Writing is an excellent creative outlet, don’t you think? – Make statements without adding qualifiers. ‘Everyone has a story to tell’,  is a definitive statement.  By adding a qualifier, the speaker is looking to reinforce her opinion.

Statements are weakened by words such as perhaps or maybe, or asking a question like ‘Isn’t it?’ Life is […]

Dialogue is a powerful way to reveal a character. The way they speak can be as effective as a physical description. It’s a good idea to avoid writing accents except for the occasional snippet. If you let the reader know, for example, that your character is from the southern states, their imagination will hear the […]

You can’t grin a sentence. I know, I’ve tried. The results made me look like an amateur ventriloquist. So when you next read something like (“Come on in. The water’s great,” he grinned)  you may envision a water treading ventriloquist and a floating wooden puppet. To verify, speak a sentence through a nice wide grin.

[…]

There are many types of journaling options.  I’ll list a few to consider and hopefully you will find one that strikes a chord.

Gift Journal:  This journal is meant to give away. If you are a  grandparent for example, you might consider keeping a journal of the times you spend with your grandchild. Record what […]

Journaling offers insight to the writer. Whether our entries are intended to be kept  private, or we are gathering stories and experiences to offer to an audience, the value is apparent.

I started keeping a birthday journal thirty years ago. On or close to my birthday, I write about what happened during the year and what […]

Reading your work aloud is quite useful. Another approach is to treat your writing as if you were grading a student’s essay. Don a critic’s hat.  Wear another person’s shoes to change your perspective. So now that we’re wearing someone else’s hat and shoes, Let’s ask ourselves some questions.

Do your paragraphs follow an idea, […]