>>> Item number 29129 from WRITERS LOG9404E --- (45 records) ----- <<< Date: Fri, 29 Apr 1994 18:35:01 JST Reply-To: WRITERS Sender: WRITERS From: Mike Barker Subject: TECH: Book Notes: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers Self-Editing for Fiction Writers Browne, Renni and King, Dave ISBN 0-06-270061-8 HarperCollins, NY 1993, $11.00 An excellent book for any writer, especially if you believe in revision as a key part of their writing. If you don't, this book may help convert you. The two authors are both writers and "book doctors," making a living providing editorial help to writers, and know their business inside out. Each chapter focuses on one key topic of self-editing, looking at it with examples from both well-known authors (critiquing the classics!) and other sources. They end with a checklist and exercises (which let you try out the principles). There also are rather droll cartoons to help remind you of the principles. Good for self-study, and I could see structuring workshops around this book without any difficulty. One of the interesting points about the book is that it rarely rules out something entirely, preferring to discuss the reasons you might or might not want to use some technique and the alternatives. They also stress balance - e.g. don't cut out all repetition, but use it for a reason. They seem to be more interested in developing authors who understand what they are doing than in simply laying out a blind pattern for beginners, and that's something I like in a book. Incidentally, they indicate that publishers now rarely do much editing, mostly taking the author's work as it stands and putting it in print. Given some of the junk I see in print, this may be true. Unfortunately, it means the author needs to be even more careful about revision and self-editing because that final polishing isn't being done by the publishers anymore. I'm still writing up my notes from the book, but if you're looking for help in the revision process, I'd recommend trying this book. tink