Writing

The first draft of a short story, novel, or even an article or poem is only for you. Terry Pratchett once said, “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” It doesn’t matter if you are a plotter and work with an outline or a panster (a writer who flies by the seat…

One of the most powerful tools a writer possesses is the ability to craft word order. Sure, you might think that grammar rules control most aspects, but this is not entirely true. Apart from some standard rules, such as subject-verb-object (SVO), as a writer, you have plenty of options to rearrange words to suit your…

What your characters say in fiction drives your story, but you have two ways to do it. You can use dialogue or reported speech. Active dialogue is the most common. “You never listen to me!” she shouted. However, you can also use reported speech to summarize a character’s words quickly. She told him he had…

When you need to describe pain in writing, relying on adjective phrases alone often isn’t enough. Pain is complex because it is more than just a feeling. It’s a mixture of emotional and physical sensations that lie unseen below the surface. That’s why metaphors can be useful to make pain more real for readers. They…

When someone says something was delivered in spades, they refer to an experience or service that exceeded expectations. It’s a phrase that suggests generosity or excellence far beyond the normal. But what are the origins of the expression? And how does it compare to other ways of describing excess or plenty? What does deliver in…

Dead words is a catch-all expression to describe words and phrases that are unnecessary, weak, or overused in writing. Every word has its place. But in writing, the words you choose should be in the right place and for the right reason. At the top of the list are hackneyed phrases such as, due to…

You’ve probably read hundreds of advice articles about grammar and writing rules. Hopefully, a few might have even been ones I wrote. While knowing the rules is always good, that doesn’t mean they are set in concrete. General rules are a good guide for correct grammar usage and effective writing. But they are not laws,…

Like it or not, we live in a writing world now where artificial intelligence (AI) is almost everywhere. That’s why using a few free AI tools, or tools to use with AI is useful and practical. I’m certainly not advocating publishing AI-generated text. However, nothing stands still, and that goes for writing too. So many…

Literary devices are vital tools that all writers should learn to use to bring their writing and stories to life. They can add depth, emotion, and subtle layers of meaning to even the simplest forms of writing, transforming words into vivid mental images. When you understand and start using a few basic devices, you can…

Deciding when to use but and however in your writing might seem like a small detail, but your choice can affect clarity and tone. The two words serve similar functions. They both introduce a contrast or contradiction but aren’t always interchangeable. The subtle differences between them can help you write sentences that flow smoothly or…