Editing Resources for Writers

Whether I am editing my own work or someone else's, there are resources and tools I've come to rely on. Here is a list of some that are kept close by.

Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, co-founders of the Writers Helping Writers site, have released a series of thesauruses to help writers find the right words or phrases to make their writing come alive and to make their characters real and memorable to readers. Now in its second edition, The Emotion Thesaurus discusses different types of emotions and the body language someone might use when experiencing a certain emotion or trying to suppress it.

Tired of people saying you need to "show, don't tell?" Looking for new ways to describe characters and their actions? Then Master Lists for Writers can help. It will also assist you with plot and setting ideas, dialogue, character names, and more.

I've owned a copy of Roget's Thesaurus since high school. (I won't tell you how long ago that was.) This third edition of Roget's Super Thesaurus from 2003 added new entries and expanded on some existing ones. It also contains sample sentences.

These three little books still get pulled from the bookshelf when I need them. Stephen King once recommended all aspiring writers take the time to read The Elements of Style. As I sat down to write this article, I realized updated versions of the first two had been released since I purchased my copies. Guess who is running out to grab them? 

ProWritingAid is an online editing tool I use regularly to easily find overused words and readability issues. 

I hope you find this list helpful. Now, it's time for you to share. What are editing resources and tools you use?

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of four children’s books including, A Christmas Kindness, released by 4RV Publishing. A blogger and book reviewer, she lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two daughters. She also has a son who is married. Visit Cheryl online at http://ccmalandrinos.com and her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com