Category Archives: Editing

Monday Advice from Editors and Agents: Develop Your Voice

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Donna Maloy, Author

What Every Agent Wants “…stories, written with an unforgettable voice.” (Amanda Leuck, Spencerhill Associates) “…stories with a strong voice.” (Danielle Burby, HSG) “…an engaging voice.” (Patricia Nelson, Marsal Lyon Agency) “Definitely a voice. Everything else we can work with but a … Continue reading →

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Monday Advice from Editors and Agents: The Magic of Micro-Tension

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Donna Maloy, Author

According to literary agent Donald Maass, “the most important technique for fiction writers to grasp” is Micro-Tension. Now I read a lot of books about the writing craft and attend workshops whenever I can. Over the years, I’ve heard quite … Continue reading →

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Monday Advice from Agents and Editors: Kill all the darling, puffy babies!

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Donna Maloy, Author

In his 1914 Cambridge lecture “On the Art of Writing,” Arthur Quiller-Couch said,      “If you here require a practical rule of me, I will present you with this: ‘Whenever you feel an impulse to perpetrate a piece of exceptionally … Continue reading →

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Monday Advice from Editors and Agents: Use [Only] the Right Words

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Donna Maloy, Author

Marilyn Brigham has a popular workshop she’s presented at writers’ conferences. It’s called, The Editor’s Eye: Powerful Word Choice & Sentence Structure. Repetition and Clutter are two of her main topics. Liz Pelletier has put together an intensive novel editing … Continue reading →

Posted in Editing, Taking out fluff, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments