Transitions words and phrases allow you—and your reader— to move smoothly from one thought to another. Without them, writing sounds stilted and unnatural, such as this:
"Jones, a junior psychology major, made the All-American team last year. He carries a 3.5 grade point average."
Clearly,...
Start with easier questions, then move to most difficult ones
Don’t start by asking the WW II vet how he felt about his friends dying. Start with less-emotionally laden ones and move on to more difficult ones. Then end with easier questions so your source...
All writers, whether nonfiction or fiction, need to research their subject. Although online research is valuable, the best research is done by interviewing people.
Yet the thought of conducting an interview makes many writers shake like a leaf in a hurricane. As a word of encouragement,...
One of my editors recently wrote to me suggesting I refrain from using the passive voice. “You use passive too often,” she claimed. I hadn’t realized I was such a ‘passive’ writer, but, taking another look at the novel she had finished editing for me, I...
There’s an old saying that goes, “If you aim at nothing you’ll be sure to hit it,” meaning, of course, that you must have a specific goal in mind when performing any task.
That’s good advice for writers. We must aim at something, that is, we...
Compelling books and stories use abundant dialogue. Realistic dialogue adds interest and brings characters to life.
Along with the dialogue itself, writers must indicate who is speaking. This is called a dialogue tag. It’s important to follow standard practice in using dialogue tags, so observe these...
How many of you can remember the excitement of collecting the stash of envelopes dropped through the mail slot or left in the mailbox every afternoon, Monday to Friday? I do. They were (and are) stories tucked inside an envelope. My favorite letters came from...
Here are two ways to present the same information. Which is more attention-grabbing?
Editors are busy people, and they expect writers to respect their time. If you call or visit when the deadline is near you’re not going to get the editor’s full attention.
Or:
...
So, you think you want to be a writer. Well, why not? It’s a learnable skill. But it’s not as easy as one might think. And, there’s a big gap between the wannabe writers and THE WRITER!
You can attend seminars, workshops, writing classes, and read...
It’s hard enough to be creative, to come up with a unique idea and see it through to completion. Add to the equation this unsettled era, the concerns of the crippling pandemic, and you might find your creative juices totally stalled, stunned into silence by...
