Effective story endings don't merely satisfy the reader. It awes them.An unforgettable ending will immediately make the reader want to re-read the book from the beginning. It will leave the reader chewing on the last scene long after closing the book. If your ending is effective, it will hook the reader into buying and reading … Continue reading Self-Editing Tip: Effective Story Endings.
Dialogues in fiction writing is a vast topic. So much so, that whole books have been written on this topic. It would've been a folly to cover everything about dialogues in a single blog post, so I thought of giving you a handy checklist instead--something you can use every time you sit down with your … Continue reading Self-Editing Tip: Dialogues in Fiction
What's a Comma Splice? A comma splice is an error. It is a sentence in which a comma is incorrectly used to separate independent clauses in a compound sentence. A comma can be used to create a compound sentence, but such a sentence would need more than just a comma to be correct. For example:Your … Continue reading Self-Editing Tip: Comma Splice
Blurbs sell books. That’s their primary function—to get your books in the hands of readers. Its goal is not to give away your story but to compel the reader to pick up the book. You might know of it as a book description that is printed on the back cover of the book or appears … Continue reading Self-Editing Tip: Blurb
Apostrophes are not that simple, no matter what people might say. As English language has evolved, their use has become increasingly complex. It doesn’t help that different style guides give contrasting advice regarding its use. I am an editor and in my line of work, I see even experienced writers getting confused when it comes … Continue reading Self-Editing Tips: Apostrophe