Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 22.

On 29/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice

We writers tend to share ideas to improve our craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions. At the end of the day: Along with many of its flabby cousins, this cliché has ceased to have the miniscule emphatic power it started …

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The Woman in Black, by Susan Hill, Reviewed.

On 27/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction, Review

Having seen the Daniel Radcliffe film adapted from this novel, I was eager to read the book. In common with many readers, I generally find books much better than the films made from them, but in this case I was disappointed. The narrative is written in the first person and in the style of a …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 21.

On 24/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice2 Comments

Writers tend to share ideas to improve their craft. Here, with a seasonal slant, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions. Different kinds: A ‘kind’ is a type of something; by definition it’s different from another kind. e.g. At Christmas, children expect different …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 20.

On 22/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice2 Comments

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions. First of all: Whilst ‘of all’ may act as a qualifier, amplifying the phrase, it’s a wordy addition to your narrative and is probably better left out. E.g. …

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The Ubiquitous Mailing List

On 21/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Organisation12 Comments

Authors are told their most precious marketing asset is their mailing list. This advice has become so common it’s now accepted as gospel. I have my doubts. Over the past few weeks, admittedly a little late in my writing career, I’ve been attempting to set up this promotional tool. I’d love to report it as …

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Scent of the Boggel-Mann, by Linda Acaster, Reviewed.

On 18/12/201530/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Fiction, Reading, Review

Phew! I picked this up to read with my morning cuppa and couldn’t put it down! I’m glad I didn’t read it last thing at night: nightmares! Linda Acaster is a talented writer with a fertile imagination, which she puts to great use in this horror story. The tension builds from the outset, with small …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 19.

On 17/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I look at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions. As far as I’m concerned: Obviously, since you’re the one who’s making the statement. E.g. As far as I’m concerned, politicians always lie. Try: Politicians always lie. Surrounded …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 18.

On 15/12/201515/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice1 Comment

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions. As being: Please say you’d never put this on paper. e.g. He is known as being the smartest guy in the office. Try: He is known as the …

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The Boy in Winter’s Grasp, by John D. Scotcher, Reviewed.

On 14/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Review

What a read this YA fantasy novel is! The story follows the exploits of Christopher, a slightly damaged 16 year old, and his friend, the adventurous girl, Sama, as they battle incredible forces. There is a fascinating mingling of World War I times with the myths, legends and history of Arthurian Britain. How this connection …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 17

On 11/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice2 Comments

A brief apology for my absence: the house required me to attend to various things. A few more of those to do yet, but I discovered a spare moment lurking under the guise of sleep and decided to use it here. Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 16.

On 03/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice3 Comments

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions. As a matter of fact: There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with this as an expression, but in narrative it’s wordy and unnecessary. e.g. As a matter of fact, the …

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Review of The Methuselah Strain (Stuart Aken ), reviewed by John Scotcher on Dec 2, 2015

On 03/12/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction, Review

I Just had to post the link to this review of The Methuselah Strain, especially as the reviewer clearly understands exactly what the book is about. via Review of The Methuselah Strain (Stuart Aken ), reviewed by John Scotcher on Dec 2, 2015.

What you need to know about Twitter #Hashtags Infographic and LIST…

On 30/11/201530/11/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Use8 Comments

A great guide for those interested in using Twitter in a positive fashion for book matters.

You might also benefit from this great post from Linda Acaster:

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

#amwriting: Designed specifically for writers who are experiencing writers block and just want to relieve the anxiety.
#eBook or #Books: Gives the latest posts.
#Reading: Dominated by GoodReads users who are also on Twitter
#mustread, #read, #reading, #readers, #bestread, #greatread, #greatbooks, #weekendreader, #GoodReads
#Fridayreads: One of the most popular literary hashtags of all time on twitter. It even generated a global trend at one period of a time, it is still one of the best ways to find out about good books.
#Nook: Gives the latest posts according to Nook published books.
#epub, #ePub : Specifically for independently published authors, this hashtag platform promotes eBooks published on Smashwords, Kobo, iTunes, Nook, etc.
#Amazon: Considered the mother of all tweets. Here you can find everything Amazon related, most particularly books.
#AmazonKindle: Same as the one above, but more useful for sale of Kindle Devices and eBooks.
#kindlebooks, #Kindle Touch…

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Alone (The Girl in the Box, Book 1), by Robert J. Crane, Reviewed.

On 29/11/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Fiction, Review

This fantasy, featuring meta-humans, and told from the point of view of the female protagonist, is full of tension and action. But it is also a fascinating character study of a unique individual. The reader is given information through the unreliable narrator, who appears to be confused by what is going on about her. As …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 15

On 27/11/201524/11/2015 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Word Choice

Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll examine common redundancies and flabby expressions All things being equal: Avoid this empty phrase. e.g. All things being equal, he would have her in his bed by midnight. Try: If he had his way, …

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