Hello, readers and writers. Tis I, Marie, your friendly neighborhood beta reader/content editor. I wear many hats, but today I am stepping into my role as beta reader to give my fellow novice writers a few tips on writing short stories. As a reader of many genres for many decades, I can safely say thatContinue reading “What Makes a Short Story?”
Tag Archives: writers
Writing Believable Women in Fiction
Aurora here. Many times, men approach me and insist, “I just don’t know how to write women.” I can’t help but wonder why. Surely they know some and associate with them on a relatively regular basis. Is there a certain way they think all women are supposed to behave? If so, that just confusesContinue reading “Writing Believable Women in Fiction”
The Basics, Basically
Marie here. How many times have you read a book that spent so much time on flowery prose or psychological musings that the plot was lost? I have read a few myself. It’s like those people, you know the ones, who spend so much time trying to impress you with their extensive vocabulary but aren’tContinue reading “The Basics, Basically”
Artistic Self-Loathing aka Hollow Hills and the Cursed Anthology
Aurora here. I don’t know if it’s the time of year, or perhaps it’s because I’ve spent a great deal of time discussing in-progress anthology submissions with other authors, but I’ve spoken with quite a few who are not so thrilled with their work. This also includes one visual artist. Off topic: NowContinue reading “Artistic Self-Loathing aka Hollow Hills and the Cursed Anthology”
Importance of Editors and Beta Readers
Aurora here. As writers, we have entire worlds in our heads. A lot is happening in these worlds and we struggle frantically to get all the relevant parts of them onto the page. For some reason, I get the image of a kitten entangled in several balls of yarn, mewling helplessly. Okay, maybe that’s justContinue reading “Importance of Editors and Beta Readers”
No Worries, My Dears
Marie here. During this trying time, we hope that all our readers and writers are staying safe out there. You know the drill: wash your hands, avoid crowds, wear masks, and drink plenty of water. Many are still stuck at home without much to do. (Except us introverts. We’ve been doing this for years!) WeContinue reading “No Worries, My Dears”
CockyGate and Other Matters
Aurora here. By now, I’d venture most of the literary world has heard of CockyGate. In case you haven’t, the short version is that a certain romance author decided to trademark the word “cocky” in romance titles. If you want further information, check out #cockygate on Twitter. Many others have posted and compiled details. ThisContinue reading “CockyGate and Other Matters”
Why I Hate Calibri (And You Should, Too)
Aurora here. Calibri, a relatively innocuous sans serif, has trickled into mainstream use, caused in part by Microsoft Word making 11-point Calibri its default font. Many ignore the formatting guidelines and trust Word to make the selection for them, even though, more often than not, 12-point font is requested. When someone ignores the formatting guidelines,Continue reading “Why I Hate Calibri (And You Should, Too)”
Hollow Hills 