Prowriting aid

[Teddy 56]

Fiction writers may gain from this seminar -- Learn how to edit your book! On the third Thursday of every month, you’re invited to join Story Coach JoEllen Nordström for Self-Editing School.

 

https://prowritingaid.com/en/Webinar/Register/1000077 

[suspensewriter 5,232]

Thanks for posting this, Teddy.

[Amosathar 367]

That might be good to see... if it wasn't at 6am in the morning for me 2 hours before I had to go to work

[suspensewriter 5,232]

Ouch!

[carolinamtne 4,530]

Sometimes the videos of webinars are available after the session or at least a transcript. You might check that out.

 

I pulled this off the website. Just register and then wait. NOTE: We record all webinars and send out a replay the following day. So, even if you are not able to make this date/time, it's still worth registering to get the recording.

January 21, 2021 2:00 PM EST / 7:00 PM UK

 

Edited January 21 by carolinamtne

[Shamrock 1,633]

Signed up. Thanks I use PRA so it will be interesting to see if how a pro uses it.

[suspensewriter 5,232]

I had a little trouble joining, but once they worked that out, I'm all set!

[suspensewriter 5,232]

I just watched it-- it was pretty good.

[Shamrock 1,633]

Just watched it too.  One of the better ones I have watched.

 

I was interested to note on Fictonary & PWR websites that they have joined forces and are offering a deal if you take out a subscription for both at the moment.

 

The editor's comment about agents wanting writers to have a strong social presence i.e lots of followers - was interesting.  I still maintain that it hard to do when you have not been published or have little published.  But it is something I am going to have to accept I need to address.

 

I am going to sign up for the one about writing a proposal. 

[carolinamtne 4,530]

I couldn't get in, so I sent a message. This is what came back. (Of course, by the time I opened it, the webinar was over. But ...

 

I'm sorry to hear that! The webinar is about halfway finished now, but if you'd like to join now I would recommend trying to register again. It should take you to a new link to join a webinar already in session. https://prowritingaid.com/en/Webinar/Register/1000077

If you'd prefer to wait, we store our recorded webinars on our YouTube channel. Today's webinar will likely be added over the next few days.

Here's the link: ProWritingAidTV

I hope this helps!

[suspensewriter 5,232]

They are also going to contact one of the people from the OneStopWriting.com group.

[Shamrock 1,633]

I have a question for those of you who  use ProWRiteAid -

 

I recently put my professional copy edited MS of Ragtag Souls through it - I knew it would throw up somethings because it is a software program - ie. advert/adjective.  The thing that is really puzzling me is that under the 'grammar' heading it keeps telling I need to put a comma here and there where my editor has not.

 

I checked the website and followed its instructions to check that my preference for language was English UK which is was..  So I am confused. Has my copy editor done a under par job or is PWA being picky?

 

Here's a common example:

 

Copy edit 

With out a word he had take it.

 

PWA

Without a word, he had taken it.

 

 

OK comma kings & queens - what is the verdict?

[Shamrock 1,633]

14 hours ago, suspensewriter said:

They are also going to contact one of the people from the OneStopWriting.com group.

 

I have just look at their website  - I thought it was like Factionary Storyteller but it appears to be a resource library. Is that right?

[suspensewriter 5,232]

Yes.  You might try running it through Grammarly too.

[Shamrock 1,633]

Sorry, what do you mean by 'yes' - that OneStop is a library or that PWA is correct?

[suspensewriter 5,232]

No, OneStopforWriters.com  is not a library!!  It is a writing site.  And I think PWA is correct, but that you should run it through Grammarly to get a second opinion.

[carolinamtne 4,530]

2 hours ago, Shamrock said:

Copy edit 

With out a word he had take it.

 

PWA

Without a word, he had taken it.

Ah! The first time I read this, I put a comma after "word."

 

Then I looked at the PWA. "Without" is one word. Think about it. What would it mean as two words? Makes no sense.

Comma after "word." "Without a word" is an explanatory phrase describing how he had taken it or how he had to take it.

 

The last part crossed my eyes as "he had to take it." That's the bad thing about our brains--we fill in what is missing. And the context will tell you if it should be "he had to take it" or "he had taken it."

 

Yes, a person as editor is better than a program. Yes, people read into things they don't write as well as things they do. And, depending upon how much an editor is reading, the eyes and the brain get tired. They miss things. It does not mean you have a bad copy editor. It means you have a human copy editor, perhaps one not taking a break as often as should be.

[Shamrock 1,633]

Thanks @carolinamtne  That makes sense.

 

I don't think he is a bad editor but he may well not be as careful as he should The work is in better shape from his edit but not perfect.  May be I have to accept that I need to be more careful in checking any future edits that he does before signing the off.

[carolinamtne 4,530]

I'm currently doing editing for a couple of folks. One sends me 40 pages at a time; the other, a chapter (49 pages, 63 pages). I have not tried a complete book, but I have discovered that I need to edit in pieces and go through the writing more than once. It's very easy to miss the little things.

[suspensewriter 5,232]

Me, too, Carolina.  I end up editing entire books, and I find that to do a good job, I have to edit them in chunks, too.

[Teddy 56]

ProWritingAid Presents: Fantasy Writer's Week

ProWritingAid are incredibly excited to announce Fantasy Writer's Week, a week-long series of live events for fantasy writers. 

Our first ever Fantasy Writer's Week will be jam-packed with FREE events for fantasy authors. With live sessions with fantasy writers TJ Klune, Angela J. Ford, David Farland and Stephanie BwaBwa, a world-building workshop, a complete World Anvil software walkthrough and more. If you love writing fantasy, this is the event for you.

Keep reading to learn more and find out how to take part. 

[Johne 2,001]

Cool. I post articles from David Farland pretty frequently here.

[suspensewriter 5,232]

I'll be sure to tune in.

[Shamrock 1,633]

One of the things I have struggled to understand with PWA is its obsession with having one 1 space after a period. I was brought up to put 2 spaced in. Finally, I now understand why having googled the question and go this from Wikapedia.

 

It would seem my copy editor using two spaces, which is why I have had to go through and alter them when using PWA. 

 

Until the 20th century, publishing houses and printers in many countries used additional space between sentences. There were exceptions to this traditional spacing method—some printers used spacing between sentences that was no wider than word spacing.[3] This was French spacing—a term synonymous with single-space sentence spacing until the late 20th century.[4] With the introduction of the typewriter in the late 19th century, typists used two spaces between sentences to mimic the style used by traditional typesetters.[5] While wide sentence spacing was phased out in the printing industry in the mid-20th century, the practice continued on typewriters[6] and later on computers.[7] Perhaps because of this, many modern sources now incorrectly[3] claim that wide spacing was created for the typewriter.[8]

The desired or correct sentence spacing is often debated but some sources now claim an additional space is not necessary.[9]

 

From around 1950, single sentence spacing became standard in books, magazines, and newspapers,[10] and the majority of style guides that use a Latin-derived alphabet as a language base now prescribe or recommend the use of a single space after the concluding punctuation of a sentence.[11] However, some sources still state that additional spacing is correct or acceptable.[3] Some people preferred double sentence spacing because that was how they were taught to type.[12] The few direct studies conducted since 2002 have produced inconclusive results as to which convention is more readable.[13]

[Johne 2,001]

1 hour ago, Shamrock said:

One of the things I have struggled to understand with PWA is its obsession with having one 1 space after a period.

Single space has the defacto standard for Technical Writing for the past fifteen years or so. I remember when our Style Guides changed over from double space to single space, and I didn't like it at the time. The pragmatism for using a single space has grown on me. There has been firm movement toward adoption of the single space everywhere I look ever since. 

The key is to check the Style Guide for the place you'd like to submit.