Writing Tips

Adverbs in writing are just the worst! They are evil! Evil, I say! Eh, well, sort of. Sometimes. And sometimes not. Let me explain. Adverbs have a pretty awful rap in the writ ing world. Many a writing teacher will get their red pen in hand at the very mention of an adverb, and actually […]

Don’t you wish there were a magical, instant writer’s block cure? Even the name can conjure up dread: Writer’s Block. It is insidious. It is evil. It is the bane of every writer’s existence. It is… all in your head. Wait, wait, hear me out. I’m not saying it isn’t real. Many things that are

In Part 1, we discussed how to make dialogue sound real and why that’s important. In Part 2, we discussed how playing with the sound of dialogue can add flavor and enjoyment. Let’s move on to the grand finale where we talk about the true purpose of dialogue: 3. It Achieves Its Goal in the

In Part 1, we discussed how to make dialogue sound real and why that’s important. Let’s move on to the second big trait of good dialogue: 2. It Is Pleasant to Listen to. Now that you are getting a handle on crafting realistic dialogue, you can spice things up a bit and have a little

Many, many, MANY people know how to come up with a good storyline. Plot structures and twists come easy to them. But there’s one area of writing proficiency that still eludes them. Ironically, it’s the one they actually have the most experience with: Dialogue. I say they have experience because, after all, most of us

The more I teach English to non-native speakers the more I come across English writing rules and patterns that are intricate and fiddly and seem almost impossible to follow naturally, and yet native speakers follow them constantly without even being aware they exist. Or, in another words, you don’t know what you know. So what