You have worked hard on your manuscript and you have made more revisions than you can count. You may have had friends and family read it. You may even be a talented writer who has just written what will be a best seller. Given all of that, it's hard for you to imagine...
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...
How many of you authors have already been edited? Were you surprised at how good your manuscript looked afterward? Does it remind you of what happens when you've finally unpacked after a move, and now the house is livable, sparkling, and the best that it can be? Did...
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...
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...
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.
Memoirs are deceptive. It seems like such an easy thing to tell people about your life. Just start at the beginning, right? No, don’t. Haven't you ever been trapped in That Conversation before? The one with the coworker or in-law or uncle? Or coworker uncle-in-law?...
Sometimes authors approach editors and ask how much it will cost to edit a manuscript sight unseen. Authors may even tell editors in the same query that they have a specific deadline in mind. Experienced editors are highly unlikely to agree to this. But why not? Don’t...