BanterByBuffy Shop opens

I have three collections in my BanterByBuffy shop. You will find these graphics on everything from clothing to household items to glassware. I hope you enjoy shopping!

Make Me Care collection



Climax collection

Grammar Rules collection 

 WIP collection

Cliffhanger collection

How I edit my reporters' stories

Yesterday, I promised a post about how I edit my reporters’ stories. Every editor is different but this process has worked well for me.

 First, I read through the entire story. I look at the big picture. Did he talk to enough sources? The right sources? Is the story structured in a way that makes sense? Is it fair? Accurate? Are all sides represented? Are key voices heard? Are the voices reflective of the community we live it?

I often describe this as looking at the story through a wide angle lens. As I continue to go over the story time and time again, my focus narrows.

Eliminating redundancies

Here's are some redundancies. Can you edit to eliminate?

1. drink up
2. any and all
3. cost the sum of
4. end up
5. if and when
6. back home
7. new record
8. seldom ever
9. 12 midnight
10. beat out

How well did you do? 


More on redundancies

Chip Scanlan offers revision tips

Some people hate revision. Me? I love it. I love everything about it. Finding a more perfect word. Tightening. Strengthening the verbs. I love taking a not-so-bad piece and making it better.

On Thursday, I watched a Newsu.org webinar led by writing coach Chip Scanlan. I love this dude. Very down to earth. Anyhow, here are some of his tips. I think they apply to fiction writers as well as journalists.

1. Your first draft is going to suck. That's just the way it is. Chip says it's OK if it sucks. You can write badly because you're going to write well.

2. Read your story out loud. If you don't have a person to read it to you, use text-to-speech technology. If you do have a partner, let them read it and you mark up the hard copy with changes you need to make.

3. Use the "find and replace" key to search for all the "ly" adverbs and make your verbs stronger, more active.

4. Watch "to be" verbs. Instead of "was strolling" say "strolled."

5. Become the reader. Often when you allow some distance from your work you will see things you didn't as the writer.

6.  Learn by studying what other people write. Notice how they construct sentences, what works and doesn't work. Learn from their mistakes and apply these lessons to your own work.

7. Embrace revision. It's an important step in the writing process and one that shouldn't be rushed.

8. Never give up. Ever.