Writing advice and tips.
Most writers are also avid readers. It’s a part of how we learn the craft of writing. For me it’s also a part of how I enjoy life. Right now I’ve got 6 books going, 4 nonfiction, and 2 fiction. The fiction are strictly for entertainment. The nonfiction for my own education—for my business and…
All great fiction writing has more than 4 important elements; however, in my opinion, there are 4 that are the driving force behind your story. Any avid reader can quickly identify when a book is going to be great or not. They may not be able to tell you the elements that are or aren’t…
Lately, I’ve gotten a lot of manuscripts to edit with incorrect formatting. Using the standard format for your manuscript for submission to a publisher or freelance editor is important. Do it incorrectly and you immediately tell that publisher you’re an amateur. Yes, we all start at the beginning, but there’s no need to let the…
by Ramona Wood Children’s book author Ramona Wood’s maxim is “Never stop learning.” Wood is a member of the SCBWI and has written and illustrated five children’s books that can be seen at Amazon.com and RamonaWoodBooks.com. Her latest, Manners & Tips for Caring Kids, has just gone live as her first print-on-demand publication. The Ns and…
Many of us write because we believe we have a message God wants us to share. In fact, our first book is often about lessons learned from a personal experience that we believe will help others. We want to convey information that will help others navigate and conquer a similar problem. That was certainly the…
Search engine optimization. Otherwise known as SEO. If you’ve been writing for the web, more than likely you’ve heard this term even if you don’t understand it. I recently had my admin assistant do a Google search for several keywords, among them were editor and freelance editor. Ahhh! My website didn’t turn up anywhere in…
This month’s last post on plotting concerns the major plot events, or building blocks, of your story. Most writers understand all fiction has a climatic scene, aka the climax. They also know it occurs very near the end of the story. However, many writers miss several other plot events essential to their story.
In last week’s “To Plot a Story,” guest Deborah Lyn Stanley stated, “A one-sentence premise is essential to a strong story.” Many writers may not understand what a premise is or how to arrive at that one-sentence, so let’s take a look at it today. In almost all of the books I have on the…