Editing Your Novel Together
Fixing the Big Problems #3
by E.J. Williams
(Janet Elizabeth Lynn & Will Zeilinger)
Writing together as E. J. Williams, husband and wife, Will Zeilinger and Janet Elizabeth Lynn author the INTER-NATIONAL CRIME FILES, a hardboiled/thriller detective series that takes the reader to 1960s southern California, then on to international locales.
Even after you’ve written the best book in the world, the pesky task of editing rears its ugly head! To those of you who love editing . . . our hats are off to you. We have come up with several suggestions that may help ease the editing process, whether you are editing your book for your editor, publisher, agent, or yourself.
I know, it is heartbreaking to find the big problems because . . . you have to fix them. And it seem daunting. We have discovered two ways to edit a manuscript. The first is what we call a Do Over. After you re-read your notes about changes and scribbles yourself, you open a new document and re-write the manuscript from the beginning, making sure you include your notes and changes. The second is what we call the Road Map. Where you re-arrange chapter, change chapter, etc., following the notes and ideas you noted during your re-read.
We have tried both ways and after 15 novels we found that the Do Over is the best way to get a manuscript to its perfection. Since there are two of us working on the same manuscript, we agree on the changes, break up the chapter and have at it.
Though this mind-numbing task is necessary, it can bring about a great deal of pride when the process is complete. As a couple who write together, we have found these tips work well whether you are working alone or with someone.
And yes…we are still married!
Website: Janet Elizabeth Lynn
Website: Will Zeilinger
The Skylar Drake Mystery Series
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I thought it would be fun to look back at the popular toys given for the holidays during the 1960s. This research brought back a flood of memories as both receiving them for gifts and buying them for the younger ones in my family. Hope you enjoy this walk down memory lane, also.
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In the 1950s, Spade Cooley was a beloved national treasure and one of the greatest stars of Western swing. But he soon became famous for something very different when he suspected his wife of having an affair and beat her to death.
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Editing Your Novel Together Fixing the Big Problems #3 by E.J. Williams (Janet Elizabeth Lynn & Will Zeilinger) Writing together as E. J. Williams, husband and wife, Will Zeilinger and Janet Elizabeth Lynn author the INTER-NATIONAL CRIME FILES, a hardboiled/thriller detective series that takes the reader to 1960s southern California, then on to international locales. […]
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The genre of novels that seems to endure are the spy thrillers and stories of behind-the-scenes government scandals. Here are some very interesting and I’d even say, “watershed” novels about the cold war that have colored our vision of the past and the future. After researching some, I’ve made a list of just a few of the more influential titles and included a short synopsis of each:
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Partners in Crime, Janet Elizabeth Lynn and Will Zeilinger write the Skylar Drake Mysteries, hard-boiled detective stories set in the 1950s.
