The Basics of Plot Editing
When most people find out that I'm a professional editor, they immediately assume that I'm an expert on comma usage and really good at...
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Dialogue and Character Motivations
Dialogue can be tricky. Instead of being told by your usual narrator, dialogue lets each of your characters speak for themselves. The...
Keeping Your Speakers Straight
Here are some tips for using simple mechanics to help readers keep the speaker straight.
Show, Don't Tell
Every writer has heard this advice: Show, don't tell. It's all over the online writing communities. But the advice is a flawed rule
Said is NOT Dead
When writing dialogue, it can feel like you are writing an endless stream of names, pronouns, and dialogue tags. It can be a delicate...
Using Showing to Write Compelling Dialogue
A conversation which doesn’t effect the story, no matter how dynamic, realistic, and well-written, will feel like an unnecessary aside.
Filtering the World through a PoV Character
One common mistake that writers make is to describe the character sensing or thinking about things, rather than to describe them directly.
Making a Protagonist Likeable
The main character is the thread that pulls the the plot forward. They are the point of view that readers are getting the story from.
Outlining for a Strong Manuscript
Each day that you sit down to write, you need two things: the motivation to do the hard work and the direction to keep moving forward.
Picking a Protagonist
How do you make sure you are using the right main character?
Why Protagonists Matter
Books are fun because they can get inside other people’s heads. You can experience another life through another person.
Beginning Your Book
Whoever you’re trying to impress (an agent, a publisher, or even a reader), the beginning of your book is your one and only chance.
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