For the main narrative voice of your story, you need to choose a verb tense. Once you do, consistency within the narrative is essential. I stopped reading one self-published book after less than a chapter because the author couldn’t make up her mind about verb tense. The constant switching...
Articles with the Tag fiction
The Art of Taking Feedback on Your Writing
I often encourage my clients and other writers to get feedback from alpha readers, beta readers, and/or critique partners or groups to improve their writing. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect science, and even editors can disagree on whether this feedback is useful or not. Like reading “news” on...
My First Draft Is Done! What’s Next? A Manuscript Guide for Indie Authors
When you finish the first draft of your book, you might feel lost. What are the next steps? How long it will be before you can publish it? Here is a handy guide to getting your book polished and ready for publication.* Let it rest. Really. Put the manuscript...
Book Review: Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children series) Seanan McGuire Tom Doherty Associates, LLC., 2016 176 pages. Available in hardcover, Kindle, and Audible audio formats. Category: Fiction, Portal Fantasy, Urban Fantasy I came across this book while checking to see whether my local library had the latest Toby Daye novel....
Give Readers Engaging Fiction — The Editor’s Blog
How can writers make sure that their readers read their stories all the way through to the end? What makes a story engaging enough that your audience will keep turning those pages? Why do readers stop reading 10 pages or 10 chapters into a novel? In today’s reblog, Beth...