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Don’t Ever Assume Writing is Easy
So, you think writing is easy. Have you ever read a book and thought to yourself, I could write this? I’m sure we’re all guilty of that sentiment. After all, there are only a few basics to writing a good novel, a good story, right?...
Learn to Use Commas Correctly—Part 2
In part 1 of “Learn to Use Commas Correctly,” I discussed the importance of correct comma use. I also wrote about using commas between equal modifiers. Lastly, I also gave you two useful tests to employ when deciding if you need commas. Part 2 discusses using...
Learn to Use Commas Correctly—Part 1
Commas may be the most commonly used punctuation mark. They also may be the most misused. The problem of correct comma use is compounded by conflicting advice. For example, in the next paragraph I use a comma before but. However, Microsoft Word tells me to take...
Ignite Your Readers With a Gripping First Page
You want to hook your reader from that first line. In fact, you want the entire first page to grab the reader’s attention so they can’t put your book down. How do you do that? First of all, study other authors and decide what works and...
Best Setting to Write about in Asheville
In my article “Setting: Elements of Towns and Cities,” I wrote about how many writers believe a setting is merely a location; however setting is not just a location, but everything that would define a location as a place. The seven elements that a writer...
How Bullying Works
In my article "The Need for Psychology Understanding,” I discussed how fiction writers need at least a basic understanding of psychology in order to write realistic content, dialogues, characters, and relationships. One such psychological concept is the ways in which biological and genetic factors can...
How to Portray Lower Middle Class Speech
It’s been said that societal class is “the last taboo.” It’s one of the few topics that people are reluctant to talk about. Writers are sometimes similarly hesitant to portray societal class in their characters. But the topic is important. Not everyone in our books and...
Why and How to Eliminate Excess Prepositional Phrases
Prepositional phrases begin with a preposition and end with an object. Some examples are: I left my book in the house. Her plane arrives before noon. They are useful because they add information. Where did I leave the book? in the house ...
Should I Use a Hyphen, an en Dash, or an em Dash?—part 2
Part 1 of “Should I use a hyphen, an en dash, or an em dash?” covered the differences between hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes, and how to use hyphens. Part 2 covers how to use en dashes and em dashes and how to create...
Should I Use a Hyphen, an en Dash, or an em Dash?—part 1
This is Part 1 of a two-part article. Part 1 covers the differences between hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes, and how to use hyphens. Part 2 covers how to use en dashes and em dashes and how to create them in Microsoft Word. Hyphens, en...