#19 — Starting sections with pronouns When writing longer works, it's good practice to start each chapter or scene with the character's name instead of their pronoun. For example: Rose saw the fire hissing in the distance. vs She saw the fire hissing in the distance. This is for two reasons. 1) The character(s) referenced … Continue reading Common writing mistakes #19
Tag: tip
Tip to stop going down the rabbit hole while writing
Ever get to writing and realize that you don't know what to name something? You get stumped, stuck on baby names for hours or mix up letters until a dystopian name sounds right. Soon, time has slipped away from you, and you don't have time to write anymore. I've heard of an idea that might … Continue reading Tip to stop going down the rabbit hole while writing
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
3 tips to spice up your dialogue
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 … Continue reading 3 tips to spice up your dialogue
Creative ways to promote your self-published book
At AWP, I ran into a lot of traditional publishing vs self-publishing. Self-publishing has some different perks and routes, especially when it comes to marketing. A few discussed their creative ways to market their book. When I say creative, I mean creative. They gave out some ideas that I had never even thought of before. … Continue reading Creative ways to promote your self-published book
A writer’s journey (part eight) – blogging, more research, and twitter
It has been a while since I’ve written one of these. I’ve been meaning to, but my busy schedule took control for a little bit. I have three topics in the title, because I’ve seen the most growth in these areas. Let’s go one by one. Blogging As I mentioned here before, my blog has … Continue reading A writer’s journey (part eight) – blogging, more research, and twitter
One big tip for knowing how you’ve gotten a good editor
Editing is essential. As writers, we all need some type of editing. Even me, who is trained in editing, is not the best editor for my own work. There are mistakes that our brains cannot find in our stories, our children. So, editors become our biggest helpers. What's great is that some editors will give … Continue reading One big tip for knowing how you’ve gotten a good editor
I’m a bad puzzle piece
Everyone has straight and curved sidesThey know what they want andThey know what they’re good atBut I’m not one to follow the crowd I somehow molded my edges to a pointTo poke into everything andI can’t state a reason as to whyI get my nose into so many things I’m crawling through the mudPoking at … Continue reading I’m a bad puzzle piece
A tip for a troubled writer
The road is rough; I know. But think about the last time you saw a mountain and freaked out. It stood so much higher than you, but now you stand so much higher than it. This is another mountain you can get past. Whether it's finding a literary agent, finding time to write, or other … Continue reading A tip for a troubled writer
11 editing tips from a professional
At the ACES conference, one session had many editing tips for editors and writers. Here are some: Check all quotations (to see if it is a verified source) Don't ignore your inner voice (when it says something's wrong) Omit needless words Favor active voice (because we need passive voice sometimes) Edit out loud Advice is … Continue reading 11 editing tips from a professional
Robin LeeAnn 