My debut novel is in the hands of beta readers, and I felt an enormous sense of accomplishment in sending it out. This feeling lasted a good two hours. Then I was eclipsed, and I continue to be eclipsed by the constant barrage of (what I feel to be) brilliant revisions that should have occurred before the manuscript left the safety of my laptop. Are they really brilliant? In mulling, only sometimes. Will the repeated revisions in pursuit of perfection ever end? Who knows…In the meantime, while I exercise patience, I gladly share some questions I asked my beta readers. These specific questions allow you, as the writer, to help them focus their feedback that guides your next steps in revision. Read on…

Reader fatigue is real. Some books are effortless reads regardless of elevated word use or plot complication. Then there are the others. The ones you want to love but make you tired, and you don’t know why. Read on…

In the process of hiring an editor, many writers, publishers, and businesses request to see an editor’s prior work with “before and after” views, so they can assess the editor’s capabilities. Others expect a sample edit instead, aka, a test. There is much debate about which of the two options works for all involved. I have experienced both processes as an editor and writer, and I am a huge fan of the sample edit. Here’s why…

Editorial: Simple things carry the most power. Permission lives in every nook and cranny of our lives. The choice to use, accept or share its power is entirely ours. Over a year ago, a teenager I knew nothing of reminded me how simple its power truly is.

All at once, it seems this chatty, Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) can do miraculous things. But no, it can’t make one taller. I checked. However, it can produce within minutes, approximately 200 non-shaming words in a conversational tone* about how I could feel better being a vertically challenged person. Click on the heading for more…

Also known as style sheets, House Style is a roadmap authors, publishers, and organizations often use to maintain consistency across all content. Think of it as a living document with a flexible personality that helps reduce sloppiness and brings clarity to your prose. Style sheets are not meant to be a massive compilation of directions requiring memorization through bloodshot eyes. Instead, they are a snapshot, a friendly guide, a helpful tool your copywriters, editors, and proofreaders often refer to. Click on the heading for more…

Your words mirror who you are as a person or as an organization. They can motivate a room of like-minded individuals or bring consensus to a roomful of opposition. Their use will illuminate something real or make real something imaginary. Words are powerful magic. Click on the heading for more…