As writers, we need to determine the best time of day to write. The answer hinges on when our words flow best, balanced with when we encounter the fewest distractions. For me, this is the early morning. This is my prime time to write. If we fail to capitalize on our best time to write, […]
Tag: writing basics
Anyone who’s been writing for more than a day or so knows that writing carries a bunch of rules. There are hundreds of rules or even thousands, perhaps a million, way too many to keep track of. These rules flood our minds and threaten to overwhelm. There are rules for how to punctuate a sentence, […]
The word literally means that something actually happened. However, too often, people use literally as an intensifier, effectively meaning figuratively—quite opposite of the original meaning. Consider, “He literally turned blue.” We don’t interpret this as a man becoming Smurf-like or joining The Blue Man Group, but more likely that he was having great difficulty breathing […]
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Do You Have an Author Bio?
The best time to write your author bio is before you need it. That means, write it today. I gave some pointers on this in my post, “Why You Should Write Your Author Bio Now.” We need multiple length bios for different uses, but today, let’s focus on a 25-word or 50-word bio. Here are […]
Most anyone who has heard me talk about writing knows of my disdain for the word very. I’m quick to strike it whenever I see it; only rarely does it survive my critical eye. Along with very, here are some words to avoid in your writing: Very: Writers use very to intensify the word that […]
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Is Your Writing Improving?
Seven Tips to Grow as a Writer My original blog, Musings, has over 500 posts, totaling about 130,000 words, enough for two or three books. While many posts wouldn’t make for good book content, about half of them have potential. So, I’ve taken the best ones and organized them by topic to repurpose as a […]
I recently spoke at a writers conference, and one question during my Q&A surprised me: What’s the proper way to format a submission? Having read thousands of submissions, I can firmly state that while poor writing is the quickest way to have your work dismissed. Poor formatting is the second quickest way and also the […]
My friend, an auto-mechanic, shared a story about his co-worker who was assigned a difficult repair that should have taken twenty-two hours, but it took him much longer. The next time the same job came in, he volunteered for it, this time finishing it quicker. Soon, every one of these repairs went to him. Each […]
Here are seven simple tips I use to make my writing stronger. Applying these seven simple tips will make your writing stronger—they help mine.
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Should You Use an Outline?
Should you use an outline when you write? The answer is maybe. If an outline helps you organize your thoughts, gives your piece structure, or streamlines the writing process, then use it. However, if an outline constrains your creativity, presents a roadblock to starting, or slows you down, then don’t use one. Sometimes I use […]