Writing that Shines

Never rely on spell-check.

My excuse is that the magazine’s news section is huge, 8,600 words, assembled from more than 100 contributions.

My error was that I rushed this project, putting too much faith in the spell-checker. Yes, the red squiggles in Word alerted me to ones spelled wrong. But no alarm sounded when a wrong, correctly spelled word was used.

English has dozen of words … Continue reading

Cut Surplus Scenes

For coaching on what to cut, watch a film’s special edition.

After I watched a special edition DVD Romancing the Stone, I made a point to see the bonus features. As I watched, I realized they offer insights for a novelist.

Great novels aren’t written, the saying goes. They’re rewritten.

This includes reviewing each scene’s purposes ― confirming it accomplishes such tasks as advancing the story … Continue reading