Self-Editing & Revision Tips

> Shorten really loooong sentences.  > Make verbs stronger. As a general rule, "to be" verbs are weak: am, are, is, was, were, etc. Examples of strong verbs: argue, demand, coach, recommend, presume, tackle, break, sang, grow . . . > Eliminate unnecessary words. Example: He squinted his eyes as he looked up into the sky. Ask yourself: What can be taken out of this sentence? Answer: First, what else but his eyes would he squint? Second, we all know the sky is up, why state that? Sentence rework: He squinted as he looked into the sky. > Remove extra backstory and too much explanation. Starting with a lot of backstory dulls the impact of your novel. Have faith in your readers--they do not need every minute detail to understand the story. > Show, don't tell. "Telling" versus "showing" is automatically seen as a beginner mistake.Example: John was nervous as he asked Susan to go out on the date. Ask yourself: How can I show John's nervousness? Rewrite to show nervousness versus telling: John's face turned a brilliant shade of red as he approached Susan. His voice quivered, "Can I take you to dinner on Saturday?" For more tips, preview Self-Editing & Revision: Straightforward Tips to Significantly Improve Your Writing >