Congratulations! You've finished the initial drafts of your manuscript. Maybe you even went through developmental edits or critique partners already. Now, you think you're ready for content editing or line edits. Not so fast. You want everything to be as clean as possible - you want to save yourself the time and money of making [...]
In my years as a developmental editor, ghostwriter, and book reviewer, I've come across a few tricks to breaking down a good story, and a few tips for assembling one. In the discussion about different types of writers -- "planners" vs. "pantsers" -- I tend to come down closer on the side of "planner." I [...]
Ad copy and poetry are about emotion. What's the result? The old tricks work for both.
There's a problem with doing something well: Once is rarely enough. When you do something 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 you should be [...]
Writing emotions is complicated. Do all your characters' emotions make sense? Tips for writing fiction and nonfiction.
Writers, editors, and others who stare at computers for a long time are at risk of eye strain. Tips to keep your eyes healthy.
Writing advice for making your fiction or nonfiction clear and concise. Editing advice to help you.
Who are your readers? Who are your characters? How do you connect them? In essence, this is the challenge of the fiction writer -- replacing real people with believable ones, and then somehow making them real for the real ones. The connections? Personality. (Not even "humanity" because even non-human characters need to have a personality.) [...]
Emotion breaks across the page in poetry. I examine how Charles Bukowski hid vulnerability in his strength.
Readers think they're smart. Be prepared to go Gonzo rather than trying to trick them.