Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.Pablo Picasso If you are a bookish person like me, you are probably already familiar with the definition of the word literally. In fact, there is a good chance that you are one of those people who...
I’m going to assume that you already understand the beauty and value of books and reading (this is a blog all about writing and editing fiction, after all). Right now, we need some books to help distract us, and maybe even give us some hope. Here are my...
There’s a feature in Word that allows you to apply neat, uniform formatting to your entire document in the click of a button. It’s called the styles feature. It’s a tool that can seem daunting to learn at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s very simple and...
As a fiction editor who works directly with authors, I’m very aware of two conflicting priorities. On the one hand, professional editing takes a lot of training and a lot of work. I want to be paid a fair amount. On the other hand, I know a lot of authors are...
One of the best ways to make your book un-put-down-able is to incorporate suspense throughout your story. But building suspense is an art and, like any art, it can be a challenging skill to master. Here, I’ll go over two key principles and several specific tools to...
If you’re looking to gain valuable feedback on how readers experience your story, beta readers are a great resource. Beta reading is when someone reads your manuscript and gives you informal feedback. Beta readers don’t give you the trained, technical perspective...
There are a lot of things I love about Winnipeg and Manitoba. We’re the home of Louis Riel, the nineteenth-century advocate for Metis rights. We were the first Canadian province to grant women the right to vote in 1916. This is the land that offered my...
I’m sure you’ve heard the word whom before, but if you’re like most people, you don’t ever use it. Maybe when you take on a fake British accent and use a mock-posh tone you throw a whom in there for good measure, but you likely don’t know where it’s technically meant to go. Yes, whom means something different than who. Or at least, they’re meant to go in distinctly different places.
One easy way to save your copy editor time and you money (and make her love working with you) is to professionally format your manuscript before sending it in. At this stage, your editor doesn’t want fancy fonts or unusual formatting (no matter how fun those things...