Editing
Past vs Passed—Which One’s Right?
There are a number of pairs of words that are easily confused such as loose and lose (that extra “o” always seems to sneak in when I’m not looking, right Steve?), the proper use of lay and lie offers its own challenge and mistaking stared for starred can be easy enough to do. I did […]
Beta Readers: Getting a Second Opinion
We can easily spot talent in others, but accepting our own is a much steeper climb. Some have an overinflated self image, while others seem much too timid to accept that they have plenty to be proud of. The act of writing is a largely solitary craft. A book can take a year or more […]
Here’s the Wind-Up and the Pitch: Perfecting the Opening Paragraph
It was a dark and stormy night… Oh. I’m sorry. Have you heard that one before? The opening sentence and lead paragraph in a story or novel is, as they say, your only chance to make a first impression. Like the cover of your book, that first paragraph might be the difference between a polite […]
Less is More, More or Less…
I have been participating in Lillie McFerrin’s weekly challenge of five sentence fiction for about six months now and I feel that my participation in the exercise has helped improve my writing. Five sentences is quite the constraint. The limit forces you to write with focus and efficiency. The phrase “less is more” is unfurled […]
Amusing but Confusing: Words That Get Misused
Steve Meitz (aka Bus Rider) has done it again (thanks Steve!). He’s come up with another interesting idea. Maybe I need to add his name to the blog banner. The English language is a confusing morass of words, rules, punctuation marks and parts of speech (wikipedia lists well over 100 different figures of speech such […]
Lynne Truss’ Seven Basic Rules for Proper Comma Usage
We sprinkle them through our work like extra salt on an order of fries (or chips for you British lot). A moderate additional amount of seasoning can’t hurt, but if over done, food becomes inedible. We do it almost without thinking. I’m talking about commas. I have to admit that I am far from an […]
Tools for Starting and Finishing.
Writing is a passion and a talent that comes from within like all other creative forms. It all boils down to how well you are at choosing and stringing words together in such an order that informs, entertains, angers, saddens, delights, or moves you in other ways. While I do not believe that talent can […]
Sounds Like…
Ever played Charades? If so, you will know that a tug on the ear lobe is the pantomime to indicate that the performer wants you to come up with a word that sounds like what he is acting out. There are many words that sound the same but have different meanings or uses. They are […]
