Book Review: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King

Even though it has actually been a year and a half, it seems like only yesterday that I started writing my chick-lit novel. Gathering my inspiration from a walk on San Francisco's Ocean Beach, what started out as a string of random sentences in the style of stream of consciousness, my book has now morphed into a 55,000-word baby, and I haven't even gotten to the good part yet. In the meantime, my foray into writing has spawned yet another creation, a 40,000-word (so far) coming of age novella told by a precocious teenager in the 1970s. I've been working on the two stories in tandem, time permitting. I have a life which includes a couple of businesses and a family. It's an exhausting labor of love, but keeps me away from the mall.

In the last year or so, I've found invaluable resources online. It's true: you can find just about everything on the Internet. I've joined private and public writing groups and subscribed to e-mail lists from published authors. My favorite bookmarks now include writing and agent web sites. The resultant feedback I've received has been constructive and has opened my eyes with regard to they way novels are produced these days.

Someone in one of my online writing groups suggested that I read the book Self-Editing for Fiction Writers - How to Edit Yourself into Print by Renni Browne and Dave King. This weekend, I finally found the time to open the book, and now that I have, I am feeling a mixture of dread and inadequacy. I can see I've got a tough row to hoe if I want to see either of my books into print.

It's been more than a few years since my college days, but most of the information in the book is based on common rules of English grammar, with some helpful tips as to why the successful novels are written the way they are. Browne and King are knowledgeable independent editors with a wealth of knowledge to share. The chapters are easy enough to read, with plenty of examples as to how to take something good and make it better. There is a checklist at the end of each one reinforcing the main points, with questions given to the writer to ponder. For those with the time, there are specific exercises at the end of each chapter.

Although it's a small book, Self-Editing for Fiction Writers is a comprehensive reference guide. Browne and King do an excellent job of covering all the bases, and there are chapters on character development, point of view, monologue, dialogue mechanics (an area where I need work), voice, and sophistication. I learned a lot. Who would have thought that using "as" or "-ing" is a bad thing? Or that the use of too many italics or exclamation marks is a no-no?

The hard part, of course, is for the novelist to take these good ideas and use them to improve upon their work. For writers, our words become our creations and thus our babies, and speaking from experience, it is difficult to let go. For example, I tend to write exactly how I speak. My in-person speech is punctuated with descriptors like adverbs (the dreaded "-ly" words) and I tend to write that way as well. For me to edit my work and minimize the adverbs will be difficult. My heart thinks they need to be there, even as my head is telling me to strip them from the book.

My "babies" have taken a unique shape, but there is always room for improvement. I'm not totally deflated, but I now realize that self-editing is yet another necessary layer to writing process. Writers have to edit for their editors. Unfortunately, self-editing will result in a delay of my estimated completion date, but it's necessary if I want my work to look polished and professional.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers is a fine tutorial, especially for those who cannot or do not have access to writing classes or writing groups.