#10 — Adding too many commas I’ve had a few authors use commas to add detail after detail onto a sentence. But they don’t realize how jam-packed the sentence becomes. Here are two fictional examples: Laurence came through the door, looking for answers, looking for something to turn his path around, and looking for that … More Common writer mistakes #10
We’ve all heard the saying show, don’t tell. Even as I edit, I find instances where I need to point that out. However, telling does have a purpose. It’s about how it’s used. And perhaps understanding it more will help writers know when and when not to use it. There are two main concepts where … More When to tell instead of show
#9 — Overusing character names Lately, I’ve seen a few writers overuse character names. They would use a name almost every chance they could. Here’s a fictional example: John walked over to Laurencia with the biggest smile on his face. He turned with his back away from Laurencia, careful not to let Laurencia see the … More Common writer mistakes #9
There are many POVs with questions surrounding all of them. I want to break them all down and discuss the biggest concerns in different posts. Today, I’ll talk about 3rd person POV. 3RD PERSON 3rd person has the most variety out of all POVs. There are three types: 3rd omniscient, 3rd objective, and 3rd limited. … More POV talk: 3rd person
There are many POVs with questions surrounding them. I want to break them all down and discuss the biggest concerns in different posts. Today, I’ll talk about 2nd person POV. 2ND PERSON 2nd person is one of my favorite POVs to read. When it’s done well, it creates a powerful story. It addresses the readers … More POV talk: 2nd person
There are many POVs with questions surrounding them. I want to break them all down and discuss the biggest concerns in different posts. Today, I’ll talk about 1st person POV. 1st person 1st person is intimate between the reader and the main character (MC). You get front row seats through the MC’s eyes. It also … More POV talk: 1st person
ARCs—advanced reader copies—are important in the publishing process for every writer. The one major thing to do before publishing a book is build hype. You want your readers to jump up and down with excitement for your upcoming book. Quite similar to how many people freak out every time Marvel releases a new trailer. And … More ARCs — What are they? And why do writers need them?
Dialogue is critical. It’s not necessary, but in stories where it’s present, it needs to flow and keep the story going. That can be hard though. Small talk keeps the story still. Sometimes dialogue can feel like an info dump. So, how do we keep it interesting? GOALS Give every character a goal—usually a different … More 3 tips to spice up your dialogue
#8 — The words feel and felt No matter what POV you write in, you’re going to come across the words feel or felt at some point. When I edit novels or when I edit my own work, I find a lot of feels and felts. These words are sometimes glossed over without realizing the potential that could be brought to your … More Common Writer Mistakes #8
Creating strong characters is hard but important for readers to stay immersed in the story. Here are three main tips to help write characters: SHOW THE ADJECTIVES Instead of saying, “Josalyn is caring,” show how she’s caring. Does she take care of a child? Is she always there for others? Does she risk herself to … More 3 tips on writing characters
