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Thread: Ask the Editor Day

Yoshie said How does one become an Editor and What advice would you offer? Would you change anything if given the chance? Click to expand... Hello Yoshie, Thank you for your question. It actually varies from publisher to publisher. Some require a degree, some require experience. With Breathless Press, we understand that someone who has a degree may not necessarily be able to spot showing versus telling or head hopping like they can that misplaced semi-colon. Therefore we simply administer a test to evaluate your skills if you e-mail us requesting one. Once we review your test, we can see if you pass and whether you'd be better as a content editor, or a line editor. The best advice I can give to those who want to be editors is two-fold. First, know the market and terms. A perfect example is being able to spot head hopping. Or a POV departure. Or showing versus telling. Working as an editor for a publishing company has some very specific expectations, but they aren't that hard to look up or figure out once you know what you are looking for. My second part of advice is DON'T rewrite the story for an author. Many authors are very sensitive of their work and if you go in there complete rearranging sentences, they will become angry and feel like their voice is being smothered. Leave a comment telling them what's wrong Passive voice, Comma Splice, Run On Sentence. If you have a really good idea as to how it should be written, leave them a comment suggesting how to fix it which gives them the freedom to rewrite it in their own words. Example She blushed I would leave a comment on the sentence saying Telling. Suggest Her face prickled and heat laced through her cheeks. As for what I would change? Hmmm, I'd have to say I'm quite happy as is being an editor. As a writer, I wish I'd known more about showing versus telling and how to convey emotion in my first few books.
Thread: Ask the Editor Day

Question What is the difference between a Writer and an Editor? Question 2 Can a Writer be hisher own Editor? Question Is it a good thing to have your friends Edit anything that you write? Question 4 How does one have confidence to place their writings online... or how do you take criticizes from other people or other writers?
Thread: Ask the Editor Day

Yoshie said Question What is the difference between a Writer and an Editor? Question 2 Can a Writer be hisher own Editor? Question Is it a good thing to have your friends Edit anything that you write? Question 4 How does one have confidence to place their writings online... or how do you take criticizes from other people or other writers? Click to expand... Wow, some more great questions. I'll see if I can answer them all well enough to satisfy you. 1. A writer is the creative force that makes the book or article. They design and then put to paper the book they made up. An editor is merely a polish for the writer's gem. 2. A writer can edit their own work to a point, but like anything we get close to, we tend to overlook errors. Also, if all writer's edited their own work in the publishing world, I'd be out of a job! 3. Yes and no. It's great because you can bounce ideas off your friends and they help build confidence. However, unless your friends are professional writers as well, you run the risk of two major issues going wrong. A They tell you everything you write is completely awesome and needs no changes because, let's face it, they are your friends and that's what friends do and B They don't know the writing world and so have no idea how to point out POV departures, head hopping, showing versus telling, etc. In this instance, I highly recommend finding crit groups or a crit partner to give an outside look at your story. 4. I'll step out of editor mode and put my author hat on for a minute. Want to know a secret? I'm scared to freaking death every time I hear someone is reading something of mine. Yeah, I'm published, but that doesn't keep me from fearing people will hate and rip apart my work. The trick is to test the waters by working with a crit groupbuddy a few times. Learn to let the criticism roll off your shoulders. Learn that they aren't attacking you or your work. They are trying to help by showing your weakness so you can strengthen it. I hope all this helps!
Thread: Ask the Editor Day

I've a writer's question. How does one break themselves of repetitive writing habits? I tend to abuse but's badly sorry for the pun not really. I was going to do this and that, but the other thing got in the way.
Thread: Ask the Editor Day

Crescent said I've a writer's question. How does one break themselves of repetitive writing habits? I tend to abuse but's badly sorry for the pun not really. I was going to do this and that, but the other thing got in the way. Click to expand... Hello Crescent! The first step is something you've already done recognizing your habit. For me, it's using repeating words. Now, the second step is to write it how it comes without trying to avoid your writing habit. I'm sure you're looking at me funny right now, BUT hear me out. When we struggle to fight our habits, we tend to cause that irritating thing called writers block. Wouldn't you rather write something you can fix than nothing at all? Exactly, that's it in a nutshell. It's not very hard to do a find check for your but. You can always go back and finish those sentences instead of agonizing over them right that second. As you do this, your mind will learn the new patterns, the new ways to say things. I'll use your example I was going to do wash the dishes and take out the trash, but kids got in the way. can easily be changed to I had every intention of washing dishes and taking out the trash. Unfortunately, the kids decided to go into tornado mode and between yelling and fruitless tidying, I never got around to my original to-do list. Doing this will not only retrain your mind, but will also help strengthen your story. I hope this helps!
Thread: Ask the Editor Day

Excellent. Thanks for the advice. It definitely sounds worthy of a try. More reviewing and rewriting will certainly do me well.
Thread: Ask the Editor Day

Question How do I keep from repeating She, Her, Winry, all the time... Like every sentence begins with Her or She... and it sickens me.
Thread: Ask the Editor Day

Yoshie said Question How do I keep from repeating She, Her, Winry, all the time... Like every sentence begins with Her or She... and it sickens me. Click to expand... Hello Yoshie, Truth be told, the answer is very similar to the one I just gave Crescent about redundant word use. However, I will add one more thing. Often, when I point this out to my authors, it can easily be fixed by trying harder to show versus tell. He went to the store this morning. He picked up milk, eggs, and sausage. He was planning to make breakfast and surprise her with it. We got everything we need from that, right? He went to the store, yadda yadda yadda. But isn't that rather bland? Now let's try showing Malaki snuck out the door quietly and headed to the store. Visions of her pleased expression swirled in his mind as he plotted the breakfast he wanted to surprise her with. I'll need milk, eggs, and sausage for an omelet. See, doesn't that make all the difference in the world? So, step 1 Write without censoring yourself. Step 2 Go back and search for your bad habit, then ask youself, How can I expand on this? How can I make it less tell, more show? Hope this helps!
Thread: Ask the Editor Day

How do you get a readers attention when writing? I mean, have you ever read a book that completely engulfs you and you become captivated? I would like to do that in my Role-Plays. I want people to actually want to role-play with me. I would like to not get boring if you know what I mean. I have developed my character so, I would like to use her to the best of my ability.
Thread: Ask the Editor Day

Yoshie said How do you get a readers attention when writing? I mean, have you ever read a book that completely engulfs you and you become captivated? I would like to do that in my Role-Plays. I want people to actually want to role-play with me. I would like to not get boring if you know what I mean. I have developed my character so, I would like to use her to the best of my ability. Click to expand... I understand completely, and as a writer, that is one of the hardest things to do. The biggest key is to get your reader emotionally invested in whatever you are writing about. If you've developed your character, then treat her like a real person. Her backstory, her thoughts, her emotions have to be identifiable. We have to want to root for her and therefore stick with you. I hate to beat a dead horse but showing versus telling plays a big part here. Example Her heart thudded in her chest as she watched her boyfriend kiss her sister. --That tells us what we need to know, but it's emotionally distant. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she watched the scene unfold before her. The world seemed to go into slow motion, and every second ticked by at the pace of an hour. She squeezed her eyes shut to block out the image of her boyfriend as he passionately kissed her sister. Despite her attempt, the picture remained clear, as if burned into the backs of her eyelids. See all that description? Don't you feel her pain? Don't you want to know how she deals with it next? Or find out why the hell he would cheat on her? Forcing your readers to emotionally invest is a fantastic way to get them hooked and wanting more. Another great way to help bring it out and connect us is to use internal dialogue. We can find out a great deal from a character if we can hear their thoughts. Especially if their thoughts help deepen a situation and allow it to be so much more complex. I'll use an example from one of my own books. Zeara scowled as she sat staring at her boss, Arnold. The office lights reflected off his balding head, and she fought the smirk as she imagined him as a manic version of Mr. Clean. Humor would have to be her best friend if she wanted to get through this without killing anyone. Worst Saturday ever! I think this is the one time in my life Im mad our offices are open on a Saturday. At least, with most jobs, I could have had the weekend to adjust to the fact Im in a do or die situation. Her scowl deepened until it made her face ache. I don't care if you don't want to go. When a special investigation unit asks for our help, we send our best. You were selected for this before I ever got the call because they asked for you specifically. Arnold crossed his arms over his broad chest and met her glare with one of his own. How would you feel if I told you I was already aware of that? Or the fact that I know the special unit is a complete farce as far as you're concerned? I hope this helps!
Thread: Monster Island (Hapto x 49_place_holder) [gender-transformation, monster-girl, story]

Wednesday the Fth, HGL Days Under Dear diary, Forge notes showed substantial improvement in coke oven's daily output stable temp. BD bars, yield D.C kilos coke to .J litres coal tar in G.A hours. Now have enough to begin heating the blast furnace - as soon as Tena remembers the final kilo of clay! Side note yesterday asked for more iron ore in order to replace Tenas spare pick again but she scuttled back G hours later with BA kilos of gold ore slung over her thorax. Seriously? Firstly, there is no use for gold and secondly I clearly requested iron! Am unable to grasp her lack of comprehension when she has not only ears, but also antennae. Does she get the signals crossed? Writing again after forced relaxation . G minutes breathing every C seconds, eye closed, listening to the air, the roaring furnaces, the flowing cavern below, the hiss of steam in the pipes above and the patient silence of these endless stone walls. Air, fire, water, and always earth. Three years since mother abandoned me, and still reciting the elements seems comforting. Needlessly sentimental I know. I also know I lose productivity complaining about Tena. After all, how well can an Ant and a Cylcops ever get on? Well enough to build or more aptly to dig a home for ourselves hear beneath the 'Dread Mountain.' And without her, I am certain I would not be alive. I tried looking outside again today - steam door worked perfectly again, a tonne of stone rolling aside to reveal - light. So much light, everywhere, shining, blinding, burning. When Tena returned to my forgeroom with her second load, she pretended not to notice how my white skin was burned pink, or how I was still squinting to try and even make out the anvil. But her antenna drooped, as they always do when she worries about me. She's so precious. I just wish I could - writing quick, Tena yelling, a monster found the door! New monster, sounds different, intelligent, injured, moaning for help - Tena insists, going, write later, Love, Elid
Thread: Monster Island (Hapto x 49_place_holder) [gender-transformation, monster-girl, story]

RE Monster Island Hapto x 49placeholder gender-transformation monster-girl story A loud, wet hiss blasts his face. The shock makes him recoil as much as the sound and heat, his eyes blinking until they can make out the steam hissing out of the cracks around the moving door. A double take confirms - it is moving, the giant, two meter wide slab of stone sliding slowly to one side. He hears other sounds, coming from within the stone walls, clanking, grinding, the sound of gears turning, immense eights descending, and always steam hissing loudly, as before him the stone slab rolls all the way out of the way, revealing two things. The first is two rows of black, oiled, metal cylinders, indented into the floor where the slab had been, still rolling slightly. The second is the way ahead a corridor of stone, perfectly square, shrinking into the dark distance before him. With a final clank, the mechanical sounds all stop, the hissing dying out to nothing, leaving him staring at the empty, silent corridor.
Thread: Monster Island (Hapto x 49_place_holder) [gender-transformation, monster-girl, story]

RE Monster Island Hapto x 49placeholder gender-transformation monster-girl story The sudden blast of steam forced the human back in pain. Emen was groaning from the sensation of it forced on his eyes, and after a few seconds and momentary blinking, he felt he was ready to continue. The noises he heard the entire time the door was unfolding sounded rather familiar, like cogs of a clock tower. The rhythmical grinding of gears was something Emen did not expect. He stared down to see the cylinders built into the stone floors, still in perpetual motion from the looks of it. He expected something with simple hinges, or an electrically revolving door of sorts. This is, strangely elaborate, if not a bit primitive. Emen whispered to himself, taking his first step inside the stone passage. It was dark, and he couldn't see a light source, but this door was here for a reason. Emen deducted someone had to build it, so it must lead somewhere, and the fact it only opened when he shouted and battered the door reasoned that someone was here, and aware of his presence. Now however, Emen tried to resign to stealth, taking quite steps as he went deeper and deeper into the mountain. He was not sure what he could hope to accomplish, but whatever was in here, Emen hoped he would find it before it found him.
Thread: Monster Island (Hapto x 49_place_holder) [gender-transformation, monster-girl, story]

RE Monster Island Hapto x 49placeholder gender-transformation monster-girl story He quietly stalks forwards, eyes checking the darkness ahead for movement. He can't see any light sources within the corridor, or much else of the corridor itself, the bright, square-framed light of the sun behind him making the shadows ahead nearly solid black by contrast. But still he stares into them, hoping to see something before it sees him. Suddenly he does see movement, right in front of him, his feet springing him back and his eyes darting to make it out a shadow, cast in the square shaft of light from behind him. His own shadow. He almost laughs. He was literally jumping at his own shadow. His smile begins to fall, as he sees another shadow above his own, the shape of two hands reaching just forward into the far edge of the shadow. With the sharp contrast of the light and his fixed stare, he can clearly see the black silhouettes of fingers curling into the light, followed by hands and arms reaching into the shadow towards his feet, before retreating to grab onto the edge of the light, and hold it. The hands seem to push, and the shape of a head is eased past the edge of the light, followed a bit too soon by a pair of legs, unfolding into the light. Followed by another pair, and another - six, distinctly spider-like legs unfolding to grip into the edge of the light. Or rather the shadows of six, real legs gripping onto the roof behind him. He hears them, the quiet creaking of insect joints, the slight rasping of what he imagines to be claws gripping into the stone, as he sees what he imagines to be a spider's fangs extending out of the head he now knows to be behind his. He sees the shadow's arms raise, holding what looks like a weight on a pole, the arms silently bringing the weapons back, ready to strike.
Thread: Monster Island (Hapto x 49_place_holder) [gender-transformation, monster-girl, story]

RE Monster Island Hapto x 49placeholder gender-transformation monster-girl story It would take around twenty minutes for the human's eyes to begin to adapt to these abysmal, pitch black tunnels. He didn't even get to walk two minutes before almost bolting outside at the sight of his own shadow. Emen let out another nervous laugh, similar to before. Gonna go mad in this cave in no time. The human was about to resume his descent into darkness when his perceptions noticed something else in the shadows. It wasn't him, and it seemed to be growing. Emen could make out fingers, then arms, then a pair of unnaturally thin legs, and then more legs than Emen would want to count. 'Spider? Large, giant, spider?' His mind concluded, before seeing the shadow's pair of arms produce some kind of object. It was thin, possibly a polearm. Emen ceased deducing and started running when the shadow raised it's arms, poised to strike. He was sure that the horror behind him had an intent to kill. Fight or flight instincts overcame him. He wasn't sure if he could outrun the thing , but Emen was going to try, rather than stay back and die a horrible death. He abandoned all notions of stealth, running down the stone halls, further and further away from the light. There were two things Emen concluded while running. Whatever it was, it was covered in chitin and knew how to use tools. Giant intelligent monster spiders came to mind, and that thought encouraged him to pick up the pace. It's okay! He told himself between deep breaths, trying to keep up a steady pace. It's okay, just have to keep, keep going, further, into the... Emen trailed off, realizing he likely went deeper into the creature's home. He didn't realize how utterly blind he would be in these tunnels, the human wasn't trying to remember any turns he would make or anything. His estimated chances fell the more he thought about it. The monster had an exoskeletal structure and he was naked. Emen did not like his odds when it cornered him, or the bloody scene he had in his mind. No, not when , if . If it finds me. That mode of thinking doesn't help.
Thread: Monster Island (Hapto x 49_place_holder) [gender-transformation, monster-girl, story]

RE Monster Island Hapto x 49placeholder gender-transformation monster-girl story Between his frantic pace and the growing pitch black, he sees it nearly too late. In fact it's only his heightened fear, making him recoil from movement, that slows him down before he meets the onrushing wall. What should have been a head-splitting blow becomes only a full-body impact into solid stone, combining with his frantic breaths to utterly wind him as he scrambles to try and stand again. It takes forever for him to try and figure out where anything is there's barely any light any more, the sunlight from the far off entrance now less a square and more a hopeless prick of light, only the utter straightness of the corridor letting it even reach him here, barely tracing the stone corners around him. The corridor had ended - no, not ended, his mind stopping his panic just in time - but splitting into a T. Both ways lead into darkness, one slanting slight down, one slightly up, though it takes him a few moments to realize that this the angles are caused by the corridors and not his splitting head. But one way, the way up, has a slight, red glow coming from a little way along. Whether the glow looks warm and inviting, or dark and ominous, he has little time to decide. He starts to hear things above his own wheezing breath and ringing head. The now familiar hissing of steam in the walls, a distant, rhythmic ringing of metal on metal, coming from the direction of the red glow. A scurrying in the roof, drawing closer, stopping a few meters above him, where his eyes can just make out a square of blacker darkness in the roof. A hole, out of which two, black hands curl their fingers to touch the roof.
Thread: Monster Island (Hapto x 49_place_holder) [gender-transformation, monster-girl, story]

RE Monster Island Hapto x 49placeholder gender-transformation monster-girl story The second time he hit his head today, Emen let his frustrations out much more clearly. Damnit! No, still gotta, gotta go... The impact sent him to the ground, and the human scrambled to stand back up, his heavy breathing was deafening compared to his footsteps. Athletics was something the man did not practice regularly, and he was tiring out quick. Emen was naturally attracted to the beacon upstairs. 'Upstairs? No, wait.' , the impact was still influencing him. After a second of staring at the two, and feeling the stone to double check, he knew this was simply a fork in the road. One dark, one bright, and the mechanical noises from the source of light was enticing. It told him of a promise of technology, compared to possibly finding nothing but black and dead in the other passage. His idle thinking would be the death of him. Emen heard odd noises in the ceiling, almost like scraping, but he couldn't place him. Reality hit once he could make out a pair of hands emerging from where the crawling ended. The stalker was back, likely using a side path of sorts. That encouraged him more than enough to choose his path, and Emen bolted towards the source of the light.