6 editing tips from ‘Atomic Blonde’

“Atomic Blonde’s” agent Lorraine Broughton takes no prisoners—just like good editors.

Though both are ruthless, Broughton (played by Charlize Theron) has a different mission than editors, who look to produce clean, accurate copy at all costs.

I don’t want to make an editor work that hard, so I’m tough on myself before I turn in copy. You can do the same by following this checklist (nunchucks not included):

1. Use verbs that pack a punch.

For your first draft, don’t worry about verbs—just get your ideas down. When you proofread your content, review verbs. Find as many alternatives to “is” and “are” as you can.

Don’t turn decent sentences into pretzels, but realize that “to be” doesn’t describe action—and therefore, lacks muscle. Instead, opt for strong verbs, such as “pack,” kick” and “kill.”

2. Stop repeating yourself.

In an “Atomic Blonde” fight scene, Broughton dispatches her adversaries with everything from a garden hose and a pot to a freezer door. The same scene as a series of right hooks, repeated over and over, would be dull.

The same rule applies to writing. Avoid using the same expressions or words ad nauseam. Mix it up.

[RELATED: Learn secrets and best practices to discover your brand's stories and write compelling copy.]

3. Vary your sentence structure.

If Broughton began each battle with a leg kick to the face, her enemies could predict her every move. For her, that could mean death.

For your readers, the same old sentence structure, such as noun/verb/object, can snuff out interest they have in your writing. Look for monotonous patterns and rework them.

One tendency of mine is lists of threes, such as red, white and blue. I can get away with it in one paragraph, but not the next one or the one after that. Unlike an assembly line, which depends on uniformity, writing comes alive with variation and creativity.

4. Check transitions.

Broughton escapes the bad guys by jumping off a balcony while holding onto a garden hose that’s tied to a bad guy’s neck. What if we didn’t see that jump, though? What if, all of the sudden, she’s crashing through the window of another apartment? Now you’ve got a confused audience.

Writing is no different.

Transitions from one sentence to another—and from one paragraph to the next—help ensure you make your case logically for the reader. Does the transition “in fact” actually introduce a fact? Is the quote from the pharmaceutical organization too abrupt after the paragraph about fentanyl? How do you ease into that quote?

Writing flows when transitions move you smoothly from point A to point B.

5. Use good quotes—or lose them.

If Broughton were a writing teacher, she would snarl, “Kill your little darlings.”

That phrase refers to nuggets of information writers love, but which do nothing to move the story along. In this case I’m talking about quotes, which serve three primary purposes:

• They show authority.

• They provide color.

• They explain something.

If they don’t do any of these, remove the quotation marks and paraphrase instead.

6. Check your spelling.

Just as Broughton must verify that she has her gun, ammo and a tube of lipstick when starting her day, writers should do the same when it comes to checking spelling.

Never assume a quick read will suffice before submitting copy.

In a rush, I once forgot to review the spelling for web copy I turned in to a financial services client. My editor noticed, and told me not to forget again. Fortunately for me, she was polite about it.

Spelling matters, so check yours.

Bonnie Nicholls is a freelance writer and the owner of Hear Ye! Writing. A version of this post first appeared on the Hear Ye! Writing blog.

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