Hyacinth Grey. Indie Author. I write fiction.

Tag: writingadvice

  • When and How to Self-Edit Your Fiction

    Should you self-edit your fiction? If so, when and how? Yes, every writer should self-edit. To do otherwise is to be untrue to your stories. No, that last statement wasn’t meant as some kind of high-horsed snobbery. Self-edit and revise are synonyms, but self-edit has a further connotation of “doing it all yourself.” Some writers…

  • Writing Advice – The Long and the Short

    Writing Advice – The Long and the Short

    Featured image: tranquil lake reflecting house and forest — Photo by Tatiana Syrikova on Pexels.com There’s nothing like sitting down with a thick book or tucking into one on your tablet. But at other times, you probably want something lighter. There’s no reason you can’t have both. Does the idea of writing a novel fill…

  • Writing Advice – Subject and Object Pronouns

    Pronouns can be a problem, and if your book contains many instances of incorrect ones, reading it can feel as frustrating as reading a book full of typos. Here are some sample sentences. Mom bought some oranges for Lisa and I. Mom and me bought some oranges for Lisa. Lisa and I bought some oranges…

  • Writing Advice – Characters

    Without characters, stories would tell very little. Would you want to pick up a book and find that the whole thing was nothing but a description of a setting, a world, or several planets? Whether you write sci-fi, fantasy, or romance, your story needs a set of characters. Don’t let the magic, technology, or amazing…

  • Writing Advice – Tell a Story

    There’s a lot of writing advice out there. Following some guidelines, such as the ones in my post about dialog attribution might make your writing more pleasant to read, but don’t let writing advice bog you down. Things can be fixed later. There’s no need to wait until your idea is perfect, or until you’ve…

  • Writing Advice – Dialog Attribution

    You’ve probably heard the phrase “show, don’t tell.” I’d like to show you why I think this is good writing advice when you’re writing dialog. Here are a few sample sentences written solely for this post. “Not again,” she sighed. “My best friend forever doesn’t want to talk to me anymore, and I’m completely and…