EmDashED

Why can't I stop having new ideas and just write the ones I already have? Having lots of ideas is great, but what if you can't commit to finishing anything because something new and shiny keeps coming along? 'Where do you get your ideas?' is the number one question I'm asked at events, by adults and children alike. For me, there are two versions of the answer. The short version: Everywhere! and the long version, which is ... well, let's just say, are you sitting comfortably?

Craft Tips from the Editing Cave In my Editing Cave posts, I use real-world editing issues that I've come across in my work - I never name names and I always reword examples to share any blushes (except my own - those I will shamelessly share!) In a previous (click here) blog, I explain what a beta reader is, and how to find one ... (Tl;dr it's someone who reads your unpublished novel with a mind to offering you feedback) But what if you want to be a beta? Becoming a beta rea

What is a beta reader? In my Editing Cave posts, I use real-world editing issues that I've come across in my work - I never name names and I always reword examples to share any blushes (except my own - those I will shamelessly share!) In my manuscript critique package I mention beta readers: If you've done as much as you can with self-editing, and made the most of critique partners or beta readers, you might be ready for feedback on your full manuscript. But what is a beta re

More tips from the editing cave In my Editing Cave posts, I use real-world editing issues that I've come across in my work - I never name names and I always reword examples to share any blushes (except my own - those I will shamelessly share!) Synopsis Struggles I've been reading a lot of synopses recently, in my role as a competition judge. With each one I feel a pang of sympathy — I know, they're awful. No one wants to write them, we all just want to be left alone to create

"Say, what?" A quick how-to on dialogue In my Editing Cave posts, I use real-world editing issues that I've come across in my work - I never name names and I always reword examples to share any blushes (except my own - those I will shamelessly share!) Difficult Dialogue One of the most common areas new writers struggle with is how to present dialogue. Sometimes, a writer who reads a lot will have a certain understanding of new paragraphs and where to put speech marks, but whe

We've all heard the advice concerning adverbs, scattered liberally about the verges of the road to hell, but what about the less vilified adjective? Can they be trusted or are they also lurking on the dark path? In my Editing Cave posts, I use real world editing issues that I've come across in my work - I never name names and I always reword examples to share any blushes (except my own - those I will shamelessly share!) Ample Adjectives This week I thought I'd explore overuse