• 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,…

  • If you’ve published or want to publish any work you need to know your target audience. We’ll go through the why that is, what it is, and how to go about it.

    Finding Your Target Audience (and why it’s so important).

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    If you’ve published or want to publish any work, whether it’s a novel, a blog, or an essay, you need to know your target audience. While it’s important to reach as many people as possible, and it often seems like focusing only on certain segments of the population is limiting, you need to be direct. We’ll go through the why that is, what it is, and how to go about it. Why You can put every effort into marketing your book, and although you might get some response, it will not be anywhere near as successful as it could be…

  • Sylvia Plath once said, “the worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” We all have a hopeful goal of an achievement we think will finally get rid of that self-doubt once and for all. “If I become a bestseller,” “If I sell out,” ...

    How To Overcome Self-Doubt As A Writer

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    Sylvia Plath once said, “the worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”  We all have a hopeful goal of an achievement we think will finally get rid of that self-doubt once and for all. “If I become a bestseller,” “If I sell out,” “If I get a positive review,” “If I win an award,” and on and on. But the truth is every writer has self-doubt. No success will ever fully eliminate that inner critic. Even author Stephen King once said, “I’m afraid of failing at whatever story I’m writing—that it won’t come up for me, or that I won’t be able…