I strongly advise authors to seek the assistance of professional editors for their book babies. But I also understand when authors go it alone due to budgetary constraints. That is why I like to utilize my platform, my newsletter, to help other authors as much as possible.

This week's advice deals with FILTER WORDS.

Filtering occurs when the writer allows the narrator to insert himself/herself between the person reading and the character's point of view (POV). This happens by utilizing the five senses or thought processes to inform (tell) the reader what the character sees, hears, senses, or believes. The goal of fiction writing should be to plant the reader into the character's head so he/she does not have to be told anything, but shown.

A quick editing tip for this issue is to perform a "Find" function for these common filtering words/phrases, mark these, and seek a better way to show the reader rather than tell the reader anything.

Common Filter Words to Watch Out For (and Avoid):

saw/see

look/looked

hear/heard

listen/listened

taste/tasted

smell/smelled

feel/felt

think/thought

wonder/wondered

realize/realized

know/knew

decide/decided

remember/remembered

noted

seem/seemed

notice/noticed

watch/watched

can/could

experience/experienced

Another helpful method I recently learned: Use Microsoft Word "Text Highlight Color" button on the "Home" page and color your filter words. The words are then highlighted for better visibility when editing/proofreading.

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I hope this helps. If you still believe you need professional help, simply reply to this email or visit my website at https://www.bookmageediting.com/ and let's set up a free consultation to discuss your book's needs.