Common writing mistakes #11

#11 — Different types of dashes In writing, there are three main dashes you come across: a hyphen (-), an en dash (–), and an em dash (—). I've seen writers confuse them all the time. However, these are easy fixes. It's all about understanding the difference between them. A hyphen (-) is the most … Continue reading Common writing mistakes #11

How does a book become a book? — part two

If you missed part one, here's a link. #3 — Editing your manuscript Don't panic, but this can take many rounds. Editing a book is difficult, and sometimes minds will disagree. You're about to dig deep into your work. How is your dialogue? Believable? Does your character's motivations seem valid, true to character? How is … Continue reading How does a book become a book? — part two

Common writing mistakes #5

#5 — Misusing hyphens Besides the gray with an a vs. grey with an e battle, there's one common spelling error I've often noticed while editing: hyphenated words. Sometimes we believe a word needs a hyphen when it doesn't. Or we forget the hyphen when we actually need one. It could also depend on how … Continue reading Common writing mistakes #5

How many books do you have to write to write a good one?

I've had that question for a while now. How many books do you have to write to write a good one? I knew some authors wrote one book, had a few drafts, and published a brilliant piece of work. Some wrote a few novels before one of theirs got published. Some writers told me that … Continue reading How many books do you have to write to write a good one?

How do we manage the stress?

Managing stress is essential for any job. It's hard to balance work (even if it's more like a hobby) with life in general. It can feel as if it's impossible to get everything done. While listening to Ear Biscuits the other day, I heard a great quote about that: "It's probably the case that feeling like … Continue reading How do we manage the stress?

“Freelancer” or another title?

Sometimes using the term freelance editor makes the job seem easier than it actually is. Carefree. Simple. But it's more like running a small business than anything else. Freelancers have tax assessments to do, cliental to keep up with, projects to handle, breaks to plan, money to manage, etc. It's not something people think about … Continue reading “Freelancer” or another title?

Fake happy

Money!I love that word. Don’t you? It gives you hopeuntil you realize how empty your pockets are.In this world, we’re all just searching forMoney.Do you want some? So does our government.You can play the game of Life with them,but let’s see who ends up with moreMoney.It’s a drug, a dose of dopamine, a pill.Something we … Continue reading Fake happy

Time is essential

There’s a great quote when it comes to creativity. “Someone told me to be selflessBut we are helpless without attentionSo if no one's paying attentionThen does my voice get to your headphones? You start thinking about the clock ticksYou get nervous, you start stressingSo how am I supposed to fit thisIn three minutes and thirty … Continue reading Time is essential

Writing breaks

Overworking is easy for a writer. Writers are constantly thinking of poetic lines and/or story developments. After a while, our stories get mixed up and everything written comes out forced. But is it even possible for a writer to take a break? Kind of. We can psychically stop writing. We can pause and stop ourselves … Continue reading Writing breaks