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If you read my work, you know how vital language and imagery are to me. Even as I revise #DreamyNovel, I can't help polishing the sentences, never mind that line edits will happen later, and maybe more plot changes. So I might as well share my tips for anyone who's curious. 1/?
1. I read my work aloud and listen to the rhythm. What does a given sentence need to make it sing?
But I also catch echoes (repeated words in a short space). My time as a copyeditor has helped train my brain to seek out echoes, which I replace with fresh words/turns of phrase.
But I also catch echoes (repeated words in a short space). My time as a copyeditor has helped train my brain to seek out echoes, which I replace with fresh words/turns of phrase.
2. I also do a search through the entire document to see how many times I've used a word (one that would stand out, not things like "and" or "she"), and again, I look for new ways to say those things.
3. I make sure my imagery matches tone both on the macro story and micro scene levels; for example, in STAR DAUGHTER, you'll find "music like silvery chimes" and "hair frosted like the moon." It's lovely on the sentence level, but taken as a whole, it evokes a particular mood.
4. I love me some lush, descriptive language, and my work is brimming with it, but I'm never afraid to cut when it gets in the way of the story or is just too much. The most important thing in honing voice is learning to find balance. Everything should be in service to your work.
5. Finally, avoid clichés like the plague. (No, you really don't have to throw those rotten tomatoes at me.) They started out powerful but grew watered down through repetition. Who actually thinks about what "like the plague" means? Find your own arresting way to say things.
Okay, now back to fixing this chapter (and polishing the language, because yeah) in #DreamyNovel! Hope this thread was helpful. :) Happy writing!
