Fine Tune Editing
Fiction

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BEFORE

John looked up from his paperwork. A late middle aged, sweaty, balding man was standing in the doorway smoking a cigarette. His stomach was so huge that it had caused his belly button to become distended and protrude from under his tee shirt, which was stained with food. He looked at John through thick yellow-stained glasses, and held out a stack of paperwork. "Hello. My name is Donny Wood. I'm your new employee." He proceeded to cough profusely for fifteen seconds, at one point turning a deep shade of purple, to the point that it appeared he might pass out.

"I don't need anyone." John marveled that the man had survived.

"Don't matter. I need work," he said in a high-pitched, nasally voice.

AFTER

John looked up from his paperwork.
                                                                                     
A late middle-aged man was standing in the doorway, smoking a cigarette. Sweat glistened on his balding head. His stomach was so huge that his distended belly button protruded from under a t-shirt stained with food. He looked at John through thick, yellowed glasses and held out a stack of paperwork.
                                                                                                 
"Hello. My name is Donny Wood. I'm your new employee," he said in a high-pitched, nasally voice. He proceeded to cough profusely, turning a deep shade of purple in the process.
                                                                                                            
John thought the guy might pass out. In fact, he could barely restrain the hopeful grin that threatened to spread across his face at the prospect. But Donny soon recovered, amid much wheezing and chest-clutching. So much for wishful thinking.
                                                                                                          
"I don't need anyone."
                                                 
"Don't matter. I need work."
                                                                                       
Used with the author's permission

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BEFORE

They sat at the kitchen table, the three of them. Just sipping coffee, dipping her mother's home made sugar cookies, and catching up. Billie did more listening than talking. She looked around the room, what a marvelous old house. Funny how a person doesn't notice things, like how cozy the kitchen you grew up in feels, until you grow up, move away, and come back. Mom looks older than Dad now, how can two years make such a difference? She only missed one Christmas, the last one. But that was when all her own problems were going on, hot and heavy. She'd thought about coming home then. Could have used her mom's comfort, her dad's advice, but she was neck deep in divorce, and a high profile kidnapping. Neither had worked out the way she'd have liked.

AFTER

They sat at the kitchen table, the three of them, just sipping coffee, dipping her mother's homemade sugar cookies, and catching up. Billie did more listening than talking. She tried to listen, anyway. But the marvelous old house she'd grown up in worked its charm on her, had her body relaxing and her mind wandering. Funny, how she'd never appreciated this cozy kitchen until after she'd grown up, moved away, and come back. Mom looked older than Dad now; how could two years have made such a difference? She'd only missed one Christmas, last year. Maybe she should have come home then. Lord knew she could have used her mom's comfort and her dad's advice. She'd been neck-deep in trouble at the time, fighting to survive a vicious divorce and struggling to solve a high-profile kidnapping. Neither situation had worked out to her satisfaction.
                                                                                             
Used with the author's permission