Tag: book editor

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Weasel words. They’re as sneaky as their animal counterparts…

and twice as hard to keep out of your manuscript.

What are weasel words, and why is being sneaky such a bad thing for them?

The simple answer is, they’re words and phrases we often use that aren’t necessary in most cases. In general, weasel words tick the following boxes, especially in a story’s narrative.

  • They do nothing to drive the story.
  • They’re overused.
  • They’re filler words that mean little to nothing in context.

They also creep into story dialogue, marketing copy, essays, white papers, and everyday speech without us realizing it—unless you’ve trained yourself to be aware of and eliminate them.

Sneaky.

How do you know whether you’re using—or worse, overusing—weasel words?

One thing you can do is run them as globals. It’s a great way to train your brain to recognize them as you’re editing or writing.

Wait, what are globals?

Globals, often called running globals, are a fast way to locate and change a word or phrase in your entire manuscript without having to read line by line. You might know it better as Find and Replace. You can also use this method to discover how many times you’ve used a word or phrase in your document.

To do this, use the Search bar in the left-side Navigation column. Type in the word or phrase you want to locate and tap Find. It will list the number of instances in the document. If the number is in the double digits above ten, consider weeding some out. If it’s in the triple digits, get viciously ruthless about cutting.

In the example screenshot below, I searched for “a little” in a partially edited manuscript and came up with ninety-six instances I still need to address.

Not shown in the image is the setting, which is on Ignore Case by default. This allows the search to use the broadest parameters when obtaining results. Think big picture and speed rather than fine detail for this step.

a screenshot showing how many instances of the weasel word phrase "a little" are in a manuscript

How much is too much? Also, what about weasel words in dialogue? Can’t characters say whatever they want?

The short answers: See above about quantities. Yes, it applies to dialogue. Yes, they can, but be judicious—unless you’re working with a character whose annoying trait is overusing a phrase. In which case, be prepared for readers and your editor to call you out on it.

“Erm…how do I know which words and phrases are considered weasel words?“

A few ways.

One, you can grab a copy of the file my editing team and I created and made available for the Editing Boot Camp session at 20Books Vegas 2022. There is zero cost except for your time and effort, and offers an Excel file you can download and add your phrases to.

Two, you can run SmartEdit (PC-only Word plugin), ProWritingAid (PC or Mac), or AutoCrit (web-based). All three are pay-to-use software. If you’re looking to level up your writing but want a format that provides reports you can act on, they’ll give you a solid base to work from.

Three, you can create your own list of weasel words. Pros: It’s tailored to you and includes your pet phrases. You can expand it to meet your needs. It’s free except for your time and effort. Cons: It’s time-consuming. It’s not comprehensive until you’ve put in a lot of effort and learned to identify all your overused words and phrases.

Okay. You entered a weasel word or phrase and have your list of search results. Now what?

I use a loose framework to judge what can stay or go on an instance-by-instance basis. It works like this.

Does it alter the sentence’s/phrase’s intended meaning if I delete it? Yes/No

If No, does it alter a character’s established speech pattern? Yes/No

If both of the above are No, you can safely delete.

If the answer to the first question is Yes, leave it or rephrase the weasel word(s) if possible.

If the answer to only the second question is Yes, consider how many other times you’re allowing that weasel word or phrase, then decide whether to cut.

Following this framework leaves enough instances to preserve speech patterns without going overboard. It also leads to cleaner prose, which translates to easier, more engaging reading.

The bottom line

Pro tip 1: If you’re paying an editor to clean up your work, eliminating weasel words before turning in your manuscript can save you money. This applies whether they charge per word or per hour.

Pro tip 2: If you’re bootstrapping, this is an effective way to learn one aspect of copy editing.

Pro tip 3: While geared more toward those writing stories, this technique also applies to marketing copy, essays, white papers, online articles, newsletters, and longer-form social media content.

Happy writing!

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Wait… What? It’s mid-September already?

image of fall leaves surrounding Welcome September text

I swear it was the beginning of the year only a few months ago…

Guess that’s what happens when you’re a few <mumble, mumble> okay, fine, a few million-plus edited words into the year. Not counting your personal projects.

And that’s at a much slower pace than last year.

Yes, you read that last sentence right.

Ms. Nose to the Grindstone is attempting to balance work life and personal life. I say “attempting” because so far this year, I’ve managed to be either all on or all off. That’s not ideal for me, although I got some much-needed downtime. On the bright side, I’m not putting in 120-plus-hour weeks every week these days. In addition, I’m working on backend methods and processes to prevent that from reoccurring.

I’ve also been largely quiet on social media as part of regaining time and attention for myself. Although I admit I’m not a fan of trying to clear all my notifications after I’ve been offline for a couple of days. <grimaces>

What’s next in the balancing act?

Looking ahead to the rest of the year, I have some exciting things scheduled. A couple of trips that combine work and fun, including going to 20Books Vegas.

I’ve continued the editing boot camp sessions I started with my coeditors last year. Working one-on-one with some of my in-house authors has been a joy. Seeing their eyes light up when something clicks for them is one of the best rewards. Having it translate to cleaner manuscripts makes my entire editing team happy. It’s a big win for everyone!

Speaking of sharing tips with authors

One of the biggest author communities to learn from is 20Booksto50k®. If you haven’t been to one of the Las Vegas conferences, joined the Facebook group, or watched the videos made available on YouTube, you’re missing out on some great information. Craft, ads, marketing, the best distribution strategies for your goals…fellow authors touch on all of it by sharing things they’ve learned in their publishing journeys. There’s something for everyone whether you’re a beginner or a six-figure author trying to hit the seven-figure ranks.

While I don’t have a formal editing presentation scheduled at the 20Books Vegas conference this year, I plan to share editing tips and tricks with attendees via an informal meetup or three. These will be for individuals and/or small groups since the focus is on reviewing part of each author’s WIP and identifying areas where they can improve their prose.

Regaining the creative spark

I’m enjoying being able to grab some free minutes to write again. Better still, I’m not so exhausted that my creativity has flatlined. A hard lesson learned is that your creativity suffers when you don’t nourish it by giving yourself some downtime. The effects might not show up right away, but they’re cumulative—and can be devastating when they hit en masse. I’m not where I used to be with a torrent of words spilling into my WIP (work in progress) or running amok in my head, but the spark is in recovery. After not feeling it for so long, it’s a blessed relief.

On that note, it’s time for me to get back to doing what I do best—wrangling words and polishing stories so they do their authors proud. Without courting burnout from forgetting my lessons learned.

Take care of yourself, wherever you are in the world.

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2022 in review—the view from the catbird’s seat

Whew, 2022 was quite a year. I didn’t think twelve months could pass in such a blur. Guess that’s what happens when life throws curveballs…

I still miss Judah. She was a friend, a “found” family member, a fellow editor, and a cornerstone on my editing team. Losing her to health complications back at the beginning of April was a huge blow. In true Judah fashion, I felt more than one ghostly thwap! during the rest of the year when I needed a reminder to “Keep $#!*^# going.” <laughs> I wasn’t the only one who received them, either.

I also miss Micky. She was another friend and team member taken far too soon. Losing her this past fall was another major loss. While not an editor, Micky’s contributions to my team and the indie author community in general were far greater than she ever realized or would take credit for. If you went to any 20Booksto50k® conferences prior to 20Books Vegas 2022, you probably saw her at the registration check-in table.

Godspeed, ladies—gone but never forgotten.

Celebrating the wins

Amid the sadness were victories. Some were small. Some were large. I celebrated all of them, no matter how exhausted I was from keeping my nose to the grindstone. Working a hundred and twenty-plus hours per week, exhaustion was a constant. I don’t recommend it, but as the old saying goes, “Needs must when the devil drives.” It made the victories that much sweeter.

I’m happy that several projects I initiated are bearing fruit, thanks to my fantastic team getting behind them from the get-go and working with me to launch them. It takes a village to do what we do, not least because things move quickly at high volume and we insist on high quality standards. Sharing our best practices for working smarter contributes to this.

Looking ahead

We’re eight days into the new year as I write this post, and I see a lot of big things ahead. Some are personal goals. Others are company goals. A few are lofty…very lofty. All are attainable, although the timeframes and paths to reach them are fluid. There’s more than one way up the mountain.

Here’s to 2023 and to conquering its challenges and celebrating its victories. On that note, I’m off to continue enjoying the first real break I’ve had in over a year. I’m calling that a major win!

snowflake close-up
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Simple fixes for common editing mistakes

You’ve written a book. Or an article, a blog post, or another version of prose content. You’ve tweaked it until your eyes crossed and sent it for feedback, confident it conveys your story or message.

Except…you still see those pesky grammar and spelling error indicators in your digital document, and your review team is leaving notes that say, “run global edits.”

We’ve all been there. Many people say this is their least favorite part of the creation process. However, you can use some simple tricks to streamline the revision slog, polish your copy—and not lose your sanity while doing it.

Globals, or global corrections

Also called global edits, “running globals” is the fast way to find and replace multiple instances of commonly misspelled, misused, or unnecessary words and phrases.

It applies to most forms of writing and is particularly handy for book manuscripts and other long-form content. You can also have content- or author-specific globals, but as the terms imply, they’re more focused than the ones covered here.

blank Find and Replace screenshot

Note: this technique assumes that your software has a Find and Replace or Advanced Find and Replace feature. Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, LibreOffice, and most other office suite products do. TextEdit, Notes, blog platforms, and specialty writing programs might not.

Ready? Let’s dive into some of the most common mistakes and how to change them in only a few clicks.

Editing Replacements and Corrections

Errors to replace globally

FindReplace
forwardsforward
towardstoward
backwardsbackward
onwardsonward
upwardsupward
looked tolooked at
looked over tolooked at
looked to beappeared to be
replied backreplied
smiled tosmiled at
smiled to himself/herselfsmiled
alright
(NOT A WORD!)		all right
(Match Case, often at the beginning of a sentence but not always)
fell/knelt/squatted/crouched downfell/knelt/squatted/crouched
nodded his/her headnodded
waved his/her handswaved
folded/crossed his arms over his chest
(or her arms)		folded/crossed his arms
(or her arms)
Double space (hit the space bar twice)Single space (hit the space bar once)
^t (tab)Blank (don’t put anything in)
^l (soft return)^p (paragraph break)
^p^p then try ^p ^p (with a space between)^p

Go through these with a Find Next and Replace if needed (occasionally, it’s correct as it stands)

FindReplace
wrapped upwrapped
opened upopened
turned/spun/whirled aroundturned/spun/whirled
it’sits (situationally)
called outcalled, unless “I feel called out” or something similar
stood upstood, unless “stood up to bullies” or something similar
stand upstand (see qualifier for “stood”)
.” H or .” S or .” T,” h or s or t
(use Match Case) (happens in dialogue tags)
!” H or S or T!” h or s or t
(use Match Case) (occurs in dialogue tags)
,”.”
E.g., “Blah blah blah,” he smiled s/b “Blah blah blah.” He smiled.
Make sure you’re using a dialogue verb (smirked and sighed are not)
…Ellipses have no space after unless it starts a new sentence.

Globals in action

Now that we have the lists, here’s an example of a global find and replace in action. In this instance, the search phrase “nodded his head” pulled up four matches. Since this is an automatic correction rather than situational, typing “nodded” in the Replace bar and tapping “Replace All” will fix all four instances with one click.

screenshot of a global Find and Replace example
Example: global “Find and Replace All”

If you need to Match Case, the gear icon next to “Find” gives you that option, plus other advanced features.

(Note: screenshots reflect the layout in Word for Mac, Office 365. The PC interface for Word, Office 365 is a popup window under Advanced Find and Replace with separate tabs for “Find” and “Replace.”)

Next is a situational global (Find Next and Replace) for “it’s.” If you need to fix any instances, enter the correct spelling into the Replace bar and tap “Replace” instead of “Replace All.” Then tap “Find” (or “Find Next”) to advance to the next match.

You can also search for “its” (no apostrophe) to locate where you might need “it’s” instead.

screenshot of a situational global find and replace next
Example: global “Find Next and Replace”
(single replacement)

This feature is also great when you have a name that ends in “s” and needs to be possessive, and you (or your dictation software) keep inserting “s’s” instead of “s’.” Or you can’t remember whether you spelled someone’s name as “Steven” or “Stephen” and used both for the same person.

(Hey, Maurius’ dog might have a grudge against next-door neighbor Steven, but let’s not confuse him with Stephen from the next block over. That could get insulting.)

Additional things you can look for and fix

  • starting sentences with “And” or “But”
  • using “really” or “just” (they’re filler words, and weak)
  • “very” (anything) – “very” is a weak modifier (E.g., “very happy” could be better worded as “delighted” or “ecstatic”)
  • “actually,” “absolutely,” and “obviously” are usually unnecessary
  • no space between an em dash and the word on either side, or between an em dash and quotation marks
  • double dashes are not the same as em dashes

There you have it: faster ways to make a lot of standard revisions. While not comprehensive—most editors have a mental checklist several pages long, as do I—using these handy corrections will help your copy shine. Incidentally, they’ll also help you become a better first draft writer.

Now that’s what I call a win-win situation.

Happy writing!

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Countdown to End of An Era

July 2020 has been a month of craziness and nerves.

  • Pandemic overload? Check.
  • Screwed up sleep and work schedules? Check, and check.
  • Multiple instances of solidifying the knowledge that working from home is my dream? Check.
  • Realizing that you can attain this dream? Gulp. Check.
  • Pulling the trigger and giving notice to the day job of nineteen years? Gulp. HolyshizznitdidIdothat? CHECK.

Yep, I did. I gave my notice at the beginning of the month, and have been wrapping up the mountain of details that accompanies such an event ever since. Oh, man, are there a lot of loose ends when you wear as many hats as I do!

It’s been quite a run over the past almost two decades. I’ve met several great people and learned a lot. I’ve also shared much of that knowledge with others in widely diverse fields and walks of life. I’m good with that. Grateful, even. If it’s helped one person make sense of something, or move forward in their chosen life, I’ve given back as intended.

Now it’s time to take the next steps in my adventure as an editor and writer. I look forward to seeing what lies between the pages of the next chapters, and the marvelous new worlds, characters, and people who await me.