Be Your Own Editor

I’m back after a lengthy hiatus during which I moved into a new home, which I am gradually turning into a writing/blogging sanctuary for those brief snippets of time I find now and then to write/blog. Will let you know how that goes.

Meanwhile, I was inspired to return to the airwaves when I learned of a very useful Google search tool that I can’t believe I didn’t know about before.

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I’m back! Boy, have I been busy since my last post: adopting a child from Guatemala, ghostwriting a novel for a famous author who must remain unnamed, training for the Boston Marathon… Oh, fine. I’ve just been busy editing. (I knew no one would believe that last one.)

Back to business with an interesting question from Darlene:

How do you handle sentences that could apply to either gender when you’re writing for both? Do you use he or she (or him or her), or they (or their)?

For example: If you meet a stranger in a coffee shop, do you notice their (or his or her) smile?

There’s no one right answer, Darlene. But a little guidance and good sense will help you handle a tricky issue.

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If you read this website regularly, you know few things annoy me more in writing than unnecessary words that add no meaning to a sentence (see previous posts on “would,” “that,” etc.). I’m currently reading a recently published novel and have recognized in it the overuse of a major offender in this category: “actually.”

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I recently posted on the overuse of the word “that,” and I could feel the vibes of excitement coming from readers across the land. Now it’s time for another one that jumps off the page (I wish): “would.”

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Jennifer writes:

I wrote a novel, and I am currently working on correcting the verb tense mistakes throughout. I am wondering, can I use some sentences in past (simple) tense and some in past progressive tense? Also, it is a novel written in first person, and I wanted to know if her interior dialogue can be written in present tense if she still feels the same way now, or if that also needs to be in past tense, as long as she felt that way then? Apparently I am totally confused and would appreciate help. Thanks!

Murky waters exist here, Jennifer, but I’ll try to help you navigate them more confidently.

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Once in a while I am called upon to edit or proofread a manuscript that makes a particular mistake with great frequency, and I’m reminded to tell you all to avoid aforementioned mistake. Today I am helping to rescue an author who had difficulty knowing when to include or omit the ever-present but little-considered word “that.”

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