Writing Excuses Transcripts

Writing Excuses Season Four Episode 29: Line Editing

From http://www.writingexcuses.com/2010/07/25/writing-excuses-4-29-line-editing/

Key Points: Line editing -- tightening up individual sentences -- is normally done after story editing. Avoid excess adverbs (ly words). Adjectives are like pepper -- a little adds flavor, too much ruins the dish. Be wary of anthropomorphizing. Watch mixed and conflicting metaphors (or similes). Beware "seemed to" -- does it or doesn't it? Character act -- active voice lets them act! Go ahead and give us a name.
( Line by line, slowly they turned... )
[Dan] Yes. Your writing prompt is you need to write a story about a man stumbling through the desert and is aided in some way by a headless monkey.
[Howard] Well, okay.
[Brandon] Okay. This is been Writing Excuses. You're out of excuses, and have headless monkeys. Now go write.