1.  A professional writer since 1981
 Owned award-winning marketing firm, vIDEAn Unlimited, LLC, since 1996
 Editor: corporate, publishing house, and 50+ client books
 Author: Rhythms & Muse, Song of the Ocarina, Enchanted Faerie Portals
 Co-owner Absolutely Wild! Enchanted Faerie Portals & Other Whimsy—
inspired by Fae characters in Song of the Ocarina
Other career highlights:
 2007 – Selected by peers for the Public Relations Society of America's top honor:
the PERCY Award
 2005 – Selected by national panel for Crown Jewel Award: top U.S. home-based business
 2004 – Served as catalyst to reintroduce white rhinos to the Phoenix Zoo.
 1996 – Enticed 15,000 extras to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, AZ, to film football movie
scenes for Jerry Maguire

2. An editor’s secrets to write
manuscripts that sing.
Ann Narcisian Videan
ANVidean.com
Oct. 12, 2019

3.  Why an editor?
 Editing tips/know your tools
 Overall story/message
 Developing content flow
 Compelling writing
For both fiction
and nonfiction
authors
TODAY’S
TOPICS

4. Readers
 Several fellow authors/
editors (beta readers)
 A critique partner or group
 A co-worker in your marketing
department
 Not solely your mother or good friends,
even if they are avid readers.
Pro
 Professional editor (content/line edits)
You cannot
edit your own
writing. No
exceptions!
Your
manuscript
needs fresh
eyes!
No self-
editing

5.  Questions to ask about the process.
 How does the editing process work?
 Will you do a sample edit for me?
 How do I format my
MS for an editor?
 Are all edits to be
taken as hard rules?
You cannot
edit your own
writing. No
exceptions!
No self-
editing

6.  More questions to ask about the
process.
 How long does it take?
 How do you charge? What can
I expect to pay?
 Should I expect an
editor to do other
work for me,
like formatting?
You cannot
edit your own
writing. No
exceptions!
No self-
editing

7.  Questions to ask about the editor.
 Do you do content or line editing?
 How do you edit, using what manual?
 Will you read my manuscript (MS)
more than once?
 Do you give suggestions
to improve my writing?
You cannot
edit your own
writing. No
exceptions!
No self-
editing

8.  Questions to ask about
the author’s role.
 How do I fit into the process?
 What writing/tech tools do I need to
know to make the process easier?
 Who’s ultimately responsible for the
quality of my MS?
You cannot
edit your own
writing. No
exceptions!
No self-
editing

9.  Search for:
 Double spaces after periods
 “As if” and “seem”
 “That,” “which” hunt, “then”
 Sentences starting with “And”/“But”
 Inactive verbs
 Homework:
 Search, especially for “is,” “was,”
“had,” “been,” and other “to be” verbs.
 If you have more than five such
words on a page, rewrite in a more
active voice.
Use your word
processor’s
global search
and replace
function to
look for issues.
Editing Tips:
Search and
replace

10.  Backward by section
 Read out loud, and listen for:
 Flow
 Dialog
 Edit for one thing at
a time:
 Consistent headers
 Specific trouble words
 Spelling
Edit in small
chunks.
Line-edit
tips

11.  Know your tools, so you can
concentrate on content, not tech
(and make your editor happy)
 The menu bar and ruler
 Search, and find and replace
 Track Changes
F&NF
LEVERAGE
MS WORD
MS Word tips
to help ease
editing and
formatting

14.  Track Changes tutorials (see handout)
MS Word tips
for writers

15. For Macintosh
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-
OTTlZlFL4E
For PC
 www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_knruAysnA
Most editors
use this
function of
MS Word.
You should
learn it.
“Track
Changes”
Tutorials

16.  Cntrl+B: bold
 Cntrl+I: italic
 Cntrl+S: save
 Cntrl+E: center text
 Cntrl+L: left align
 Cntrl+R: right align
 Cntrl+1: single spacing
 Cntrl+5: 1.5 spacing
 Cntrl+2: double spacing
 Cntrl+J: justify
 Cntrl+M: indent
 Cntrl+Shift+M: unindent
 Cntrl+T: hanging indent
 Cntrl+Shift+T: un-hang indent
Easy formatting.
See links on
handout for
more.
MS WORD
KEYBOARD
SHORTCUTS

17.  When something happens, your
protagonist pursues a goal. But, will
they succeed when the antagonist
provides opposition?*
 When something happens, your
protagonist pursues a goal. But, will they
succeed when the antagonist provides
opposition?
*http://jimbutcher.livejournal.com/
and Fantasy Fiction Formula by Deborah Chester
This Story Question *
gives you a mini-
synopsis with:
• Inciting incident
• Main good
character
• The story’s
overall goal
• Villain/opposing
character
• The conflict
FICTION
OVERALL STORY*

18.  Harry Potter
 When he finds out he’s a wizard, Harry
Potter moves to Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry to learn about
magic and his mysterious past. But, will
he succeed when the dark Lord
Voldemort, who killed Harry’s parents,
returns to retrieve an immortality stone
so he can destroy the young student?
• Inciting incident
• Main good
character
• The story’s
overall goal
• Villain/opposing
character
• The conflict
STORY
QUESTION
EXAMPLE

19.  What purpose will your book
serve?
 What’s in it for you?
 Gain clients, build additional
readership, share with family.
 What is your book about?
 Not: “The story of my life.”
 Rather: “A compelling tale about
overcoming self-doubt with a
spiritual practice.”
Compelling Questions
Be clear, so you:
• Stay on track with
your purpose
• Entice readers with a
succinct description
and promise
Cathy Preland,
Author Unlimited:
https://authorunlimited.com/
writing-non-fiction-book/
NONFICTION
OVERALL MESSAGE

20.  Fiction writers, write your
story question.
 When something happens, your protagonist
pursues a goal. But, will they succeed when
the antagonist provides opposition?
 Nonfiction writers, answer the
two questions:
 What is your book about?
 What purpose does the book serve?
Clear overall
story/message

21.  Point of view character:
Who has the most at stake?
 Goal:
Be very specific.
 Conflict (scene question):
What happens between characters to
impede the goal?

 Setback (scene answer):
Was the goal achieved?
Generally, no, until end. Options:
 Yes.
 No.
 Yes, but...
 No, and furthermore...
Scene Question*
Every scene should
use this structure to
keep the story
spinning forward.
*http://jimbutcher.live
journal.com/
FICTION
CONTENT

22.  POV: Harry Potter
 Goal: Open the Golden Egg for a clue to
help survive the Triwizard tournament.
 Conflict: He can’t find a way to open it,
and when he does, he can’t understand
the merpeople’s song of instructions.
 Setback:
Yes, he figures out the song directs him
to the Black Lake, but furthermore, he
must find a way to breathe underwater
to retrieve his friend(s).
Can be used to
plot a short
story or an
entire book.
SCENE
QUESTION
EXAMPLE

23.  Book outline
 List all the key points to cover
overall theme and message.
 Storyboard
 Draw pictures of what’s covered in
the book
 Scrivner tools
 Mindmapping brain dump
 - Write topic in page center, jot
ideas to cover, connect logical ideas
with lines
 - Can use for each chapter
Outline options*
*Self Publishing
School,
https://self-
publishingschool.com
/11-ways-outline-
book/
NONFICTION
CONTENT

24. • Draw rough
diagram
• Pick best info
• Organize in
outline format,
with Post-it
notes, or index
cards
MINDMAP
EXAMPLE

25.  Use active verbs
 Not “to be” verbs (was, had, be, +)
 Active voice
 Not passive voice
Word choice
subliminally affects
readers. They may
not even know why
they love or hate a
story, but it’s often
because of active
verbiage choices.
COMPELLING
WRITING:
ACTIVE
VERBIAGE

26.  Inactive/"to be" verbs =
 is, was, has, have, be, been
 Active verbs:
 cheers, pray, binge,
stumbles, stared
Use active verbs
to create a
mental picture
ACTIVE VERBS

27.  Passive voice uses inactive
verbs often followed by words ending
in “-ed” or “-ing”
 Passive voice
 is cheering, are praying,
have binged
 Active voice
 cheers, prays, binged
It's the way we
speak, but
should not be
the way we
write.
ACTIVE VOICE

28.  Passive:
They are misusing the forbidden
spells and have undermined
the elemental structure of
both realms.
 Active:
Their misuse of the
forbidden spells undermined
the elemental structure of
both realms.
In active voice,
you start your
sentences with
the subject and
use an active verb
to describe what
the subject does.
ACTIVE VOICE
EXAMPLES

29.  It is sensory-engaging for readers.
 Deep POV isn't simply active voice or
showing rather than telling.
 Stay in the action. Climb into a character's
skin and taste, feel, hear, and smell what
they experience.
Deep Point-of-
View (POV)
Tips from
Michelle
Massaro,
assistant editor,
Clash of the
Titles
F&NF
COMPELLING
WRITING

30.  Delete the phrases: “she saw,” “he heard,”
“They realized,” etc. They distance the
character from the action.
 No: She saw the clan of dragons
rising over the horizon.
 Yes: The dragon clan rose over the
horizon, a glimmering show of
metallic scales.
Just state the
action.
DEEP POV

31.  What would you say in the situation where
someone points a gun at your character?
 No: She was terrified.
 Yes: He planned to kill her.
or
She expected to die.
Use realistic
internal talk,
stay inside the
character’s
head
DEEP POV

32. Example: Anger
 No: He felt angry.
 Yes: He narrowed his eyes and restrained
his tensed muscles from hurling his fist
into the wall.
Example: Love
 No: He realized he was in love with her.
 Yes: He closed his eyes and her lavender
scent made his head spin. It filled him with
the belief he could do anything if it meant
being with her.
Don’t label
emotions
DEEP POV

33.  Describe:
 Knees buckling
 Chest tightening
 Throat clamping
 Goose bumps
 Nausea
 Dizziness
 Sweating
 Racing thoughts
 Adrenaline rush
 Etc.
Physical
action/reaction
Provide physical
responses to
emotions, which
pull the reader deep
into the story.
DEEP POV

34. When something happens, characters
react in this order:
 Emotion
 “Oh, darn!” or teeth gnashing
 Review, logic, and reason
 What just happened? Was I at fault?
Is anyone hurt?
 Anticipation
 What’s going to happen. What do I do?
 Choice
 What steps do I take? Who do I call?
Emotional/
Sequential
Reaction*
• Emotion
• Review, logic,
and reason
• Anticipation
• Choice
*http://jimbutcher.live
journal.com
DEEP POV

35.  No: Steve was clearly angry. (telling)
 Yes: Steve clenched his hands until his
knuckles whitened, and a tight muscle
ticked along his jaw.
(showing, fits deep POV)
 No: Preparations for the
meal were underway. (telling)
 Yes: She pulled out the pot, filled it with
water she'd pumped from the well, and
dumped in the pre-peeled potatoes. (showing)
Show,
Don’t Tell
Beauty is in
the details. No
broad brush
strokes telling
the action.
Show how it
happens!
DEEP POV

36.  Review the scene handout
 Rewrite it using the techniques of
Deep POV and active verbiage
 Cheat sheet:
 Delete “she saw”
 Stay in character’s head
 Don’t label emotions
 Physical/emotional
action/reaction
 Show don’t tell
 Sequential reaction
 Active verbs
 Active voice
Read and spy
the issues in the
provided scene

37. Get writing support...
Words.Music.Village website
http://ANVidean.com
ann@annvidean.com