Craft of Writing
Writing 101: Active and Passive Voices . . . and the Verb “To Be”
Writers are usually encouraged to use the active voice and to avoid the passive voice, so it is important to be able to know and […]
Craft of Writing
Craft of Writing
Writing 101: Point of View Basics
One of the most important decisions you need to make as a writer, especially when writing fiction or creative nonfiction, is deciding which point of […]
Craft of Writing
Matching Our Message to Our Audience
Match the Message As I was working in my home office, I heard my wife, Alean, shout from somewhere down by the kitchen, “Hey! No […]
Craft of Writing
How to Flesh Out Your Characters
Well-rounded characters are equally as important to a story as the plot. They are what makes a reader feel for what is happening in a […]
Craft of Writing
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night: Four Tips for Writing Great Opening Sentences
As Will Rogers reminded us, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. This is never truer than when an agent or […]
Craft of Writing
Stirring Up the Gift Within You
In 2 Timothy 1:6 (KJV), Paul exhorts Timothy to “stir up the gift of God, which is in thee ….” Or, as the NASB version […]
Craft of Writing
How to “Write Tight”
Editors continually tell us writers that we need to learn how to ‘write tight.’ What exactly, does that phrase mean? How can authors like ourselves […]
Craft of Writing
Self-Editing Any Writer Can Do
Editing. The word strikes fear and dread into writers. Where do you start? How much do you tinker before hiring a pro? How can you […]
Craft of Writing
Editing Your Novel for the “Big Picture”
New writers often focus their first novel revisions on individual words or sentences. Some spend hours, hunting for the right word or trying to improve […]
Craft of Writing
Finding Your Writing Voice
At every conference I’ve attended, the process to find your unique voice has been hammered into my head like a railroad spike. The question is, […]