Writing Coach Elaine Ash Helps Writers Rewrite Until It's Right.

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of hearing Los Angeles writing coach, Elaine Ash, speak on the topic of "Self- Editing for Authors" at the monthly Sisters in Crime meeting. If you've never been to a Sisters in Crime meeting, and you're an aspiring crime writer living in the vicinity of their meeting place, the South Pasadena Library, I urge you to attend their free meetings, which always feature a riveting speaker.

Elaine Ash is an engaging speaker who shows up with a well organized and entertaining presentation that included a handout with insightful tips guaranteed to get any writer's motor running. The headings included:

• "Develop First - Everything Else Can Wait"

• "Get The Most Out of Your Writers' Group"

• "Too Many Characters"

• "Deconstructing Successful Novels for Structure"
• "The Feather Edit"

As a publicist and book reviewer, the "too many characters" totally resonated. For me, few things are more frustrating than settling down to read a newly published indie novel, only to find a few pages in that I need to write down the 10 characters who were introduced before I got to page 4 (and draw a map of the tangled backstory while I'm at it). As readers, we wish someone had tipped off the writer that confusion overload can lead to a reader closing the cover, never to open it again--unless it's for love or money.