Knowing and using correct punctuation is useful. This blog posts teaches a basic grammar principle: using commas with coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS). Learn when you need a comma and when you don’t need a comma before “and,” “for,” “nor,” “but,” “or,” “yet,” and “so.”
Read Blog »Category: Writers’ Resources
How to Use Word’s Track Changes
When working with an editor, you will want to understand how to use Word’s Track Changes feature as it is the industry standard. Understanding how to use it correctly will prevent errors and headaches.
Read Blog »How to Write Effective Direct and Internal Dialogue
Dialogue reveals character and moves the action along, but poorly written dialogue can have the opposite effect. This article explains how to avoid common dialogue mistakes and know when to use internal dialogue.
Read Blog »8 Strategies to Eliminate “Be” Verbs
Many writers tend to overuse “be” verbs: is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been. While we need these words, strong writers often reword sentences to eliminate them, choosing powerful verbs instead. This article provides specific methods to eliminate them. However, don’t focus on getting rid of every one just for the sake of it—though when I taught English, I had students rise to the occasion. Instead, focus your attention on creating stronger sentences and improving your writing, which sometimes means eliminating a “be” verb or two.
Read Blog »3 Common Dialogue Tag Pitfalls
When writing dialogue tags, authors often fall into these common pitfalls. Avoiding these pitfalls will strengthen your dialogue tags, improving the pacing and characterization. So read this blog to discover how you can avoid these pitfalls and write better dialogue tags today.
Read Blog »4 Levels of Editing and Their Pricing Explained
Editing is a process involving various levels. While the editing terms can change from editor to editor, editing is essentially broken down into four levels. This article will help you make an informed decision on the levels of editing you need, regardless of the term being used, and what to budget for your project.
Read Blog »Purpose of an Editor
This article will help you see how an editor works with you to make your material the best it can be in the time available. Understanding this will help you have realistic expectations and a better collaborative experience.
Read Blog »Effective Transitions that Aid Your Reader’s Comprehension
When writing an essay or a nonfiction book, you need to have transitions connecting your topics together. This blog post describes how to do that in easy to follow steps, and then provides examples from essays and nonfiction books. As a student, if you struggle with organization, this lesson can help you. As an author, checking your transitions is something you can do during your self-editing process.
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