Given the social upheaval ahead, we women shouldn’t be afraid to use the strongest language that we possibly can, even if that language has been traditionally denied to women. Because in the right settings, strong language is credible language.
Writing
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The Singular They: A Prescriptivist’s Dream
When someone goes to the store, they should wear a mask so they don't spread COVID-19. They? Yes, they. Because it's the correct singular pronoun to use when you don't know the gender of the person you're talking about or when...
How to Write a Fight Scene Part 2: Hand-to-Hand Combat
There are several ways to write a fight scene badly. I’ll show you how to write a fight scene well.
How to Write a Fight Scene – Part 1: Gunfights and Knife Fights
Today we’re going to talk about how to write a fight scene, specifically gunfight and knife-fight scenes. Written well, fight scenes grip the reader; contribute to atmosphere and mood; and show the reader the strength and conscience of the protagonist, victim, or...
Act Your Age: Writing Child Characters
Have you gotten some negative feedback about your characterization? Even the most minor character who is behaving, thinking, or speaking at a level that is inconsistent with their age, education, occupation, and level of experience will hurt your story and cost you...
Food in Fiction
How many of us have favorite books in which there is food that drives the plot or characterization or just makes the story more interesting? How many of us remember those foods fondly? Maybe those foods make the book even more memorable. Maybe we even associate the...
Plain Language is Not For Dummies
What is plain language? It's what you use to communicate effectively when there is a high price for ambiguity. It's what you use when you have complicated information to convey to busy people who don't have the time for gibberish. It's language that is free of jargon...
Space Napkins: Science Fiction and Realism
Science fiction fans often have to suspend disbelief, despite efforts by the writers to explain why their ships can travel a lot faster than the speed of light and their crew can talk to alien humanoids almost immediately upon first contact, and encounter alien vessels in the almost unimaginable vastness of space.