What’s that? You don’t know where to put a comma in that sentence? Say it ain’t so! You’re worried your grammar isn’t good enough? Say it ain’t so! You don’t know how to quote someone, set up dialogue, or format a manuscript? Oh, heartbreaker, say it ain’t so! You might have wondered, at one point … Read more
As long as readers can understand you, grammar shouldn’t matter. Or should it? Your ideas are big and important, and that’s what readers should pay attention to, right? Or you don’t want to come off as a snob or stuffy or pedantic or anything other than yourself. You write from the heart and the soul, … Read more
Do you ever wonder how other writers write? How they create a blog post or any other kind of writing? What their writing steps are? If you feel frustrated and lost sometimes—especially if you’re tormented by writers block—take a look at my system in the screencast below. I intentionally saved the steps (in separate documents) … Read more
A guest post by Charles Lawrence for Simple Writing. Regardless of the industry you’re trying to break into, you face two problems: How do you get a job without experience? How do you get experience if you can’t find a job? It’s even harder when you’re trying to break into the fiercely competitive world of … Read more
Blogging was supposed to be easy, right? But there you sit, staring at an empty page feeling frustrated. You know what you want to say. You’re an expert in your field, after all. And so many bloggers say it should only take an hour or two. So what’s the problem? You don’t have a plan. … Read more
Dreaming of writing—and publishing—your own book? You envision a novel, a children’s picture book, or maybe a memoir. The book has a gorgeous cover, and right under the title is your name. Woo! You’re not the only one. Lots of writers just like you have the same dream. But compared to the number of dreamers, … Read more
If you’ve ever had a dog who’s your BFF, you probably nod your head when dog lovers talk about the lessons dogs teach. Oh, they don’t teach specific lessons directly. Not intentionally, as far as anyone knows. But if you listen up—if you can learn from someone whose idea of fun is peeing on fenceposts—you’ll … Read more
Writers read—if you can’t read, you can’t write, plain and simple. And one of the best ways to improve your writing is to read good books, articles, or heck, read the backs of cereal boxes. I don’t care. Just read. Think about it. Kids learn language because they’re immersed in it. Special tutoring or teaching … Read more
A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper. —E.B. White The “best time for writing” has been debated over and over. Morning. Afternoon. Peak time. Off-peak time. After a workout. In the shower. While walking and recording. Some claim with 100% certainty—backed by “scientific” … Read more
You’ve heard the advice: passive verbs are a big no-no and active verbs are essential to good writing. But do you know the difference? Can you spot active and passive verbs in your own writing? Do you know when passive verbs should be used? Understanding that active verbs are usually better than passive verbs is … Read more