Style Guides for Writers
We’re not talking fashion magazines, folks. In the book world, a style guide is the rulemaker you’re choosing to follow. And for writers in the US, the most accepted style guide for books is Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS).
Punctuation Pizzazz with the Em-Dash
The em-dash is one of my favorite punctuation marks. No worries if you have no idea what an em-dash is. I didn’t either until I became an editor. Well, I knew what it was, I just didn’t know its name.
Passive Voice
I bet almost everyone has been scolded for using passive voice, either by a teacher, a writing buddy, or an editor. Software designed to help you improve your writing, like Grammarly or Microsoft Word’s spelling and grammar check, often flags text as “passive voice” and encourages you to revise.
Defining Success as an Author
Success is one of those words that can be packaged with a lot of triggers. In today’s world, many of us equate success with money and fame. And if our endeavor isn’t bringing in money and fans—immediately!—then it’s easy to judge it as a failure.
Word Count
What should my word count be? is a question that every writer asks at least once in their writing career, and with good reason.
A Holiday Card Punctuation PSA
Apostrophes do NOT make a word (including your last name!) plural.
As You Know, Bob . . .
Dialogue should be sharp and serve to move a scene forward. It should also reflect the way people speak to one another.
How many times have you actually said, “As you know . . .”
What’s Your “Why”?
Some folks, who respond well to accountability, write because they have a deadline.
For others, they won’t eat, or pay any of the bills, if they don’t write.
And for others still, writing creates the space in their brains they need to find peace.
Reading in Your Genre
What’s your favorite book, or who’s your favorite author, in the genre you write?
If you can’t answer that question, then it’s time to head to the library or bookstore.
Style Sheets
Style sheets are one of my favorite organizational tools during the line editing process. They will save you so much time as you move from line editing, or copyediting, to proofreading.