I rarely do a straight-out book review. In fact, I think this might the first one. I often recommend a book, especially those that have had a tremendous impact on my writing career in some way whether in skills learned or motivationally. But today, I feel compelled to talk about Writing the Heart of Your…
As a writer, I use Scrivener to create my documents—even my blog posts. As an editor, my primary tool is MS Word and Track Changes. While I’ve never asked other editors what they use, I’d venture they use track changes, too. That makes it critical for writers to understand what track changes are and how to…
For those of you who missed last month’s Facebook live Ask the Editor video, I’m sharing it here today. Never mind that I couldn’t seem to say my name that day–the hazards of live video. 🙂 The question is “Should I use real restaurants, stores, and places in my story?”
There are hundreds, probably thousands, of books on the market that deal with the craft of writing—learning plot, character development, story arc, and such. But sadly missing from the list is grammar. I know it’s a school subject many people hated. Do they still make kids learn how to diagram a sentence? Maybe diagramming a…
I’ve been hard at work lately, developing a booklet just for you. Yes, I notice your reluctance to hire a freelance editor. I understand that hesitation. You don’t know whom to hire; you don’t know if you’ll get scammed; you don’t know how to evaluate the editing you get back. No doubt, though, residing at…
Because my kids graduated from school long ago, I no longer know what’s taught in English class—aside from the “cursive writing” controversy. I only know I see a wide variety of grammar and format errors in the manuscripts I edit and proofread. Many writers incorrectly format numbers, dates, and times, so I thought I’d give…
“I can’t afford to hire a professional editor,” you say. But you can’t afford not to hire one. The quality—or lack thereof—of your story directly impacts your ability to land a traditional publishing contract. If you publish indie, it impacts your sales. And who doesn’t want lots of sales? I don’t say this just because…
Lately, I’ve been reading Tim Grahl’s Book Launch Blueprint: The Step-by-Step Guide to Launching a Bestseller. Making a bestseller list woos authors like the cry of the mythical Siren. It carries status and puts oomph behind the sales of future books. But do you have a true understanding of what it takes to make those…