It’s been a while since we’ve posted an English grammar blog, so here is another on commonly confused English words. We also recommend you read the previous grammar blogs, Cool Writing Tips, Commonly Confused Word Pairs, and Desert or Dessert? More Commonly Confused Word Pairs. When revising the draft of your book, it helps to […]
Show Don’t Tell and Point of View
5th March 2015 by 7 Comments
Show Don’t Tell and Point of View I often come across these two issues – ‘show don’t tell’ and ‘point of view’ – in fiction writers’ technique, when helping fiction writers develop their writing, and when editing their manuscripts. Two Common Errors in Fiction Writing We often see the terms show don’t tell and point […]
How to Get Your Book Published
27th September 2014 by Leave a Comment
If you’ve been wondering how to get your book published, first-time writers will find in this article down-to-earth, practical advice and suggestions to help them overcome the publishing hurdle. How to Get Your Book Published: Top Tip Finish your Book First Publishers and editors don’t have time to hear about great ideas. They need […]
The Writer-Editor Relationship
28th July 2014 by Leave a Comment
The Writer-Editor Relationship: a Case Study I am currently working with a first-time writer, Robyn (not her real name), as mentor and developmental editor on her fiction manuscript in the ‘chick lit’ genre. I thought it would be helpful for other writers to read about the writer-editor relationship in this context. Mini appraisal We began with […]
Ghostwriting Australia
16th May 2014 by 26 Comments
What is a ghostwriter? A ghostwriter is a writer who writes books, stories, blogs, magazine articles, or any other written content that will officially be attributed to another person – the credited author or ‘commissioner’. Why use ghostwriting services? Sportspeople, politicians, celebrities, and business people are the traditional users of ghostwriting services. While these people are […]
Four Things Writers Need to Know about Book Editors
31st March 2014 by Leave a Comment
The relationship between a writer and their editor is crucial to the success of every book. Ideally, writers and editors should work collaboratively, sharing the same ideas and goals. But of course, partnerships are only successful if both partners understand each other’s roles. The professional book editor’s role is to understand what it takes to […]
Creative Writing Ideas for Children and Teenagers
14th February 2014 by Leave a Comment
How do writers write? How do you write? Where do creative writing ideas come from? Creative kids are everywhere. I’m always astonished at the sophistication of some young people’s writing. You can find a lot of good writing by young writers on the social media sites like Instagram and Facebook. Do you like to write? Even […]
Have fun playing with words and use unusual words in your writing
7th February 2014 by Leave a Comment
I seldom avoid using a word in my writing simply because I’m concerned a reader might not understand it. Dictionaries exist to look up words, and a good dictionary is an invaluable resource. Encouraging children to read and to look up unfamiliar words, instead of always asking you the meaning, helps create a worthwhile habit that […]
Five Creative Steps for Overcoming Writer’s Block
30th January 2014 by 1 Comment
Many authors experience writer’s block at times. Writer’s block attracts a plethora of helpful and not-so-helpful solutions, among them suggestions to take a break from writing, go for a walk, drink coffee…the list goes on. These solutions apply to solving issues with boredom or procrastination – which is fine if one of these happens to […]
Learn from the best like Hemingway and other great writers
17th January 2014 by Leave a Comment
How four great authors including Hemingway write Writing is hard Putting words on paper, and making those words meaningful and appealing to readers, is one of the most challenging tasks a writer can undertake, and even renowned authors struggle. So it’s time to learn from the best like Hemingway and other great writers! To inspire […]