From Rick: I apologize for not posting a blog last week (and for being late this week). Things got a little crazy time-wise, and they will continue to be so for the next couple of months at least. I have
Read MoreFrom Rick: You’ve probably heard it from many sources that writers should not edit their own books. Some of that advice comes from self-interested editors who want you to believe that in order to sell your their services. Some of
Read MoreFrom Rick: Last time I gave you an editing challenge. This time I’ll prove the answers in two forms. One is the corrected version. The other is a file showing the actual changes to create that correction. Here are the
Read MoreFrom Rick: Last time I said I would try to come up with a little test of your editing skills. The sample below is from an upcoming novel called Searching For Sound by Dave Schulz, a friend I have been
Read MoreFrom Rick: Can you edit your own work? The answer is maybe. The real question should be whether you can edit your work adequately, with “adequate” being defined as a result that catches all but a handful of typographical errors
Read More==================== ANNOUNCEMENT: This weekend (Dec 31-Jan 1) The Mosaic (Kindle version) will be on sale for 99 cents, those two days only. You can click the cover at the right to link to it on Amazon. Chris Keaton and I
Read MoreFrom Rick: Continuing our series on problems writers encounter, I want to mention the most common mistakes I see among new writers in particular. We’ve covered some of these before, but I thought it would be helpful to see them
Read Moreguest post by Kellee Kranendonk I was watching an episode of an old show from the ’70s the other day. As a writer, I find it difficult to watch a show without noting its flaws or to read a book
Read MoreFrom Rick: For those unfamiliar with it (or who have forgotten the source) title of this post comes from Act 5, Scene 1 of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The original line (“Out, damned spot! out, I say!) is spoken by Lady Macbeth,
Read MoreFrom Rick: I’ve done two previous posts on this subject (references at end of this post), but I’m going to approach it again a little differently than before. Why do verb tenses seem to confound writers so much? That’s a
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