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Writing Your Future

Strategies to Reduce Wordiness
Using these strategies, you can learn to write more concise, powerful sentences. Learn how to get rid of unnecessary wordiness through a variety of strategies.
Read Blog »Colons with Independent Clauses
Action Beats: It’s All about Dem Beats
Action beats reveal a character’s movement, emotions, and motivations; affect the rhythm and tension of the scene; and can establish the setting. Learn how to write effective action beats and use them purposefully.
Read Blog »Colons with Lists
6 Self-Editing Tasks to Reduce Your Editing Costs
If you can afford full editing services, you should do so. With that said, the more thoroughly you self-edit, the less your full service editing services will cost you. This blog outlines five self-editing tasks you can do to reduce your editing costs.
Read Blog »Commas with Dates
Semicolons with Complex Lists
Proofreading: Your Last Line of Defense
Proofreading is a vital part of the production process; it is a separate service from editing. Learn why it’s important, what it entails—including cost and turnaround time—why your editor shouldn’t also be your proofreader, and how to get the most from your proofreader.
Read Blog »Commas with Interrupters Part Three: Regular Interrupters
The Cost of Editing & How to Stay in Your Budget
Editing is expensive because it is a specialized skill, takes time, and editors have other expenses. But it helps if you understand why editors charge what they do. This blog explains why you aren’t being ripped off and why paying rock-bottom rates may not be a good idea. It also outlines various ways you can save on the cost of editing if you have budget restraints.
Read Blog »Commas with Interrupters Part Two: Appositives
This tutorial walks you through what an appositive is, how to punctuate it, and how to determine if it is restrictive or nonrestrictive.
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I want to write better today »Categories
Essay Writing (3)
3 Components to Writing an Effective Thesis Statement
How to Write Winning Introductory Paragraphs
Resume Writing (3)
How to Write an Effective Career Summary
Resume: How to Show, Don’t Tell Your Marketable Skills
Resources for Authors (28)
Narrative Distance: What It Is and How to Use it Effectively
Why are there errors remaining after I paid an editor?
What’s Next: Marketing Your Book Post-Publication
Showing and Telling Part 1: Finding Your Told Prose
Dealing with a Heavily Edited Manuscript
Strategies to Reduce Wordiness
Action Beats: It’s All about Dem Beats
6 Self-Editing Tasks to Reduce Your Editing Costs
Proofreading: Your Last Line of Defense
The Cost of Editing & How to Stay in Your Budget
How to Build and Grow Your Author Newsletter
5 Unnecessary Explanations to Avoid in Fiction Writing
11 Steps to Creating Your Own Style Sheet
All About Style Sheets
10 Realistic Expectations for Working with an Editor
How to Fix Info Dumping
How to Spot and Correct Head-Hopping
Varying Sentence Beginnings
Commas with Coordinating Conjunctions
How to Use Word’s Track Changes
How to Write Effective Direct and Internal Dialogue
8 Strategies to Reduce “Be” Verbs
3 Common Dialogue Tag Pitfalls
4 Levels of Editing and Their Pricing Explained
Purpose of an Editor
Effective Transitions that Aid Your Reader’s Comprehension
Learn the Difference between “Good” and “Well”
Working with an Editor (8)
Dealing with a Heavily Edited Manuscript
Proofreading: Your Last Line of Defense
The Cost of Editing & How to Stay in Your Budget
10 Realistic Expectations for Working with an Editor
How to Use Word’s Track Changes
4 Levels of Editing and Their Pricing Explained
Purpose of an Editor
Nonfiction Help (4)
Varying Sentence Beginnings
8 Strategies to Reduce “Be” Verbs
Effective Transitions that Aid Your Reader’s Comprehension
Fiction Help (9)
Narrative Distance: What It Is and How to Use it Effectively
Showing and Telling Part 1: Finding Your Told Prose
Action Beats: It’s All about Dem Beats
5 Unnecessary Explanations to Avoid in Fiction Writing
How to Fix Info Dumping
How to Spot and Correct Head-Hopping
How to Write Effective Direct and Internal Dialogue
3 Common Dialogue Tag Pitfalls
Grammar and Punctuation Help (2)
Bite-Sized Punctuation (19)
When to Use Quotation Marks
Commas with City and State
Commas with Introductions
Em Dash
Commas with Relative Clauses (which, that, who…)
Using En Dashes
Colons with Independent Clauses
Colons with Lists
Commas with Dates
Semicolons with Complex Lists
Commas with Interrupters Part Three: Regular Interrupters
Commas with Interrupters Part Two: Appositives
Commas with Interrupters Part One: Direct Address
Semicolons with Independent Clauses Part 2
Semicolons with Independent Clauses Part 1
Commas with Dependent Clauses
Commas with Independent Clauses
Commas with Adjectives
Commas (9)
Commas with Relative Clauses (which, that, who…)
Commas with Dates
Commas with Interrupters Part Three: Regular Interrupters
Commas with Interrupters Part Two: Appositives
Commas with Interrupters Part One: Direct Address
Commas with Dependent Clauses
Commas with Independent Clauses
Commas with Adjectives
Style Sheets (2)
Semicolons (3)
Semicolons with Independent Clauses Part 2
Semicolons with Independent Clauses Part 1