March 25, 2013
From the desk of Red Dwyer: Creative people are so very interesting. Watching them metamorphose from a writer of assignments to an author of books. Laurie Childree is a prolific writer turned prolific author. With her new book, Observations Obsessions Oddities, debuting on 01APR13, I asked her a question which leads to interesting answers. She did not disappoint. Listen to what Laurie answered to Why do you write?
March 18, 2013
From the desk of Red Dwyer: It is not often editors get to work with those multi-talented enough to not only write books but also create beautiful cover art for their books and those of others. Liz Campbell is one such multi-talented artist. When I asked her Why do you write? I was prepared for an answer with art in the mix. Do you think I was right? See what Liz has to say.
January 28, 2013
From the desk of Valentine Logar: As an acolyte of Red, I have abundant opportunities to ask her questions I am not the only one who wants the answers. I wanted to know her answer for one of the questions she asks everyone else.
January 14, 2013
From the desk of Red Dwyer: Flash Fictioneer MJ Logan is an accomplished author and freelancer. When I goaded him just a bit, he was willing to tell me why he writes. Welcome MJ, and take a look out his window.
January 7, 2013
From the desk of Red Dwyer: As publishing editor, I am afforded the opportunity to get to know authors on a much more intimate basis than many fans. As an exercise to acquaint more people with the phenomenal authors I know, I have asked them to speak. Specifically, I wanted to know why they write. No, not in that tone of voice. Genuinely, why do authors write? Gail Thornton, author of The Girl in the Iron Lung and The Regret of a…
December 20, 2012
Some words are commonly mistaken for other similar words or homophones. To ease the confusion, refer to the hints and tricks to remember which word is appropriate.
Posted in Better Writing, Editor
December 20, 2012
Semicolons are essential to complex and entertaining writing. Using semicolons properly enhances the reader’s experience by providing breaks in the action which clarify, combine and characterize.
Posted in Grammarian, Punctuation
December 20, 2012
A homophone is a word which is pronounced like another word with a different spelling and meaning. Words which sound alike are often confused. Choosing the incorrect spelling of a homophone can drastically change the meaning of what you write.
Posted in Better Writing, Editor
December 20, 2012
Wordiness obfuscates concepts. Simple sentences in plain language engage readers in the content rather than exercise their brains attempting to parse the language. Three very simple techniques are quick ways to trim words without trimming meaning.
Posted in Better Writing, Editor
December 20, 2012
One of the first items on your editor’s agenda is to make sure you really meant to say what you wrote. Writing the wrong word when you meant something else will confuse, irritate and frustrate your readers. Often, nouns and verbs which sound similar are confused for one another. This quick guide will help you choose the right word.
Posted in Better Writing, Editor