Verbs convey action, but some verbs can have the opposite effect: they can flatten your writing and drain all the energy from a scene.
Category Archives: Boost your writing
Improve your writing by removing filter words
Removing filter words from your writing is an easy way to deepen your narrative and engage your readers.
When do you capitalise “mum” and “dad”?
“Mum” can be used as a title or as a common noun. When it’s used as a title, it’s capitalised. When it’s used as a common noun, it’s lower case.
Can I use song lyrics in my story?
Song lyrics can give a scene a particular mood or evoke a particular memory or time. They can set the tone when used as a quote at the start of a chapter. But song lyrics are copyrighted, raising the question: can you use them in your book?
How to write (great) sex scenes
Picture the scene: your characters have been pining over each other for months and they’ve finally had their first kiss. They’re ready for more. They want to, no, need to have sex, right now.
How to use apostrophes
In this article I will show you how to use apostrophes to indicate missing letters and possession, and how they are used with years, time, Māori words, and abbreviations.
How to punctuate dialogue
Using the right punctuation in dialogue helps your readers enjoy your story without getting distracted. Good punctuation naturally guides readers, letting them focus on what people said.
How to proofread your own work
You don’t always have the time or luxury to pay for a proofreader so here are two tips to help you proofread your own work: listening and checklists.
How to delete multiple spaces
File clean-up is an important part of the editing process. Before I get into the nuts and bolts of editing a document, I run a handful of global checks. One of these is searching for and deleting multiple spaces. To save your editor time, and you money, try and delete these extra spaces before you send your file to them.
Great books about writing and self-editing
My favourite books about writing and self-editing
Deborah Shaw Adventure Editing 