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…
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…
Writers often hear “show us, don’t tell us” in one variation or another. But what does it really mean to show rather than tell? Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary gives the definition of tell as “to relate in detail: narrate, recount,” and show as “to cause or permit to be seen.” As writers, we do both these things. But as storytellers…
As writers, we must continually seek to improve our writing skills. It is an ongoing process that can be accomplished in a number of ways to fit anyone’s budget. Here are several options: Participate in a critique group—it’s much easier to see someone else’s weak spots than your own. Read writer blogs and the many free products…
Formatting your submissions according to a publication’s writer’s guidelines is essential. Finding those guidelines isn’t always easy, and even in this day of digital everything you often have to request guidelines via email. For easy reference, FreelanceWriting.com provides a database of 836 writer’s guidelines, by category. http://www.freelancewriting.com/guidelines/pages/
Point of view. Think about those words and it will help you. From whose perspective are you viewing your scene? Whose feelings and thoughts are being expressed in the scene? Example from my present WIP: Chase stared at Karl with what he hoped was a questioning, please-continue look in his blue eyes, but Karl just…
I want to accomplish as much as I can when I’m writing, so I utilize keyboard shortcuts. Many of these MS Word shortcuts translate over to other word processing programs such as Scrivener (the one I use). Here is a list of MS Word keyboard shortcuts to help you save time as you write your…