25 Ways of Improving Your Writing in 30 Minutes a Day

Do you ever have a hard time finding just the right word? I do. My vocabulary sucks is horrendous. I often fall back on the words I use in my everyday speech and seeing as I mostly talk to my dog, plants, and, maybe, the bathtub; that’s probably not a good idea. What to do? … More The words you use

The bane of my life

December 11, 2011

I know that I love to write. I like to record the daydreams that assault me every day, every waking moment. It makes me happy. But, like most writers (right?), I hate to revise. For me, revising is like having your teeth cleaned while getting an enema. It is just not pleasant. But, we all … More The bane of my life

Standing apart

December 9, 2011

If you have been following my blog for a while, you may have noticed that I am reviewing the Writer’s Digest 25 Ways to Improve Your Writing in 30 Minutes a Day article. In an effort to improve my writing, I thought it would be a good idea to explore the 25 tips in a blog post for each. … More Standing apart

Figuring Prose

December 2, 2011

Folks who write poetry do it well. All great writer’s are masters at it. And folks like me often have no idea what they are talking about. What am I talking about? 21. Figurative Language Figurative language can enrich our writing, adding nuance and depth, like the addition of a harmony line to a melody. … More Figuring Prose

Evocative Writing and my precious word count and GRRM’s dirge

November 18, 2011

I know, my posts should be focused, and not scattered about talking about one thing then another. I actually have folks who have subscribed to my blog recently that I do not personally know (I’m sure they will unsubscribe as soon as they figure out I’m a hack). Regardless, dear new suckers readers, I will … More Evocative Writing and my precious word count and GRRM’s dirge

Tension

November 16, 2011

It’s been awhile since I visited the Writer’s Digest 25 Ways to Improve Your Writing in 30 Minutes a Day. I noticed that Emmie Mears recently finished off her review of these tips, and I felt like such a loser for dropping the ball that I promised myself I would do at least one tip review during … More Tension

Communication

October 28, 2011

A visit to the Writer’s Digest 25 Ways to Improve Your Writing in 30 Minutes a Day tip article offers us this: 18. Communication Good writing connects with readers. For each piece you write, ask yourself: Who is my audience? Imagine the people you’d most like to reach. What do I want the experience and result of this … More Communication

But I like clichés…

October 22, 2011

This is gonna be a hard one for me. If you’ve read even one of my posts, you know that I don’t shy away from clichés. As a matter of fact, I like them, and go out of my way to use them. When I read the next writing tip in the Writer’s Digest 25 Ways to … More But I like clichés…

K.I.C.S.

October 16, 2011

Wait. Do I mean K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple, Stupid? Nope! I mean: Keep It Clear, Stupid. 😀 K.I.C.S. Catchy, no? Anyway… I critiqued a very interesting story this week. A mash of science fiction, religion, physics theory, and Native American mythology. To be honest, it went completely over my head. As smart as I like … More K.I.C.S.