#editortips for 07.02.12

@smoulderingsea: Don't make demands in your query. Actually, don't make demands ever. You're rarely too important to get kicked to the curb. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: You shouldn't need to explain innuendo in your story. It stops being innuendo when you point it out and break it down. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: Make sure every chapter has elements that move the plot forward. An entire chapter of setting or inner monologue doesn't work. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: Foreshadowing is effective, but should be used carefully/delicately. Too obvious, and you'll give away everything by page five. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: Challenge yourself to write a query pitch/blurb in only 150 words. It'll force you to cut out anything extraneous and focus. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: Don't make up names just to sound cool. I'd rather read about Katy Jenkins than Talianiki Ravenmoon Darkblade. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: Let yourself make mistakes while writing--but don't forgive those mistakes in revisions just because they require effort to fix. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: Cliches are an organic part of language and may be appropriate in dialogue--but avoid them as much as possible in narrative. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: Endless revision will only improve your writing so far. To really evolve, you need to write more. Write as much as possible. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: When critiquing others, listen to yourself, as well. The flaws you're pointing out in their manuscripts may apply to you. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: Don't compare yourself to other writers. You'll only make yourself crazy. The only one you have to outperform is yourself. #editortips

About #editortips:
#editortips is a daily rash of tweets from an only partially crazy editor, chock full of random chocolatey morsels about writing, editing, and querying vaguely disguised as helpful pointers and/or really bad humor. I tweet as @smoulderingsea, and try to post with some consistency every weekday at 6PM CST. Weekends optional, depending on if I’m spending yet another Saturday night editing because my social life consists of Netflix and trying to figure out why these people keep pronouncing "Malik" as "Molluc." Is he a mollusk? A delicate little oyster?