You can definitely blame Hollywood for the confusion that’s become commonplace around Mary Shelly’s famous monster. Bookish types and horror aficionados are particular on this point, so it’s time you know the truth.More
Sometimes our characters come to us fully formed like Athena out of Zeus’s head. Other times, it’s not that easy. Let these tips and tactics help you flesh out your characters to make them come alive.
When you’re editing a book, proofing a business correspondence, or simply looking over a social share before you press publish, elevate your manuscript by cutting these weak and/or over-used words or phrases. Trust me, your readers will thank you.
“I first met author, editor, and blogger Kris Spisak at the 2015 James River Writers Annual Conference in downtown Richmond, Virginia, when I attended her Friday Master Class, “Nuts and Bolts: Editing your Work like a Pro.” She was an energetic, dynamic, and knowledgeable presenter, and I found the information she conveyed so helpful that the following day, instead of eating alone, I overcame the introverted tendency so stereotypical of writers and attended her Lunch and Learn, ‘Ask an Editor,’ an informal, conversational lunch meeting during which writers could ask Ms. Spisak questions about the writing, revising, and publishing process (or sundry other topics)…”
It’s been 150 years since her first readers discovered her, but Alice and her adventures in Wonderland are as fascinating as ever. I’m scheduling book talks, workshops, and discussions throughout the year. Do you and your book club want to join in on the fun?More
There was a chase. And then the good guy jumped over the fence, and then the bad guy saw the gate unlocked and ran through it after her (What? Who says the “good guy” can’t be a girl?). Then he caught up to her and grabbed her arm. Then she unleashed her inner woman warrior she’d tapped into in a recent self-defense class. He gasped and then groaned as he fell to the ground.
You know what’s wrong with this scene? Sure, many things, but one was exaggerated to make a point. We are over-using the word “then,” people!More
If you were a magical being and you were to “extract revenge” from some cauldron of calamity, maybe you’d be using your words correctly. However, for most writers plotting vengeance for their characters (or themselves?), the proper idiom is “to exact revenge.”
***insert menacing music here***
Revenge is a delicate subject. I could see how handling it properly seems like something you might do with a pipette and a beaker, but that’s just not the case.
To “exact revenge” calls back upon an old usage of the word “exact,” specifically to both demand and obtain, most commonly by force. Yikes. A bit more intimidating than pipettes, right?
One could exact payment, exact change, exact meaning, or exact justice. There are many things to exact, when you begin thinking of this word as a verb. It’s all a matter of being exact with your usages of exact. Are you ready to get this exactly right?
When we have a clear image of a place or a moment in our heads as writers and we want to convey this picture to our readers, multiple challenges arise. How long should our descriptions be? How do we make sure description doesn’t kill the momentum of the story? How much is too much?
What should we leave up to our readers’ imaginations?
Yet in all of the questions about description, one stylistic choice can dramatically improve the end result: cut the sensory verbs that introduce your description.
Let’s take a look at two examples to showcase my point.More