There are so many writing rules it’s hard to keep track. Some are sophisticated, others are subtle. Have you ever given a thought to how numbers should be written in a novel or how writers handle scenes with timestamps? Is there a difference between a specified time used in dialogue or in prose? What about dreams and tabloid headlines? Should you put a movie title in all caps, italics, or quotation marks? How about song titles? Are you aware of the RAVEN rule? These writi

An author’s goal for any novel is to capture the reader’s attention with a memorable opening line that lures the reader in then keeps them turning pages. The hook is like the delicious appetizer before the main meal, but that is not enough. The author must keep readers begging for more. Chapter endings play a crucial role. As a writer you must be mindful of this concept with every chapter of your story. You must fulfill the promise of your book’s essence and carry that

There are many wannabe authors out there with interesting ideas for a story, but they have no idea how to begin. Some will mull their...

Indie and self-published authors, this article is for you! Before we get to the nuts and bolts, let’s distinguish an indie author from a...

Clichés are overused, tired phrases that lack original thought. Some of them are as old as dirt (haha) and have often lost their novelty...

Purple prose is fancy-pants, over-the-top, flowery writing. Kind of like the sentence you just read. This type of writing defeats the...

The world is chock-full of words . By most accounts, the English language contains well over a million words when slang, technical terms,...

Jeffrey Roy Ford is a Fantasy Fiction writer and former substitute teacher. He has dedicated his life to creating stories that teach...

Everyone makes resolutions ahead of the coming year. You’ve got your standard weight loss and exercise resolutions that usually fail a...

Angelique Iles is from Ottawa, Canada. She works in an animal rescue shelter, enjoys gardening, and loves to read. Her love of nature and...

Tom Gahan has written for decades covering a wide variety of areas including journalism, speechwriting, and commercial corporate and...

Congrats! Your manuscript is complete, and you’ve mustered the guts to query agents and publishers. Woohoo! Cue the fireworks and...

A native of the South, Terresa and her husband, Ben, have lived at Lake Murray in the Midlands of South Carolina since retiring in 2016....

According to Wikipedia, “a newsletter is a printed or electronic report containing news concerning the activities of a business or an...

Em Fyre is a debut novelist from El Paso, Texas, where she was born and raised. In a city rich in storytelling, it is no wonder that she...

Shellie Enteen is an Author, Astrologer, Interfaith Reverend, Aromatherapist, Educator, Reiki Master, and Public Speaker. She posts daily...

Shiva Kumar, a Manhasset, NY resident, grew up in a traditional Tamil family, where the epics, mythologies, and fables of Hindu life...