#20 — Small, repeating phrases Sometimes, small phrases end up repeating themselves. But if they're shortened, that will tighten up the story's prose. Here are some examples: Climbed up -> Climbed If you climb something, you're usually going up toward the top. So, can drop up and leave climbed by itself. I climbed up the … Continue reading Common writing mistakes #20
Tag: advices
DV CON #2 — How did it hold up?
DV Con came back for its second annual conference. I did a post on the first one, so I wanted to follow up with how the second one went. In case you don't know, DV Con is open for diverse voices, including POC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, neurodivergent, etc. All the panels had diverse speakers and advice … Continue reading DV CON #2 — How did it hold up?
Common writing mistakes #15
#15 — No sentence variation Sometimes, sentences start to stack up. When that happens, they can feel as if they're too similar to each other. In those spots, it's good to check how those sentences differ. Because if you're not careful, they can all sound the same and feel bland. See what I mean? I've … Continue reading Common writing mistakes #15
POV talk: second 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 second person POV. SECOND person Second person is one of my favorite POVs to read. When it's done well, it creates a powerful story. It addresses the readers … Continue reading POV talk: second person
POV talk: first 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 first person POV. FIRST person First person is intimate between the reader and the main character (MC). You get front row seats through the MC's eyes. It also … Continue reading POV talk: first person
An important reminder for writers
You're not a writer after you sell a hundred copies. That mountain of rejections doesn't define you. You're not a writer once the world knows your name either. You're a writer if you write. Even if you don't write for a while, you're still a writer. You're not an aspiring writer. You are a writer. … Continue reading An important reminder for writers
6 things editors need to know from writers before editing
Editors are essential. It's also important to communicate some information with them when reaching out to get their services. Here are six things to keep in mind: Word count, not page count Knowing how many pages there are isn't as helpful as one might think. There is a general standard that every page is about … Continue reading 6 things editors need to know from writers before editing
Best way to show instead of tell
Showing instead of telling is difficult. Most of the time, it's hard to think of how to show something. I forgot who gave me this writing tip, but it's one of the best ones I know: show through action. Or, in other words, show through your character interacting with the world. Here's an example: It … Continue reading Best way to show instead of tell
Common writing mistakes #13
#13 — Dialogue tags vs. action beats Dialogue tags can be tricky. But they're easy to understand after knowing the difference between them and action beats. Dialogue tags show who's speaking and how they're speaking. These can include but are not limited to: Begged Exclaimed Grumbled Muttered Mumbled Said Screamed Shrieked Snapped Whispered Yelled Dialogue … Continue reading Common writing mistakes #13
Fantasy and sci-fi tips from an award-winning editor
I attended a Reedsy Live where Jonathan Oliver gave some wonderful tips for fantasy and sci-fi writers that I'd like to share. Some of these tips are for all genres though. What's a word count for fantasy and sci-fi? For adult fantasy, he mentioned the range to be about 130,000 to 250,000 words. Sci-fi landed … Continue reading Fantasy and sci-fi tips from an award-winning editor
Robin LeeAnn 