Polish Your Writing – Dialog Tags
Dialogue tags serve a purpose. They help the reader recognize when you’ve changed speakers. Often, when you only have two speakers, if you punctuate correctly dialogue tags can be eliminated, yet this is impossible when you have three or more characters in a...Polish Your Writing – Use a First Line Hook
In her excellent book Polish Your Fiction, Jessica Bell covers 10 strategies for ensuring your fiction work is ready to capture an editor’s interest. This checklist is just as important for non-fiction writers, especially if you include...Your and You’re and Other Common Spelling Trouble Spots
Your and you’re. They’re, their and there. It’s and its. These are such common spelling trouble spots for writers, it’s time for me to write on the topic. While there are many excellent grammar sites on the internet, I haven’t found one...6 Key Commitments for Writing Success
I continue to be amazed at how current a book written 30 years ago remains. Here’s my take on another great chapter in Charlie Shedd’s book If I Can Write, You Can Write. I discovered these ‘truths’ through trial and error. I recommend them to...Charlie Shedd’s 6 Cardinal Self-editing Rules
In his book If I Can Write, You Can Write, Charlie Shedd gives his readers an assignment. He asks them to write three paragraphs on a topic. It’s worthwhile homework if you don’t have something written already. Rather than give you the same assignment, I...Meet Denise Rutledge
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