Breaking the “Rules”: Will It Be Easy or Hard?
Much of writing is subjective, so it can be hard to know how to treat writing advice. Is it a hard-and-fast rule, a guideline, or a personal preference?
Pin ItHow Should We Format Non-English Words?
As authors and audiences have diversified, it might be time to look at the standards for formatting non-English words and explore some of our options.
Pin ItWhat’s the Difference Between an Inciting Incident and a First Plot Point?
To get from our opening pages to the rest of our story, can an Inciting Incident story beat help us? How is that beat different from the First Plot Point?
Pin ItHow to Develop a Mentorship
When learning something new, we’re often eager to find someone we trust to give us the lowdown. How can we make the most of a mentorship — real or virtual?
Pin ItIs Coronanxiety Forcing Everyone to Count “Spoons”?
A month ago, we discussed how the coronavirus might affect us as writers. Since then, we’ve all had to learn how to cope with limits to our “spoons.”
Pin ItActive vs. Passive Voice: Was and Not Was
Some verb tenses can cause confusion with passive voice. What is passive voice, and how can we tell when the word “was” is not a sign of passive voice?
Pin ItBeyond the Past: Understanding the Past Perfect Tense
Many writers struggle to use the past perfect tense correctly, so let’s review when the past perfect tense applies to our story and how to use it properly.
Pin ItStorytelling Verb Tenses: Past, Present, and “Literary” Past Tense
Most stories are written in literary past tense. What does that term mean, and if different from normal past tense, how is literary past tense different?
Pin ItCharacter Internalization: To Italicize or Not to Italicize?
A common question in writing forums asks when we should italicize a character’s thoughts. How should we format our characters’ internalizations?
Pin ItWriting Craft Basics: How to Format Dialogue
We probably think we know everything about dialogue formatting already, but let’s make sure we know all there is to know before assuming.
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