• Commonly Misused Words—and How to Avoid Them

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    We’ve all been there, whether we’re thumb-typing a text (curse you, autocorrect!), drafting a resume, or sending an email to our boss: after hitting “send” we realize we’ve misusing a word that has a doppelganger with a completely different meaning. Just as this happens regularly in everyday communication, commonly misused words regularly litter the pages of the manuscripts that hit our desks (or ping our inboxes). Examples of commonly misused words While editing manuscripts, I like to keep a running list of both cringeworthy and humorous misused words. In recent history, I’ve come across the following incidents: Passed rather than…

  • The Best Writing Tool You Aren’t Using

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    Everyone knows about a certain digital pinboard, known as the procrastinator’s best friend, the party planner’s go-to inspiration, and the foodie’s favorite recipe archive. But, as a writer, have you ever thought about how you can use Pinterest to develop your scene descriptions, hone your style, and actually see your characters take shape? Here are just some of the ways to use Pinterest for authors.  1. Online Inspiration Board From characters to settings, there is no better way to write with powerful sensory detail than to be looking right at your inspiration. Think about creating boards for your protagonist, antagonist, and even other main…

  • There are certain things that you absolutely need to keep your writing at its best. Here are 15 things every writer needs to have on their desk.

    15 Things Every Writer Needs On Their Desk

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    Painters need a canvas, paint, paintbrushes, and a rolling landscape begging to be painted. Musicians need an instrument, quarter notes on sheet music, and an audience to play for. What do writers need to create their artistic medium of choice? Obviously, a writer needs paper, pen, and an idea. We know it’s not that simple though, right? Writers need inspiration—but how you go about tracking down and bottling that inspiration is different for everyone. Some writers are basic; they need a dictionary and thesaurus for unsticking their brain, and that’s it. Other writers need a desk with a window view and lots…

  • Why Do Authors Pay Per Word For Editing?

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    Many authors often ask us, “Why do editors charge per word for their services?” This is a valid question with an answer that may come as a surprise. I’ll do my best to explain this without getting too complicated. Editors charge per word because any time an editor edits a manuscript they read every word. Regardless of whether they end up making a correction to it or not. It’s more than just reading. They don’t just stop there. The editor does a lot more than just read every word. Every word is interpreted and dissected within the sentence to analyze what the author is…