William Zinsser on Adjectives
The adjective that exists solely as decoration is a self-indulgence for the writer and a burden for the reader. … make your adjectives do work that needs to be done. —William Zinsser, On Writing Well
The adjective that exists solely as decoration is a self-indulgence for the writer and a burden for the reader. … make your adjectives do work that needs to be done. —William Zinsser, On Writing Well
With conference season upon us, I thought it would be interesting to learn what goes into creating those conferences, so you can better evaluate the conference(s) you choose to attend (and pray for their organizers). I asked Julane Hiebert, chairwoman of the Called to Write Writers Conference held in Pittsburg, Kansas, to share her experience and…
Updated August 2020 Many fiction writers struggle with what plot is and how to develop it, including me. We envision the end product and wonder how we’re going to get there. Some writers develop their plot through first writing outlines (called plotters); some write by the seat of their pants (called pantsers). But much like…
This live interactive workshop happens Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, at 1:00 Central time. Characters that captivate the reader are essential to all good novels. This workshop discusses a 3-step method to build your characters as well as utilizing elements outside the norm such as cultural communication differences and temperament devices like Myers-Briggs and Keirsey. Then…
Save yourself time and heartache over rejection. Analyze a magazine first, then submit to those that will be interested in your idea. Here’s what to look for. Front Page: design and headlines will help you determine the target audience. The ads: Who are their advertisers? Read enough of the ads to get a feel for…
While reading a book, have you ever found yourself saying There’s something wrong with that sentence, but I can’t quite figure out what? Do you stop to figure out what’s wrong or just keep reading? I’m guilty of doing both, depending on the circumstances of the moment. Of course, if I’m editing a manuscript, I…
There are those of you who prefer to let editors or proofreaders worry about commas, but if you’re hiring a freelance editor or proofreader, learning some punctuation basics will save you money because he/she will spend less time fixing your manuscript. I’ll be the first to say the rules governing the English language are confusing. I’ve often…