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Revising Your Manuscript: Fourteen Questions to Ask Yourself

1) Can you summarize the story in about a sentence or two?

Example:

Three daughters try desperately to save their father from his conniving new wife.

A cop has to fight a losing battle with the bottle and discover the identity of a serial killer.

2) Have you checked spelling, grammar and formatting?

Make the editor's job easy and you'll be ahead of the game.

3) Is your hero/heroine interesting or someone readers will be interested in?

The reader has to care about what happens to this character.

4) Does the story start with a hook, an interesting question that will draw the reader in?

Read the first sentence of many of your favorite books. How did the authors draw you into their worlds? Also please remember the type of story you are telling. Don't write a beginning sentence just for shock value; make sure it fulfills the promise of the story.

5) Did one or more of your characters change throughout the story? If not, was that on purpose? People usually like to see a character arc, someone achieving their goal or reaching enlightenment.

Stories are usually about a person and a problem. Once the problem is solved (or unsolved) how does that affect the character? Good or bad the reader wants to know.

6) Have you mastered point of view?

If you get confused, you're in trouble.

7) Does your dialogue move the story along? Does everyone sound like themselves or could readers interchange them?

8) Is there tension throughout the story?

Every story has moments of low tension, but if you have a four-page description of how a character brushed his teeth you had better be one heck of a stylist and stick with writing literary fiction. Popular fiction readers will likely set your book aside with a quick flick of the wrist.

9) Is there unanswered conflict until the end?

Leave the reader curious about something whether it is the first name of a key character or the resolution of a subplot.

10) Does every scene matter?

Again the teeth brusher.

11) Does everyone have a motive that counts?

Whether it is the hero, villain or sidekick, it helps the story if the reader is able to understand the actions of each character. If everyone has a viable motive, it also heightens the tension.

12) Does each chapter drive the story forward offering more information?

13) Does the ending do what it's supposed to?

Mystery writer Mickey Spillane said, "The first page sells the books, the last page sells the next book."

14) Do you like your story?

I hope so because in the world of publishing you need to be your book's greatest champion.

Dara Girard is the author of three novels and a member of Romance Writers of America and Novelists Inc. You can find more articles and links for writers at her website: http://www.daragirard.com

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Course shows companies what NOT to put in writing - Reuters

Coens nominated for writing prize - BBC News

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Gonzales writing book on years in Bush administration - Austin American-Statesman

Children#39;s creative writing class is Saturday at Writers#39; Gallery - Yucaipa/Calimesa News Mirror

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-0fd=Rurl=http://www.newsmirror.net/articles/2009/01/08/news/07news.txtcid=1287879816ei=5n1mSaamHZGQmAe0tty6BAusg=AFQjCNGFpUP7RaWQg-samh8OvwVTW8HGkAChildren#39;s creative bwriting/b class is Saturday at Writers#39; Gallery/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fYucaipa/Calimesa News Mirror,nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobr14 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The Writers#39; Gallery in Yucaipa will present a Children#39;s Creative bWriting/b Class on Saturday, Jan. 10, from 10 am to noon. This class will be taught by b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-1fd=Rurl=http://www.berwick-advertiser.co.uk/leisure/Writers-with-murder-in-mind.4851777.jpcid=1287879816ei=5n1mSaamHZGQmAe0tty6BAusg=AFQjCNFjQUv0UtuSUxcUqbDhUTnoHuBcJwWriters with murder in mind/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrBerwick Today/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1287879816hl=ennobrall 2 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

The Flat Stanley Project gets kids reading, writing, and learning ... - Examiner.com

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.examiner.com/x-562-Book-Examiner~y2009m1d7-The-Flat-Stanley-Project-gets-kids-reading-writing-and-learning-geographycid=1287811701ei=5n1mSaamHZGQmAe0tty6BAusg=AFQjCNGELPOsFrxhGSvtSr98q5psbj_WNgimg src=http://nt2.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=Nj8BWNePNEUJimgurl=image.examiner.com/images/blog/author/img530michelle_kerns_photo.jpg width=80 height=67 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Examiner.com/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-0fd=Rurl=http://www.examiner.com/x-562-Book-Examiner~y2009m1d7-The-Flat-Stanley-Project-gets-kids-reading-writing-and-learning-geographycid=1287811701ei=5n1mSaamHZGQmAe0tty6BAusg=AFQjCNGELPOsFrxhGSvtSr98q5psbj_WNgThe Flat Stanley Project gets kids reading, bwriting/b, and learning b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fExaminer.comnbsp;-/font nobr18 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b could scarcely have imagined that decades later his quirky creation would be used in bwriting/b and geography projects for schoolchildren around the globe. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Russia says will restore gas when monitors in place - guardian.co.uk

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Ex-broker guilty of writing bad check - Billings Gazette

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-0fd=Rurl=http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/01/08/news/state/55-badcheck.txtcid=1287866693ei=5n1mSaamHZGQmAe0tty6BAusg=AFQjCNFaJX_cx_KmfTHtEmasc6zt0USXtgEx-broker guilty of bwriting/b bad check/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBillings Gazette,nbsp; USAnbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By LINDA HALSTEAD-ACHARYA Jeanne Rizzotto, a former Red Lodge real estate broker, pled guilty Wednesday in District Court in Red Lodge to bwriting/b a bad b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-1fd=Rurl=http://www.kxmb.com/News/317363.aspcid=1287866693ei=5n1mSaamHZGQmAe0tty6BAusg=AFQjCNG3MUCthC__Is0WINFselDH2JhAuwRed Lodge woman pleads guilty in bad check case | KXNet.com North b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrReiten Television KXMB Bismarck/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1287866693hl=ennobrall 6 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

How about if Steve Jobs smoked a pipe? - guardian.co.uk

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jan/08/apple-macworld-dullsville-pipecid=1287230517ei=5n1mSaamHZGQmAe0tty6BAusg=AFQjCNFJQ80ZoqZXjUlBU65hxOAcdlnVzQimg src=http://nt2.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=CsoiFjBNnLEJimgurl=static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Technology/Pix/pictures/2009/1/8/1231425172272/Asteroid-heads-for-Earth-001.jpg width=80 height=48 alt= border=1brfont size=-2guardian.co.uk/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-0fd=Rurl=http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jan/08/apple-macworld-dullsville-pipecid=1287230517ei=5n1mSaamHZGQmAe0tty6BAusg=AFQjCNFJQ80ZoqZXjUlBU65hxOAcdlnVzQHow about if Steve Jobs smoked a pipe?/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fguardian.co.uk,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr6 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1For the first time in more than a decade, it looks like I#39;m bwriting/b a letter. Unfortunately, my apparent absence in the latest version of Microsoft Office b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-1fd=Rurl=http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DOT3eybWjJaAcid=1287230517ei=5n1mSaamHZGQmAe0tty6BAusg=AFQjCNG0H12G1wBbgFs0YTEP5KcltYSIfQVideo: Steve Jobs Weight Loss Due to Hormone Imbalance/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrAssociatedPress/nobr/fontobject width=448 height=356param name=movie value=http://www.youtube.com/v/OT3eybWjJaA/paramparam name=wmode value=transparent/paramembed src=http://www.youtube.com/v/OT3eybWjJaAtype=application/x-shockwave-flashwmode=transparentwidth=448height=356/embed/objectbr/fontfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-2fd=Rurl=http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/iphone/showArticle.jhtml%3FarticleID%3D212701038%26cid%3Diwhome_art_iPhon_mostpopcid=1287230517ei=5n1mSaamHZGQmAe0tty6BAusg=AFQjCNFUyt2X02OdBKWCF4QMDjmkE0nwngMacworld: Apple Rewards The Faithful/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrInformationWeek/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-3fd=Rurl=http://www.macworld.com/article/137945/2009/01/iwork09.html%3Ft%3D201cid=1287230517ei=5n1mSaamHZGQmAe0tty6BAusg=AFQjCNEAgfp5sa_nsqt4aqeFQ1CLwFtfYwExpo: Apple adds productivity features to iWork/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMacworld/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-4fd=Rurl=http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/01/06/apple-updates-iwork-web-based-document-sharing-and-more-productive-pricecid=1287230517ei=5n1mSaamHZGQmAe0tty6BAusg=AFQjCNEryPF3RZ43ScyaHsOmZ5civx9cCQnobrThe Industry Standard/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-5fd=Rurl=http://www.technewsworld.com/story/Apples-Last-Macworld-No-Whoa-65732.htmlcid=1287230517ei=5n1mSaamHZGQmAe0tty6BAusg=AFQjCNENLKp_m4kvTyOuDSq644OpSU7SHwnobrTechNewsWorld/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1287230517hl=ennobrall 4,006 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

The business press: The horror of writing your own obit - BloggingStocks

Manhattan Public Library holding art and writing contest for MLK ... - KTKA.com

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Pictures they say are worth a thousand words, but many writers know that they are worth much more than that!Without decent photographs or other artwork to accompany an article many features published in todays magazines and newspapers would never see the light of day, so it makes sense to try and supply illustrations along with your submissions.Last month's article gave some tips and advice on how to improve your camera wielding technique so click here if you missed it.

Home Business Writing Made Simple
Have you ever written a letter to a friend? Ever written an outline for any project you were about to start? What about a shopping list? If you have, and I imagine most have, you can then write focused, brief, content articles for your online home business.Why write? Well, of course you can spend lots of money to drive traffic to your site with absolutely no guarantee that you will obtain a single sale.

Recommendation Letters Demystified
There is a lot of confusion about recommendation letters.Recommendation letters are often referred to in a numberof different ways including: letters of recommendation,reference letters, letters of reference, commendationletters, and sometimes even, performance evaluation letters.

Self-examination vs Self-indulgence
Self-examination is brutally honest. Self-indulgence is brutally maudlin.

You Cant Always Believe What You See On Your Computer Screen
You may not remember this, but in the early days of the personal computer, many industry insiders were predicting a paperless society.Of course, this hasn't happened.

I Am Biodegradable - My Writing Is Not
My dad was wrong. I just discovered that I am good for nuthin' after all.

Should I Keep Writing?
Writers are an insecure lot.It's easy to understand why.

What You May Not Learn In College... (Part Two)
If you become a writer for any publication, private business, public entity, non-profit organization and/or large corporation that employs more than one editor, you may find that your job description, expected contributions, desired writing style and similar "guidelines" for your position - are subject to change daily/weekly/unpredictably - according to each editor's mood and/or personal preferences. It takes time, but eventually you will learn how to satisfy everyone to the best of your ability.

Crime Writing Beckons
If your cash is running out fast and you have an incessant need to write, why not turn to crime?No! Not committing crime, but to writing about crime. Crime is all around us, and people want to know about it.

And What Do You Do? ... How To Know When Youre a Writer!
It's the funniest thing. When someone asks me what I do for a living, I tell them, "I'm a writer.

New York Code Orange Jaisini New Art Series
The creativity of Jaisini is not designed to be preaching or too critical. Paul Jaisini reached his level of mastership to know exactly that life is worth living to look in the future having no regrets about the past.

Five Golden Rules for Writers
Regardless of what sort of writer you are and how much you love to write, there are probably days when you'd rather clean ditches than face another blank page.As writers, we face common challenges; staying motivated and confident, avoiding "writer's block," and meeting goals (on time!) are some of the toughest.

Get Published: The Nuts and Bolts of Good English, and How to Impress a Publisher (3)
A well-punctuated approach letter may make the difference between acceptance and rejection by a publisher's commissioning editor. In this article, I'll look at just one small, but often bothersome, piece of punctuation: the apostrophe.

Plotting Problems - Episodic Writing
The rejection letter says: "Your story, on the surface, appears to be well-told and has appealing characters. However, the writing is episodic; the story lacks direction.

8 Ways to Improve Your Writing Immediately
Is it possible to improve your writing instantly? The answer, happily, is "yes."While researching a book on famous speeches and essays, I found eight easily correctable mistakes writers often make.