by Melanie Cossey | Nov 16, 2018 | The Art of Writing Fiction
Recently I had a new writer ask me about first drafts and he mentioned that even with an outline, it was taking him so long just to write the first chapter. Confused, I asked him more about his outline. How developed was it? Had he outlined the full novel? He insisted...
by Melanie Cossey | Aug 28, 2018 | The Art of Writing Fiction
Ask a writer if editors are a needed service and you will get a variety of reactions. Some writers rave about their experiences with editors, seeing them as the savior of their manuscripts, while others see editors as self-important villains, put on this earth to rob...
by Melanie Cossey | Aug 16, 2018 | The Art of Writing Fiction
Have you ever noticed how some writers seem to make their pages come to life? Not only do you become immersed in the story and characters, but it’s like you are right there, seeing and experiencing it all. This is because the author knows the fine art of using the...
by Melanie Cossey | Aug 7, 2018 | The Art of Writing Fiction
Dialogue tags are those few words tagged on after a sentence of dialogue to indicate who is speaking. Often, writers make mistakes with dialogue tags that end up costing them readers. As an editor, I see certain common issues cropping up around the use of dialogue...
by Melanie Cossey | Jul 31, 2018 | The Art of Writing Fiction
Flash fiction is the art of telling a story using less than 1000 words. Many literary journals, from Canada and the US to New Zealand and Australia, make the writing of flash fiction their focus, holding international flash fiction contests and awards. Even more...
by Keystrokes & Coffee Staff | Jul 27, 2018 | The Art of Writing Fiction
Identifying the genre is how readers know what your book is about and if it will be of interest to them. It’s also how it will be labeled and categorized across various selling venues. You can combine genres to reach a larger audience than if you just stuck to one....
