Yuck! Grammar is not our favorite subject. At the end of the school year, it’s the last thing we want to see in a lesson. However, these errors could make or break your writing. We’ve all read books with errors and typos. Those can scream amateur and beginning writer. I borrowed and modified seven examples […]
I’m Not as Dumb as You Think!
May 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment
I wonder how many readers have thought this? Writers must resist the urge to explain or risk insulting their readers’ intelligence. Most readers catch on quickly to the fine points in a story, and they like to make up their own minds about the meanings, morals and messages. When you read a mystery, for example, […]
Why You Must Trim the Fat in Your Novel, What It Means, and How to Do It
April 19, 2013 By 2 Comments
I saw this quote on Facebook recently, and it got me to thinking. New writers sometimes don’t recognize when their novels are carrying extra weight. They have the tendency to think they need to add more “stuff” to fill the pages. Then, in trying to expand the story to fill a couple hundred pages, they […]
Word Trippers
March 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Today’s post highlights a tool for writers. I can’t take credit for this, but I think it might be more valuable than a post from me this week. Many words in the English language are confusing. They trip us up. Writer and editor Barbara McNichol wrote a book and an email Ezine to assist writers […]
A Method for Rewriting and Self Editing
January 18, 2013 By 3 Comments
It is tempting, when you see a contest listed on a blog or website, to whip out a story and to send it in promptly. It is tempting, when you hear of a magazine’s or publisher’s call for submissions, to spin off a piece that will suit the theme and to submit it soon before […]
