I've just finished checking the line edit in the final chapter of my book. Phew! The following quote is for my editor, Jo Rosenberg, who has been a wonderful guide and friend to me all through this process. Thank you Jo! I am going to celebrate now by washing up the lunch dishes. ;- )
"Great Rules of Writing" ~ William Safire
And don't start sentences with a conjunction.
If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that a
great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.
Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.
Unqualified superlatives are the worst of all.
De-accession euphemisms.
If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
Last, but not least, avoid cliches like the plague.
