Author: Judy L Mohr

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Show the story. Tell the ride through the countryside.

Show the emotions. Show the setting. Show the complexities of your mind. Show this. Show that.

Oh, before I forget, tell that ride through the countryside. Tell that little backstory through dialogue. Tell the oral history.

When does one use tell? Should I always show? At what point is it too much show and not enough tell?

Show. Show. Show. Tell. Tell. Tell. It can seriously do your head in.

Understanding the difference between the two is one thing. Striking a balance between them to keep your reader engaged is another. For the moment, let's focus on the first issue.

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Friendship: A Poem from 1997

I was digging through some old notebook and came across a stack of free-form poetry that I wrote when I was in college. Yes, I dabbled with the poetic verse in my youth. I'm not saying that it's any good, not by a long shot, but for a person who was studying engineering at the time, the emotion still rings through loud and clear.

(Shock horror... An engineer who actually expresses emotions. What is the world coming to?)

I thought I would share with you a piece that was written in 1997.

Friendship

Friendship is one of the most important things in the world. It forms the foundation of every lasting relationship (no matter what shape it possesses). Without friendship, you lack the trust needed to survive in this crazy world.

Your friendship is like the solid ground under my feet. It keeps me standing strong and tall.

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The Real Cost of Editing

I have tried freelancing sites in the past, all in the attempt to drum up business and the finances I need to support my writing/publishing ventures. Let's face it, struggling writers often don't have a lot of cash; however, on most freelancing sites, one can easily spot a trend in the job listings that is not good. And it stems from a misunderstanding (and misconceptions) about the true costs of editing.

Within many listings, the lister (i.e., the writer) had a budget of US$10, but they wanted their manuscript of unspecified length to be fully edited by an experienced editor. That in itself is a complete joke, but the sheer number of them (many of whom are located in the US) inspired this post. It's time to highlight to my readers exactly how much time goes into editing, and why you need to be prepared to pay in the order of US$600 – US$3000, possibly much more, depending on the type of editing you require and the editor's experience.

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The Rabbit (Deleted Scene)

I started writing this epic high fantasy series back in 2008. And today, that thing is still in the metaphorical drawer. It's not that the story isn't any good, but I've been having too much fun writing thrillers. I will turn may attention back to it one day, but not anytime soon.

However, when editing the thing back in the day, I removed a scene (the one that follows) because it didn't add value to the story. It doesn't matter how well written a scene is, if it doesn't add value, it has to go. The scene itself can not be recycled (rewritten into another story). The elements of the scene and the characters associated are so intertwined with the events that happen in the first book in my high fantasy series. While the backstory behind the scene has found its way into another book, this chapter will never see the light of day again, except on this blog. It's a beloved scene, one that makes me cry every time I read it. Perhaps others who read it will understand why I love the scene so much.

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How important really is grammar?

When I tell people that I'm a freelance editor (including other writers), they instantly assume that I'm a copyeditor, with a keen interest in working on the grammar and punctuation of my clients. I'm not surprised that writers often jump to that conclusion. Majority of editors that I encounter actually ARE copyeditors. However, what is the point behind looking at the appropriateness of a given word in a sentence when on page 152 the bad guys are setting up the bomb that will level the city, and the good guys find the bomb and disarm it by the end of page 154.

This may sound incredibly odd coming from a professional editor, but in all honesty, grammar takes a backseat to story and character.

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