158 writing for the web I Ask someone else to read your story out loud. Notice which words are emphasized when someone else reads. Pay attention to how the story is interpreted. Also, note any words that get in the way; places where the story drags; or where the reader seems to lose interest, get confused, or sound mechanical. You can hear everything that is wrong and right in a story by listening to the voice. Wear a funny hat or hold a red pencil in your hand while you're reading. Don't laugh; this is a trick that can work. If it doesn't, have a good laugh. I BIG PICTURE RE-VISION Before you begin rewriting, make sure you take a holistic approach, looking over the entire story as a unified piece before tackling individual paragraphs. Are there sections that don't belong and simply clutter the story line? For more information about removing clutter from your story, be sure to read Chapter 7, "Writing Succinctly." Do you need to layer in more information because the story is incomplete? Does the story have a clear beginning, middle, and end? --John Muir The power of imagination makes us infinite. ASK FOR HELP Find someone you trust who will treat your work with respect and can show you where you need improvement. If that person is your mother, know that she will most likely find more to praise than to criticize. That's fine, but you may want to seek others. Ideally, you'll find more than one person to critique your writing. Working with an entire group of reviewers on a regular basis that can give your work the attention it deserves can help tremendously. Workshops and Critiques One of the best ways to get feedback on your work is to join or form a critique group. The benefits of regularly meeting with a steady group of like-minded writers include: I Meeting deadlines. Having to show your work to the group at regular intervals imposes due dates. You'll find you get more done because you have a sched- ule, and you won't want to miss the opportunity to get your stories critiqued. Sharing discoveries. When you meet with others, you'll naturally share what works well and what doesn't work for writing for the Web. You and the other authors might plan time during meetings for more general discussions and socializing. I