving the files open to tampering. And some of my students had tampered. […]
Basic Word Macros for New Editors Written by Zoey Lackie If you’re anything like me, when you first started editing you thought the term “macros” referred to protein, carbs, and fat. Though they share the same name, I can assure you that editing macros share no relation to macro nutrients. I’m going to share with […]
Written by Martin Wiles Let’s face it—not all of us have the luxury or opportunity to write or edit full-time. I’m one. Five days each week, I teach writing, grammar, and editing skills to almost one hundred rambunctious, less-than-focused, head-in-the-clouds middle schoolers, most of whom would rather be elsewhere. Over the past decade, I cannot […]
Written by Megan Ryan If you are a writer planning to self-publish your book, you probably know you need an editor to help. But do you know what kind of editing your book needs and in what order? It can be confusing if you are new to the publishing world. Knowing the types of editing […]
Written by Zoey Lackie When you’re just starting out as a freelancer, getting your first client is a thrilling experience. I remember when I first received an email from someone looking for an editor. While this story starts off strong, it went downhill rather quickly. Through this onboarding process, I learned three tips to help […]
Written by Martin Wiles Voices are as different as the people who use them. But it’s not all about the audible. Chances are, we’ve never heard the voices of many authors we read, especially if we love the classics. But not all my favorite authors are dead. I have an author friend who lives in […]
Written by Ken Walker Recently, a colleague asked if I could send her another copy of a story I had written; she had lost hers in a computer crash. When I sent it, I wrote, “Ouch; that sounds like a nightmare (times three).” Her experience reminded me of similar fear-inducing scenarios I lived through after […]
