You’ve probably heard the advice “write what you know.” It’s been attributed to Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, Henry James, Stephen King, and countless others. And a lot of beginning writers assume it means they should write about their lives. Yes, no, maybe? Let’s say you’re a veterinarian or a business owner. If you write a … Read more
What happens when you don’t finish something on time? Do you quit? Or do you keep on going? If you’ve ever felt frustrated with a writing project, you know what I’m talking about. And if you’ve ever done NaNoWriMo—and didn’t get to 50,000 words by November 30th—you might have faced that very question. I didn’t … Read more
Punctuation is a challenge for a lot of writers. Commas can be particularly confusing because they have so many different purposes. Semicolons are tough, too, and many writers just avoid them. The same goes for em dashes and ellipses. Three dots? Four dots? When, why, where? Sure, you can use a grammar and punctuation checker … Read more
Every day, you make hundreds of decisions in less than five seconds. Many aren’t conscious decisions, like fastening your seat belt, opening a door, putting sugar in your coffee, or saying thank you to the barista. Most of the time, you make decisions without thinking, without consciously choosing. And those decisions are based on emotions. … Read more
Writing a novel in a month sounds like madness. But some writers seem to zip through National Novel Writing Month—NaNoWriMo—and pump out 50, 60, even 70,000 words or more like it’s no big deal. Others plod through, get discouraged, pick themselves up, and write like crazy on the final day just to hit 50,000. And … Read more
Ghostwriting, as you probably know, is professional writing done for an individual person or company without getting public credit for it. An autobiography, for example, may claim the subject as the author even if the book was written entirely by someone else—ghostwritten. In some cases, a writer may get partial credit. An “as-told-to” memoir is … Read more
Do you use em dashes? Do you know what an em dash is? If you answered yes to both, you’re in good company. Lots of writers use em dashes—a lot. I definitely do—sometimes more than I should. And since too many em dashes detract from effectiveness—plus look sloppy and unprofessional—if I have more than one … Read more
Sex scenes can be challenging for any writer. Aspiring novelists, especially, struggle with how much to tell and how to tell it. Even a “sweet” or mildly sensual scene isn’t easy, and unabashed writers with no qualms about “open door” encounters find blazing-hot situations just as challenging. Writing intimacy scenes takes skill, practice, and knowing … Read more
I want to tell you a secret. You know how sometimes you should be writing, but you’re not? You might even feel guilty, and It’s always there, nagging, in the back of your head. It doesn’t matter if you’re a fiction or nonfiction writer, a poet, or a wanna-be-big-time blogger. What matters is that you … Read more
A common question fiction writers ask is, “What does show, don’t tell mean?” Writers have asked me in email or on Facebook, and I’ve heard it in local writing groups. Online writing forums. Twitter. Everywhere. Here’s an easy way to understand show, don’t tell. You’ve heard of online dating, right? Of course you have. Bumble, … Read more