Self-Editing for Fiction Writers (Renni Browne and Dave King)

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers
Renni Browne and Dave King
Collins
Nonfiction, Writing
****+ (Good/Great)

DESCRIPTION: Writing a story can feel like losing oneself in a vast forest. After following many dead-end paths, being distracted by birds and shiny rocks, and avoiding abundant sticker bushes, wasps' nests, and other obstacles, one finally stumbles upon a trail to where one wants to go. The story becomes the map of the author's progress... but the end result can be messy and confusing, not to mention full of sticker thorns. The cleaner the story, the more likely it'll engage readers (and even attract a publisher.) Thus, the necessary - if often painful and tedious - process of editing must begin.
In today's fast-paced, quick-return publishing industry, however, it's a rare editor who spends much (if any) time helping new authors present their strongest, best work. The wise author will therefore attempt to clean their own manuscript up before submission... but where to start? What makes one story shine in the slagheap of the slush pile? How can stilted dialog and awkward exposition become crisp and fresh? What separates a clever turn of phrase from a painful cliche? How can an author even recognize their own weaknesses to begin with? This book, written by professionals in the field, offers tips and strategies for editing stories.

REVIEW: Most of the writing books I own focus on the act of creation. Editing, as the authors point out here, is a whole 'nother beast, and should be treated as such. They highlight many pitfalls, large and small, that tend to weaken manuscripts and irritate the reading public - even if some top authors are inexplicably prone to them. (There are exceptions to every rule, after all... moreso if one generates seven-figure-plus sales.) Examples of each problem are offered, as are potential solutions. Each chapter ends with a checklist of points to remember and editing exercises for the reader, some of which come from popular works. I almost clipped it another half-mark due to the cartoons included with several chapters: rather than highlight the subject at hand, I found them only vaguely humorous at best and just plain pointless at worst. The captions were also difficult to read. That aside, it made for thought-provoking reading; I expect it to come in much handier once I have a finished draft of a story to use it on.