by Zoe M. McCarthy | Jun 18, 2020 | Writing
image by GeorgeB2 “I finished reading Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript in 30 Days. I have AND will highly recommend it to anyone who dabbles in fiction. It’s one of the best “how to” books I’ve ever read.” Marsha Hubler, Director Montrose Christian Writers...
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Nov 26, 2015 | Writing
“Simplicity is a virtue in writing, true; but never the primary virtue. … Vividness is.” —Dwight V. SwainI created the following paragraph, ignoring Dwight V. Swain’s recommendations for vivid writing in his book, Techniques of the Selling Writer.Her car had...
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Feb 5, 2015 | Writing
“I never leave a sentence or paragraph until I’m satisfied with it.” —Clifford Geertz Have you reread paragraphs to understand what they said? Most authors write confusing paragraphs in their drafts. If left in books, these paragraphs cause readers to shift into...
by Zoe M. McCarthy | Jul 10, 2014 | Writing
“It’s no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.” —Mark Twain We know exactly what we mean when we write each sentence of our story. We’re surprised when our critique partner or editor doesn’t. Tweetable Does your editor often mark your...