“More showing, less telling” is the battle cry of the the beta reader. But what does it actually mean? First of all, let’s start by saying that showing and telling are both okay techniques when used properly. There’s nothing inherently wrong with either. What’s wrong is using them exclusively. A book entirely told is boring.… Continue reading Show vs. Tell: The Definitive Run-Down
All of us, at one time or another, wish to take earlier versions of ourselves firmly by the shoulder and administer the death grip. “No, self, don’t do that, do this, and while I’m at it, for god’s sake get rid of those shoes, they’re doing you no favor.” In this case, I’m speaking of… Continue reading It’s Not Acting, It’s Cooperating
One of the downsides of doing lots of formatting and design work is you begin to recognize common fonts. “But why is that a downside? Isn’t that cool to be able to look at a brochure and go ‘Calibre, Calibre, Times New Roman?’” No. Because most people use the same fonts over and over and… Continue reading Papyrus: Looking Terrible Since 332 BC
What’s a writer’s best friend? Reviews. But I hear the same question from readers all the time: how the heck do I write one? Reviews are an important part of any book’s life. Their main function is to let other people know whether it’s worth buying or not. How many times have we picked up… Continue reading How to Review a Book in 4 Easy Steps
Most of writing is pretty subjective. What styles we use, adjectives we choose, the rhythms and phrasing—they all depend on the author’s voice. That said, there are a few things we can all agree are pretty awful no matter who writes them. Not with characterization or plotting or world-building, but with the building blocks we all use:… Continue reading The Ten Commandments of Writing
Writing only when you’re inspired vs. just doing your job is an argument writers hear constantly. We see it in advice posts from one side or another that inundate us with pros and cons. Un-inspired writing is forced and painful! Just sit down and write or you aren’t a writer! Smug responses about from full-time… Continue reading What Inspiration Is Made Of
Comic Sans looks kind, soft, a little like a child’s handwriting. It seems so friendly you just can’t resist it!
Resist. Please.
As a reader, font is probably something you don’t give much thought to. Words are on the page, and so long as it’s legible, what does it matter, right? If only. Fonts have far more sway than most people realize. Similar to the temperature in an office making you feel welcome or worried, or the… Continue reading The Best Font For My Book
Our editing tale is ending, as in our final week we talk about how to know when you are done. Week one was dedicated to getting started, week two address the biggest issues, while week three picked up smaller yet persistent problems to be on the watch for. And now you’ve done all that and you’re… Continue reading Edit Until You Can’t
Welcome back to my series on how to edit your manuscript! This is where I suggest how to edit your manuscript in preparation for either self-publishing or querying. Remember, there’s no one way to edit. If you’re already doing something that I’m not mentioning, or you do something differently, why not suggest it in the… Continue reading Perfect Editing Is A Lie
Under-Paid, Over-Enthused 