What’s the worst writing mistake an author can make? It’s a broad one: doing something you think makes you look sophisticated and clever, when really… it doesn’t. A common manifestation of this is a conscientious avoidance of contractions in dialogue and narrative. I’ll admit I fell prey to this as a young writer (who not […]
April 20, 2016 by 56 Comments Editing Your NovelTop 4 Editing Tricks for Creating a Seamless Narrative
Narrative flow can be difficult to define, which makes it difficult to understand. However, most writers are also readers, so you may be more familiar with narrative flow than you might think! While reading, have you ever: Found yourself turning page after page, unable to put a book down? Been so engrossed you haven’t noticed […]
March 7, 2016 by 64 Comments Most Common Writing MistakesMost Common Writing Mistakes, Pt. 49: Weak Conjunctions
Consider the conjunction. It’s one of the building blocks of solid prose. It links idea to idea, creates clarity, and offers emphasis in a solid punch at the center of your sentences. If it can do all that when properly handled, then you definitely want to make sure you’re not watering down your writing with unnecessarily weak […]
September 14, 2015 by 81 Comments Prose8 Paragraph Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making
Words, sentences, and paragraphs–they’re the bricks and mortar of the writing craft. They’re fundamental. If we’re not using them correctly, it doesn’t matter how wonderful our mastery of characters and story structure may be. They’re make-or-break territory. Not long ago, a Wordplayer messaged me, asking if I could write a post on paragraph mistakes. She explained, […]
September 7, 2015 by 105 Comments Most Common Writing MistakesMost Common Writing Mistakes, Pt. 44: Too Many Participle Phrases
Rushing to her computer, Katie tries not to spill her coffee. She is late to write a very important forty-fourth installment in the “Most Common Writing Mistakes” series. She looks for her coaster, rooting through her desk drawers. Finally, relieved by the protection of the precious particle board of her desktop from permanent circular stains, she plops down in […]
August 10, 2015 by 33 Comments Prose4 Methods to Invigorate Your Prose With Surprising Sentences
Good storytelling is all about the big pieces: structure, character, theme. But good writing? That’s much more intricate, much more intimate. Good writing is about creating purposeful and interesting prose. Creating prose of that caliber starts with the mechanics of grammar and spelling. But any middle-schooler is supposed to be able to do that. The art of […]
September 21, 2014 by 67 Comments ProseYou’ve Been Writing Sentences Wrong All Your Life! Find Out Why
The sentence. It’s the building block of all books. Without it, we may have a poem, a song, a movie, a painting, an interpretative dance. But we sure as scuttlebutt don’t have a book. Most of us learn how to write (and diagram!) sentences in grade school. Out of the many potential pitfalls of writing a […]
January 5, 2014 by 78 Comments Most Common Writing MistakesMost Common Writing Mistakes: Choppy Prose
Choppy prose is one of the most common writing mistakes that can pull readers out of a story. Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, fragmented sentences, run-ons, and punctuation misuse can create an awkward, jarring flow. If your writing feels clunky or hard to read, you may be dealing with choppy prose. This article explores […]
November 8, 2013 by 20 Comments Editing Your Novel5 Key Ways to Choose the Right Word (Without a Thesaurus!)
Figuring out how to choose the right word is probably only the second most difficult writing trait to master (right after ideas). Your word choice is a crucial part of your writing that directly correlates with your readers’ reactions to your content. Sure, you could have a spectacular idea, but without the appropriate words, you’re […]
October 13, 2013 by 38 Comments NarrativeAre You Benefiting From the Intimacy of Pronouns?
Pronouns are those clever little inventions that allow us to replace nouns and avoid clunky repetition. How awkward would it be if we had to mention our character Col. Daniel Fitzgerald the Elephant Trainer by name five times in one paragraph? Thanks to the pronoun, we only have to mention him once at the beginning […]
