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There are various ways to add emphasis to your writing, which will bring importance to the words and phrases in your novel. Italics, CAPITAL LETTERS, Capital Initials, exclamation marks (!), interrobangs (?!), bold and underline will all add emphasis to your writing. But which way is best? And are there…
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When your Point of View Character is Absent
When you are writing a novel from one character’s point of view, it’s important that everything being said on the page has been experienced by that character. We can only smell what they smell, see what they see, hear what they hear. If you suddenly start describing something that happens…
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Pacing and Flow: Editing Tips to Keep Readers Engaged
Have you ever read back through your manuscript and felt something wasn’t quite right? Possibly your dialogue drags, or perhaps a scene that felt great when you were writing it now feels too short, with missing details. You’re probably bumping into issues with pacing and flow. If you want to…
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Compelling Characters
Creating compelling characters is one of the most crucial aspects of writing fiction. You want to write characters who leap off the page, characters who you’d like to meet in real life, characters who truly resonate with your readers. But this is not easy! The Heart of Your Story: Why…
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When to Use Section Breaks in Your Novel
Writing a novel is a journey filled with plot twists, character arcs, and countless cups of tea. One of the key elements that can make or break the readability of your novel is how you use section breaks. These often-overlooked tools can enhance pacing, clarify narrative shifts, and give your…
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Final Self-Editing Tips for Fiction Authors
When you’ve finished the first draft of your novel, you might like to review my final self-editing tips for fiction authors. There are twenty-four tips in total. Below are the last four – including the most important one! See part one and part two for more suggestions. If you take…
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More Self-Editing Tips for Fiction Authors
If you’ve just finished the first draft of your novel, and reviewed my original list of 10 self-editing tips for fiction authors, please read on for the next 10. (There are 24 tips in total, and 24 is the best one of the lot…) Of course hiring a freelance editorial…
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Self-Editing Tips for Fiction Authors
If you’ve just finished the first draft of your novel, now it’s time to look at my list of self-editing tips for fiction authors. The better your manuscript is before you send it to a fiction editor for some professional attention, the better your final, published book will be. Authors…
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Character Names
Writing a story gives you the freedom to create wonderful, imaginative characters – but have you thought about character names? Character names might need to reflect the setting of your novel. For example, a novel set in Victorian London will have different names from a novel set in contemporary New…
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Writing Flashback Scenes
Writing flashback scenes can be tricky – particularly when a novel has been written in the past tense. In this article, I outline my three top tips for ensuring that your flashback scenes work, and that your readers don’t get lost along the way. Past Tense in a Novel Many…
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Five Common Writing Mistakes
Being able to write well is a gift – but it’s not without its challenges. It doesn’t matter how good your writing is, there are always things that you will miss, and below I have listed the five common writing mistakes that I see most frequently. A copyeditor will help…
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Balancing Showing vs Telling in Writing
Many (many!) new writers are confused about balancing showing vs telling. As a writer, you strive to create immersive and engaging stories that captivate readers from beginning to end. One essential skill to master is finding the right balance between showing and telling. In this blog post, we will explore…
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Writing Compelling Dialogue
Writing compelling dialogue will elevate your novel from good to superb. Dialogue is one of the cornerstones of a novel – writing it well will gift your reader with an immersive experience. Dialogue can add depth to your characters, giving them individuality and personality. But many authors find it hard…
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Writing Sex Scenes in Fiction
Let’s talk about sex! Writing sex scenes in fiction can be daunting – but they should be treated just the same as any other scene, and deserve the same level of careful attention. Are sex scenes necessary in your novel? Clearly, not all novels contain sex scenes. Some genres expect…
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What to do while your manuscript is being edited
(Part two – Self Publishing) Marketing, ISBNs, Blurbs, Front Matter What self-publishing tasks can you be getting on with while your manuscript is being edited? Once you’ve handed your manuscript to a copy/line editor, it’s really important that you don’t touch it again until the manuscript is returned back to…
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What to do while your manuscript is being edited
(Part one – Traditional Publishing) Researching Agents, Book Summaries, and Marketing What should you do while your manuscript is being edited? Once you’ve handed your manuscript to a copy/line editor, it’s really important that you don’t touch it again until the manuscript is returned back to you. Having multiple versions…
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How to Find a Trustworthy Book Editor
How to find a trustworthy book editor is a question I see repeatedly on social media. Finding an editor you can trust shouldn’t be difficult, but I know a lot of authors are concerned about being scammed. They are worried that an editor is going to take their money and…
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I’ve written a book – what do I do now?
I’ve written a book – what do I do now? You’ve written your novel (congratulations!), and are wondering about the next steps. Is it ready for proofreading? Does it need to be edited? Should you self-publish? Should you approach a publisher? Actually, how do you approach a publisher? How many…
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What is a SAMPLE EDIT?
When a new author first contacts me, pretty much the first thing I offer them is a SAMPLE EDIT. But what is a sample edit, and why is it necessary? Does it cost money? Will it benefit the author? What is a SAMPLE EDIT? Most copy/line editors will offer a…
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How to Sell a Novel
You’ve finished your manuscript, had it edited, and now you are trying to work out how to sell a novel. Choosing to self-publish brings freedom – you (the author) are in control of every single aspect of your book, from deadlines and writing style to cover design, sales and marketing.…
