I’m delighted to have RJ Thesman with me today for this month’s Friday Feature author interview. RJ’s publishing credits include 500+ articles, four books, and 13 anthologies. And like me, she’s a writing coach. Grab your brew of choice and sit back for a great read. RJ imparts some terrific tips for writers to add to their publishing toolbox. [Read more…] about The Making of a Book Series: an Interview with Author RJ Thesman
Going Crazy with How to Grab Your Reader’s Attention?
You are a writer.
You’re working to
- Sell your articles or book manuscript
- Build a blog following (if you’re a blogger), and
- Build your platform.
That means you spend a portion of your time [Read more…] about Going Crazy with How to Grab Your Reader’s Attention?
Struggling to find the best markets for your writing?
You have a great idea for an article, and now you need to find a magazine that will buy it. But how do you do that?
You could visit your local grocery store and peruse the magazine rack.
Or visit the library and see what magazines are available there.
That’s how I did it when I first started freelancing in 2006. But I was not only attacking this task the hard way, [Read more…] about Struggling to find the best markets for your writing?
How to Ensure Your Characters and Plot Don’t Flat Line
Is it possible to sell a story that is high on action and adventure, but has flat characters? Yes, though it isn’t easy.
What about a story that is flat on plot, but rich with three-dimensional characters? If your plot is flat, your reader (and that agent or publisher) has no reason to turn the pages. (Look out trash can.)
Your story stands a much better chance of being published if both the plot and characters are well developed. (Tweet this.)
I’m a writer whose strength is in [Read more…] about How to Ensure Your Characters and Plot Don’t Flat Line
Friday Feature: A Dozen Apologies
Today’s interview involves a variety of writers, each involved in creating one book, A Dozen Apologies, the creative work of Write Integrity Press.
Write Integrity has published several novella collaborations. I read my first of these novellas, A Ruby Christmas, late last year. Like many readers, I skipped the table of contents and went straight to chapter 1. Later I discovered the book was the collaborative work of 9 writers.
The voice carried through very well and editor extraordinaire Tracy Ruckman of Write Integrity Press accomplished that. A Ruby Christmas was author J.A. Marx’ project. She understood her character very well, and got that across to each of the project authors.
Fay Lamb birthed the idea that became A Dozen Apologies with 12 authors writing one chapter each. Fay, how did you progress from idea to finished manuscript? [Read more…] about Friday Feature: A Dozen Apologies
How to Use the Ellipsis and the Em Dash
Punctuation is an aspect of English with which many writers struggle. But we must face the reality: incorrect punctuation raises a red flag for editors and makes them more inclined to toss your submission into the trash.
I’m not talking about a missing comma here and there, but flagrant incorrect punctuation. As much as some might hate it, correct punctuation is critically important to your submission.
So today, let’s take a look at the ellipsis and the em dash—two punctuation marks that get misused and often over used.
How to Create the Smartest Indent for a Manuscript
With all the manuscripts I edit or proofread I’ve learned many writers don’t know how to create a proper indent to their paragraphs.
While I can’t unequivocally say that publishers prefer writers use the first line indent, I can say you’ll look like a savvy writer if you do.
The first line indent is formatting that removes the need for the TAB KEY at the beginning of every paragraph. It is the formatting the publisher will eventually use in preparing your manuscript for publication. If you self-publish, this indent is a formatting essential.
Here’s how to create the “first line indent.” [Read more…] about How to Create the Smartest Indent for a Manuscript
Don’t Confuse Your Reader with Your Pronouns
Have you ever been reading something and suddenly found yourself lost in pronouns, asking to which “he” is the writer referring?
Pronouns used incorrectly become pesky pronouns to editors. (At least to this editor they do.) The editor is forced to read several more sentences (or paragraphs) to figure out the “he” or “she” to whom the writer refers.
Avoid Pronoun Confusion
A quick grammar lesson will help. I know you cringe at the word grammar but stick with me. You want your manuscript to hit a home run, right? (Maybe you’re thinking you’d just like it to get past first base. But avoid first-base thinking; it’s a surefire way to write a mediocre story.)
[Read more…] about Don’t Confuse Your Reader with Your Pronouns