Skip to content
Jackal Editing
  • Home
  • Blog

Style

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 […]

Tweet
Pin159
Share4
163 Shares
Read more

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 […]

Tweet
Pin28
Share3
31 Shares
Read more

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 […]

Tweet
Pin36
Share1
37 Shares
Read more

How To Write Vivid Scenes: Avoid Unnecessary Adverbs

How to Write Vivid Scenes: Avoid Unnecessary Adverbs | Tips for recognising when adverbs are unnecessary, and the damage they do to your writing.

(Video transcript) I’m sure most writers have heard the advice that they should cut out adverbs from their writing and there are a few reasons why they should take this advice on board but I’m going to focus on the […]

Tweet
Pin25
Share2
27 Shares
Read more

How to Write Vivid Scenes: Don’t Stop the Narrative for Description

How to Write Vivid Scenes: Don’t Stop the Narrative for Description | Tips for writing vivid prose when describing your settings and characters. A must read for writers who struggle with vivid prose.

Video transcript If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ve probably heard me say you shouldn’t stop the narrative for description. But what does that mean? What does “don’t stop the narrative for description” mean? Stopping the narrative […]

Tweet
Pin278
Share3
281 Shares
Read more

How to Write Vivid Scenes: Remove Filter Words

How to Write Vivid Scenes: Remove Filter Words | Tips from a freelance editor about removing filter words to make your prose more engaging. A must watch for writers who want to spice up their prose.

(Video transcript) Filter words are words that put distance between the reader and the story. They’re words that call attention to the fact that the story is filtered through the point-of-view character’s point of view. And they can cause a […]

Tweet
Pin47
Share5
52 Shares
Read more

3 Ways to Effectively Use Passive Voice

3 Ways to Effectively Use Passive Voice | Tips for writers from a freelance book editor about using passive voice effectively. Do you know how to use passive voice effectively?

Active voice tells us the subject is doing the action (The dog chased the cat). Passive voice tells us that the subject is having the action done to it (The cat was chased by the dog). Easy enough to understand in […]

Tweet
Pin61
Share15
76 Shares
Read more

3 Ways to Avoid Using Too Many Pronouns

3 Ways to Avoid Using Too Many Pronouns | Tips for avoiding the use of too many pronouns and subsequently boring your readers. A must read for writers who want to spice up their prose!

Have you ever read through your work and found that he said this, she did that, and then he walked over there and saw her do something else? She laughed, he cried, she felt embarrassed and then he sat down. […]

Tweet
Pin152
Share18
170 Shares
Read more

5 Ways to Make Your Writing Less Wordy (or, how to write concisely)

5 Ways to Write Concisely | Wordy writing uses more words than necessary to make a point and can damage the quality of your text. Visit jackalediting.com for great writing tips to keep your readers engaged.

Falling short of a required word count? Trying to sound more formal? I’m sure we’ve all committed the crime of wordiness at some stage. But what does it actually do for our writing? Wordy writing uses more words than necessary […]

Tweet
Pin4K
Share20
4K Shares
Read more

Looking for Something?

the latest

  • What are Stakes and Why Do Stories Need Them?
    Story Stakes: Using Consequences to Drive Your Story March 11, 2020
  • 5 World Building Aspects You Might be Forgetting | Good world building makes a fictional world feel real and lived in. You don't need to tell the reader everything. You just need to make them feel like you've thought of everything. Read the full post at jackalediting.com
    5 World Building Aspects You Might be Forgetting February 12, 2020
  • 3 Most Important Things to Know About Your Characters | One of the keys to writing a great story is great character development. And for that, this is what you need to know. Read the full post at jackalediting.com
    The 3 Most Important Things to Know About Your Characters January 8, 2020
  • 3 Storytelling Lessons from STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE | Analysing other stories can help you develop your own storytelling skills. What storytelling lessons can we learn from STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE?
    3 Storytelling Lessons from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace April 3, 2018
  • Using All Five Senses in Your Story: Why You Should Do It, and How | Tips for writers about using all five senses when describing events and settings in their stories. A must read for writers who aren’t sure what it means to tap into their characters’ senses.
    Using All Five Senses in Your Story: Why You Should Do It, and How May 15, 2017

posts by topic

  • Character Development
  • Description
  • Dialogue
  • Editing
  • First Chapter Friday
  • General Writing Tips
  • NaNoWriMo
  • Plotting
  • Point of View
  • Story Structure
  • Storytelling Lessons
  • Style
  • Subplots
  • Videos
  • World Building
  • Writer's Block
  • Writing
  • Writing Process
  • Writing Rules Explained
Powered by WordPress | Theme: Astrid by aThemes.