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Writing Rules Explained

Writing Rules Explained: Give Your Story Structure

Writing Rules Explained: Give Your Story Structure | Tips for writers from a freelance editor about why you should give your story structure.

Video transcript Whether you’re a plotter or a pantser, there should come a time when you revise your novel, and one of the first steps of revising your novel should involve giving it structure. I know writers seethe when they […]

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Writing Rules Explained: Don’t Use Passive Voice

Writing Rules Explained: Don’t Use Passive Voice | Tips for writers from a freelance editor about using passive voice, and when it’s actually okay to use it. A must watch for writers who aren’t sure about passive voice.

I have a plug-in on my website that constantly tells me to rewrite my content because I use passive voice too much. If I were to import my content into an online text analyser, I’d get the same result. “Don’t […]

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Writing Rules Explained: Said is Dead / Only Use Said

Writing Rules Explained: Said is Dead/ Only Use Said | Tips from a freelance book editor about whether or not said is dead. A must watch for writers who aren’t sure how to tag their dialogue.

“Said is dead,” says one camp. “Only use said,” says another. So which rule should we follow? The erroneous death of said Some writers think said is dead because it’s overused, but if using a word a lot means we […]

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Writing Rules Explained: Make Every Word Count

Writing Rules Explained: Make Every Word Count | Tips on why every word in your story should count, and how to make them count.

Video transcript ‘Make every word count’ means that every word you use in your story should contribute to the story in some way. I’m not just talking about individual words here, but also sentences, paragraphs, scenes, chapters and subplots. Everything […]

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Writing Rules Explained: Should We Follow Writing Rules?

Writing Rules Explained: Should we Follow Writing Rules? | The truth about writing rules. Why they exist, and why you should know what they are (they’re not what you think ;) ). A must watch for writers who refuse to learn writing rules.

(Video transcript) Not a fortnight goes by that I don’t read the comments section of an article about writing and find a comment spurning writing rules and advice of any kind and it grinds my gears. “Rules stifle creativity!” they proclaim. […]

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