Writing Tips
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Silencing The Censor.
It’s the small voice, or sometimes the bellowing voice, that stokes your anxiety by insisting that your writing might offend someone. Should you listen to it?
Critiques – the Good, Bad and the Overly Critical
When do you show your work to others? Should you join a critiquing group? Is it safe to present first draft material? There’s no right answer but there are benefits and pitfalls.
You should always use Direct Dialogue, right?
If creative writing were an Olympic event, direct dialogue would take home the gold. In contrast, reported (indirect) dialogue wouldn’t even make it to the podium. Why? When is reported dialogue acceptable, even preferable? And what difference does it really make?
Protagonist and Antagonist: never the twain shall meet?
My favourite element in a novel is character development. We want all our characters to be believable, especially the protagonist and antagonist. How do we make them authentic?
It’s a Clichéd World
Someone creates a comparison or description. It becomes popular and it’s used so often that it turns into a cliché. When should we include clichés in our writing?
My biggest gripe when I edit
Every critiquer has a common mistake that bothers them: punctuation, grammar, sentence structure. Mine is point of view. What tips can help you stay in a character’s viewpoint?
The End?
How do you know when you’ve reached the end of a section, a short story or a novel and it’s time to stop? When is more too much?
What do you want from an editor?
So, you’re ready to send out your work to an editor but you’re feeling nervous about it? What kind of editing would be beneficial to you and not discouraging?
Grammar and punctuation—how much do they matter?
Over the past few years, grammar and punctuation, like Elvis, have left the building. We see mistakes everywhere—misspelled words, incorrect use of plural versus possessive, long sentences without punctuation that run on and on like a politician’s speeches. As writers, what should concern us, and why?