Welcome to the Blogging A to Z Challenge, where, this month, I'll be focusing on all things writing. This may be a random jumping around of topics within my theme, but hopefully something somewhere will be useful to someone. (V is for vague - see that last sentence.) Check out all the participants here . Now, lets get on with today's letter.
L is for Line Edit
We covered the Developmental Edit last week. What we're talking about today is the step between the Dev edit and Proofreading / Copy Edit. The Line edit will focus on tone, language, sentences and paragraphs and word choices among other things. It will not focus on typos.
Things a line edit will focus on:
Word usage:
overused words - just / suddenly / like / and many other common offenders
clarity - Is the meaning of the sentence clear? Is it clear who is speaking?
repeated words - using the same words in nearby sentences
Sentence and Paragraph structure:
avoiding repeated structures - which can make reading very boring
openings - making sure the lines don't all start with the same word or phrasing
length - avoiding run-ons or too many short sentences which can create a staccato effect.
Dialogue:
does it feel natural?
is it in character?
Tone of the story:
is it consistent throughout?
Action:
is it clear and easy to follow?
Pacing:
do areas move too fast or too slow?
Tightening:
are there wasted words?
can adverbs be switched out for better verbs?
can anything be removed that doesn't impact the story?
are there any areas where information is repeated or rephrased that can be removed?
A good line edit will put the final polish on a story and then all that's left is to hunt down those pesky typos and check punctuation.
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Trying to avoid overused words and to avoid sounded repetitive is one thing I have been looking out for a lot.
ReplyDeleteThose are both easy things to fall into as a writer.
DeleteHi Jean - this is a comprehensive list ... I try and catch my problem words in my posts - but not sure I always do ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteYour post are pretty darn clean. :) You do a good job.
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