The term “style sheet” is commonly used among copyeditors. But what is a style sheet, exactly? If you’re ready for your first novel edit, or looking to self-edit with ease and precision, knowing what a style sheet is and how it helps your novel’s polish is essential. Read on to learn more about what a …
Author: Rae Oestreich
Rachel Oestreich has a long history of reading, writing, and editing. She earned her B.A. in English from New Mexico State University in 2015, and she returned soon after to complete an M.F.A. in Creative Writing in 2019. She spent three years teaching English at NMSU, and she now teaches English at Dona Ana Community College.
The Difference Between Style Guides and Style Sheets
If you’re looking for a copyeditor for your book, you’re looking for someone to ensure consistency across spelling, grammar, and punctuation throughout your manuscript. Essentially, they’re making sure your style remains consistent. (After all, nothing is worse than noticing that the spelling of a character’s name changes halfway through the novel, or you use “leapt” …
Internal vs. External Plot, and Achieving the Perfect Balance
The term “plot” tends to bring to mind one thing: the action of a story. It’s the doing of a character rather than the thinking of a character. Some of the earliest stories, fairy tales, are completely plot-driven; and there’s the problematic yet everlasting debate between the superiority between “literary” fiction and “genre” fiction that …
How Can a Reverse Outline Help You Revise Your Novel?
In 6 Outlining Methods to Suit Your Writing Process, I explained what an outline is and provided some examples of types of outlines that are popular among writers. In short: Outlines are done before drafting in order to create a roadmap for you while you write. Reverse outlines, however, are a different beast. We’ll cover— …
6 Outlining Methods to Suit Your Writing Process
It’s a common conversation among authors: Do you plot, or do you “pants”? Can an outline help a writer by providing a roadmap through their story, or might they prevent flexibility and keep a writer from “discovering” their story as they write? Here’s the thing: Outlines don’t have to be prescriptive, nor do they have …
What’s the Difference Between Copy Editing and Proofreading?
Copy editing and proofreading are both crucial parts of polishing your manuscript and ensuring a smooth reading experience for your audience. A common mistake when it comes to editing is the conflation between proofreading and copy editing, but it’s important to note that these are two very different processes—and understanding the difference is crucial when …
5 Strategies to Self-Edit Your Novel’s Big Picture
Developmental editing is arguably the most crucial step in the editing process—and the most frustrating. Yet while the developmental editing stage means measuring your novel’s parts and balancing the components with care—often cutting, adding, and doing a lot of rewriting—with the right organizational strategies, you can see the bigger picture and concentrate your focus effectively, saving your time and your sanity.
The Rhetorical Triangle, for Fiction Writers: An Introduction
The terms “rhetorical triangle” and “fiction writing” tend to not go hand-in-hand, but the rhetorical triangle is actually a great resource for writers. Use it to analyze your characters and understand their motivations.
What Type of Editing is Right for You?
You finally take the leap and decide to hire an editor . . . but let’s face it, there’s a lot of options. It’s totally okay to approach an editor and tell them you don’t know what kind of editing your project needs. Part of your editor’s job is actually to set you up with …
Understanding the Different Types of Novel Editing
There are many different editing services, designed to address every step of the writing and publishing journey. From developmental editing (also known as a content or substantial edit) down to the final proofread of a formatted manuscript, editing takes many forms—which can also be confusing if you’re a writer new to the stage. Understanding what …