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Fiction

The English language is an arsenal of weapons. If you are going to brandish them without checking to see whether or not they are loaded, you must expect to have them explode in your face from time to time.
Stephen Fry

The Setting of a Story

Introduce the situation and quickly move
to the initial incident.

It was a like an usual Monday morning in the school. The day began with a History lecture.  I was looking forward to the sports class after the recess. As the bell rang for the sports period, all of us were excited to go out to the playing ground. Just then our vice-principal entered the class to make an announcement. She was a picture of terror for most of the students. As she gave the announcement we came to know that our school was taking part in inter-school class 10th debate competition. My friend was a regular member of the debate team. School was looking for another boy from class 10th, as the other regular member of the team was from class 11th. I was listening the whole announcement with a very little interest, just then my friend  dropped a bombshell by suggesting my name for the debate team. I had a fair reputation in representing the school in quizzes, but standing in front of an audience and delivering could be the last thing I could do. Before I could react to the whole situation, my name was included in the team.  192

As the bell rang for the long-anticipated sports period, our class fell silent when the vice principal entered the room. She was a picture of terror for most of the students. I was listening to her whole announcement with very little interest until my friend, a regular member of the debate team, dropped a bombshell by suggesting my name as the other tenth-grade boy needed for the inter-school debate competition. 71

Assessing and promoting successful fiction first involves a careful review of the elements of plot, character, and setting to ensure the unity that catches and keeps readers.

Then a good editor queries the author to clarify specific details and understand the rationale for point of view, timelines, sequencing, tone, and mood.

A second reading involves copyediting to fix problems such as trite expressions, subject-verb agreement, and inconsistent verb tense. Such irritants that interrupt the story impede the flow of text and sever credibility with readers. Readers who find themselves starting, stopping, and rereading sentences to understand what the author means will not finish reading a book and never recommend it.

Never in my wildest imagination did I ever dream of finding myself at center stage of a rowdy and unruly crowd demanding action in an unpredictable situation.  Either way, it was damning if que sí and damning if chale.

 

My wildest dreams could not have imagined my new reality: I stood at center stage as a rowdy and unruly crowd demanded action in an unpredictable situation. Que sí or chale, we were damned either way.

 

In the wizened face of the old matron was etched years of devotion to Andrea. Helen has gleaned this fact the very moment she had opened the door to her.   

 In the wizened face of the old matron were etched years of devotion to Andrea. Helen had gleaned this fact the very moment she had opened the door to her.

In the summer of 1948 the Bulgarian communist government publishes a law for misappropriation of covered [Query: What is “covered” under the law? Unclear as stated.] private property.  In the summer of 1948 the Bulgarian communist government published a law for misappropriation of private property covered under Article 8 of the Federal Law on Cultural Valuables Displaced to the U.S.S.R. as a Result of World War II and Located on the Territory of the Russian Federation.

Testimonials:

Thanks so much for your assistance with The Fruits of Atterley. You discovered errors that had been overlooked, even after careful review and numerous revisions. I also appreciated your comments when my writing was unclear. As a result, I was able to identify and rewrite several passages that may have confused the reader. Because of your eye for detail, this edition of my book will undoubtedly be a far superior work.
Thanks again,
Angela Banks, The Fruits of Atterley


I highly recommend my editor Janis Holmberg for her excellent, fast, and meticulous work. She not only edited perfectly the grammar and the spelling but she made suggestions on the content and noticed even the smallest discrepancies. She is helping me in things far beyond her duties as an editor. She is really persuasive.
Antoaneta Dimitrova, The Blows of Fate

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