Become an Editor and Discover Your Pet Peeves #IWSG | Bookworm News #SpecFic

The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. August's co-hosts are Christine Rains, Dolorah @ Book Lover, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Yvonne Ventresca, and LG Keltner. Find the other IWSG participants here.

August's question: What are your pet peeves when reading/writing/editing? As a reader, I didn't have many pet peeves beyond "too much description." I didn't really have any when I started writing, except head hopping and trying to figure out "show vs. tell." But when I became an editor, I'll admit certain grammar things quickly became my pet peeves. The one that irks me the most is one I am guilty of not using properly in the past until I read a manuscript where, I kid you not, the author had used that particular phrasing—and mostly improperly—nearly every single dang sentence.
That pet peeve is the overuse and improper use of participial phrases (verb+ing/ed + rest of phrase). The correct way to use them is for the participial phrase to be happening simultaneously as the independent clause (subject + verb) as well as for the participial phrase referring to the nearest noun. I used to be rather loose with my participial phrases, but man, editing that manuscript cured me. Now I cringe when I see one referencing the wrong noun or just being overused.
Of course, if the story is good, I can even overlook that particular pet peeve.
What is your pet peeve? Do you have any insecurities this month? As for my goals, July turned out to be a very good month. I helped my friend with formatting and proofreading two of her novellas and critiqued a third one. I also made a lot of progress in Forged and hope to finish my edits by the end of this weekend or early next week. I have realized I need to add a chapter, which will create ripples I'll need to fix in some chapters afterwards, but I still think I can get my edit finished and sent to my critique partners next week. *crosses fingers* I also updated my websites and social media with new banners and updated information. And I caught up on reviewing the books I've read.

I have quite a few goals I'd like to accomplish in August. These goals include:
- Finish editing Forged (The Fate Challenges #2) and send it to my critique partners.
- Add in proofreading changes to my short story "The Folding Point" forthcoming in Spirits in the Water (Elements of Untethered Realms #4) and design the headers for the eleven stories.
- Edit the outline for Destined (The Fate Challenges #3), format the manuscript, and start editing it.
- Edit the outlines for the Soul Reaper series (A Soul to Save, A Soul to Kill, A Soul to Reap, A Soul to Keep, and A Soul to Take). I need to finish this particular task by the end of September, so I can start writing A Soul to Take (Soul Reaper #3) in October.
- Format and proofread the last novella in my friend's fantastic nine-part novella series.

What are your goals for August?

On July 26, WildMind Creative published an interview of me. You can read the interview here.

I also discovered on August 1 that Marked (The Fate Challenges #1.5) was selected for AllAuthor's Cover of the Month competition. You can vote for Marked here.

2017 Stats: 89,339 words written and 677,315 words edited BOOKS READ AND REVIEWEDShadows Fall (Totem #7) by Christine RainsDescending Moon (Totem #8) by Christine Rains
SPECULATIVE FICTION BOOKSRELEASING IN AUGUSTProject Pandora by Aden PolydorosReincarnation Blues by Michael PooreHalls of Law by V. M. EscaladaEkata: Fall of Darkness by Dominique LawBlood and Thunder by Angela RoquetSpellbook of the Lost and Found by Moïra Fowley-DoyleDescending Moon by Christine RainsTrue Shifter by Christine RainsThe Hearts We Sold by Emily Lloyd-JonesThe Third Kiss by Kat Colmer