The Truth About “Show, Don’t Tell”
I don’t know who thought up the writing axiom “Show, don’t tell,” but I believe it causes endless confusion and misery for writers who already suffer from poor self-esteem and are ready to bow their heads to an imagined High … Continue reading
Be Nice to Your Reader!
I may be wading into treacherous waters here, but in my humble opinion too many literary novels that are highly praised by critics are in fact nearly incomprehensible to the average adult reader; and I get the feeling that too … Continue reading
Your Novel May Not Be Real, But It Must Be Believable!
In storytelling and novel writing, there is a big difference between what is objectively real and what is believable. This is the two-part rule: 1. Nothing in your story needs to be real. 2. Everything in your story must be … Continue reading
Great Books Allow – And Even Invite – Repeated Readings
When I read a book, and I like it, I’m inclined to read it again. And again. Just like you’d listen to a favorite record over and over, until the grooves are so worn you have to buy another copy. … Continue reading
The Secret to a Great Opening Sentence in Your Novel
“Call me Ishmael.” Thus reads one of the most famous – and, by writers of fiction, envied – opening sentences in Western literature. It launches Moby-Dick, and those three words are memorable because they provide information about the protagonist. The … Continue reading
Short Story, Novelette, or Novel: All About the Word Count
Written works of fiction come in all lengths as measured by the word count. This is simply the number of words in the document or book. When you’re writing on your computer, word processing applications such as Microsoft Word will … Continue reading
“Pistonhead” Still Going Strong!
I published my first novel, “Pistonhead,” in February 2009. It sold well and garnered rave reviews from both music publications (we still had such things back then) and book bloggers. Heading into its 13th year, it’s still going strong–and the … Continue reading
“Drop the Hustle” by Tiffany Majors
Congratulations to my valued client Tiffany Majors on the publication of her novel “Drop the Hustle.” It’s the inspiring story of London Bentley, a young woman trying to navigate through a world populated by people who don’t always want the … Continue reading
“Sylvia Brand” – A Powerful Dystopian Novel
Congratulations to my friend and valued client Richie Etwaru on the publication of his new dystopian thriller, “Sylvia Brand,” which I had the privilege to edit. The central character of this eponymous novel is a middle manager at Sun Motors … Continue reading
Beyond Grammarly – How a Pro Editor Will Elevate Your Book Above the Ordinary
In the past few years, various software applications have emerged that automatically correct basic issues of spelling, punctuation, and grammar. The most popular is Grammarly, an online grammar checking, spell checking, and plagiarism detection platform developed by Grammarly, Inc. First … Continue reading