editing | ericaellisedits

Perfection versus Excellence: Why there might still be errors in your book after an edit

You’ve written a book and can’t wait to share it with readers. But you realize the importance of having another set of eyes on it, so you...

Information Overload: Where to look for (and remove) info dumping in your novel

When you write a novel, there is a lot of information you have to give your readers. They need to learn about your characters, your...

Goodbye, Darling!: What to cut from your novel so that every word counts

I’m sure you’ve all heard the advice: kill your darlings, cut ruthlessly, make every word count. We all know that we’re supposed to...

Nip and Tuck: How you can help bring down the cost of editing your book

Hang out on any writing-related website, and you’ll see authors discussing the cost of editing. While plenty of these authors feel the...

Not a Moment Too Soon: When is the best time for a developmental edit?

A developmental edit is an edit that focuses on story-level concerns such as plot, pacing, character development, and point of view....

Smoking without a Filter: How Filter Words are Taking the Fire Out of Your Writing

“She watched as the man pulled a knife from his jacket pocket. She knew that if she didn’t get away now, in the next minute, it would be...

Don't Be a One-Draft Wonder

“I'm writing a first draft and reminding myself that I'm simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles.” ― Shannon...

Come Down From that Tree (and write YOUR book)

Einstein has been quoted as saying, “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its...

Back to the ... Present: The potential pitfalls of using flashbacks

It's Not (Only) about You: Writing a memoir that unites the universal and the particular

Inside Out: Using internal and external conflict to create a compelling story

Write What You Know: You Don't Need to Be An Alien to Write Science Fiction

A Hot Mess: Why you shouldn’t expect your first draft to be a work of art

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da: Writing Lessons from Songwriting

Perfection versus Excellence: Why there might still be errors in your book after an edit

Information Overload: Where to look for (and remove) info dumping in your novel

You’re Such a Know-It-All: Things to consider when writing in third-person omniscient point of view

Getting Someplace while Going Nowhere: Two lessons about writing that I learned from stationary swim

Erica Ellis