Inventing Reality Editing Service

Use comma to set off introductory element

Whenever your sentence begins with an introductory element, set it off with a comma. Think of the the comma as a handshake.

An introductory element is a word, phrase or clause that provides important information at the beginning of the sentence before the main subject and verb appear. Consider this sentence:

After the dance, they kissed under the moonlight.

In the above example, after the dance is the introductory element with they the main subject and kissed the verb. The introductory isn’t needed to make a complete sentence as they kissed under the moonlight could stand on it own. Still, the introductory element serves a somewhat important purpose in the sentence because it tells when (after the dance) the main action (they kissed) occurred. As it’s extraneous, however, it is set off by a comma.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

Four writing prompts: Manipulation

Good stories center on the clashing of characters’ goals and motivations. Sometimes a character’s goals and motivations arise from seeking something so badly that he no longer cares if he must influence or control someone unscrupulously. Here are four writing prompts for stories that center on manipulation.

Man vs. nature
An expedition is marooned in a remote wilderness. Each effort the protagonist and his expedition makes to overcome the challenges nature poses to their survival is undercut, however. What if their efforts were being manipulated to doom them? How do they determine this, and how do they discover who is sabotaging them?

Man vs. man
Two brothers vie for something – control of a family fortune, a throne, their father’s affection. What happens when their zeal for achieving mastery over the other causes them to manipulate others? How many people will be hurt by their manipulation? Is there anyone who can end their game?

Man vs. society
What if an organization with evil intent attempts to manipulate our protagonist into committing a murder? How do they go about doing this? How does our main character come to suspect he is being manipulated, and how does he go about turning the tables on this organization?

Man vs. himself
Manipulation typically involves telling lies about oneself and others. What happens to the manipulator, though, when he has told so many lies that he begins to believe them himself? Is there any way out of his internal madness and the life he has created?

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

Avoid starting story with a cliché opening

For writers, the challenge with most people who like to read is that they read a lot. They’ve seen all kinds of plots, protagonists, villains and settings. Worse, even if they prefer specific genres, they don’t want to re-read a story, especially when they pick one up that claims to be original.

I cheekily say “worse” because the quickest way for an author to turn off a reader is to use a cliché opening. These are opening sentences or paragraphs that already have been done by other writers. Though you may think the opening was a clever idea (and it was, as another writer who published a story thought so, too), it becomes more unoriginal with each use.

Some common examples of cliché openings include:
• Blank page – The main character is staring at a blank page of paper, a blank computer screen, or a wall painted in one color.
• Dream – The extremely well-written (usually action-packed or quite lyrical) opening scene turns out to be a dream, from which the protagonist awakens (which also is a cliché, so this is a two-for-one rip-off).
• Funeral – The protagonist is at a funeral or wake, usually recalling the person who has died or trying to figure out why they did.
• “If only I’d…” – The story’s hero or narrator then fills us in on what he should have done ow why he’s now in so much trouble.
• Mirror, mirror on the wall – The hero describes himself while looking in a mirror, usually pointing out physical flaws.
• “My name is…” – The protagonist gives readers a personal introduction.
• Travel update – The main character is en route while in a car, train or plane and recalling where he’s been and where he’s going.
• Waking up – The story’s protagonist awakens, usually to an alarm clock going off.
• Weather report – A lengthy description of the weather is given to set the story’s tone.

If you find yourself using any one of these cliché openings, consider rewriting it. Of course, you might possibly have devised some unique twist on these openings, but, honestly, the odds are against it.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

Five Great Quotations about Business of Writing

“The biggest threat to authors in this age is not plagiarism or poverty, it’s obscurity.” - Bernard Kelvin Clive

“Write without pay until somebody offers to pay.” - Mark Twain

“Writers don’t make any money at all. We make about a dollar. It is terrible. But then again we don’t work either. We sit around in our underwear until noon then go downstairs and make coffee, fry some eggs, read the paper, read part of a book, smell the book, wonder if perhaps we ourselves should work on our book, smell the book again, throw the book across the room because we are quite jealous that any other person wrote a book, feel terribly guilty about throwing the schmuck’s book across the room because we secretly wonder if God in heaven noticed our evil jealousy, or worse, our laziness. We then lie across the couch facedown and mumble to God to forgive us because we are secretly afraid He is going to dry up all our words because we envied another man’s stupid words. And for this, as I said, we are paid a dollar. We are worth so much more.” - Donald Miller

“All trademarks, company names, registered names, products, characters, mottos, logos, jingles and catchphrases used or cited in this work are the property of their respective owners and have only been mentioned and or used as cultural references to enhance the narrative and in no way were used to disparage or harm the owners and their companies. It is the author’s sincerest wish the owners of the cited trademarks, company names, etc. appreciate the success they have achieved in making their products household names and appreciate the free plug.” - E.A. Bucchianeri

“To labor in the arts for any reason other than love is prostitution.” - Steven Pressfield

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

Reading is an ocean. Writing is a boat.

You probably have read – and will continue to read – more pages than you write.

Of this vast array of books that stretches across the horizon of your life, some of the titles have proved as powerful as a tsunami while others, like calm waters, gave no reason to even take notice. Your writing traverses all of these books that you’ve explored through the years.

Reading is an ocean. Writing is a boat.

Boats always pick up something from the waters they traverse – barnacles, sea water that’s splashed aboard, fish caught in nets cast over the side. Likewise, your writing has collected much from the many books you’ve read – ways to ramp up suspense, plot patterns, techniques to make your descriptions more vivid.

One’s writing isn’t merely the culmination of all the author has read, of course. Experience and imagination also play major roles. Still, there’s no doubt that other authors’ techniques stick to your repertoire, that their style has washed over you, that their themes and characters have been hauled aboard your own and dumped into the barrels of your manuscripts.

If you are to be a great writer, you must be a great sailor of literature.

A first-rate sailor spends time a lot of time on the water where he’s learned how to tie a cleat hitch and repair a snapped line. From experience, he comes to intuitively know from which direction the wind is blowing and how it will shift.

Likewise, an excellent writer spends time navigating through books, where he’s learned how to create a character arc and tighten an unwieldy sentence. From the countless words he’s processed, he naturally knows when a point of view isn’t working and how to revise scenes so a new perspective will tell the tale with heightened drama.

Will you settle for being a mediocre writer by only dreaming of what the vast sea holds? Or will you set sail through the greatest books of your favorite genre and of all time to seek the glory that awaits on a distant shore?

We’ll see you on the water.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

How to accept credit card purchases on your site

One of the main reasons authors lose book sales online is that potential readers have no immediate way to make purchases. This is true even when the author’s web page includes a link that brings readers back to an Amazon.com listing page, a CafePress page, or a similar site, which the reader doesn’t find or simply never clicks.

The problem is easy to solve: Allow readers to make credit card purchases on your site.

If you do, your book sales (and business if you offer it) will increase. That’s because you’ve made purchasing easier for impulse buyers. If your website’s text and pictures excites potential buyers of your book or services, then credit card purchasing helps complete the transaction now rather than gives the buyer time to talk himself out of it. In addition, you’ll also make a purchase easier for international customers. Credit cards usually solve the hassle of currency exchanges for both parties; the credit card company typically will make the exchange from euros, yens and pesos to dollars (or vice versa) for you.

There are two ways in which you can accept credit card purchases on your site. First, you might set up your own merchant account through your local bank. Secondly, you could set up a third party merchant to accept payments. Also known as a “payment gateway,” these companies (such as PayPal) accept credit card payments for you in exchange for fees and/or percentages of the amount charged.

Each method has a few advantages and disadvantages.

A merchant account typically is less expensive than a payment getaway in the long run, as the service fees are lower. Because of this, if your sales are large on a daily basis, a merchant account will keep more money in your pocket than would a payment gateway. On the downside, since you’re now processing credit cards, you face a number of risks including fraud and chargebacks.

A payment gateway boasts lower an initial set-up cost than a merchant account; many times, it’s entirely free to set up. If you don’t plan to make many sales the payment getaway thus marks the more convenient and less expensive route, as a merchant account will take time to set up and the higher initial cost may eliminate any return on investment. Should you be uncertain if credit cards actually will increase your sales, a payment option is an easy and cheap way to run a test. Finally, if your payment gateway is reputable, buyers are more likely to use it than a merchant account they may not be familiar with.

A variety of companies provide payment gateway services. To boost buyer confidence and to better ensure your own security, opt for a company that has been around for at least several years and whose name is recognizable.

Once you decide to go with a specific company, whether it be a merchant account or a payment gateway, you’ll need to apply or register for the service. Once approved, that company will provide you with instructions for placing an order form or buy now button on your website. This usually means you’ll need to cut and paste html coding into your website page.

Of course, you simply may not want to handle the warehousing and distribution of your book (though you might sell pdfs of it) and may not offer any services. In that case, there’s no need to allow credit card purchases on your website. But if you offer services related to your book or if you sell items such as coffee mugs and T-shirts related to your book, then you probably want readers to have the ability to pay for them via credit card.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

Indie writers also can use depreciation on taxes

When you start or operate a business, you almost certainly will have to acquire equipment and other property. Even for indie authors who have very few business items – such as a desk and a computer – some of this can be deducted from your Federal taxes.

The expense of purchasing any property that has a useful life beyond a year often can be deducted over a few years. In fact, usually the entire cost of this expense cannot be deducted in a single tax year but must be spread out. In tax lingo, deducting the cost of this propery is called depreciation.

Business property that qualifies for a deduction through depreciation includes office furniture, buildings, machinery and equipment. There are limits to how many years a deduction can be taken via depreciation – even if you’re still using the item.

As indie writers only need relatively inexpensive equipment (at least compared to machinery and buildings), the amount of deduction that can be taken usually is small. Still, it will reduce the amount of taxes you owe the Federal government – and therefore your state government, too – and so is worth taking.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

Avoid making incomplete comparisons

Leaving out a key word in a manuscript will leave most readers confused. Such is the case with incomplete comparisons.

For example, suppose an author wrote, The Los Angeles Rams are stronger.

Stronger than what? To say something is stronger – or better or faster or smarter or dumber and so on – tells the reader you’re making a comparison. You must include words that complete this comparison.

So, our errant author above might instead write The Los Angeles Rams are a stronger team than the Tennessee Titans.

Sometimes in dialogue an incomplete comparison is not a big deal as the conversation has previously established what is being compared:

“The Titans are the best team in the NFL,” Davie said.

Matt shook his head. “The Rams are stronger.”

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

Four writing prompts: Revenge

Good stories center on the clashing of characters’ goals and motivations. Sometimes a character’s goals and motivations arise when someone believes he has wrongly suffered. Here are four writing prompts for stories that center on revenge.

Man vs. nature
While on a trip in the wilderness to rest and relax, our main character finds that someone is out to kill him for revenge. How does he survive the challenges of nature as trying to outwit his would-be assassin?

Man vs. man
The main character’s former spouse, livid at her perceived abandonment and betrayal, plots to send him to prison and ruin his life. How would she do this? What effect would this have on the main character’s friendships, career and intimate relationships? How would the main character respond to and overcome this threat?

Man vs. society
What if to destroy the society that suppresses his people, the protagonist must become one of his overlords (Perhaps through an elaborate scheme he infiltrates this society.)? Will the material trappings of the suppressor become too much for him to resist? How does he go about bringing the collapse of this society? What if a member of the suppressor discovers his secret plan?

Man vs. himself
Our protagonist must decide if he will avenge a man who stole his wife and ripped apart his family and life. On one level, the protagonist may fantasize about revenge and decide there’s nothing that can be done in the real world. On another level, he may be overcome with emotion and act out of passion. Or perhaps he will realize that no one stole his wife but that he lost it all on his own and make changes to ensure this doesn’t happen to him again. What choice will he make and how will he arrive at it?

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.

Avoid plot error of reader cheating in your story

Sometimes authors, in the mistaken belief that they are creating a more exciting story, commit the error of reader cheating.

This occurs when the reader has no reasonable opportunity to anticipate that some decision, realization or event will occur.

Suppose in a fantasy novel that the main character uses magical abilities to resolve the story’s central problem. If the main character never used magic and the reader had no inkling that he even had that ability, then then the author is cheating the reader. Readers dislike this unwarranted surprise because it breaks their suspension of disbelief. No amount of explaining away the surprise after it occurs will fix that.

Instead, the author should plant subtle clues suggesting that the main character might indeed have magic. Perhaps his parents are mages. Maybe minor wishes he makes comes true. Possibly he feels oddly different at times, such as being “at one with nature” or full of boundless energy. Natural explanations should be given for these clues – such as the frame was rotted so the door fell off the frame, though the main character coincidentally wished for it, or perhaps he was extremely excited when walking all night without ever tiring. This way the reader believes that the main character can’t use magic to resolve the story’s problem, but when he does, it is believable.

There are several ways authors can avoid reader cheating. First, always plant subtle clues. The trick is to give hints that allow for a later action to occur but don’t make that solution so obvious that readers know how the story will end. Secondly, never withhold information from the reader. A character should be able to make a deduction only with the same information that the reader has been given. Finally, don’t let a character lie in his internal narrative, as this deceives readers. In the fantasy novel described during the previous paragraph, the main character shouldn’t know he has magical abilities. Instead, he should be as surprised by the reveal as much as the reader is.

The term was coined by science fiction author James Patrick Kelly as part of the Cambridge Science Fiction Workshop.

Professional Book Editor: Having your novel, short story or nonfiction manuscript proofread or edited before submitting it can prove invaluable. In an economic climate where you face heavy competition, your writing needs a second eye to give you the edge. I can provide that second eye.