#autocrit

Self-Editing Checklist

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 7 Comments

ANNABEL SMITH

Check out the article, Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: A Quick-Start Checklist from the AutoCrit Blog for this quick and simple start to self-editing.

1. Clean things up:
  • Clear out the clutter.
  • Weed out “to be” verbs and other passive constructs.
  • Eliminate clichés
2. Check Narrative Flow
  • Show, don’t tell.
  • Find and eliminate redundancies.
  • Vary sentence lengths.
  • Pace yourself.
3.  Dialogue
  • Get rid of excess dialogue tags.
  • Stick to “said” and “asked.”
  • Keep adverbs out of dialogue tags.
4. Plot

Evaluate your character development, conflict, action, and theme.

I’ve listed the main points on the checklist, but to get the details, you’ll need to read the article. If you’re ready to begin self-editing, need help or a little direction you can test AutoCrit for free 

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I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story. I’m all ears and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilamgood, Contently, and Instagram. You can follow my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

 

Competitions – Call for Submissions

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 2 Comments

Trying to get through the editing process, perfecting my queries, and the dreaded synopsis (more to come on that) I plan to get back to writing short stories and flash fiction, and then I plan to submit my work to competitions. It’s a great way to get feedback.

The problem with competitions is they are often time restrictive with deadlines that don’t always meet my writing schedule. Thanks to the AutoCrit blog, I have a great list of regular online competitions, both paid and unpaid. Check them out their post, Regular Online Competitions for Writers,  along with the pointers on why we should submit, as well as what to watch for.

Writing Competitions Available

FREE ENTRY:

  • Drue Heinz Literature (LINK HERE) – Entry Fee: Free;  Word Count: 150 -300 typed pages; Prize: $15000 and publication.
  • New Voices Award (LINK HERE) – Entry Fee: Free; Word Count: 1500 words; Prize: $2000 and publication.
  • W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction (LINK HERE)- Entry Fee: Free; Word Count: Unspecified; Prize: $5000.
  • Friends of American Writers Chicago Awards (LINK HERE)– Entry Fee: Free; Word Count: Unspecified; Prize: Varies between $500 and $2,000.
  • Words & Brushes (LINK HERE)– Entry Fee: Free; Word Count: 2000 – 5000 words; Prize: $350 and publication.

ENTRY FEES:

  • American Short Fiction (LINK HERE) – Entry Fee: $17.00; Word Count: 1000 limit; Prize: $1000 and publication.
  • White review short story (LINK HERE)- Entry Fee: £15; Word Count: 2000 – 7000 words; Prize: £2500 or $3000 and feedback.
  • ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story  (LINK HERE) – Entry Fee: $25; Word Count: 2000 – 5000 words; Prize: $7000 and publication.
  • Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition (LINK HERE) – Entry Fee: Varies; Word Count: Varies; Prize: Varies.

And don’t forget one of my favorite competitions:

So, let’s get those keyboards going, dust off an old story and spruce it up, or let your muse run wild! Good luck and happy submissions.

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story. I’m all ears and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  Pinterest,  Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilamgood, Contently, and Instagram. You can follow my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.