Just Do It: False Starts, Late Deaths, and Appearances by John Robert Marlow
PUSSYFOOTING AROUND
There are several things wrong with this sentence: “Frank was visibly upset when he
started to cross what appeared to be a street.” Strictly speaking, there may be nothing
grammatically incorrect here. Stylistically, though, it’s a …

Blah, Blah, Blah: Overdescription, Exposition, and Stage Direction by John Robert Marlow
THE BLAHS
Have you ever attended a lecture, or sat in a classroom, or watched a video where the speaker droned endlessly on about what should have been an interesting topic? After a while, the eyes and …

Coming to a Bad End: Rabbit-Hats, Cliffbangers, and Other Cheats by John Robert Marlow
Few things in life are worse than a bad story. One of them is a good story with a bad ending. At least with the bad story, it’s pretty clear what you’re dealing with, …

Snucking Threw the Poring Reign: Mechanical Errors in Writing (Part Two) by John Robert Marlow
As mentioned in Part One, writing mechanics are dull, but essential—like checking the oil and brake fluid when you’d rather be cruising down the coast. You can’t do one without keeping an eye …

Snucking Threw the Poring Reign: Mechanical Errors in Writing (Part One) by John Robert Marlow
“Mechanical errors” have to do with the nuts and bolts of writing. If concept is your flashy car, plot the engine, characters the driver and passengers—then story mechanics are the fasteners holding your …

Hey, Look at Me! Intrusive, Chatty, and Explanatory Writing by John Robert Marlow
Authors have a single, overriding function: to connect reader and story. At our best, we immerse the reader so thoroughly in the world of our story that the “real” world disappears and, for a time, …

Is Your Book a Movie? A Crash Course in Book-to-Screen Adaptation by John Robert Marlow
Is your book a movie? Should it be? How do you get here from there—and what’s in it
for you? Fasten your seatbelt, and let’s rip through this…
THE AWFUL TRUTH
Let’s face it: being an …

Repeat Offenders: Why Repetition is Bad Bad Bad by John Robert Marlow
PETE & REPETE
There’s an old joke that goes like this:
“Pete and Repete sat on a fence. Pete fell off. Who was left?”
“Repete”
“Pete and Repete sat on a fence. Pete fell off. Who was left…?”
The joke …

Bouncing Eyeballs and Other Unintended Meanings by John Robert Marlow
LITERAL VS. FIGURATIVE
Unintended meanings are mood-killers. This is as true on the page as is it is in life: you say one thing, your listener hears another, and trouble soon follows. They heard every word you said, and accurately too—but they …

Visit the Self Editing Blog Library
Click here to visit the Self Editing Blog Library. (You can also click on the small library image near the top of every page.)
Many new books and descriptions on the way; we’re just getting started here.

Author John Robert Marlow is available for professional editing, development, …