Rose's Red Pen

Australian Spelling: "-Our" Not "-Or"

6/17/2018

Moving to Australia presented some challenges for me as an editor. I realized I would have to master new spelling rules. The most obvious of these is adding a “u” to our American “-or” endings. For example, “honor” is spelled “honour” in Australia.

Australian spelling closely resembles British spelling. Australia’s ongoing cordial relationship with Great Britain may have led to the preference for British spellings. The United States, after its revolution, likely wanted to differentiate itself from the mother country.

Noah Webster led the effort in changing how Americans spelled words. He began to codify rules for spelling in the late 1700s and early 1800s. He tried where possible to simplify; the ending “-or” is simpler than “-our” because it removes the silent “u.” His “-or” ending also helps to differentiate words with “our” that were pronounced differently, such as “hour.” The “-or” ending for a word like “candor” rather than “candour” indicated that readers shouldn’t pronounce it as “can-dower.”

Beyond creating the first American dictionary, Noah Webster wrote textbooks that teachers used to teach spelling for the next century.

Here are some other “-or” words that are spelled differently in Australia:

Armour
Behaviour
Colour
Demeanour
Flavour
Harbour
Humour
Labour (except for the Australian Labor Party)
Neighbour
Odour
Saviour
Vapour

Next time, I’ll describe other Australian spelling rules that follow British English. No surprise—many American English spelling rules veered away from British English, thanks again to Noah Webster.

Note: Special thanks to https://pluslexia.com/ for the image used at the top of the post.

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Take Two

4/24/2018

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Canberra, the capital city of Australia

During a LONG break from Rose’s Red Pen, I found myself living in Canberra, Australia. After a few months of acclimation, I wondered whether I should pick up my pen again and blog about editing, books, and writing in a new country.

I realized that editors’ eyes spot the same problems the world over—even Down Under.

Spelling is always a challenge.

All those “n’s”! All those “a’s”! It’s exhausting to figure out where they go. Far too exhausting to finish that final “a.”

Homophones—words that sound the same but are spelled differently—are another headache, especially when apostrophes are involved.

How did I end up owning an "ours"?

Don't feed the kangaroo's what?

As it is name implies?

Closely related words can cause
confusion too.

And a clever pun is worth noting the world over.

There’s still plenty to write about. While I’m in Australia, this blog will cover topics like differences between Aussie English and American, books by Australian writers, and literary landmarks and events. I hope you’ll join me on this journey.

For more on life in Australia in general, I’ve also launched a companion blog called A Rose in Oz.

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The Foreword, Preface, and Introduction

3/17/2016

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A bunch of content needed to go at the beginning of a book I was working on for a client, and I didn’t know what to call that opening section. Should it be a foreword, preface, or an introduction?

A foreword, according to the Chicago Manual of Style, is usually written by someone other than the author. A foreword is like a stamp of approval on the book, and it helps publishers to market the book, particularly if an already-established author writes it. A foreword ranges from one to two pages. By the way, people often misspell “foreword” as “foreward” or “forward.” To remember the correct spelling, think of a foreword as the “word” that comes be“fore” the book.

A preface, which the author writes, is about the book itself. A preface often explains how the author wrote the book or why. A preface can also establish the author’s credibility to write about a topic. The goal of the preface is to draw in the audience and persuade them to read the book.

An introduction does exactly what the name implies: the author introduces the audience to the book’s content. An introduction may explain the book’s organization or its overall themes. If the author researched a topic, then the introduction may define terms or describe the methodology.

What comes first? If a book has all three opening sections, then the foreword is first, the preface follows, and third comes the introduction.

Oh, and my project? All that content ended up in an introduction, not a preface or foreword.

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Hyphen or No Hyphen?

1/21/2016

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To hyphenate or not to hyphenate ...

The other day, I sent back an edited manuscript to a client, and she had a reasonable question. Why did the phrase “search and rescue” have hyphens in some places and not in others?

The answer came down to parts of speech. What part of speech the phrase was in a particular sentence determined whether it took hyphens. If “search and rescue” is a noun—such as “I work in search and rescue” or “I do search and rescue,” then the phrase does not need a hyphen. However, if the phrase is a compound adjective that describes a noun, such as “a search-and-rescue dog” or “a search-and-rescue mission,” then the phrase takes hyphens.

So the same words in a manuscript sometimes need hyphens and sometimes do not. When a compound adjective appears before a noun, then hyphens help readers to see that the words make up a single unit to describe the noun. For instance, in this sentence—“I have a washer-and-dryer unit in my apartment”—it’s clear that the writer is referring to one appliance; without the hyphens, the meaning is unclear. In the sentence, “I have a washer and dryer unit in my apartment,” it’s possible that there are two appliances: a washer and a dryer unit (whatever that is). Also, if “washer and dryer” are nouns in the sentence, such as “the stacked unit combines a washer and dryer,” then no hyphens are needed since the meaning is clear.

Here are other examples of phrases that will take hyphens when used as compound adjectives but will not when they appear in the sentence as nouns:

When deciding whether to add hyphens, look at the phrase. What part of speech is it in the sentence? If the words are nouns, then they likely do not need a hyphen between them. If they are adjectives and make up a single unit that describes a noun, then add the hyphens.

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Beta Readers

11/19/2015

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Writers work hard on their manuscripts, revising drafts countless times. After a while, they lose a broader perspective of the story because they’re trapped in minutiae. They are too close to their manuscripts.

Wouldn’t it be great to have someone with fresh eyes invest time in reviewing your manuscript before it goes to an editor? Someone who asks questions a reader would? Questions like: But HOW did the murderer get the poison into the victim’s toothpaste? WHY didn’t the protagonist fire that employee the first time he searched her desk? And wait, doesn’t it take more than an hour to drive from Phoenix to the Mexican border?

Writers, meet beta readers.

A beta reader gives the writer feedback about a manuscript before it goes to a professional editor. The term “beta reader” comes from the software industry, where people test a beta version of software before its final release. Beta testers look for bugs or problems in the software; beta readers look for anything in a book that trips up a reader.

Writers often use family members, friends, or colleagues as beta readers. Laurinda Wallace, author of the Gracie Andersen mysteries, looks for avid readers she trusts to give her honest feedback. Two of her beta readers are also natives of the region she writes about.

C.D. Davis, author of the Darklings trilogy, appreciates the “friendly, constructive feedback” of her beta readers and their answers to questions like: “Does the story maintain a level of action and suspense sufficient to keep the reader engaged to the very end? Does it leave the reader wanting more?”

Beta readers can comment on anything in a manuscript, including the believability of the characters and plot, the story’s pacing, accuracy of details about the setting, and whether anything was inconsistent or hard to follow. C.D. Davis also uses a few of her beta readers for first-level proofreading and editing, to help prepare a cleaner manuscript for the editor.

Beta readers are usually unpaid, but writers may thank them by name in the acknowledgments or send a free copy of the published book or a small thank-you gift. Laurinda Wallace has written more about beta readers and included sample guidelines.

Bottom line: beta readers are an invaluable resource for writers. As Laurinda Wallace says, “I place a lot of trust in their judgment of what makes a good story. Their input has made every book better.”

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Cutting for Length

5/7/2015

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I worked with a writer once to cut nearly 300 words from a 700-word script. Few things are worse for writers than finishing a piece and realizing it’s too long. Where to start cutting? Here are some ideas:

Look at introductory clauses. They are often wordy. For example: “at the current time” can be shortened to “now” or deleted altogether if the audience can assume the writer’s talking about the present.
Examine verbs, particularly “-ing” constructions. Can you trim or replace them with shorter, more active verbs? Examples: “took off running” can be shortened to “ran” AND “conducted an analysis of” can become “analyzed.”
Check for multiple adjectives and adverbs. Can you cut one or find a different word that conveys both meanings? For example, instead of describing a “rundown, deteriorating building,” use the single adjective “ramshackle” instead.

Below are some wordy phrases and ways to fix them:

Here’s a more complete list of solutions to wordy phrases. Just about every piece of writing can be improved by some judicious pruning.

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Types of Editing

2/26/2015

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A recent Rose’s Red Pen focused on finding the right editor. That search involves assessing your manuscript. What kind of editing do you need?

Editing can vary from deciding if the writer’s assembled content actually constitutes a book to spotting that last small typo before publishing. Because editors can’t find and fix every kind of problem in one pass, they work in phases, beginning with a macro view of the manuscript and then narrowing the focus to individual words. The earlier phases are the most labor-intensive and costly, and editors may specialize in some kinds of editing and not others.

Developmental editing evaluates the whole manuscript. You may also hear the terms “book doctoring” or “manuscript assessment.” (Some editors consider developmental and substantive editing the same, but I disagree.) A developmental editor looks at what you’ve written and asks if there’s a book there yet. For nonfiction, is the content complete? Is more research needed? Does the writer understand the audience for the book? Is there a tight focus? In fiction, multiple problems may call for developmental editing, such as too many characters or confusion about which character is the protagonist. Perhaps the plot or the narrative voice needs a lot of work. Some editors want to see a complete manuscript, while others will look at a work-in-progress. Some will even consult with you to decide how best take your content and turn it into a book.

Substantive or content editors also focus on the manuscript at a macro level, but they usually look at your best final draft. Is the content organized? Readable? Logical? For nonfiction, especially manuscripts with multiple authors, is there a consistent voice and tone throughout? In fiction, are there plot holes? Do the characters act in believable ways? Does the dialogue match with the characters? Is the narrative voice consistent?

The next type of editing is called line or copy editing. The editor examines the book at a micro level, focusing on sentences or paragraphs. This editing polishes your work, eliminating wordiness and smoothing awkward sentence constructions. The editor checks for repetition or errors in grammar, punctuation, and usage. The editor may also look for consistency in headings, numbers, and captions, along with adherence to a style guide. In historical fiction, the editor checks for anachronistic words and dialogue.

After the writer revises the manuscript and formatting is complete, the last step before publication is proofreading. A proofreader checks for minor errors or typos that were either missed in line editing or introduced during formatting. These mistakes may include errors in capitalization, spelling, and style.

Understanding the different kinds of editing allows you to talk knowledgeably with editors about what they offer and use your resources wisely.

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Matchmaking: Finding the Right Editor

2/19/2015

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If an editor is competent, does anything else matter? You bet.

A good editor gives constructive, positive feedback. She or he wants you to succeed. A colleague had submitted his first book to an editor. His manuscript had come back with “CUT, CUT, CUT” scrawled in red ink across the first page. He said to me, only half joking: “She didn’t understand. She was talking about my baby.” Exactly. Writing is hard enough. Nobody needs this kind of feedback (unless you thrive on tough love).

A good editor respects your content. Another colleague, who’s in fundraising, once had an editor whose rewrites changed the content of a grant proposal. He had to revise the rewrites and triple check everything before he could submit the proposal. In another example, a friend complained that an editor rewrote so much that she felt as if her manuscript were no longer hers.

When you’re searching for an editor, look for someone whose abilities complement yours. If plotting is hard for you, pick an editor with an eagle eye for holes. If your dialogue tends toward wordy, find a laconic editor.

Your personalities should click, not clash. If you can’t stand small talk, then select someone who cuts to the chase. If you’re an extrovert who communicates best face to face, then your best match is not an editor who prefers only email.

A good editor should disclose any biases. Maybe you write Westerns, and a potential editor loathes them. I was once approached about helping to finish a book in a genre I never read. I turned down the project; I wasn’t a good match. Other biases are more subtle. For example, I don’t like repetitive words, “got to” constructions, or overuse of adverbs. I point out these things while editing, but I also acknowledge to writers that these are pet peeves.

How do you know if you’ve found a good match? Ask the editor to edit a few pages of your work as a sample so you can see what the editing is like. Know what you need; there’s a big difference between substantive editing and proofreading. (See the next Rose’s Red Pen for more.) Finally, talk to the editor. If you’re not in the same town, then arrange to meet, Skype, or at least chat on the phone. Do you click?

Your editor is a significant other when it comes to your writing. After all, you’re entrusting him or her with your hard work. Take the time to make sure you’re a good match.

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Capitalization in Titles of Work

1/21/2015

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The last post in Rose’s Red Pen explored how to set off the titles of work from the surrounding text by using either italics or quotation marks. This week’s post looks at how the Associated Press Stylebook and The Chicago Manual of Style each handle capitalization in the titles of works.

The table below summarizes the rules in both style guides. As usual, AP Style has relatively few rules, while The Chicago Manual of Style goes into much more detail.

In capitalization, the key is consistency. Pick a style guide and follow the rules for each and every title of a work.

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Handling Titles of Works

1/15/2015

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My mother's favorite book is "Pride and Prejudice."

Does that book title look funny to you? Your answer may depend on which style guide you use. I'm a fan of The Chicago Manual of Style, so the quotation marks appear odd to me. In that style guide, book titles are italicized. On the other hand, in the Associated Press Stylebook, quotation marks are correct.

In The Chicago Manual of Style, a shorter work (such as a song, poem, or short story) generally appears in quotation marks, while longer works have italics. In AP style, nearly every type of composition uses quotation marks.

The table below shows how to handle different kinds of composition titles in Chicago and AP styles.

Pride and Prejudice will always look better to me than "Pride and Prejudice," but at least by referring to the table, I'll know the quotation marks aren't necessarily wrong.

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Australian Spelling: "-Our" Not "-Or"

Take Two

The Foreword, Preface, and Introduction

Hyphen or No Hyphen?

Beta Readers

Cutting for Length

Types of Editing

Matchmaking: Finding the Right Editor

Capitalization in Titles of Work

Handling Titles of Works

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