Hi! I’m Kathy Ide. In addition to being a published author, I’m a full-time professional freelance editor. For CAN, I’m blogging about “PUGS”–Punctuation, Usage, Grammar, and Spelling … tips for writers based on the most common mistakes I see in the manuscripts I edit. Books vs. Articles US book publishers use different reference manuals than magazine or newspaper publishers do. For book manuscripts (and some popular magazines), use The Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. For newspapers and journalistic-style magazines, use The Associated Press Stylebook and Webster’s New World College Dictionary.
Category: Writing craft
This is our archive pageWhat Kind of Children’s Book — Part 2
In my last post titled What Kind of Children’s Book? I explained that it’s important for writers of children’s literature to know what subgenre they want to write for. When presenting a proposal to an agent or editor, writers need to know where their book will fit in the market. I discussed three of the primary subgenres: boardbook, preschool picture book, and the standard 32-page picture book.
6 Essentials for a Better Working Relationship with Your Publisher
Greetings from Jackie M. Johnson! Most first time authors seem to focus on the fundamentals: What is a query letter? How can I improve my book proposal? Or, is my manuscript well-written? When your goal is to get published, all of these are important and timely questions to ask. Both new and advanced authors need to hone their skills and produce exceptional content. But that is just the start.
A Baker’s Dozen of Anthologies
Hi, Dave Fessenden here, to talk with you about writing, and here is something to consider: Do you have editorial skills? Have you ever considered doing a compilation or anthology? This is the art of choosing, organizing and showcasing the works of other authors. Such books can be very successful and have a significant ministry. A compilation project involves finding sources for material, copyrights, reimbursing authors, and editorial discernment. But first you need to decide what type of anthology you want to do. Here’s a baker’s dozen:
Tension and Conflict Part 6 – Scene and Sequel Structure
Historical post by Gail Gaymer Martin I’ve been posting a series on Tension and Conflict and today I’ll provide some information on using Scene and Sequel Structure in fiction. Using this method, an author can enhance tension by creating effective pacing techniques. This has to do with a balance of fast moving scenes to ones that are more contemplative. Each type of scene has a purpose, but along with purpose, the technique enhances tension. As you know, a novel is a series of chapters often divided into scenes. But scenes also can be thought of in two ways—scenes and sequels….
Proofreading Pointers #37
Hi! I’m Kathy Ide. In addition to being a published author, I’m a full-time professional freelance editor. For CAN, I’m blogging about “PUGS”–Punctuation, Usage, Grammar, and Spelling … tips for writers based on the most common mistakes I see in the manuscripts I edit. WHY PUNCTUATION IS IMPORTANT My older son, Tom, is a very busy professional, so a lot of our communication takes place via e-mail. Back when he was living at home, I e-mailed him one day to ask what he wanted me to make for dinner that evening. His response was: When you decide what you can…
Crafting Your Author Bio
The one thing you will be asked for more than anything else is your author bio, and it could be the one piece of writing you spend the least amount of time on, but that is a mistake. Author bios speak volumes about us and a well-crafted one can mean the difference between a sale and a snub. Here are some tips to crafting a great author bio: The first tip is to start a file. Read bios of your favorite authors, authors in your genre, and save them to this file. Highlight the good use of words, note how they…
Jump-Starting Your Creativity
Hi, Dave Fessenden here for a discussion on creativity and idea implementation. There’s an old story that a beginning writer once asked a veteran author how he kept coming up with writing ideas. The veteran grabbed the young man by the shoulders, shook him fervently, and said with a tone of desperation, “How do you stop coming up with ideas?!”
Tension and Conflict Part 5 – Methods to Create Tension
Happy Friday from Gail Gaymer Martin Each post from me these past weeks has been focused on Tension and Conflict. Today you’ll hear about ways to create tension Earlier I described the difference between conflict and tension. Conflict is the action of two opposing forces. It is the butting of heads between ideas, needs, desires and wants, or it can be a single individual wanting two opposing things. What makes conflict important is the tension it creates. Tension creates the emotional response to the conflict. Without it, the conflict would not have much impact on the reader.
Tips from the pros: Sarah Sundin
Hello, CANners and others who enjoy this blog. Davalynn Spencer here, honored to host our own Sarah Sundin, whose lovely visage we often see bringing us news of other authors. But today we hear from her about her personal writer’s journey. Sarah – welcome to the other side of the interview! Tell us, how many books do you have published, and what are a few of your latest titles? My sixth full-length novel, In Perfect Time (Revell), was released in August 2014, and Where Treetops Glisten (WaterBrook), a Christmas novella collection I wrote with Tricia Goyer and Cara Putman, is…
