Writing from Within

In fiction writing, there’s nothing more important than creating an honest story. An honest story isn’t merely something that truly happened, and it doesn’t refer to non-fiction. An honest story is told by an author who was there, who experienced the narrative in real life, and is writing with the authenticity that can only come from personal experience. Fiction writers are often tempted to use the medium to concoct an elaborate story, or to explore the boundaries of some event that happened to someone else. But the best fiction writing is a product of writing from within, not writing from without. Great narrative movement is not in recounting an epic tale full of conflict and resolution. It’s in the vibrant details of a scene and the specific movements of a character. These elements, added together, create the great tapestry of fiction that puts the reader in the story.

The great stories of American fiction were all told by writers who genuinely experienced them. Readers of The Sun Also Rises are left with no doubt that Hemingway witnessed violent bullfighting, just as readers of Fitzgerald can be sure that he was well-versed on the culture of the swanky Hamptons in the 1920s. The great novels of the last hundred years – and thousands of more modest ones – are tales of personal experience. They’re populated by places an author has been, or people an author has known. At its essence, fiction is as real as any other genre. A great writer crafts a scene and a lens, and puts the reader in the picture. It’s easier to do this when he has already been there.

For a graduate English class many years ago, I was required to read a well-known book called The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe. The “nonfiction novel” follows Wolfe himself as he becomes immersed in the psychedelic, late-‘60s culture of Ken Kesey and his band of Merry Pranksters. At some point, each character experiments with LSD, a gamble at best given the unknown risks of the drug at the time. After completing the book, the professor of the class asked each student the pivotal question of the novel – did Wolfe really take acid (as he claims to have done)? The question gets at the heart of Wolfe’s credibility, and the reader’s faith in the claims of the book.

It’s the quintessential question of fiction writing, and one thousands of M.F.A. students around the country have encountered. Do you believe the writer? Consciously or not, readers of fiction ask themselves this question each time they read a writer’s work. It’s more than a B.S.-meter; it’s a measure of the author’s ability to write from within. A writer who’s been there can craft a great story with vivid details, and the reader will know it’s written from within.

So, did Wolfe take acid? I didn’t believe so at the time, but most students in the class did. Why would he take acid, I thought? Just for a story? Seems pretty dangerous, just for the sake of being authentic. I realize many years later that the answer was yes. Wolfe would have taken acid for the benefit of the story – to be sure that he was writing from within.

Writing Like an Editor

My first job out of college was working as a videotape editor in the tiny newsroom of a local network affiliate. My job was to take endless piles of raw video and turn them into a coherent 30-second piece of news tape for voice-over or live read by the anchor. It was a thankless job spent punching buttons in a closet-sized edit bay. The only time I got noticed was when I screwed up. I would emerge after a couple of hours, squinty-eyed and jumpy, to watch my video on the newscast monitor. Then I would grab some more scripts and skulk back into the edit bay.

I left the world of local news as quickly as possible, but the lessons I learned have stayed with me ever since – always smile for a mugshot and write like an editor. Hopefully, you’ll never need the first lesson, but the second one is crucial for writers. Imagine the piece of crime scene video that appears on every local newscast. It starts with a wide scene-setter and might cut to a close-up of a front door. Then there’s a medium shot of the scene (perhaps a chalk outline on some pavement), followed by flashing police lights, a close-up of yellow crime tape, another wide shot, and a medium shot. There’s never five close-ups in a row, or five wide shots in a row. The videotaped editor is taught to mix up the length of shots to weave a complete picture.

Writers describing a scene would do well to follow this technique, and I always have in my writing. A giant building could be developed by its 1) hulking, monolithic structure, 2) the cornice molding over the doorway entrance, and 3) the businessman walk through it. A male character could be described as 1) a large figure in a pea coat, 2) the gray stubble on his face, and 3) his hands tucked in his coat pockets. It’s the art of the cut-away – from faraway to close-up, and back, that works here. It’s quick stabs of description peppered with light action. Readers need story, but they also need specific details that add without getting in the way.

I’ve often wondered how many great writers worked in local news, or were simply avid watchers of the news. Many seem to follow this descriptive template, and it’s a great tool for first-time authors looking to harness the power of description. Next time you’re struggling with how to describe action, it might be a good idea to turn on the local news and see how they do it.

Documents

Business leaders know that every document created represents the company brand, for better or worse.  Leave it to the experts at Open Book Editors to craft a professional, concise, engaging message that reflects highly upon the company’s image, and the bottom line.  Open Book Editors are leaders in creating dynamic, eye-catching business and marketing literature that gets results every time.
Smart business people know that success can come from many sources. None are more important than the written word. Business and marketing platforms offer endless opportunities for sales successes, but only when the message is clean, dynamic and engaging.  At Open Book Editors, we’re well-versed in the art of producing sales-driven copy that gets immediate results.

The Internet Age requires that sales documents jump off the page.  Open Book Editors can turn your concepts and ideas into eye-popping text.  We specialize in helping to create:

Business Plans Newsletters Manuscripts User Guides Press Releases Web pages Business Documents Technical and Training Manuals	Magazines/Journal Articles Dissertations Theses Copy Editing Blogs RFPs Personal Correspondences

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THESES & DISSERTATIONS

After countless hours researching and composing graduate level work, it’s imperative that most students let a professional edit a thesis or dissertation for formatting and usage.  At Open Book Editors, we have helped hundreds of undergrad and graduate-level students streamline their work.  We’re experts at all major styles of citation, and can provide immeasurable assistance to your thesis or dissertation today.
If you’re like most students, you know that it is nearly impossible to research, compose and format your work with the flawless expertise your professors demand.  The experienced professionals at Open Book Editors have many years of academic experience across a broad range of subjects and disciplines.  We’ve been there and we understand.  We can help turn your research, ideas, and writing into the excellent results you deserve.

In addition to theses and dissertations, we handle all types of academic work, including:

Research Papers Essays Personal Statements Capstones Term Papers	PowerPoints Book Reports Article Critiques Assignments

We are well-versed in APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard styles of citation.  Let the professionals at Open Book Editors be the last line of defense, and turn your work into brilliant results!

Manuscript & Book Editing

At Open Book Editors, our relentless passion for detail and years of publishing success have positioned us as leaders in the industry.  We are so committed to helping novelists and e-Book writers strike manuscript gold that we always offer to edit a sample or brief chapter free of charge.  Contact us today to see exactly how we can help you find the success your manuscript deserves.
Open Book Editors offer two levels of service. Our basic editing services provide flawless copy in terms of grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage, redundancies and basic consistencies.  Our premium editorial critiques analyze style, voice, tone, narrative movement, character development, and market receptiveness, in addition to basic editing.  We rely on intense passion for the novel medium and years of publishing experience to help writers find success.

Whether your manuscript needs basic editing, heavy developmental work, or another set of eyes, let Open Book Editors help transform your words into the successful project you’re aiming for.  No matter what your project entails, there’s a good chance our professional editors are the missing piece to your publication puzzle.

At Open Book Editors, we’ve been there.  Each of us is a published author, and has helped others find the highest platform for their work.  We intimately know the tireless work that goes into preparing a manuscript to be edited.  All of our edits are constructive and positive, with a constant eye on publishing success. Contact us today to have a free sample or brief chapter edited, and to learn how we can help you fulfill your writing dreams.

Editing Services at Open Book Editors

The experts at Open Book Editors have helped hundreds of writers find the success they’re looking for.  Whether it’s preparing the next great American novel, revising a marketing plan, or building concise and engaging academic projects, Open Book Editors is the industry leader, providing flawless, winning text at affordable prices.

At Open Book Editors, we provide a customer-first approach to editing your manuscript or document. We work with you from concept to completion to ensure that dynamic ideas are translated into successful, eye-catching text that gets results.  We offer unrivaled, personal, and efficient services¸ all at affordable prices.

We offer a wide variety of editing services from top professionals in the industry.  We’re passionate about the written word, and about helping transform personal expression into success. Our clients are visionaries.  They envision their written work finding the most successful platforms currently in print.  At Open Book Editors, we’re committed to facilitating this vision. Let us help transform your words into success.

We specialize in cultivating productive, personal relationships with authors who are motivated to turn inspiration into success.  Whether you’re a first-time author or a veteran looking for another pair of eyes, let us take a fine-toothed comb to your text and yield the flawless copy you deserve.