SF & Fantasy Writer, Healthcare IT Consultant, Recovering Academic
Consider this writing advice from six-time Hugo-Award-winning editor Ben Bova about dialog:
An important rule of thumb when it comes to imparting background information is never to allow the characters to tell each other anything that they already know. It … Read the rest
Generally we play by the rules of grammar in creative writing because readers will be put-off or confused by our failure to abide. Grammar is the fabric of the language. There is no English without English grammar. Even a nonsense … Read the rest
I’m regularly surprised when my readers spy ideology lurking in my writing, as if the presence of an argument or even a sensitive topic in a work of fiction is proof that the author is trying to seduce the reader … Read the rest
The only advice I’ve heard about passive voice in fiction is: Don’t Use It. This is me offering more nuanced advice.
Readers with a passion for grammar, second languages, or scientific writing will likely know … Read the rest
Mark Twain famously quipped that a writer who cannot think of a word to substitute for the word “very” should substitute “damn,” so as to form phrases like “damn beautiful” and “damn important.” The writer’s editor will delete “damn” and … Read the rest