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Course Notes

Session Two – The Art of Storytelling

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Introduction – The Art of Storytelling

We use the word ‘story’ throughout this series of workshops. The word story has two

distinct meanings when used in general conversation; story as in a work of narrative

fiction and story as in a newspaper article. Both meanings are equally relevant here.

Good non-fiction writing covers both versions of story; the clear concise reporting that

the best journalism provides and the creativity and audience engagement that is inherent

in the best works of fiction.

Sourcing ideas for stories

Sourcing story ideas can be a challenge. You may start without any ideas about what

specifically to write about, you may have a few ideas, or you may have many. Most

people start with a vision of the sort of things they want to write about and (hopefully)

produce a few fabulous pieces of work. But then the inspiration can dry up. The intent

is there, you believe in the issue you want to tackle but just can’t think of anything new

to say. Writing generally, but particularly writing for the internet demands new material.

If you aren’t updating your site regularly the search engines start to notice and you don’t

come up as high on searches anymore. People stop dropping by your blog to see what

you have to say and after a while your site goes into hiatus.

Even if you think you have lots to say it always helps to have places to start when

thinking about what to write.

Your own experiences

The most obvious place to start is yourself. There are any number of blogs out there

that detail people’s lives. The day to day, the apparently mundane made interesting by a

personal perspective, a different slant, an individual experience.

Consider the following blogs and how they use everyday experiences as a source of

inspiration for the writing:

http://douglascootey.com/ (Depression & ADHD)

http://thebloggess.com/(the everyday )

http://www.tynan.com/(betterment, self help)

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http://djennedjenno.blogspot.com.au/(life in Mali)

http://thesecretlifeofamanicdepressive.wordpress.com/

Other pieces of writing might detail people’s experience in a particular context. Review

blogs detail experiences at places the writers have visited or things they have

experienced. Memories or reminiscences can provide an abundance of material, or you

might like to write ‘how to’ articles about something you have done or achieved.

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Your passions

If a diary of your life isn’t for you but you still want to write about a personal passion

think about coming at it from a different perspective. Particularly one that gives an

obvious starting point for each article you write. There are a myriad of ways to use a

theme or concept to provide focus for your site or blog. Some interesting examples

include:

http://ww2today.com/ is a fascinating blog driven by someone’s interest in

World War 2. It tells what happened on this day 70 years ago.

Julia Powells, Julie & Julia blog saw her cook every recipe from a Julia Child’s

cookbook over the course of a year. The subsequent book detailing that

experience went on to become a successful film.

Hello Sunday morning: https://www.hellosundaymorning.org is a site seeking

to change Australia’s drinking culture. They write: “Our purpose is to provide

a platform for individuals to create meaningful change in their lives by taking

a short break from alcohol. By sharing their story, each persons' stand is a

unique and essential contribution to a better drinking culture. Hello Sunday

Morning is a way for any individual to take a break from drinking and recreate

the drinking culture around us. Since 2010, over 20,000 people have signed up

to go 3 months or more without alcohol, and blog about their journey on

Hello Sunday Morning.”

http://blog.inkyfool.com/search?updated-max=2014-04-

10T12:15:00%2B01:00&max-results=7, just loves words.

Recent news/ developments/ research findings

Another way to generate story ideas is to use recent research and news as a jump of

point for your creativity. There are a huge number of news blogs and sites that use

current events as the basis of their writing. Whilst many of the better known sites like

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ have large numbers of writers tackling a huge range of

issues, other’s like Andrew Revkin’s blog for the New York Times

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/ have only one author.

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You can also use news or research developments as a jump off point. It can be the

stimulus for an article about a personal memory, or an opinion piece that sits in a more

intimate blog. Examples of these include:

http://thesecretlifeofamanicdepressive.wordpress.com/ using the death of Rik Mayall to

(in part) reminisce about childhood or

http://www.abc.net.au/rampup/articles/2014/06/18/4027063.htm which uses the

weekend suicide of a Sydney couple convicted of killing their son as impetus for an

opinion piece about the murder of people with a disability.

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Should you write it?

Not all inspiration is necessarily good inspiration. Once you have an idea for a story it’s

useful to consider whether or not it’s a story you should write. This is particularly true if

you are writing about anything other than your own experiences. And even with your

own experiences there may be ethical considerations that may stop you putting pen to

paper, or indeed fingers to keys.

Whilst this is not an exhaustive list some things to consider before writing your piece

include:

Questions to consider:

A. What impact will this story have on others?

B. Are you an appropriate person to be writing about this?

C. Would anyone want to know what you think about this issue?

D. What perspective do you bring to the issue?

E. Is what you are going to write about relevant for your audience?

F. Will you add anything new by writing on it?

To provide context to the above questions imagine you write a blog which reviews

restaurants (you wouldn’t be alone - there are an awful lot of them).

Scenario A -What impact will this story have on others? - A cafe that a

friend of yours frequents weekly is next on your list to be reviewed. They say the cafe is

fabulous but for whatever reason on the day you visit the food and service are both

pretty lousy. Do you write about it? Does that answer change if you know a bad review

will dramatically affect their business?

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Scenario B – Are you an appropriate person to be writing about

this? – You are vegetarian a new steak restaurant with a couple of vegetarian option

opens locally. Do you review it?

Scenario C – Would anyone want to know what you think about this

issue? – A new restaurant opens serving halal food. They have secluded dining booths

and are obviously targeting an Islamic customer base. You are not a muslim. Do you

review it? What if you had spent the last 10 years living in Beirut? Would that affect

your decision?

Scenario D – What perspective do you bring to the issue? – A

restaurant owned by a mate of a mate opens. Do you review it? And if so do you

declare that you know the owners? How much do you think that clouds your

impressions? If you choose to write on it how will doing so affect the authenticity of

your blog?

Scenario E - Is what you are going to write about relevant for your

audience?– You read about Kale being only 15th on a list of ‘powerhouse veggies’.

Watercress is number one on the list. You grow watercress at home very successfully.

Do you write about it?

Scenario F –Will you add anything new by writing on it? You visit

Melbourne restaurant Chin Chin. You have a fabulous evening. The food is great and

you are dying to write the review. Do you? Does your opinion change if you know that

213 bloggers have reviewed it before you?

Everyone will have different answers to the above depending on their individual

perspectives. There are no right and wrong answers but asking the question should

inform your decision whether or not your story idea is an appropriate one for you.

Ensuring you confine yourself to stories that appropriate for you and your audience is

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key in establishing authenticity. This concept of authenticity is something which will be

explored in more detail later in the course.

The table below offers a quick checklist for use in decision making.

Consideration Yes/No

Have I considered anyone that the story will negatively impact?

Am I am appropriate person to be writing this story?

Will others be interested in what I think about this issue?

Is my perspective on this issue compromised in any way?

Will my audience find this topic relevant?

Will I add anything new to the body of knowledge/understanding on this

issue by writing about it?

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Writing your Story

If you have followed this course in a linear manner thus far you should now be at the

point of writing. You will have identified a story, or concept to write about and have

verified that it is suitable for you and your intended audience. Perhaps you will have

tracked your progress on your project planner. This next section takes you through

aspects of the writing process from outlining to editing.

Step One – Outlining

What is an Outline? – An outline is a general description or plan which indicates the

central features of the work. It usually consists of an introduction, leading into a body,

perhaps with subheadings, which leads, in turn, to a conclusion.

Outlines should be clear and concise, and encapsulate the essence of the piece of work you

are writing. Most outlines are broken down into the following sections:

Introduction: – An introduction sets the scene, it captures attention, introduces the

argument, signposts what the reader can expect. In essence in the introduction you tell

them what you are going to tell them throughout the article/story. The outline of your

introduction will briefly indicate what it includes.

Body: – The body is the meat of your piece of writing. It contains the detail or your

story/argument. If you are writing, particularly for the web, the body may include sub

headings to allow the reader easy access to specific information. The body of your

article is where you tell them, tell them and tell them again but with nuance, style and

with a tone that will keep them engaged. An outline of the body of your piece will

reference the basic features of your argument/narrative.

Conclusions: – Good conclusions tell them what you’ve told them but leave them

wanting more. In the case of social media they may include an invitation to comment,

and/or a teaser about what your next post might be about. An outline of your

conclusion will briefly indicate those things.

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An example outline:

In the previous section we considered examples from a restaurant review blog. We will

continue to use that example throughout this section of the course. Below is an

example outline of a review post. It is basic and unrefined because it doesn’t need to be

more than that. If it was an outline for a major academic or opinion piece it would be

more detailed and thought out but for many stories/posts you write you may not need

much more than is included below:

Outline – Zaatar Review to be posted Friday 10th June

Introduction - Introduce restaurant, location, parking, transport options.

Body to cover:

Menu – Lebanese pizzas, dips, filled flatbreads, salads mezze

Food Quality – Fresh, Delicious, Child friendly,

Ambience – Noisy, welcoming, child friendly

Service – Quick. Order at counter

Value – Excellent. Very cheap

Other - Best at lunchtime

Conclusion - Impact of visit, award a score. Highlight next week’s restaurant –

Taste of Thai.

Here is the article the above was outlining. Does the article cover off the items

mentioned?

Example article – restaurant review blog post.

ZAATAR – Lunch for two for $2.00?

Where in Melbourne can you get lunch for 2 people for $2.00? Coburg – that’s

where. At Zaatar on Sydney Road $2.00 buys you two (delicious) zaatar topped

pizzas and in case you want something to wash them down with there are bottles

of tap water and glasses ready on the bench. Zaatar is situated on the Corner of

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Sydney Rd and Munro St in Coburg. There is easy parking near by and the

Sydney Road tram stops right outside.

The restaurant takes its name from the Middle Eastern spice mixture (zaatar)

which includes a wild thyme or oregano, sumac, sesame seeds and salt.

According to local rumour it is run by George, Ameen and Wadi Choueiri, sons of

the founder of A1 Bakery. After A1 was sold they apparently fell out with its new

owners and set up by themselves. Maybe this is true, maybe not, but either way

it doesn’t affect the quality of the food.

When I visited (not for the first time) last week - a lunch reward for a 4 year old

who had behaved impeccably at the dentists -I was feeling rich so we splashed

out on more than just the pizzas. We had the mezze plate with dip and salad, a

cheese pie, a latte, and a gingerbread man.

The mezze plate allows you to choose 3 mezze – I had a potato and pea ball, the

pumpkin kibbeh and cheese pastry called a sambousik. Of these the cheese

sambousik was, for me, the clear winner. The pumpkin kibbeh was pleasant

enough and the potato and pea ball was OK- not bad just unremarkable. There

were some meat options but I ignored them in favour of the veg. Which brings

us nicely on to the subject of salad.

The reason I go to Zaatar at least once a week is their Tabouleh. There are two

choices of salad to have with your mezze: Tabouleh and Fattoush. Whilst I really

like their Fatoush I absolutely love their tabouleh. Lots of parsley, lots of tomato

(yeah I know, not for everyone...) and a lovely lemony flavour. Zaatar’s chefs

seem to have an odd relationship with lemon. While the Tabouleh and eggplant

dip are beautifully acidic, their homous, for me, needs more lemon. Its really nice

and smooth but too too rich without the acidic counterpoint. Anyway today I

chose the eggplant as that tends to be reliably good.

My son, on the other hand, likes Zaatar for the cheese pies. Today he polished it

off before I could taste it, much like the gingerbread man he followed it with.

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Previous experience tells me that this cheese pie was probably very similar to

most of the pizza/pie options: quick, easy, tasty and filling.

At Zaatar you order at the counter, get a number and your food arrives at the

table quickly. If you want to order more you go back up to the counter where

the service is efficient and friendly. The seating area is large (easier to get a pram

into the than equally fabulous Al Alamy up the road), and although it is often

pretty busy I have never not found a table. Zaatar is open until 8pm each

evening but is probably best suited to lunch when it’s noisy, busy and excellent,

excellent value. 8/10

Next week we are off to a Taste of Thai to see whether they deserve

the ‘92% like’ they are currently getting on Urbanspoon.

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Resources for outlining:

General: http://www.skilledup.com/learn/digital-content/how-to-write-an-outline-

techniques-resources/

Mind mapping: www.apus.edu/ctl/students/skills-development/mindmapping.docx

Task: Outline a story for your site.

Step Two- Writing your story:

Your progress thus far: You have identified an idea for a story. You believe you are the

right person to be writing the story. You have outlined what you are going to say. Now

is the time to say it.

Building a story

Building a story is about considered content. It’s about using clear, precise, easily

understood language. It is about signposting and plot or conceptual development. It is

about ensuring that your story stays on point. Finally it’s about ensuring that each post

or article you write should live up to a simple test - One story = one idea.

Content considerations

Strong non-fiction (excluding autobiographical works) writing is well-researched, contains

arguments which are supported by strong evidence, and is clear in its intent.

Using Data

When writing a piece, particularly an opinion or commentary piece there will frequently

be a need to draw on data to support your story. Data can be incredibly useful, it can

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highlight problems, be used to illustrate a point or to point to an area of success. But

that does not mean it doesn’t have its down side.

You may be familiar with the phrase “lies, damned lies, and statistics”. This term was

popularised in the US by Mark Twain, he wrote: “There are three kinds of lies: lies,

damned lies, and statistics.” Statistics are used with remarkable frequency to either

prove or disprove all manner of arguments. They can be persuasive, they can be used to

highlight, illustrate and inform but they can also be used to obscure.

This New York Times article highlights some of the issues with using data, particularly big

data and drawing conclusions or inferences based on it:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/07/opinion/eight-no-nine-problems-with-big-

data.html?_r=0

Importance of accuracy

Did Humphrey Bogart utter the phrase “Play it again Sam” in Casablanca?

No, Casablanca fans will know that the words he actually said were: “You played it for

her; you can play it for me. ... If she can stand to listen to it, I can. Play it”. A small point

admittedly, but reproducing the words differently changes the intensity and the way the

words are received.

While the Casablanca example is fairly innocuous, some misquotes are more problematic.

The phrase “I invented the internet” is often attributed to Al Gore. The words he actually

used were: “During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in

creating the Internet. I took the initiative in moving forward a whole range of initiatives

that have proven to be important to our country's economic growth and environmental

protection, improvements in our educational system.” While most people are not going

to believe that Al Gore invented the internet, quoting him as saying he did as part of a

persuasive piece, as some journalists did during a presidential campaign, is problematic

as it doesn’t accurately represent what he said.

The message here is: Don’t take everything you read for granted. It may look like it

comes from a reliable source, but that doesn’t mean it is accurate. If you are using

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material from another source then attribute it. For example: by saying “Michelle Gratton

reported in the Age that......” you are both; protecting your own reputation and also

allowing your readers to verify your version of events.

Task : Consider this article by Joanna Blythmann

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/mar/23/everything-you-know-about-

unhealthy-foods-is-wrong#start-of-comments

Then read the comments, especially those which point to the contents of the research

she references. Consider how sound you think her arguments are? How does she use

evidence, data and statistics? Is the article self serving or does it add to the body of

knowledge on the issue? Or a bit of both?

Clear, precise, easily understood language.

The point here is very simple. Good writing needs to be understood. The language

needs to be accessible. Meaning needs to be clear and the words chosen need to be

precise. Write a piece with words that only 10% of the community can comprehend and

you have reduced your potential audience by 90%. Write a story cluttered with

unnecessary adjectives, or worse – adverbs, and many will stop reading. Write a story

that is vague or too general and your point will be lost. Good writing states its point

and uses the most appropriate, most easily understood words to do it.

Things to consider:

Avoid jargon, slang, and acronymns

Do you really need that adjective? Or adverb?

If it isn’t central to your argument or story leave it out.

Take some advice from Elmore Leonard - “I try to leave out the parts that people skip”.

We will revisit this concept and consider aspects of language and the do’s and don’ts of

writing during Session 3.

One story = one idea

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How often have you read an article and been confused about what it was trying to say?

How often have you watched a TV show and wondered about characters that have

simply disappeared or plot strands that were introduced and then ignored? The best

stories don’t do that.

While the best stories can be complex they still tend to built around a single idea, and

when they stop being about one idea they start to lose their power. Think about the TV

show Homeland and the subplots involving Dana’s personal life? Relevant or

interesting? Most critiques of the series don’t think so. Did you start watching Lost but

get so confused that you simply gave up? Or what about all those books you started

but never finished? Perhaps the reason you haven’t finished them is because the story

just didn’t work. The idea that drew you in was somehow lost in the telling.

Of course there are many stories that work, which are genuinely interesting from start to

finish. Often it’s because they contain a simple idea. Harry Potter books always involve

him battling evil in the form of Lord Voldemort. The Caroline Wilson pieces from last

session which called for James Hird’s sacking. The central idea is clear – Essendon must

sever ties with James Hird. Seth Godin’s blog posts; little anecdotes or pieces of learning

– each one a single idea.

Signposting and plot development

Signposting is the author telling the reader what they are about to read or reminding

them what they have just read. For example there are signposts throughout these

training materials. This section starts with the following signpost:

“If you have followed this course in a linear manner thus far you should

now be at the point of writing. You will have identified a story, or

concept to write about and have verified that it is suitable for you and

your intended audience. Perhaps you will have tracked your progress on

your project planner. This next section takes you through aspects of the

writing process from outlining to editing.”

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The section introduction above signposts what you have learnt and what you are about

to cover.

A Plot is not something you automatically associate with non-fiction but actually plot

exists in many non-fiction works. Some sort of conflict or complication around which

plot can develop is key in much non-fiction work. Read the longer essays and articles in

this week’s Sunday Supplement and you will probably find all the things we usually

associate with fiction: characters, a story containing conflict, or an issue to be resolved,

along with some sort of ending (or call to action).

Signposting and plot development are topic areas to large to considered in any depth in

these workshops. However if you are considering writing long essays and/or creative

nonfiction they are concepts you may wish to explore in greater depth. Some resources

you may find useful include:

Signposting:

http://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/topic-sentences-and-signposting

http://www.port.ac.uk/media/contacts-and-departments/student-support-

services/ask/downloads/Better-essays---signposting.pdf

Plot:

http://idiotsguides.com/static/quickguides/reference/writing-non-fiction-the-

ingredients-every-story-needs.html

http://blogs.slj.com/nonfictionmatters/2009/02/09/nonfiction-and-plot/

http://www.swensonbookdevelopment.com/blog/2013/in-search-of-structure-finding-

your-non-fiction-narrative-arc/

Building a Story Task: Watch the below video. Think about how this story was built; its

language, the signposting, its plot and conceptual development. How many ideas does

the story contain?

Talk from UK disability rights Commission

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZfOVNwjFU0

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Generating audience engagement

Writing your story isn’t just about the mechanics of language or the dynamics of plot it

is also about ensuring the audience is engaged.

Personalising a story – using characters to personify an issue.

One technique often used to engage an audience is to use characters to personify an

issue. A lot of TV advertising takes this route, particularly advertising which is designed

to bring about behavioural change. The TAC ads don't just tell you what might happen

in a car crash. They show you with real people.

This technique isn't just used in advertising. It is used in a whole range of material

ranging from the simple picture books - the moral of this story is......- which is designed

to impact on children's behaviour, to more complex works like Morgan Spurlock’s Super

Size Me. Super Size me is a film in which the narrator (Morgan Spurlock) uses his own

body to personalise issues around the consumption of fast food in the US. The trailer

can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Lkyb6SU5U. In the film

Spurlock confines himself to a diet of MacDonald’s food for 30 days and films the

results. The impact is far more persuasive than a conventional documentary about the

perils of poor nutrition could ever dream of being.

Creating the context - Consider how what you write will be received. A range of things

dictate this:

o Content - Style - what you write will dictate whether or not your work will be

read and also the context in which it is received.

Take this line from Tim Flannery's Country. "If you ever see a fresh kangaroo

carcass lying beside the road it is well worth stopping to take a look." This is

starts Chapter 2, a chapter which is, in essence, about differences between

different species of Kangaroos - a subject that has the potential to be

exceedingly dry in different hands.

That first line draws you in and from there you; meet the man who first

announced that Eastern and Western grey kangaroos are different (an

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American who liked to strain rice through old socks), visit with Joseph Banks

and early attempts classify the animal, and end up in the Morwell's open cut

coal mines with some fossilised bones which seem to suggest that kangaroos

have lived in Victoria for at least 2 million years.

If Flannery had dealt with this subject another way, used different words,

many readers might not get beyond the first sentence. Instead, he draws the

reader in, keeps them engaged and they, presumably, emerge far more

knowledgeable about kangaroos. "An adult eastern grey can outrun a

greyhound or a horse, swim a mile and still have the energy to drown a

harassing hound with its great hind feet." (Flannery, 2004) An impressive feat

indeed.

The content creates part of the readers context, it dictates how they receive

information, how much of it is likely to be absorbed and which parts of it will

remain with the reader and which will be lost the moment after reading them.

o Accessibility- As we touched on earlier; if you are aiming for anything other

than a very small audience then ensuring your work is accessible is particularly

important. In the example above Tim Flannery used anecdotes to ensure

some of his drier scientifc material was accessible to wider audience. He used

content to ensure accessibility. But often accessibility is about the language

you use, particularly if you are writing about subject matter that is particularly

technical, scientific or is not something most people would come across every

day.

Consider someone suffering from COPD who wants to blog about how the

condition has affected their lives on a day to day basis. Firstly does everyone

know what COPD is? Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is an umbrella

term for a number of lung diseases that prevent proper breathing, the most

common examples being; emphysema, chronic bronchitis and chronic asthma.

Complications for someone with COPD may include: pneumonia, osteoporosis,

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hypoxaemia, oedema, anxiety and depression. Treatments might include:

bronchodilator medication, expectorants, pulmonary rehabilitation, and

corticosteroids.

How many of those words do you recognise? How many do you think the

writers potential audience might know? That author has a choice, if they want

to appeal to an audience beyond other people with COPD (and perhaps a few

medicos and people close to people with COPD) then they need to either

explain those terms or use others to describe what is happening to them.

o Authors Voice - Authors voice is a concept we discuss throughout this

course. It informs how an audience will react to your work and it gives your

writing its individual feel and style.

Some author's voices are more pronounced than others. We previously

considered Caroline's Wilson's work when discussing good communication.

Thinking back to those articles, can you hear her voice coming through the

work? If you watch the one of her to camera pieces it becomes even more

obvious. Not only does she have a distinct writing voice but she writes like

she speaks. Or should that be speaks like she writes? Caro’s style is not for

everyone and she has her critics, as much for tone as for the content of her

written pieces.

Depending on your motivations for writing it may be important to consider the audience

reaction when establishing your own unique voice. Andrew Bolt's strident written voice

has the potential to alienate as many people as it attracts:

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/. While Charles Dickens might have

gotten away with flowery overblown descriptions they are not for everyone. (Project

Gutenberg - http://www.gutenberg.org/offers free ebooks you'll find many of his works

there if you aren't familiar with his writing style) And I suspect you have to be a pirate

to write like one, me hearties, or spend an awful lot of time on research. In essence you

want to choose a voice you are comfortable with and which suits the material you are

writing about.

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Using humour can be incredibly effective - for example in

http://laloronthewold.blogspot.com.au/ ,. but it won't necessarily work for every subject

area or suit every writer. Neither will an overly familiar or alternatively an overly

aggressive tone.

The authors voice you establish has to be one which comes easily. It will take

a lot of the work out of writing and sound a lot less laboured that attempting

anything else. This is not to say you shouldn't experiment with different styles

as it might take a while to see which voice elicits the greatest audience

response.

Task – To review this section of the course consider the The Little Frenchman clip:

http://www.acmi.net.au/dst_little_frenchman.htm and analyse its approach to building a

story, personalising a story, creating the context and its use of author’s voice.

Step Three – Editing your story

Editing your story can be hard. Many people find it hard to edit their own work. You

know what you mean and as a result it can be difficult to assess whether others will too.

Here are a few simple rules to keep your editing on track:

The 24 hour rule - Let it sit. Applying the 24 hour rule gives you time to digest

what you wrote. Removing yourself from the work (even if it is only for a day)

tends to make it easier to assess how easy your writing is to comprehend. It

also allows space for your emotions to change. Whilst you don’t necessarily want

to lose the emotion in your work. Things written under duress can be the

incredibly powerful, but only when the emotion on the paper is the one you want

to express. An angry post about waiting times at your local GP might not sit well

within a blog about mindfulness, but it could work really well in one which relies

on describing day to day experiences for its content.

Healthy Voices is an initiative of

Bayside Medicare Local

Edit for structure & content first then spelling and grammar later. It can be

difficult to edit for both structure and content at the same time as spelling and

grammar. Edit the structure and content first as otherwise you may end up

editing material that you are never going to use, or miss material you added after

your spelling and grammar edit.

Reduce your word count. Most people overwrite; use unnecessary words and/or

superfluous sentences. Don’t be afraid to delete material that adds nothing to

your argument or narrative.

Don’t over edit. Over editing has the potential to remove all the individuality and

passion from your work. Once you have edited for structure, content, spelling

and grammar move on. You have other things to communicate about.

Editing Resources:

For an entertaining article about editing your novel: http://io9.com/5520058/4-danger-

signs-to-search-for-before-sending-off-your-novel