Once you start writing, it doesn’t take long before you hear the advice to “write tight.” To the veteran authors who tell this to new authors it makes perfect sense, but sometimes it confuses new authors. After all, isn’t the idea to wow readers with your brilliant word usage? Actually, that isn’t the idea. Author’s […]
Watch out for Weasel Words
They may be different for each author, but we all have our weasel words. Like the animal they’re named after, they pop up in unexpected places. They often slip past our awareness when reviewing our work. We are so used to using them that they often don’t even register in our brain as a problem. […]
Mow Down Episodic Scenes
It is essential for the author to know a great deal about his story–the characters, the setting, the backstory–but the question we need to ask ourselves is, “How much of this does the reader need to know?” If we put in too much, it will slow the story down and bore the readers. If we […]
Revision Prompt – Remove Small Movements
You’ve heard of writing prompts, now we have revision prompts! Each prompt will give you a specific writing issue to check for in your WIP, along with tips on how to fix each. Going through this process one issue at a time will not only help polish your current novel but will also teach you specific ways to […]