Excalibur (1981) Dir.: John Boorman

Just gonna quickly update this, cause of some recent events

Y'all are loved remember that <3

Writing Notes: Self-Editing

Take a Break Before Editing

One of the most effective self-editing techniques is to distance yourself from your writing before diving into the editing process. After completing your draft, give yourself some time away from the text – a few hours, a day, or even longer if possible. This break provides a fresh perspective, allowing you to approach your work with a more critical eye.

Read Aloud

Engage your auditory senses by reading your work aloud. This not only helps identify grammatical errors and awkward phrasing but also allows you to assess the overall flow and rhythm of your writing. Awkward sentences are more apparent when heard.

Focus on One Element at a Time

To avoid feeling overwhelmed during the self-editing process, concentrate on specific elements in each round. Start by checking for grammatical errors and punctuation, then move on to sentence structure, coherence, and finally, style. This systematic approach ensures a thorough examination of your writing.

Add Dimensions

After you are finished with your first draft, flip to the beginning and start anew. As you write and edit more of your story, you may add different aspects to a character that might need to be mentioned in a section you already edited. You might add a part of the plot that should be alluded to earlier in your book.

Fill in the Gaps

Re-reading your first draft might reveal plot holes that will be addressed via revisions. It may expose logical inconsistencies that must be buttressed with enhanced detail. If you, as the author, know a lot of details about a character’s backstory, make sure your reader does as well.

Mend Character Arcs

Audiences want engaging plots, but they also want detailed characters who undergo change during the events of a story. Use a second draft to make sure that your main character and key supporting characters follow consistent character arcs that take them on a journey over the course of the story. If your story is told through first person point of view (POV), this will be even more important as it will also affect the story’s narration.

Track the Pacing of your Story

Find ways to space out your story points so that every section of your novel is equally compelling and nothing feels shoehorned in.

Clean up Cosmetic Errors

When some first time writers think of the editing process, they mainly think of corrections to grammar, spelling, syntax, and punctuation. These elements are certainly important but such edits tend to come toward the end of the process. Obviously no book will go out for hard copy publication without proofreading for typos and grammatical errors, but in the early rounds of revising, direct most of your energy toward story and character. If you consider yourself a good writer who simply isn’t strong on elements like spelling, grammar, and punctuation, consider hiring an outside proofreader to help you with this part of the writing process.

Inject Variety

The best novels and short stories contain ample variety, no matter how long or short the entire manuscript may be. Look for ways to inject variety into your sentence structure, your narrative events, your dialogue, and your descriptive language. You never want a reader to feel like s/he’s already read a carbon copy of a certain scene from a few chapters back.

Check for Consistency

Consistency is key to maintaining a professional and polished tone in your writing. Ensure that your language, formatting, and style choices remain consistent throughout your piece. Inconsistencies can distract the reader and diminish the overall impact of your work.

Eliminate Redundancies

Effective communication is concise and to the point. During the self-editing phase, be vigilant in identifying and eliminating redundancies. Repetitive phrases and unnecessary words can dilute your message and hinder clarity.

Verify Facts and Information

If your writing incorporates facts, figures, or data, double-check the accuracy of your information. Providing accurate and up-to-date information enhances your credibility as a writer. Cross-referencing your sources during the self-editing process ensures the reliability of your content.

Consider Your Audience

Keep your target audience in mind during the self-editing process. Ensure that your language, tone, and examples are tailored to resonate with your intended readership. This step is crucial for creating a connection with your audience and enhancing the overall impact of your writing.

Utilise Editing Tools

Take advantage of the various editing tools available to writers. Spell and grammar checkers, and style guides can serve as valuable companions during the self-editing journey. However, remember that these tools are aids, not substitutes, for your critical evaluation.

Seek Feedback

Engage with others to gain fresh perspectives on your writing. Peer reviews or feedback from mentors can offer valuable insights that you might have overlooked. Embrace constructive criticism and use it to refine your work further.

Be Ruthless with Revisions

Effective self-editing requires a degree of ruthlessness. Don’t be afraid to cut or rewrite sections that do not contribute to the overall strength of your piece. Trim excess words, tighten sentences, and ensure that every element serves a purpose.

Sources: 1 2 3 4

On Seatbelts and Sunsets - Hanif Abdurraqib

Fighting

Any words related to fighting outside hit, punch, kick, cut, gut, slice?

Bastinado - to subject to repeated blows

Batter - to beat with successive blows so as to bruise, shatter, or demolish

Bludgeon - to hit with heavy impact

Calcitrate - archaic: kick

Clobber - to pound mercilessly; to hit with force

Combat - to fight with; battle

Cudgel - to beat with or as if with a short heavy club

Drub - to beat severely

Flog - to beat with or as if with a rod or whip

Fracas - a noisy quarrel; brawl

Grapple - to grasp with the hands; wrestle

Hector - to intimidate or harass by bluster or personal pressure

Incise - to cut into

Lambaste - to assault violently; beat, whip

Larrup - to flog soundly; whip

Maim - to mutilate, disfigure or wound seriously

Mangle - to injure with deep disfiguring wounds by cutting, tearing, or crushing

Mêlée - a confused struggle; especially: a hand-to-hand fight among several people

Mutilation - an act or instance of destroying, removing, or severely damaging a limb or other body part of a person or animal

Oppugn - to fight against

Pummel - pound, beat

Rive - to wrench open or tear apart or to pieces; rend; to split with force or violence

Ruckus - a noisy fight or disturbance : row, commotion

Scrimmage - a confused fight; scuffle

Scuffle - to struggle at close quarters with disorder and confusion

Spar - skirmish, wrangle; a movement of offense or defense in boxing

Stamp - to strike or beat forcibly with the bottom of the foot

Thump - to strike or beat with or as if with something thick or heavy so as to cause a dull sound

Thwack - to strike with or as if with something flat or heavy; whack

Tussle - to struggle roughly; scuffle

Hope this helps with your writing. Do tag me, or send me a link. I'd love to read your work!

More: Word Lists

back with the left handed drawing cuz my dominant one is dead as hell, as per usual

somft thanzag…

The brightness of the Sun will give me just enough

To bury my love in the Moondust

(s)he makes me really laugh like genuinely laugh oH WHAT THE FUCK OH GOD *POLICE SIRENS IN THE BACKGROUND* *CRASH* *BOOM* AUGHHHH *BUILDING COLLAPSES*

pamper me to hell and back by hera lindsay bird / @ /bipdf / @/ manincaffeine / close to you by gracie abrams / love will find a way, by alivia horsley / @/tacobort on twt / fallingforyou by the 1975 / alfonsina storni / pinterest

On Love and Community

@princes-heels // ? // @inkskinned // mitski, my love mine all mine//@littlespoonsokka // @boymiffy // @2aminhouston // ? // @theviralwitch // @noodle // @criterioncollectiongirl // @fatsoupy // ? // @mjalti // george saunders, congratulations, by the way// @jb-blunk // @ponchopeligroso // @headspace-hotel // everything, everywhere, all at once(2022) //@cheruib // ? // ? // @tordenvejr