Take a pencil to write with on aeroplanes. Pens leak. But if the pencil breaks, you can’t sharpen it on the plane, because you can’t take knives with you. Therefore: take two pencils. If both pencils break, you can do a rough sharpening job with a nail file of the metal or glass type. Take …
Writing Tips
When Something Really Smells
You know when something really smells, it sometimes requires a word other than smells, something to distinguish its ripeness, or malodorous nature. Why not try one of these? Acidic Acrid Antiseptic Arid Aromatic Balmy Biting Bitter Briny Burnt Citrusy Comforting Corky Damp Dank Distinctive Earthy Fishy Flowery Fragrant Fresh Fruity Gamy Gaseous Heavy Lemony Malodorous …
Questions To Ask About Magic
When thinking about adding magic to your world building, these are some questions to ask Who has it? Who can use it? Where does it come from? What does it go through? Is it active? Passive? Both? Is it tangible? Visible? Can magic people sense magic? Can non-magic people sense magic? Can non-humans be or …
Ten Mistakes
That aspiring writers make Wondering how to find an agent or publisher before completing the project. Waiting for inspiration to hit. Trying to write something “different”. Using weak nouns and verbs,and passive voice. Deciding not to read in your genre because you don’t want to inadvertently plagiarise. Not outlining. Not setting out specific times to …
List of Phobias
Ablutophobia- Fear of washing or bathing. Acarophobia- Fear of itching or of the insects that cause itching. Acerophobia- Fear of sourness. Achluophobia- Fear of darkness. Acousticophobia- Fear of noise. Acrophobia- Fear of heights. Aerophobia- Fear of drafts, air swallowing, or airbourne noxious substances. Aeroacrophobia- Fear of open high places. Aeronausiphobia- Fear of vomiting secondary to …
Words To Use More Often
lovely proper beautiful swell absurd flawless unique precious hullabaloo scrumptious dandy squabble secure contemplate audacity lousy embrace likely inflection pompous sleepy plump efficacy omit loath abominable balderdash peckish skedaddle thrall winsome mayhap evolve purpose behalf thankful gruesome residency tangible superfluous gumption expanse fetching enormity discombobulate intrude cleave beam eminent accuracy delightful breathtaking worthy solitude enthralled …
Father Knox’s Decalogue
The Ten Rules of (Golden Age) Detective Fiction Monsignor Ronald A. Knox (1888-1957) was a British clergyman, editor, a literary critic, a humourist and a detective story writer himself who nicely laid out, with a gentle wit, the “ten rules” that guided detective fiction in its so-called Golden Age. They appeared in the preface to …
Behind Blue Eyes
Eyes are the door to the soul it has been said. So let us use these adjectives to describe eyes more fully to appreciate that. ablaze affixed all-knowing alluring almond-shaped amazed beady beautiful bewitching blank blind blinking bloodshot blue blue-eyed bright brooding brown brown-eyed bu-eyed bulging burning cat-like close close-set cloudy commanding compassionate cross-eyed dancing …
Three Types Of Editing
There are three different types of editing, from the macro to the micro. There is no set order for these and they can be done at anytime and often can be visited more than once through the process of your writing. 1. Macro edits Rewriting and changing the plot in major ways, adding or changing …