Some sites have a program by which people volunteer to perform the editing at no charge. The editors do it as a hobby, like we write stories as a hobby. They like to be part of the creative process but don't believe they have the creativity (or whatever) to create their own work. But, by doing the editing they can be part of it.
I have an editor who prefers to remain anonymous. He does the grammar, spelling and punctuation and I also request his input on areas in which I am unsure, such as a story I wrote not long ago in third person-present tense. He also lets me know when something is unclear or doesn't come across well, such as the connotation of a word or phrase. sometimes I take his advice, other times I keep my original text, many times I scrap it and address it a different way.
If this site grows it could develop a similar program. At this time it appears that nearly all the members are also authors. That is why I don't edit very often. It would be difficult to delve into other author's concepts and then try to develop my own without the two meshing. I would never plagiarize another author's work, but it is impossible when an idea sticks in your head to identify exactly where it came from.
I have done some editing for beginning authors and it was good at times and at others the "editees" took corrections personally. Authors should realize that the talent to create and develop literary ideas does not always go hand-in-hand with the ability to express them within the confines of grammatical rules. Yet, if one desires to create a good piece of work, that linking up is necessary.
If you have a choice between using a large word and a small word, use the small word. If you have a choice between using a large word and several small words use the large word if it has fewer syllables than all of the small words.
Shorten the sentences whenever possible by dividing them. When you use "and" you can often begin a new sentence. When you use "but" you can often begin a new sentence beginning with, "Nevertheless."
This is a wonderful thread. It is somewhat depressing to me though because it puts a nice pinhole in my ego and makes me realize just how technically poor a writer I really am.
Maybe I should have just tried jigsaw puzzles...
These were the 7 sins that annoy me most, but I've opened the topic up to any more suggestions. Feel free to add more to it, Martini.
“Many people hear voices when no one is there. Some of them are called mad and are shut up in rooms where they stare at the walls all day. Others are called writers and they do pretty much the same thing.”
Lack of subject-verb-object agreement is one of my pet peeves.
Dear Yasmin!
I read all 7 sins, and I confess to at least half of them. As for adding new ones, see, we have a saying "your own poop does not stink", meaning that the Pride will hide your wrongs from you, and you will only be able to see OTHER people's sins clearly. So, my pride is firmly on guard of all my wrongdoings. But i know i'm far from perfect.
Anyway, what i want to say is i can clearly see that you are so passionate about teaching! Your energeti personality transpires through the lines of this article (as i combine all 7 posts in my head). One precious thing is you really want to share what you know, and you do it in the most exceptional way. Thank you for taking this profound an brilliant approach to the stuff that happens to all of us writers!
I'm jubilant that you posted this.. it is a superb and brilliant effort at effort at helping us feeble and conservative authors.. now I'm ravenous..
I always made it a habit to never use very, really, and totally in my writing at all. Maybe in dialogue if that is the way the character talks, but not for description.
