When you start submitting your short fiction to editors for consideration, the cover letter portion can seem incredibly daunting. What goes into a short story cover letter? And how do you learn to write a short story cover letter that impresses first readers and editors? Let this quick-and-dirty how-to guide be your guide. What Is … Continue reading How to Write an Impressive Short Story Cover Letter
So you've got a completed manuscript on your hands. Congratulations! Now you just have to edit it. But what kind of editing do you need? I've got seven good reasons to hire a developmental editor below. What Is Developmental Editing? A developmental edit takes into account all the "big-ticket" items regarding your manuscript: plot, pacing, … Continue reading 7 Good Reasons to Hire a Developmental Editor
Writing better dialogue doesn't have to be difficult. In fact, you can probably improve upon the dialogue you've already written, no matter how bad it is. Here's a handy cheat sheet to help you spot the signs that your dialogue needs work and write better conversations between your characters. How to Write Better Dialogue For … Continue reading How to Write Better Dialogue
Are your readers struggling to connect with your main character? Filtering language might be the cause. Thankfully, the solution is simple. Keep reading to learn how to make your protagonist more relatable by eliminating nine common words from your draft. How to Make Your Protagonist More Relatable If your readers are having trouble relating to … Continue reading How to Make Your Protagonist More Relatable: Erase 9 Words
So you've joined a writing group and now you're ready to workshop a story with your peers. You read your story-swapping partner's piece and... now what? Never fear. I have nine tips for writing fiction critiques that will make other authors love workshopping with you. The preferred method for writing fiction critiques varies from group … Continue reading Writing Fiction Critiques: 9 Tips to Become a Great Story-Swapping Partner