Month: December 2012 | How to Tell A Great Story

Words Writers Misspell

Words Writers Misspell

Contrary to popular belief, not all writers are good spellers. In fact, and unfortunately, many writers—particularly writing “newbies”—are not. Even self-professed “grammar queens” and “grammar nazis” are guilty of making regular spelling mistakes. No, spelling mistakes are not reserved for children and those who failed high-school English class. We simply cannot assume that every word of a published article—whether online or in print, fiction or non-fiction—is spelled correctly.

The Character Next Door

The Character Next Door

So you finally have the time to finish that story. Your outline touches on every aspect of the plot. You’ve made it the best that it can be. You’re sure your efforts have the right mix of suspense, humor, clarity and originality.

Balancing Your Sentences

Balancing Your Sentences

Grammar can sometimes be a balancing act. This is especially true when trying to express two or more ideas in the one sentence. Balancing your sentence structure will improve your writing style and improve the clarity of the sentence.

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Confused By Some Words?

Confused By Some Words?

How many times have you typed a word only to find that it wasn’t quite the one you thought it was? This happens all the time as we bash out our words on the keyboard, unaware that we should have used the ‘other’ version of a particular word in its place.

Reposition Your Preposition

Reposition Your Preposition

Never end a sentence with a preposition! This is one of the first rules of writing you may have learnt in high school English. It is the one grammar rule that was always enforced, especially when writing essays. It is also one of the easiest rules to break, because sometimes a sentence just doesn’t sound right any other way. So the question at hand is whether or not this rule holds true today.

Let Your Characters Speak for Themselves

Let Your Characters Speak for Themselves

“As a writer, one of the first lessons you learn is to show not tell your story. One of the most effective ways to do this is by using the dialogue of the characters to move the story along.” The editor said to a young writer he’s just met at a conference. “The key to any good fiction story is how compelling the characters are and by the use of dialogue to make the characters come alive. Only by making the reader care about the occupants of your story can you accomplish good story telling.”

The Editor’s Which Hunt

The Editor’s Which Hunt

When trying to decide whether to use that or which, many writers opt for which. Why? Probably because it feels safer for them when they’re not sure which word to use.

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