Based on everything we’ve been taught about writing, passive voice should be avoided at all costs. It takes away from the person delivering the action and instead emphasizes the action or the person receiving the action. It’s wordier and it’s one of…
There’s a pretty big misconception that it’s easy to write a children’s book. Writers think as long as you have unicorns and some subtle potty humor, kids will love it. But it’s actually one of the hardest books genres to write well. If…
How do we get to know people? It’s a pretty big question, that’s for sure…but when it comes to writing characters, you have to get to know them the same way you’d get to know a real person. Our characters have to feel real, so therefore they…
Does the very mention of the word “poetry” take you back to high school English, tapping pentameter out on your desk, figuring out rhyme scheme and just scratching your head in confusion about how “The Red Wheelbarrow” by William…
Name: Tom Walker Hometown: Cedar City, Utah Book: Put A Sock In It Genre: Fiction, Education Describe your book in 10 words or less. A humorous historical book about teaching…
There are three classes of people when it comes to semicolons: those afraid to use it because they don’t know how, those who use it incorrectly and without abandon, and the few–the proud–who use it exactly the way it was intended. The goal today…
Name: Michael Dineen Hometown: Born in New York City but raised in Long Island Book: Suburban Gangsters Genre: True Crime/Nonfiction Describe your book in 10 words or…
Hearing voices in your head? Diagnosis: you’re either crazy or you’re a writer (though sometimes those two things aren’t mutually exclusive). The best use of dialogue and narrative voice is accomplished when a writer takes time to…
