Edit yourself cover

Edit yourself

by Bruce Clifford Ross-Larson

"A strong new entry for the reference shelf of anyone who writes to be understood—or would like to."—Pittsburgh Press In the first part of this useful book, the author shows how to solve common problems of writing. The reader will learn how to recognize common problems of writing. The reader will learn how to recognize words and phrases that should be cut; how to shorten cumbersome sentences; how to arrange the elements of pairs, series, and compound subjects and predicates; how to recognize and rectify mismanaged participles; and how to be on the lookout for the better word. The second part of the book consists of more than 1500 recommendations for cuts, changes, and comparisons that editors make to produce writing that is concise and effective.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?