When you’re writing nonfiction, it’s important to cite the sources of your information. Back in the day, it used to only be acceptable to include citations for books and journals, but not any more! Today’s Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) citation references include not only books and journals but websites, magazines, social media, and even [...]
The Legacy of You: Writing & Publishing Books Every now and then, I'll get a request for legal advice for writers that I don't know the answer to -- but I love learning! When I was completing my BA in English, I was a copywriter at a local attorney's office, so I learned a few [...]
All aspiring science fiction writers want their speculative fiction to take their readers on a journey. In the dynamic world of storytelling, the role of technology extends far beyond mere gadgets and gizmos. "Technology" can mean many things. Especially depending on context. As a sci-fi series editor, it helps to understand the multifaceted importance of [...]
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 [...]
July 1 is the first anniversary of SRD Editing Services' membership in the Editorial Freelancers Association. In the past year, editor Cortni Merritt has taken some awesome editor training and webinar sessions provided by the EFA, and we wanted to tell you a bit more about what's going on behind-the-scenes and in-front-of-the-screens at SRD Editing [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Random Writer Tools: Fashion in Historical Fiction Writers of historical fiction: rejoice! As a writer, you never know what kind of random tools that you find online will come in handy, and this article from the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art ("the Met") is one such example! A team of researchers painstakingly reviewed fashion [...]
There's a problem with doing something well: Once is rarely enough. When you do something (like producing quality writing) well, two things can happen: Other people begin to expect more of you, and You begin to expect more of yourself For a writer, this can be great. A well-done piece deserves the admiration it receives, and [...]
Readers think they're smart. Be prepared to go Gonzo rather than trying to trick them.