Sluggish words. They’re weeds that creep into my writing unnoticed. The little beasts who choke beautiful plants and slow the pace of my sentences.
I’m revising my manuscript, The Half Mile of Baby Blue. I’ve been meticulously searching for something that can’t be named, a thing that doesn’t show the reader almost anything. Sluggish words taking up space and slowing the pace of my novel. They find their way into my work and it’s up to me to reword, refashion, or delete them. This is why an author should revisit and revise their story. No different than a gardener should weed.
Up, down, out, back.
Kit looked up. Gabe sat down. Dot went out to dinner. Bennet sat back down on his chair.
I review approximately thirty words prior to final editing. I want to ensure that the manuscript has been polished. For the reader…
A reader may not know why their eyes are tiring, why they can’t finish the book. My job as a writer is to ‘keep the reader reading,’ which is why I edit and trim redundant words.
Do I enjoy revising? I like it as much as I ‘love’ the weeds growing in my garden, but it’s necessary to fashion my story into a work of art. So… I do it!
If you find any redundant words in The Half Mile of Baby Blue, please don’t tell me. 🙂
#MondayMotivation #Revisions