BY NANCY KAY CLARK
CommuterLit editor & publisher
I’M PREPARING copy for workshops and blog posts concerning editing and rewriting, and it occurs to me I should ask the CommuterLit community about what they most would like help with — narrative and character arcs, pacing, themes, plotting, structure, setting, voice, point of view (big picture, developmental editing), or paragraph and sentence construction, and word selections to enhance pacing, narrative arcs, setting, theme, and tone (line editing). We’ll leave off copy-editing and proofing for now. Though I think writers need knowledge of both, it is always best to give those tasks to a third party as even the best of us never see our own typos.
What part of the rewriting process trips you up and why? Leave a comment below and let me know.
Four Days Left to Submit to our Scary Story Contest
You have four days to enter your short story in our Halloween Week 2023 scary story contest. The submission deadline is end of day EDT Monday, Oct. 23. 4,000 word maximum. The best five scary, horror or Halloween-themed stories submitted will be posted during the week of Oct. 30 – Nov. 3, 2023.
The first-place winner will receive a cash prize of CA$100. The second-place winner will receive a cash prize of CA$50. The three runners-up will receive cash prizes of CA$25 each. Prizes will be paid via PayPal.
There is a small entry fee of CA$3.00, which goes towards the financial stability of the project.
Submit your entries via our Halloween Week 2023 Portal on Submittable.
Looking for a Fall read?
Check out our Book Store page, listing titles all written by contributors, as well as one by the editor.
Re your recent request for feedback: I’m particularly interested in words selection and pacing.
Thank you for asking.
One thing I’m working on is the “slow reveal” process in a story. When I’m revising, I want to identify the best places to foreshadow and sprinkle subtle clues in the narrative so the ending is surprising but inevitable. I don’t want to give too much away too soon, and yet don’t want my reader to get frustrated with not enough info (even tho it might not be the right info).
Hi Nancy
I am writing a sequel, but bogged down with the research. Topics such as alternative medicine, coroner reports and autopsies, PI investigative techniques, etc. Can’t plot without more clarity. This could take some time. Google hasn’t been as helpful as I hoped and I do not have a traditional publishing team. Any developmental suggestions are welcome. Thanks