Read the Latest!
In the blog: “The Mystery and the Method (And the Magic...and the Madness...)”
Offsite
Margaret Yang reviews The Little Book of Self-Editing
Angella Graf reviews The Little Book of Self-Editing
C. D. Coffelt reviews The Little Book of Self-Editing
Offsite
Margaret Yang reviews The Little Book of Self-Editing
Angella Graf reviews The Little Book of Self-Editing
C. D. Coffelt reviews The Little Book of Self-Editing
The Little Book of Self-Editing for Writers First in a series of "Little Books" for writers
Now Available for Kindle, Nook, and Kobo!
This is not a book about why you don’t need an editor. This is a book about beginning the editing process by first editing your own work to the best of your ability, so that when you hand your manuscript over to an editor, it is as free of placeholder writing, as devoid of verbal crutches, as lean and clean as you know how to make it. This is a book about how to recognize common errors when you encounter them in your own writing, so you can lift your work a step above the mediocre majority of works out there. Good editing by the writer—before an outside editor ever sees your work—can make the difference between an okay book and a good one, or between a good book and a great one. “Even in today's world of self-publishing, good editing can mean the difference between an okay story and a great one. ...We need to put our best foot forward and The Little Book of Self-Editing for Writers can help. Concise, yet descriptive, following this guide can only make your writing stronger.” 5-star Amazon Review “...What this *is* is a book about crafting the most polished, powerful prose possible -- so that when you do hire an editor you aren't wasting your money fixing things you could have & should have fixed on your own.... 5-star Amazon Review “ ...every section in this book is both dense and immediately useful. A quick skim will improve your writing, your writing process, and make your rewriting time more efficient. And you can come back to it over and over....” 5-star Amazon Review The Little Book of Self-Editing for Writers is available at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, and all Amazon stores. Also available for the Nook at Barnes&Noble.com, and for Kobo at Kobo.com NEW! Evenings, Mornings, Afternoons - On Sale Now at Amazon Evenings, Mornings, Afternoons, by Bridget McKenna
Jonathan sees something in the waves—something terrifying and wonderful. But he's probably just crazy. There could not possibly be beautiful young men and women playing out beyond the breakers in the frigid winter ocean, festooning their naked bodies with seaweed, singing the songs he hears in his dreams. It's probably only the drugs the doctors give him for the pain that never leaves him alone.
But as he feels death coming nearer, the song grows more insistent, and the sea-people swim closer to shore. Jonathan must know once and for all if he's “a crazy old fairy” as his best friend insists, or if the people in the waves have some message for him. “Evenings, Mornings, Afternoons” is a short story of about 4000 words. It was originally published in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, edited by Gardner Dozois, in December 1990. Available now at amazon.com Also at Amazon.co.uk, amazon.de, amazon.es, amazon.fr, amazon.it AVAILABLE NOW! The Old Organ Trail
Pewtie Marshall was the king of the liverleggers back in the days of the gaseaters, when it took balls and brains to drive a car, and the ’leggers in their firebreathing, gaseating hot rods would tear up the blue highways between pickup points and delivery drops, waxing Smokey’s ass with their souped-up Camaros and Zeecars with their Igloos full of livers and hearts and whatnot tucked snug between the front and back seats.
Those days are long behind him, but when Angelo “The Eliminator” Angelini calls upon Pewtie to make one last run to give him a chance at a new life, Pewtie knows it’s not an offer he can refuse. Now Pewtie and his sorry-looking dog, Dave, need to gas the old hotrod and burn up the roads to the Oregon border. Between here and there, they're going to need to be invisible to CHiPSat, the murderous traffic-control satellite, and keep a weather eye in the rearview for any sign of Jimmy-Bob “Roadkill” LaRue and the Skullbusters M.C. “The Old Organ Trail” was originally published in Writers of The Future, Volume 2, edited by Algis Budrys, in 1986. This edition includes the author's afterword, “Finding ‘The Old Organ Trail.’” Available now at amazon.com Also at Amazon.co.uk, amazon.de, amazon.es, amazon.fr, amazon.it The Little Things The Little Things
They came in twos and threes and half-dozens, flying above the main street of town on some unknown and unimaginable errand, perhaps twice the size of large butterflies, with pale slender bodies, and dragonfly wings sparkling in the sun.
The children noticed them first, and followed them down the street, looking up in wonder. “Fairies!” they shouted to their parents inside the cozy houses. “Fairies!” they shrieked to one another in high voices. “Fairies!” In Morgan’s Glen, everything is about to change. The Little Things was originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, edited by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, in 1993. This edition includes the author's afterword, “Writing ‘The Little Things’” Available now at amazon.com 
Kidnapped by Aliens! Kidnapped by Aliens!
Suppose you felt trapped in an unhappy marriage. Suppose you saw this ad in a newspaper...
"Have you ever wished your loved one could be kidnapped by aliens? Call 1-800-GOODBYE for more information. No salesmen will call." If you're Guy Collier, well-meaning but luckless tech writer for a big Los Angeles software company, you might just pick up the phone and call. But that might only be the begining of your problems. "Kidnapped by Aliens!" was originally published in June 1995 in Tomorrow SF, edited by Algis Budrys. It includes an essay by the authors, "Writing (and Rewriting) Kidnapped by Aliens!" This book is now available at amazon.com 
NEW!
|
Reader Reviews“A fantastic resource for any writer is Bridget McKenna’s book “The Little Book of Self-Editing for Writers” It’s the best $2.99 you’ll ever invest in your writing career.”
“Concise, yet descriptive, following this guide can only make your writing stronger.”
“As a creative writing instructor, I suggest very strongly all my students purchase this book before turning in any type of fiction. Interestingly, those who do, submit much more professional pieces.”
“I discovered it at the perfect time—just as I was finishing up the copy-editing and clean-up on my latest novel.”
“I read this book in one sitting. My writing has already improved tenfold....”
“Writers who read and use this book will produce stronger, tighter, cleaner manuscripts and will become stronger first-draft writers in the process.”
“McKenna keeps her advice short, uses simple, clear examples and includes a ready reference at the end.... I plan to refer to it often.”
“Any time you are about to sit down with the intent of transforming a first or second draft into a honed, final draft, you should pick up the Little Book of Self-Editing for Writers and remind yourself what to look for & how to make it better.”
“It's the best writing advice I've ever gotten for the price of a cup of coffee.”
“The book is a must for anyone trying to publish - even the experienced author.”
 Thanks for visiting! Read the blog on your way through.
 ...or we'll shoot this bird from a slingshot. Use my URL to subscribe via Google Reader
Email me at "myfirstname@myURL"
Meet my editor!
 
Occupy Publishing - Writer Power!
Essential Blogs for Writers
Kristine Kathryn Rusch Dean Wesley Smith The Passive Voice The Book Designer A Newbie's Guide to Publishing Barry Eisler: For Writers David Gaughran A Brain Scientist's Take on Writing J W Manus The Creative Penn Friends, Romans, etc. Marti McKenna Douglas Herring, Illustrator R.K. MacPherson's The Raven's Nest 
kiva.org
 |
