Last year, I had the pleasure of listening to several audiobooks from some amazing writers, several of who provided excellent creative writing advice. In today’s blog, I want to highlight some of the best creative writing tips and techniques from the book Creative Quest, by the very talented Questlove. Why is Creativity Important? According to Questlove It [...]
What Does it Cost to Self-Publish a Book? As an editor with more than ten years of experience, I can’t tell you how many times writers have asked me, “What does it cost to self-publish a book?” Although it seems like a straightforward enough question, the simplest answer is “It varies,” but writers are seldom [...]
The SRD Editor's Pick: Top Books Read in 2023 Welcome back for the second year of the SRD Editor’s pick of top books read this year! (Check out the 2022 list here.) As a refresher, I love tracking my audiobook listens and physical book reading via Goodreads (let’s connect!), and I typically get my materials [...]
Has someone recommended that you look into getting a “beta reader” or “sensitivity reader”? You may not realize initially, but they are both types of beta readers that focus on different things in your writing. If you’re wondering what they are and why they’re helpful, the short answer is that they make your book better. [...]
You may have heard that there's no wrong way to write a book. When you make the goal to write, first draft jitters can easily get in the way, and without a plan or solid options for your process, you won't know what's right or wrong. Many pieces of advice for finishing your book first [...]
As a writing and editing professional, editor Cortni Merritt is sometimes asked to consult and collaborate on a variety of academic, technical, and business writing projects in addition to her projects with SRD Editing Services as a member of other groups not associated with SRD Editing Services. Recently she was honored by the request to [...]
The last-week countdown to Father's Day begins today! And if you have a dad who loves (or even just "likes") reading, then I have a book list for you. Dad doesn't want another tie or photo frame this year; he wants a book! At least, I think he might. And since I listen to a [...]
For more than 20 years, the Accelerated Reader (AR) program has been helping kids read children's books they enjoy, at their own pace. Readers of all levels can choose an AR book, read their way through it, then take a computerized quiz to assess their understanding and sometimes earn class credit. Educators across the US [...]
MS Keyboard Shortcuts Are Gold If you use MS Word on a regular basis to write and edit, you probably already know about the most common keyboard shortcuts. (If you're not familiar with the long list of Windows keyboard shortcuts out there, check them out now!) In particular, there are several wonderful, useful keyboard shortcuts [...]
Sometimes, you just want to watch a movie for the fun of it. Sometimes, you want to watch a movie and learn from it. Specifically, if you want to spend some time enhancing your own creative writing skills by watching movies, I think there are a few ways that can be done. Now of course, movies aren't [...]