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Even pros who have been writing for decades can fall prey to grammar goofs. Writing Tip for Today: Here’s a refresher on crafting tight, effective sentences. Jots and Apostrophes One of the most common writing errors is confusion about apostrophes. An apostrophe takes the place of a letter or letters—a shorter less formal word results. […]
Whether you write fiction, memoir, nonfiction or poetry, your chosen form must have a shape that draws readers in. Writing Tip for Today: Here are some tips for sculpting your story’s shape: Climbing the Mountain If you’re a fiction or memoir writer, you’re probably aware that your story or book-length work must start with a […]
Writers write because they have something to say. But to whom? Writing Tip for Today: Here are some tips for defining and reaching your audience: Where’s Your Book? New writers often think their book will be in bookstores “everywhere” and that will be enough. Or, noobs will say their book’s on Amazon or a website, […]
Writers who set out to tackle memoir often get trapped in their own life’s story. One way to succeed at memoir writing is to remember: A memoir really isn’t about you. Writing Tip for Today: Here are some ways to approach memoir writing: Not About You Did you gasp at the phrase, “it’s not about […]
Most genres run in cycles and trends. What’s hot today may not be tomorrow. Should you chase these trends? Writing Tip for Today: Here are some tips on writing to trends: Cycling My first novel was about a woman teacher who had to return to her own school and face the abuse she’d once endured […]
Do you have earlier writing sitting on a thumb drive or in a drawer? For a fun and enlightening exercise, try retro revision. Writing Tip for Today: What can you learn from self-editing earlier writing work? Cringe Factor When I pull out old manuscripts, I cringe. I’m not the same writer today as I was […]
An author approached me for an endorsement for her debut book. I was happy to help, but it made me wonder. Do endorsements help, and if so, how much? Writing Tip for Today: What are some pros and cons of endorsements? What’s an Endorsement? A book endorsement is the sentence or two you see on […]
The best writing reflects a deep commitment as well as the willingness to become vulnerable. How much is your writing costing you? Writing Tip for Today: What are some ways to write honest emotions? Refine Your Purpose Writing is meant for your readers. Even autobiographical material isn’t really about you. It’s about how your experiences […]
Readers process your written scenes on several levels. Make the most of the deeper layers of symbol and metaphor. Writing Tip for Today: Here are a few tips for layering your scenes with symbols and metaphor: Setting is Character Your fictional setting can influence the reader’s perception of a story. You may have […]
When writing, remember to delete unneeded words. Writing Tip for Today: Inserting unnecessary words in your writing puts too much distance between your meaning and the readers. Here are some tips: To and Fro Prepositional phrases are like lemmings—they pop up a lot but can run your writing over a cliff. Most unnecessary prepositional phrases […]
