Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King: A Review
A Helpful Review of a Helpful Book
This book's conversational and friendly tone make it accessible and easy to understand. The authors explain every term they use and make their points with humor. In explaining the dangers of naming specific brands for characterization, they say "when all your characters glance at their Rolexes, then hop into their Maseratis to tear out to their house in the Hamptons, where they change out of their Armanis and pour themselves a Glenlivet - you've gone too far. (p. 179)"
The authors include piles of examples, both good and bad, from real books of all kinds. One of the exercises is about editing the -ly words out of a part of The Great Gatsby. They include detailed analyses of what works and does not work in the passages they include. They also quote critics' articles to prove that real people notice the issues they cover in the book. The effect is that of a solid argument.
Helpful checklists at the end of every chapter provide a quick reference and summary. If you were editing a frustrating passage of dialogue, you could turn to the end of "Dialogue Mechanics" or "See How It Sounds" to get a quick reminder of the pertinent points without having to read the whole thing over again.
The exercises included in every chapter are helpful and engaging. If you work through them as you read the book, their lessons will sink in and you will understand even better what the authors are talking about. Even if you neglect the exercises, you can still gain a lot from Self Editing for Fiction Writers.
I will keep coming back to this book again and again. If you want to be a professional writer, you need Self Editing for Fiction Writers, by Renni Browne and Dave King. Get the second edition. There's even more great information in it. This book really does help you "edit yourself into print."
Quotes taken from Self Editing for Fiction Writers, second edition. It should be available wherever books are sold, and definitely is available on Amazon.com.
Published by Patricia Ash
Patricia Ash is an up-and-coming writer. She writes plays, novels, children's books, and poetry. View profile
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