You’ve chosen to write your manuscript in first person. That means every time they’re talking about themselves or commenting on what they’re doing, you need to use the pronoun I. It’s a perfectly acceptable way to write a novel, and seems to be increasing in popularity, but—and here’s the issue—it can easily feel stilted and …
Style Sheets and How We Use Them Have you ever wondered how your editor remembers what they’ve done and keeps all the little bits straight in your manuscript? Well of course we have checklists on top of checklists, but most seasoned editors will also use a style guide. This is a working document where they …
Every author has seen it from betas, from editors, in reviews. The dreaded words: ‘show don’t tell.’ So you dutifully go back and amend, only to have them come back saying show not tell! ARRRG!!! But what do they mean? Do they mean add more words? Paint a vivid picture? Cut the blasted thing out …
