A mite early for the romantic occasion, but, for those seeking a partner online, this grammar advice may be timely. And, better to be prepared than to wait until the last minute! As a happily married man I have no need of such services, but this modern age seems to create lives with little time …
Continue reading Does Grammar Matter in Online Dating?
We writers tend to enjoy sharing ideas to improve our craft. Here are some ways to trim our writing. Readers will appreciate us removing these common redundancies and flabby expressions. Completely filled: When something has been filled, it is full, so ‘completely’ is redundant. e.g. She blew up the beach ball until it was completely …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 32
How many times should you start a writing project? Odd question? Well, I normally have my books ready in my mind, that is, I know where I want to end up even if I don’t know the route, long before I place a single word on paper (for which, read ‘screen’, since I compose at …
Continue reading False Starts and a Solution?
Writers enjoy sharing ideas to improve their craft. Here are some ways to trim our writing. Readers will appreciate us removing common redundancies and flabby expressions. Completely engulfed: When something is engulfed, it’s completely enclosed in whatever is engulfing it, so ‘completely’ is a tautology. e.g. The flames completely engulfed the high rise building. Try: …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 31.
Writers enjoy sharing ideas to improve their craft. Here are some ways to trim our writing. Readers will appreciate us removing common redundancies and flabby expressions. Completely destroy: If you destroy something, it is shattered, demolished, pulled to pieces: in any case, it ceases to exist as it was before the act. ‘Completely’ is therefore …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 29.
I agree with almost everything Dr Meg Sorick says here. Great piece that new writers in particular might want to read. Mind you, there are a few experienced writers who would benefit from this advice too!
I came across this photo/list of Elmore Leonard’s Ten Rules of Writing on Pinterest. It’s an excerpt fromhisessay of the same title. I thought it would be interesting to see if you all agree or disagree with these rules.
Here’s my opinion:
1. Personally, I love a story that starts with “It was a dark and stormy night…” (just kidding, unless the author is trying to be ironic).
2. How about the prologue? Is there a bit of the story that just needs to be set off by itself? I’m pretty sure I’ve never had a problem with a prologue.
3.”Said” seems to have no grey area. Writers either demand that “said” be used exclusivelyor they hate having to stick to “said.” Some say it’s the mark of an inexperienced writer to use words other than “said.” Whatever. Sometimes, words like “whispered,” “murmured,”or “shouted” just need to be used, I…
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Just a quick message to know the table has been updated and you'll find it here. Good Luck!
Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us for removing common redundancies and flabby expressions. Close proximity: Something in proximity to something else is close to it, so ‘close’ is a tautology. e.g. The close proximity of the backpacker caused the tourists to …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 27.
Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us for removing common redundancies and flabby expressions. Careful scrutiny: Scrutiny is the careful examination of something, so ‘careful’ is a tautology here. e.g. Susan read the contract with careful scrutiny. Try: Susan read the contract …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 25.
Writers share ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us for removing common redundancies and flabby expressions. Cameo appearance: In terms of performance, a cameo is a short appearance, so ‘appearance’ is redundant. e.g. Kaley’s cameo appearance caused a real stir in the theatre. Try: …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 24.
It's that time of the year when we like to review our activities and see what we've done over the last 365 days. Was it effective? Did it help people? Has that time been spent usefully? Well, the WordPress.com stats helper monkeys have prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog and I'm sharing it …
Continue reading 2015: The Blog in Review
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:
#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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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, …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 15
Writers enjoy sharing 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 a few flabby expressions. Bald-headed: Baldness is generally related to the head, so, in most cases, ‘headed’ would be redundant. However, there are times when it may be necessary …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 14.
Sorry for the break: I’ve been otherwise engaged for reasons that may become clear later! Writers enjoy sharing 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 a few flabby expressions. Temper tantrum: You can only have a tantrum as a …
Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 13
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Antidote to the Novel
Stuart Aken 