• It's easy to stick to what you know when writing. If your manuscript is starting to feel bland, here are some tips to spark a visual experience to your r...

    How to Create a Visual Experience in Your Writing

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    When writing, it’s so easy to get bogged down with dialogue, plot lines, verb tense, and comma placement. We can get so caught up with that we can forget to push our creative boundaries. Becoming fixated on punctuation can cause our descriptions to go flat. Other times, we may avoid using symbolism in writing because it feels too advanced for the current writing level. It’s easy to stick to what you know. If your manuscript is starting to feel like dialogue mixed in with a bunch of bland back story, give symbolism, description, and color a try. Here are our…

  • it's time for a refresher crash course on literary devices: These are styles or tools writers can use to enhance their stories. Here are 10 of the best li..

    10 Literary Devices Defined

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    If I had to guess, I’d say you probably haven’t heard the term “literary device” since high school English class. Well now that you’re writing a book it’s time for a refresher crash course. Literary devices are styles or tools writers can use to enhance their stories. Some literary devices are meant to add a deeper intellectual level to your writing whereas others are meant to strengthen characters and your book’s theme. If your writing feels a little flat, play around with the following 10 literary devices: 1. Allegory A narrative type that helps writers communicate more than what appears…

  • A common mistake my editing eye has picked up on is the use of filler words. These words elongate your book but don't advance your story. Here are 10 wor...

    10 Words to Cut From Your Manuscript

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    Editing your own writing will never be the easiest part of the writing journey, but knowing what to look for can make the task a whole lot simpler. Working with the publishing company Xulon Press for a decade now has taught me a lot to say the least. A common mistake my editing eye has picked up on is what I like to call the use of filler words. Excessive use of these words elongates your manuscript but does not advance your story.  As a rule of thumb, avoid using words that end in -ly, such as quickly, readily, suddenly,…

  • Having focused and uninterrupted writing time is hard. So, here are 10 tips to eliminate distractions when writing. Having your most productive writing t...

    How to Eliminate Distractions When Writing

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    Even without COVID-19 taking up extra space in our thoughts and altering how we live, having focused and uninterrupted writing time is hard. So, throw in a global pandemic, and that can really tank your creativity. Here are 10 ways to eliminate distractions when writing, so you can have your most productive writing time yet! 1. Find a hideaway in your home. Instead of trying to write at your dining room table or kitchen counter, find a nook in your home that’s not in plain sight and doesn’t put you in a high traffic pattern used by others in your…