Welcome to a brand new year of editing tips and more!

As I mentioned in the edition which went out on January 1, I have expanded this newsletter to include more of what I trust you will find helpful on your writing journey.

Editing Tip

When writing the date in a sentence, include a comma after the day, the date, and the year. For example: Wednesday, January 1, 2025, marked a new beginning for many people.

Levels of Editing

While not all editors refer to the different levels of editing in the same way, this is what I include in a Content Edit: checking for text organization, transitions, readability, style issues, language fit to audience, development of ideas, paragraph and chapter arrangement, section headers, focus, identification of missing source information, verification of Bible text and references of quoted scriptures, and for fiction and memoir, in-depth look at point of view.

Tip for Fiction Writers

After you’ve chosen the point of view from which you want to tell your story, be careful to remain consistent throughout. Even when telling the story from more than one POV, it’s best to remain in a single POV within each scene.

Tip for Nonfiction Writers

Decide the tone you want to use and, for the most part, remain consistent throughout. (You’ll find consistency is important in all areas of writing and editing.) When my husband was preparing a sermon on music throughout the Bible, I found it was a blend of casual anecdotes and an academic examination of the Scriptures. While more than one approach can be included in nonfiction, the transition from one to the other shouldn’t be jarring. It takes practice to do so smoothly.

Tip for Memoir Writers

When writing memoir, it’s important to narrow your focus. Memoir is not the same as autobiography. Zero in on a specific topic or period of your life (or the individual’s life about whom you’re writing) and “go deep.”

Deep Point of View Basic

Paying particular attention to chronology is important when writing in DPOV.

CORRECT: “Get into the car NOW!” His voice was menacing.

INCORRECT: His voice was menacing. “Get into the car NOW!”

The second is incorrect because the POV character had not yet heard his voice.

Featured Recommendation

I have previously recommended Tiffany Yates Martin’s Intuitive Editing.

She has written another book I also recommend, Intuitive Author.

Q1 Contest Details

If you know someone who would benefit from this newsletter, please forward it to them. If you do so, just let me know, and, even if they don’t sign up, I will enter your name into a random draw to get 10 percent off any editing service I offer. Discount to be used by December 31, 2025.

Until February 15 . . .