Writing & Editing Advice

This category focuses on clear, effective writing and the editing skills that make it possible. Posts here break down common writing habits that weaken prose, explain why they don’t work, and show how to fix them with stronger structure, sharper verbs, and cleaner sentences. You’ll find practical guidance on self-editing, craft fundamentals, and revision techniques writers can apply immediately—whether you’re drafting fiction, nonfiction, memoir, or business content.

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Stop Filtering Every Moment Through Your Character And Let the Scene Do the Work

One of the fastest ways to weaken a scene—without realizing you’re doing it—is by filtering everything through your character. Is your writing filled with these? I saw.She noticed.He heard.She felt.I realized. These words seem harmless. They feel natural. They even feel like they help anchor the reader in the character’s experience. They don’t. They create distance, and distance kills immersion. The Issue Filtering happens when the writer inserts the character’s perception between the reader and … Read more

The Problem with “There Was” Sentences

One of the easiest ways to weaken a sentence is to begin it with “There was” or “There were” or “There is.” These sentence openings rely on a placeholder instead of leading with the person, object, or action that actually matters. While this structure isn’t always wrong, frequent use creates slow, indirect prose and hides the real subject of the sentence. Consider this example from the world of Pinocchio: There was a boy standing in … Read more

Stop Explaining the Emotion: A Practical Guide to Show vs. Tell

One of the most persistent writing problems is the habit of explaining emotional meaning after already showing it. Writers often don’t trust the reader. So they dramatize an event…and then translate it. That second step is usually where the problem lives. Let’s break it down. What “Telling” Really Looks Like Most writers think telling means: She was sad.He was angry. That’s obvious telling. But most modern manuscripts don’t look that blunt. Instead, telling sneaks in … Read more

The Problem with “It Was” Sentences

One of the easiest ways to weaken a sentence is to begin it with “It was.” Writers use this structure constantly in early drafts because it feels natural while telling a story. Unfortunately, sentences that begin with “It was” often delay the real subject of the sentence and drain energy from the prose. Instead of presenting a clear image or action, the sentence introduces a vague placeholder. Consider the difference. It was strange for Pinocchio … Read more

Stop Jerking Your Reader Around: Why Emotional Continuity Matters More Than Big Moments

There is a silent craft problem that ruins otherwise promising novels. It’s not grammar or plot or even structure. It’s emotional discontinuity. This happens when the emotional state of a story resets or shifts abruptly without cause, processing, or consequence. It occurs when scenes follow each other logically in terms of plot, but not organically in terms of feeling. The events may connect on paper, yet the emotional thread between them is missing. In emotionally … Read more

When Your Supporting Character Starts Stealing the Show: How POV Drift Weakens Your Protagonist (and How to Stop It)

There’s a quiet problem I see in developing manuscripts all the time. It doesn’t show up in grammar. It doesn’t show up in plot summaries. It doesn’t even show up in outlines. It shows up on the page. Your supporting character is stealing the story. You didn’t mean for it to happen. You still believe your protagonist is the main character. But somewhere along the way, emotional gravity shifted. And now the wrong character owns … Read more

Why Writing for 8–10 Year Old Readers Is Not the Same as Writing for Adults

One of the biggest misunderstandings new writers have is assuming that children read and process stories the same way adults do—just with simpler words. They don’t. Writing for younger readers requires different structural decisions, not just lighter language. How Younger Readers Experience Stories Readers aged 8–10: They are still developing the ability to: This is not a limitation—it’s a developmental reality. Why Adult Techniques Don’t Translate Techniques that work in adult fiction often fail for … Read more

The Importance of Editing and Proofreading in Self-Publishing: How to Polish Your Manuscript to Perfection

So, you’ve finished your manuscript. Congratulations! That’s a huge accomplishment. But before you hit that “publish” button, there’s one critical step you must take: editing and proofreading. In the world of self-publishing, where you’re responsible for every aspect of your book’s production, ensuring your manuscript is polished and error-free is essential for success. Why Editing and Proofreading Are Crucial Editing and proofreading are more than just correcting typos and grammatical errors. These processes ensure your … Read more

Why Stories Need One Protagonist (and Why Supporting Characters Should Stay Supporting)

One of the most common structural mistakes new writers make is confusing importance with point of view. Just because a character plays a significant role in the story does not mean they should carry POV. In fact, giving POV to too many characters—especially in books for younger readers—often weakens the story instead of strengthening it. At the heart of this issue is a misunderstanding of what a protagonist actually is. What a Protagonist Does A … Read more

How to Fix POV: Why Omniscient Openings Break Your Story (and How to Fix Them)

One of the most common point-of-view mistakes in fiction happens right at the beginning of a chapter. Writers often slip into third person omniscient without realizing it, especially when trying to introduce characters quickly or establish mood. The result is usually subtle—but damaging. Readers feel distance instead of immersion, confusion instead of clarity, and a sense that the story is being summarized rather than experienced. Let’s look at why this happens and how to fix … Read more

Choosing Point of View Characters: Why Fewer POVs Make a Stronger Story

One of the most common mistakes new fiction writers make isn’t sentence-level craft or weak dialogue—it’s choosing too many point-of-view characters. Adding POVs often feels like depth. In reality, it usually creates confusion, weakens the protagonist, and fractures the story’s emotional core. Choosing POV characters is not about fairness or variety; it’s about story leadership. Let’s talk about how to choose POV characters intentionally—and why restraint matters. POV Is Narrative Power When you give a … Read more

The “Would” Problem: When Conditional Verbs Weaken Storytelling

One small word can quietly drain energy from a memoir: would. Writers of fiction and nonfiction often use would when describing past experiences, but the word frequently creates distance between the reader and the action. Instead of stating what happened, the sentence shifts into a conditional or habitual structure that weakens the verb. Consider this example: Pinocchio would lie whenever he was afraid. This sentence summarizes behavior rather than showing it. Now compare it to … Read more

Stop Separating Description and Dialogue: Let Beats Do the Work

One of the fastest ways to weaken a scene is to split dialogue and description into separate paragraphs when they belong together. Writers often think they’re adding depth by spacing things out. In reality, they’re diluting momentum, repeating information, and—worse—introducing POV problems the reader can feel even if they can’t name. Let’s talk about how dialogue beats work, and why combining dialogue and description often makes scenes tighter, clearer, and more immersive. The Problem: Fragmented … Read more

Mastering Research Techniques: Effective Methods for Gathering Accurate Information and Sources

In the world of nonfiction writing, thorough research is the cornerstone of credibility and depth. Whether you’re writing a biography, a historical account, or a business book, mastering research techniques is essential. Here we will explore effective methods for gathering accurate information and sources, including the use of archives, libraries, and digital resources to enrich your nonfiction work. Understanding the Importance of Research Before diving into specific techniques, it’s important to understand why meticulous research … Read more

Stop “Beginning to Do” Things: Why -ING Verbs Weaken Your Writing

If your sentences are constantly “beginning,” “starting,” or “continuing” to do something, I’ve got bad news: your writing is dragging its feet. Even worse, it’s announcing that it’s dragging its feet. Phrases like: are some of the most common culprits in weak, flabby writing. They don’t add meaning. They delay action. And they quietly drain energy from your sentences. Let’s talk about why this happens—and how to fix it. The Real Problem Isn’t -ING. It’s … Read more

The Problem with “Seemed” Sentences

Words like seemed, appeared, and phrases such as seemed like often weaken a sentence by introducing uncertainty where the writer could state the idea directly. These words act as filters between the reader and the moment being described. Instead of presenting the experience clearly, the sentence suggests that the narrator is interpreting or guessing. Consider this example from the world of Pinocchio: It seemed like Geppetto was disappointed. Now compare it to a more direct … Read more

Say What It Is, Not What It Isn’t

One subtle habit that weakens prose is describing something by what it isn’t rather than stating what it is. Writers often do this without realizing it. Sentences slip into constructions using not, didn’t, wasn’t, or similar negatives. While these sentences may technically communicate the idea, they force the reader to mentally process the opposite of what the writer actually means. Clear writing moves forward. Negative constructions make the reader take a detour. Consider the difference: … Read more

Breaking the Repetition Trap: When Every Sentence Starts the Same

Memoir and personal nonfiction naturally rely on first-person narration, but that doesn’t mean every sentence should begin with “I.” One of the most common structural problems in early drafts is the repeated use of sentence openings like I didn’t, I remember, or I felt. When this pattern appears several times in a row, the prose becomes predictable and the emotional impact weakens. Readers don’t consciously analyze sentence structure, but their brains quickly recognize repetition. When … Read more

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