3 P's of Editing: Presentation, Professionalism, Practice

I tried to sum up my thoughts on editing in three words and I came up with: Present, Professionalism, Practice. I like to list things in threes, which is possibly from an underlying compulsion to have a pattern, but in regards to editing I think it sums it up nicely. And when it comes to the daunting job of editing...anything helps! First, presentation, meaning the look of my work. I find it is important that when I submit work to publishers I not only have my font, spacing, headers, etc in a professional manner, but I also have my grammar and spelling presentable. Nothing sends a shiver down my spine more than finding a large flashing spelling mistake on something I've submitted. In today's age with spell check there's no excuse for it. Even worse is when it's a word I've spelled correctly but used in the wrong context...ugh. I've heard stories of publishers that stop reading when they see terrible grammar and spelling and as much as I'd like to think my story will win them over, if there are obvious mistakes in the beginning they most likely will quit reading. All that hard work getting something ready to submit will be gone. This is like a resume for a dream job - you want to make the best first impression. Nothing is worse than losing out on a technicality. The second is professionalism. If I want to be considered a serious writer, whether I am published or not, than an important aspect of the craft is grammar and spelling. Sure there are a number of other things like pacing, arc, character development, and more, but the simple technicalities of writing are spelling and grammar. Simon is correct, reading my own work out loud has caught a number of mistakes I skim past while reading. I usually use one or two test readers on my work now, and they catch a lot of things, but when I've read through afterward I usually find more. The first time a writer told me he revised a manuscript up to twenty times I was floored. I still struggle with the monotony of it, but make myself do it. I am getting better. The third is practice. If I want to continue on and become a serious writer, editing and revising is something I have to keep trying. It's like anything, the more you do it the better you get. I can tell I've gotten better over the last year, now I not only catch my spelling and grammar mistakes quicker, but I also find other areas to edit: dialogue, show don't tell, etc. I found some of these things nearly impossible to learn, and was advised at a workshop to keep at it. A few months ago something clicked and now editing aspects of writing is starting to make more sense to me. The importance of practice has become a learning tool in its own to make me a better writer and will one day show in my writing that I have moved past the beginner and emerging stages into a more advanced level. When it comes to editing and revising I've learned that there is so much more than just spelling and grammar. As I keep practice and get better at it my writing will only get better. I will always make mistakes, but hopefully they get less and less over time. Melanie

#AmReading: Red Carpet Day Job by Tasha Cotter

Today I am reviewing "Red Carpet Day Job" by Tasha Cotter, from BookFish Books. A real page turning romance novel, the reader can't help but fall for Sophie and her quick wit. I especially commend her for leaving a lackadaisical relationship (too many of us go-getters get stuck in those) to focus on her career, though she does get sucked into a new romance soon after. But what girl can avoid a movie stars hunky looks and charms. Ahhh western world problems. It's a great read that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a quick escape. I almost got so caught up in the romance I thought it might be Valentine's, but alas I was just engorging in left over Easter chocolates (sigh).
I asked Tasha to share with us some of her tips on writing and she gave us a great article for those interested in mastering the art of words:
Subscribe to the Journals and Magazines You Admire
Tasha Cotter
Perhaps one of the best things you can do for your writing life (and writing career) is read what’s currently being published. Even after graduating with an MFA I couldn’t help but feel like I’d only scratched the surface in the amount of reading I really wanted (and needed) to do. But browsing the New York Times bestsellers at your local bookstore will only take you so far. That’s where literary journals come in.
If you’re interested in publishing literary fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, what better way to learn about publishing rather than visiting your nearest bookstore and taking a look at their row of literary magazines? Do some reading and see what appeals to you. Journals tend to have different aesthetics, so what appeals to an editor for one journal may not be a good fit with another. Get in the habit of immersing yourself in the literary culture. That being said, subscribing to literary journals and magazines you admire can teach you what kinds of stories and poems are being written. Oftentimes, it’s reading some new, interesting short story or essay that unlocks a door in my own creative work and energizes a plot.
Though this advice may seem especially geared to writers of fiction and nonfiction, I think it’s useful to poets as well. As writers we have to be open to influence. We have to always be taking note of ideas and new ways of seeing the world around us, so it’s important to not be too narrow in our interests. As writers we are always on the lookout for writing that causes us to have that moment of recognition, or epiphany. You know that feeling—it’s intimately tied to what drove you toward becoming a writer all along, I bet. In my own experience, it’s been those odd hours spent in the library stacks, browsing books that I stumbled upon that have stayed with me the most. I sought out what I was interested in (Marguerite Duras, Sylvia Plath, Ezra Pound, F. Scott Fitzgerald), but I always ended up side-tracked by some entirely different subject that managed to completely captivate me (Astrophotography, Charlotte Salomon’s art, Dadaism, Marcel Duchamp, Robert Doisneau’s photography). All I’m saying is, be open to new work and how it can inform and transform what you were after all along.
I read literary journals and magazines to be inspired and to learn more about the literary landscape in general. I like to see what’s being done. More than anything else, I read for the same reasons I was always drawn to writing and reading: I love being surprised and that old feeling of recognizing some part of me in something else. That’s what truly great art is, I think, a way of making something universal shiny and new again. Literary journals tend to publish emerging artists, but they also sometimes publish writers who have become household names. Reading these journals and subscribing to them is a way to support the literary community and find your own literary tribe. Trust me – it’s out there.
Tasha Cotter was gracious enough to give us a sneak peek excerpt to share with you lovely readers:
Excerpt Red Carpet Day Job Tasha Cotter BookFish Books LLC.
We sat in comfortable silence, lost in our own thoughts. The splash of the water in the fountain echoed off of the buildings around us. The steady hum of traffic and the occasional toot of a horn in the distance added its own music to the night. It was beautiful. Tiny fairy lights that had been strung on the trees sparkled against the skyscraper backdrop.
Nick looked so sexy, so at ease, sitting beside me. I fished out my phone and snapped a picture of him. He arched a brow.
“I just wanted something to remember this moment by,” I shrugged.
“How about a better picture then?”
I thumbed open the photo gallery, and clicked on the picture I’d just taken. “Nope. This one’s perfect.” And it was. He looked relaxed, comfortable. Not posed or stiff as he often looked in movie posters.
“Well, I think I should have one of you too, then. Smile, Sophie.”
I faced him, a genuine smile curving my lips. It had been so long since I’d felt this happy—too long. And it had also been too long since I’d visited this place. It used to be my favorite place in the city. When had I stopped coming?
“Penny for your thoughts.”
“I was just thinking how much I love it here.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering on my pulse point. “I usually don’t, but tonight I do. Must be the company I’m keeping.” He picked up my hand and squeezed gently. “Tell me something more.”
“I used to dream of living here in the Big Apple, doing my dream job―a talent agent to the stars.” I leaned my head on his shoulder. “I pictured what it would be like.”
“And what did you see?” He pressed a kiss to my temple.
“It looked a lot like this, right now. Sitting under the stars, happy at the end of the day.” I peeked up at him. “I’ll never think of Union Square the same again. It’ll always be special, because of you.”
He pointed at the fountain. “You know, a very famous couple once jumped in there?”
“Really? Who?”
Nick got up and walked toward the fountain. “Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald. They were the stars of their day, you know. The King and Queen of New York. They did it just for the hell of it. Isn’t that incredible?”
“It is. But I don’t believe you.” I lingered on the bench for a moment, enjoying the night, and then followed him to the edge of the fountain.
Nick crossed his heart. “It’s the truth. I swear.”
“I don’t know. It sounds like you’re making it up.”
“Maybe I should push you in. Create our own moment so some future couple can argue about it. It could be like that scene from The Princess Diaries 2.”
“Maybe you should. But, if I were reenacting that scene, I’d do it a bit differently.”
“Oh, yeah? What would you do?”
I grinned and set my hands on his shoulders. “This.”
I shoved him backward, and he bumped into the low edge of the fountain. He reached for me, but I danced away. He lost his balance and fell into the fountain with a loud splash.
He stood, water streaming over him. His almost-transparent shirt revealed a six-pack that most guys would kill for. Heat rushed over my skin, burning away the chill of the night air.
“You do realize you’re going to pay for that, right?”
“Yeah. I certainly hope I do.”
Buy your copy here.

Tasha Cotter is the author of That Bird Your Heart (Finishing Line Press) and Some Churches (Gold Wake Press). A graduate of the University of Kentucky and the Bluegrass Writers Studio, her work has appeared in or is forthcoming in NANO Fiction, Verse Daily, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. You can find her online at www.tashacotter.com or on twitter @TashCotter.
Find other great books from BookFish Books here.

#AmReading: The Rule of 3 by Eric Walters

I've started this review off backwards...with a photo before the review. Why? Because that's what this book is all about: how backwards polite society can become with the downfall of technology.
In the 90's we were all concerned about Y2K. What would happen when the clocks clicked from 11:59pm to 12:00am January 1, 2000? Would the computers stop working? Would society fall? I pictured people climbing rooftops with their cult-cocktails and signs for end of the world. When the time came, what happened you ask? Nothing. Life went on. The world went on. Obviously -- most of you were born (possibly a result of too much Y2K cuddling between your parents).
Then the year 2000 came. We worried in that decade about PANDEMICS. There was the avian flu, SARS, and swine flue (aka H1N1), to name just a few. People wore medical masks in public. Health workers could get infected and die. People died. Panic spread like wildfire. It was Y2K all over again, but instead of computers, we were afraid of each other.
The last 5 years have been overtaken by ZOMBIES. Definitely a concern if you live near a cemetery, or any overpopulated city. Perhaps this was a carry over of our pandemic concerns. Personally, this is one of my favourites.
So what do these have to do with Eric Walters's novel "The Rule of 3"? Simply put, it's the next sensation: SURVIVALISM. Everything is gone: cell phones, computers, electricity, internet (yikes I hear teens screaming all over the country). What was it? A solar flare? Warfare? Aliens? Most likely the first, but you don't actually get to find out in Book 1. Instead you get informed on awesome survival ideas, like the first steps to take to protect your neighbourhood, how important it is to stock up on chlorine (I will have to remember to raid my mother's hot tub stash), and how to manage an unruly group of dissidents.
Though this novel is written for young adults, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and feel it is even appropriate for middle grade. It's the kind of novel a reluctant reader would enjoy, with it's fast paced descriptions and smooth flowing scenes. The end of the book even provides us with important items to keep in a bag for emergencies, as well as a list of school discussion questions. Oh, if I was a teacher I would have so much fun with this as a book project!
I enjoyed reading "The Rule of 3" and would recommend it to anyone as an excellent starter novel to learn about how to prepare for a global emergency.
Over and out. -- Melanie

#AmReading: Empty Cup by Suzanne Costigan

Raaaven. I can still hear Cole calling out to the protagonist, Raven, with his flirty mock, even thought I finished reading the book, "Empty Cup" late last night. He's a best friend of Raven's since childhood, and in the end he wins my heart.
Suzanne Costigan's novel, "Empty Cup" is a story about a young girl in grade twelve who goes through a number of difficult struggles. For fiction, topics like rape, abuse, and drugs aren't always easy to write about in an appropriate way for a teen market, but Costigan does it well. I read chapter one on Amazon, and had to immediately order the book. I couldn't wait to see what happened next. The novel arrived yesterday, late afternoon, and I couldn't put it down. Each chapter pulled me along, not because I was tricked with dramatic plot, but rather because I was constantly rooting for Raven.
I'm impressed by Canadian Authors who can use our northern locations for settings in their fiction, and still keep the writing mainstream. Costigan does a great job with this, making "Empty Cup" a novel easily read by a wide market. Though the subject matter is challenging, the novel isn't dragged down with it. Instead, its focus aims at Raven herself, and how her choices, though not always good ones, don't have to affect her future.
I look forward to reading more from Suzanne Costigan in the future.

Ode to Newbie Writers

When I decided to take writing seriously over one year ago I had no idea where to start. I had a completed manuscript (rough draft), and idea for a new book, and a deep desire to get published.
I didn't know where to go from there, so I did what most new writers do, and sought out other writer's to give me advise. The only thing was how did I find other writer's in my community? Moose Jaw had a great reputation for producing writers, but there wasn't a public directory to look them up and reach out to them. So I did the best thing I could think of...I joined the Sask Writer's Guild.
But where did I go from there? The next workshop available wasn't until May, and this was February 2014. So went online, like most other tech-savvy 30-somethings like me, and I googled it. The advice out there on the big bad inter-web was o-v-e-r-w-h-e-l-m-i-n-g. And yes, just as irritating as it is to read the world spelled out. There was so much information, I found myself back at the beginning with the question: Where do I start?
So I began to develop my writer's platform, which every agent and publisher talked about. Being a Facebook user, I easily developed my author page. From there I joined Twitter, which practically took me the entire year to understand its purpose, but purpose it does have. I found that the local market in Saskatchewan loved Facebook, and the further away one got (into the larger centers and beyond, used Twitter). A combination of the two was a great idea. Some sites mentioned blogs, but I still had no idea how start one of those, so instead, I aimed at creating my
The year continued with me taking classes on writing, hiring editors to help me with my manuscript, and even completing two new projects, one of which was accepted for publication by Month9Books (Fall 2016). I joined an established writing group, and started one of my own. I reached out to other authors and didn't try to sell my manuscript to them or ask for help, but asked for their advice as a writer in Saskatchewan (workshops, retreats, etc.). I learned and grew as a writer in 2014, and have continued that into 2015 where I signed up for the University of Calgary's Creative Writing Certificate and scheduled more writing workshops, retreats, and conferences for the upcoming year.
I don't let anything stop me from getting better, because no matter how good my idea is, if I can't communicate it the right way to the right people, it's not going to get anywhere.
So what's my advice in a nutshell?
1. Finish your manuscript. No one can help you do this except yourself.
2. Always write. I make myself write every day, whether its 15 minutes or 3+ hours. There's no excuses: I have 2 young children in activities,a full-time job in the business industry, and I still make time to write. I carry a notebook that I scribble in, I go on the computer and add paragraphs or pages to works-in-progress. I have 15 manuscripts on the go at any one time, simply due to a lack of time to get them completed. I am always writing.
3. If you hit a block, join a writing group. Heck, don't wait for a writer's block, just go find a group and join it. Don't have one in your area? Start one. When I started Moose Jaw Night Writers it was just an idea. So I reached out to a member of another writing group in Moose Jaw and told her I wanted to start an evening group (because theirs was in the morning during the work week). Now, only 8 months in, our numbers have almost quadrupled. But even if there's only 2 of you, its a great idea to have someone who's not your parent or spouse to provide feedback. Plus, I've got a lot of great ideas from our 10 minute free write we do at the beginning of every meeting.
4. Join your local writer's guild. I hear from lots of people that they don't see much value in this. I find they are talking financial value - and if you look at writing in a measure of financial value you will be disappointed. Join the guild to get access to higher levels of workshops, a wider community of writers, and information on programming, contests, and publication. I have never been disappointed in my membership and will continue to renew it every year.
5. Reach out to other writers. Not so they can tell you if your manuscript or book idea is good or bad - that's not their job and trust me they are busy enough writing their own stuff and working in their writing group. Reach out to them for tips on what they've learned over the years. The "Do's" and "Do Not's." Trust me, little tips are valuable.
I know what's it like to be a new writer. It's overwhelming, and if you're like me you want to tell everyone about your book ideas, and you talk until their eyes glaze over. Fear not, you will settle in your career as a write, and as time passes you will get better. Never stop writing.

#AmReading: Dance, Gladys, Dance by Cassie Stocks AND Friends With Boys by Faith Erin Hicks

Oh, Frieda Zweig! You might think Gladys is your kindred spirit, but you are mine. When I read Cassie Stock's novel, Dance, Gladys, Dance, I was swept into Frieda's life, and did not put the book down for two days. Alright, not two days straight, but two days straight of all of my free time between work, children, bathing, and eating (yes, I will take time to bathe even during the best reads). It made me laugh, it made me mad, and heck, it made me want to sell everything and find an incredibly cheap room for rent from a quirky, yet lovable, older man (shh, don't tell my husband).
It's not often I stray from my usual, teenage, angst-driven, dystopian reads. Yes, I am a full-fledged adult of thirty-odd years (later half not the first ). I can't help myself, rarely do I read adult novels, finding most dripping with too much descriptive text, irony, symbolism, and other things I skip over, turn the page past, or choose to ignore (I chose to leave my university exam cramming days long behind me). In fact, I fully embrace the new era of New Adult books to bridge the gap!
So, is Dance, Gladys, Dance lacking of these great Canadian literary traits? Absolutely not. They're just woven together in all the right places, making the read incredibly enjoyable in each and every way.
I was fortunate enough to meet Cassie at the 2014 Festival of Words in Moose Jaw, where she signed my copy. I took a writing workshop from her there and can delightfully say she is not a big "W". She is down to earth, approachable, and pleasant, and my only regret was not being able to attend the rest of the festival or chat her up during her stay.
Write on, Cassie Stocks! Can't wait to read your next novel.
p.s. Loved your snoring piece in Reader's Digest.

The next author I met at the 2014 Festival of Words was Faith Erin Hicks, a fantastic Canadian comic book artist. Faith taught us a little about comic book drawing (did you know they sketch with a blue pencil and then draw with black ink over top of that because blue won't scan - so cool). When I took her my copy of "Friends With Boys," to sign, we chatted a little. I asked when book 2 will come out, which could include more about the ghost. Faith giggled, and advised me the ghost is a metaphor. Oh dear, here I go skipping blindly past the literary parts...again (I guess I need to review some of my own work a little closer). But yes, I did get understand the purpose of the ghost - but why can't a metaphor continue on in a series! I mean, who makes these strict metaphor rules, stating who can and can't be, because I'm telling you, I LOVED this graphic novel, and can't wait to read more of Faith Erin Hicks works!
p.s. Also check out Superhero Girl - a great read for all ages!
Melanie McFarlane, author of "The Descendants and the Missing Guardian" Proud Saskatchewanian www.melaniemcfarlane.com

Writing is Alive in Saskatchewan!

In July I was asked to do a survey for my local writing guild. The last question was something to the effect of “Give your reason to the government why it is important to continue to support writing programs in Sask” (not verbatim). I wrote a simple answer, generic in the sense that it was cut out of what I would expect….writing is important to develop….etc, etc, boring, boring.

Later that night I attended a “Performer’s Cafe,” put on by Festival of Words in Moose Jaw, where local artists perform in a small coffee shop through an open mic format. Half way through the readings I realized why our government should continue to support writing programs:

1. Because writing inspires. I mean it. I really do. Writing inspires an amazing number of things. I heard songs that made me laugh and want to hear more. I heard poems that made me think about things in other ways I hadn’t thought of. I heard stories that turned the mundane into an experience. In a world that needs innovation, the dreamer will be king and all dreamers need to be inspired.

2. Because writing helps. It helps the lonely person realize they can relate to others. It helps the happy person spread their joy. It helps the person who has overcome their obstacles share them with others so that they can see it's possible to overcome theirs. I learned about the monotonous life of a busy farm wife, and truly cared about her. I heard a poem about growing old and how life can begin at any age. I heard from 2 amazing teens about overcoming insecurities, opinions of others, and finding themselves. I was inspired to get past any of my own struggles by seeing their strength in their writing. I was able to relate with all of them on different levels.

3. Because writing connects. Even the saddest of writing brought applause. It was applause for a person’s bravery to speak out to a room full of strangers. It was applause for a person’s willingness to open themselves up to the rawness that makes them who they are. It was applause for all that could be and would be written here, then, and now. The joy of people connecting together and bonding the ties of community.

This is what writing does. I witnessed it in person. It inspires ideas, innovation, and progress. It helps heal and strengthen a community. It connects people together, bonding an entire province as one. Why would a government take these things away from a province that is as strong, innovative, and community minded as our own. Without things that bring us joy we are nothing more than lost souls, drudging through each day until the end.

So pull up a chair, pour a drink, and join me in celebrating of all that is amazing and wondrous in writing. I am here to celebrate writing in all forms in Saskatchewan and beyond.

Melanie McFarlane, Author