As my editor waits–patiently? Maybe, maybe not–for me to send her book four, Gatekeeper’s Crucible, I am working my way through my manuscript, cutting words using Ken Rand’s The 10% Solution. It’s an excellent tool to help writers isolate those nit-picky, excess, overused and superfluous words, and to trim them in a thoughtful way. It can feel like a slog, but it’s better that I do this work, than my editor!
It also helps me discover the specific words I overuse, and a few bad habits here and there. The goal is to cut out the unnecessary words, tweak the bits that need tweaking, and ultimately create a better book. Then I will send it to my editor, who will help make it as close to perfect as it can be.
It’s a slog, but it’s a crucial step toward the end goal. And if you’re like me, and love methodical tasks, you might like it, too.
Back to work!