April 2011 Newsletter

Editing, Proofreading & Resume April 2011 Newsletter from the desk of Shelly Rosenberg www.shellyrosenberg.com Spring is Here! Here in Tennessee we are seeing early spring blooms giving us shades of lavender and white blossoms, pale greens emerging on the trees and fields and some sunny days after a cold and wet winter. This time of the year is always rejuvenating giving rise to new ideas and inspiration. In this issue of my newsletter I will be covering the following topics: Chapters, Paragraphs and Sentences Resume vs. CV Chapters, Paragraphs and Sentences Chapters Whether you are writing a novel, a biography, a non-fiction self-help book, or a technical user’s manual, you should pay attention to how you break your book up into sections. These sections are generally called chapters. Chapters should separate your ideas or story into logical sections. When writing a novel, people often ask how to break up their story into chapters. Here are some guidelines to help you. 1. Use the chapters to separate scenes. When the action goes to a different place or different time, begin a new chapter. 2. Keep in mind that your reader wants a logical stopping place. I often read just before going to sleep at night. I usually stop reading when I get to a new chapter. If you make your chapters very long, you might be depriving your readers (and me) of needed sleep! 3. An average novel is about 65,000 words. A rule of thumb for a novel of this length is to divide it into between 16 to 20 chapters. 4. You should build anticipation and interest into each chapter so that the reader is inspired to read the next section. When writing non-fiction books, break your book into logical sections. If it is an instruction book, separate the sections or chapters so that each one covers a distinct process or situation. For instance, if you write a book on travel, you might have a chapter for each of the following areas: 1. Transportation – air travel, taxis, busses 2. Hotels 3. Restaurants 4. Sights to see – available guided tours, walking tours, museums 5. Culture – customs and dealing with people you encounter 6. Language – perhaps a list of often used expressions I think you get the idea. Paragraphs A paragraph should include all the information about a specific topic, idea or sub-topic. Here are some paragraph guidelines. 1. A paragraph should introduce a new idea; this new idea should be stated in the first sentence. 2. The next sentence should elaborate on the idea and give appropriate details. 3. The following sentences should support the idea and the details. 4. Finally, the last sentence should wrap up and summarize the idea. 5. In a novel, this procedure would be slightly different but the concept is the same. The paragraph should include a new situation, or new discussion. 6. When using dialogue in a novel, you must begin a new paragraph with each person speaking. 7. Generally, aside from dialogue, there should never be a one-sentence paragraph. Sentences A sentence should be one complete thought. One of the biggest errors I see in sentences is that they are too long. By the time, I get to the end of the sentence I have lost the meaning of what the writer is trying to say. This is often because the writer is trying to cram too much into the one sentence. When in doubt, break the sentence up into smaller sentences so that your reader can follow what you are trying to convey. Resume vs. CV What is a CV? How does it differ from a resume? A CV (curriculum vitae) is a document that provides a potential employer with an overview of a person’s life and qualifications regarding his/her employment. That sounds exactly the same as a resume, right? Generally, a CV is a longer version of a resume. The information is the same in each but the CV often has more detail and elaboration. European and Asian companies are more inclined to ask for a CV from a prospective employee. Government employers often request a CV or longer version of a resume. Finally, educational institutions request a CV when people are applying for jobs in universities or colleges. These CVs will include a detailed list of published papers and a list of courses taught. Final Comments I look forward to working with you on any of your editing, proofreading or resume needs. I hope these suggestions are useful to you. Please keep me informed of any topics you would like me to include in my next newsletter. Happy spring to you all. “My goal is to enhance your text in a way that makes it clear and error free so that it is ready to be read by your professor, your readership, your clients, your future employer, your current employer, your agent or your publisher.” Shelly Rosenberg Shelly@ShellyRosenberg.com