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
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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…
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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….
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Know the End from the Beginning
Back in December I took Michael Hyatt’s new Best Year Ever course. I then set 10 goals and was very excited about 2014 and the plans I’d made for the year. Almost immediately after—within a week—my mood plummeted. I spent a week or two wallowing, then began to examine why I felt depressed. Dr. Stephen…