Author Archives: Polishing Your Prose

About Polishing Your Prose

Larry M Edwards is an award-winning investigative journalist, author, editor and publishing consultant. He is the author of three books, and has edited dozens of nonfiction and fiction book manuscripts. Under Wigeon Publishing, he has produced six books. As author, "Dare I Call It Murder? A Memoir of Violent Loss" won First Place in the San Diego Book Awards in 2012 (unpublished memoir) and 2014, Best Published Memoir. The book has also been nominated for a number of awards, including: Pulitzer Prize, Benjamin Franklin Award, Washington State Book Award, and One Book, One San Diego. As Editor, "Murder Survivor’s Handbook: Real-Life Stories, Tips & Resources" won the Gold Award in the 2015 Benjamin Franklin Book Awards, Self-Help. For a sample edit and cost estimate, contact Larry: larry [at] larryedwards [dot] com -- www.larryedwards.com -- www.dareicallitmurder.com -- www.larryedwards.com/wigeonpublishing/

A call for interdependence.

Posted on July 4, 2020 by Polishing Your Prose

The past few days, as the fourth of July—Independence Day in the U.S.A.—approached, my thoughts went to the term “interdependence.” We all talk of freedom and individual rights and independence at this time of year, and especially in this perilous … Continue reading →

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Larry Edwards presents “Do’s & Don’ts of Memoir Writing” at San Diego Memoir Writers Association Event, Sept. 7

Posted on August 16, 2019 by Polishing Your Prose

Freelance editor Larry Edwards of Polishing Your Prose will present “Do’s & Don’ts of Memoir Writing” at the San Diego Memoir Writers Association meeting on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019. The meeting begins at 2.30 p.m. at      San Diego Writers, Ink … Continue reading →

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Decoration Day Honored U.S. Civil War Veterans; Later Became Memorial Day

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Polishing Your Prose

Originally posted on Polishing Your Prose:
On May 5, 1868, Major General John A. Logan, the head of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans, declared Decoration Day as a time for the nation to honor…

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Kill Your Darlings: The Art of Revision — 10. Final Words

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Polishing Your Prose

Tenth element in this series: Kill Your Darlings: The Art of Revision(Please read the Introduction, if you haven’t already.) FINAL WORDS Time and Distance Do you give yourself time away from your work—do you give yourself distance—before rereading, revising, and … Continue reading →

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Kill Your Darlings: The Art of Revision — 9. Kill Your Darlings

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Polishing Your Prose

Ninth element in this series: Kill Your Darlings: The Art of Revision(Please read the Introduction, if you haven’t already.) KILL YOUR DARLINGS “Kill your darlings” does not mean you have to kill off your favorite characters (although it may). This … Continue reading →

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Kill Your Darlings: The Art of Revision — 8. Information Dumps

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Polishing Your Prose

Eighth element in this series: Kill Your Darlings: The Art of Revision(Please read the Introduction, if you haven’t already.) INFORMATION DUMPS Reader feeder This typically occurs in dialogue when one character tells another character things that other character already knows, … Continue reading →

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Kill Your Darlings: The Art of Revision — 7. Plot

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Polishing Your Prose

Seventh element in this series: Kill Your Darlings: The Art of Revision(Please read the Introduction, if you haven’t already.) PLOT This, too, may seem self-evident, but I assure you, for some authors it is not: A plot should be logical, … Continue reading →

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Kill Your Darlings: The Art of Revision — 6. Characters

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Polishing Your Prose

Sixth element in this series: Kill Your Darlings: The Art of Revision(Please read the Introduction, if you haven’t already.) CHARACTERS Create three-dimensional characters; avoid stereotypes and cartoon characters. I know this may seem self-evident, but all too often I see … Continue reading →

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Kill Your Darlings: The Art of Revision — 5. Point of View

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Polishing Your Prose

Fifth element in this series: Kill Your Darlings: The Art of Revision(Please read the Introduction, if you haven’t already.) POINT OF VIEW Point of View (POV) confounds many writers, but it is critical to a story, so you as writers … Continue reading →

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Kill Your Darlings: The Art of Revision — 4. Narrative Mode

Posted on May 23, 2019 by Polishing Your Prose

Fourth element in this series: Kill Your Darlings: The Art of Revision(Please read the Introduction, if you haven’t already.) NARRATIVE MODE Narrative Modes: first person, second person, third person. Most fiction is written in third-person (he, she, they, them), but … Continue reading →

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