Posted by Administrator on February 28, 2009 in
Newsletter “Where do you want to eat tonight,” he said. “How about that new Italian place,” she said. “Okay. What time,” he said. “About seven,” she said. “Okay,” he said. Are you still awake? I am, barely. You have just read an example of excruciatingly boring dialogue. In fact, this example is a bit of what [...]
Tags: dialogue
Posted by Administrator on February 5, 2009 in
The Word Since we’ve just had a presidential inauguration, I thought this would be the perfect time to review these frequently confused words. Capital refers to the city that is the seat of government for a country, state, etc. (Please note there are several other meanings as well, but this is the one that seems to cause [...]
Tags: capital, capitol
Posted by Administrator on February 3, 2009 in
Writer's Resource Some of the best resources are those you create for yourself. A writing calendar can help you set and meet goals and keep track of your work over the course of the year. All you need is a calendar with enough space to record a goal or accomplishment on any given day. If you plan [...]
Tags: calendar
Posted by Administrator on January 31, 2009 in
Newsletter Discipline: training that corrects, molds, or perfects; control gained by obedience or training (The Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Writing takes discipline. Wouldn’t it be lovely if we could all sit down and let the words pour forth, without effort or struggle? Sometimes you do get into a flow and fill page after page easily, but most of [...]
Posted by Administrator on January 4, 2009 in
The Word The confusion over the first two of these words is perfectly understandable, but I’m really disturbed by the number of “12-carrot diamond rings” I’ve read about over the years. So, let’s review. Carat is a unit of weight for gemstones. A 3-carat diamond. Karat refers to the purity of gold. A ring of 24-karat (24K) [...]
Posted by Administrator on January 4, 2009 in
Writer's Resource This is a site I have only recently discovered. If you are a fiction writer or poet looking for a new outlet for your work, FictionPress.com may be the place for you. After you register and have your registration confirmed, you will be able to upload your stories, poems, or plays to be read and [...]
Posted by Administrator on December 29, 2008 in
Editorial Musings,
Newsletter Editors, publishers, and agents receive countless manuscripts every single day. If your manuscript is somewhere in that pile, you will want it to stand out and attract the attention it deserves—but you certainly don’t want to get noticed for the wrong reasons. The first thing any reader will notice about your manuscript is its overall [...]
Posted by Administrator on November 30, 2008 in
Writer's Resource This is a handy, accessible style guide for writers of fiction and creative nonfiction. If commas confuse you or you’re not sure when to use italics, this guide may help you. Leland lays out the basics of grammar and usage and then tackles such topics as slang, offensive language, pacing, transitions, and more. Unless you’re [...]
Posted by Administrator on November 30, 2008 in
The Word These two little words cause many writers to stumble. It’s is a contraction of “it is.” That little apostrophe is very important; it tells you that something has been left out—in this case the “i” in “is.” It is a perfect day for bird-watching. Look—it’s a red-bellied woodpecker! You could also say, It’s a perfect [...]
Posted by Administrator on November 27, 2008 in
Newsletter Editing your own writing is never easy; that’s why some people pay me to do it for them. But if you have a firm grasp on the basics of spelling and grammar, you’re not intimidated by dictionaries and style guides, and you’re willing to take the time to actually edit rather than “read-it-real-fast-one-time-and-hope-I-catch-everything,” you can [...]
