Too many adverbs and clichés in your writing? I've got just the fix for you. by Jessica Bell Writers constantly have rules thrown at them left, right, and center. Show, don’t tell! Stop using so many dialogue tags! More sensory detail! More tension! Speed up the pace! Yada yada yada ... it can become overwhelming, yes? I used to feel overwhelmed by it all too. In fact, I still do sometimes. It’s hard enough to get the words on the page, let alone consider how to put them there. In Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird , she says that in order not to be overwhelmed, a writer needs to focus on short assignments. She refers to the one-inch picture frame on her desk and how that little picture frame reminds her to focus on bite-sized pieces of the whole story. Basically, if you focus on one small thing at a time, the story will eventually come together to create a whole. I believe the same applies to learning the craft of writing. If writers focus on one aspect of the craft at a time, t...
After 20 years in PR I decided it was time to...just write. Now, I am a published, award-winning author, developmental book editor, author mentor and partner publisher (www.ocpublishing.ca). I post thoughts on my writer's journey and share my experiences as an author, editor and publisher and highlight the books of authors I am publishing. I welcome guest bloggers and do author interviews. Enjoy my blog and feel free to comment.
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