What Is a Semicolon? Semicolons (;) are as basic as a period stacked on top of a comma. Does that mean you can use it like either one? Don’t get your hopes up. But don’t let this punctuation mark get you down, either. After all, that sly emoticon winky eye can’t be all bad. 😉 How to […]
Have you ever read a novel that was far too indulgent for its own good? Perhaps the plot dragged on and on or the prose meandered or the author spent a highly unnecessary amount of time on world-building or the color of their characters’ hair. Maybe you weren’t exactly sure where the author went wrong,
How to Identify and Cut Your Story’s Filler Read More »
When two words are used together to yield a new meaning, a compound is formed. Compound words can be written in three ways: as open compounds (spelled as two words, e.g., ice cream), closed compounds (joined to form a single word, e.g., doorknob), or hyphenated compounds (two words joined by a hyphen, e.g., long-term). Sometimes,
When spending so much time working on our stories, it can be difficult to see the forest through the trees. This is a phenomenon we discussed in our recent article on the importance of gaining objectivity as we edit. When we’re in the thick of revising our stories, we may find ourselves so focused on all the
How to Find and Fix Your Story’s Plot Holes Read More »