Popular Posts on the Xulon Press Blog

Said Is Dead: 141 Synonyms for “Said”You are doing everything possible to make your writing better, tighter, and more interesting, but are you still using “dead words?” These are words that are simply just too plain, bland, and vague to ...

5 Ways to Paint Autumn into Your WritingHow to Write About Fall There's a reason one of the first pieces of advice any professional offers to a new writer forging ahead on the publishing journey is, "Show, don't tell." Readers don't want t...

Well Looky Here! 75 Different Synonyms for the Word “Look”It's easy to find yourself stuck when writing—you want to add color, depth, and description to your writing, but that requires, well, you know, words. Sometimes those words are hard to conjure up! ...

Said Is Dead: 141 Synonyms for “Said”You are doing everything possible to make your writing better, tighter, and more interesting, but are you still using “dead words?” These are words that are simply just too plain, bland, and vague to ...

How to Write a Captivating Short StoryAccording to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a short story is defined as an invented narrative that's shorter than a novel, deals with a few characters, and often concentrates on the creation of m...

5 Ways to Paint Autumn into Your WritingHow to Write About Fall There's a reason one of the first pieces of advice any professional offers to a new writer forging ahead on the publishing journey is, "Show, don't tell." Readers don't want t...

Said Is Dead: 141 Synonyms for “Said”You are doing everything possible to make your writing better, tighter, and more interesting, but are you still using “dead words?” These are words that are simply just too plain, bland, and vague to ...

How to Show Emphasis Without Typing in All-CapitalsAs an editor here at Xulon Press, I have read hundreds of manuscripts. Maybe even thousands. However, the top three things that I've seen on a consistent basis is: overuse of the exclamation point, mi...

Writing Tips: 5 Things Every Devotional Should ContainOne of the most popular types of manuscripts we publish at Xulon Press is a devotional. While a writing a devotional may sound like a simple task, there are many that lack the basic “bones” every ...

Ask the Editor: How to Outline a Non-Fiction BookIf you asked me to list the three fears I picked up in high school English, they would be diagramming sentences, red ink and outlining. I’ve never gotten past my red ink complex, but I can now see the...

15 Things Every Writer Needs On Their DeskPainters 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...