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Narrative Pain in the Arse (I mean POV)
The writing element that can make an editor’s head spin the most is when an author confuses or mixes POV. Attention authors! It happens more than you might think and it can derail your publication...
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Thou Shalt Not Use False Subjects
Is the passive voice sneaking into your manuscript? Why do we let it in? The master of horror answers the question best. “Strunk and White don’t speculate as to why so many writers are attracted to...
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NaNoWriMo: Once Upon a Time There Was a Zombie Apocalypse… How NOT to Start...
Are you ready for NaNoWriMo? Many of you might be preparing to write the very first scene of your novel on November 1st. My question for you is… Are you sure that’s really the beginning of the story?...
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NaNoWriMo: Back to the Future…How to Handle Flashbacks in Your Novel
Even if you’re not writing a fantasy novel during NaNoWriMo, there’s likely going to be some time travel in your manuscript. Thankfully you don’t need “Doc’s” time machine to handle flashbacks or...
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NaNoWriMo: It’s Been Confirmed…The Road to Hell IS Paved with Adverbs
If you’re a writer, you’ve likely heard this famous quote by horror master Stephen King: “I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops.” King wrote the line...
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NaNoWriMo: That’s What She Said…Is Your Dialogue Up to Snuff?
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Your dialogue should speak for itself. If it doesn’t, revise it. First, let’s talk about dialogue tags. Keep them simple with a he-said-she-said format. You...
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NaNoWriMo: The Voices Told Me to Do It… How to Include Inner Dialogue in Your...
Like all of us, your characters probably talk to themselves. Wait, you all talk to yourselves, too, right? Well, if your main character has a voice in her head, here is a breakdown of the rules to...
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NaNoWriMo: Are you Abusing Participial Phrases in Your Manuscript?
The overuse of participial phrases screams rookie author. The crime can send your manuscript directly to a publisher’s slush pile. Yikes! So how do you know when you’ve gone from proper user to...
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NaNoWriMo: Are Your Chapter Breaks a Snooze?
If your chapters start with your main character waking up in the morning and end with your character going to sleep at night, then your readers might just go ahead and snore, too. Many authors have a...
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NaNoWriMo: It’s Show Time! A Break Down of That Whole Show, Don’t Tell Rule…
Show, don’t tell is probably the most important rule of good prose. The rule applies to just about everything an author wants to convey in his or her novel. Marathon writing events like NaNoWriMo get...
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