Guest Posts
5 Narrative Lessons from Season 3 of The White Lotus
HBO’s The White Lotus Season 3 took us to a lush Thai resort, continuing the show’s sharp commentary on human nature…
June 13, 2025-
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The Intentional WriterCommon Writer Questions: How to Convey Accents
“How do I write dialogue to show an accent or dialect?” I’ve often heard this question discussed at writing…
May 24, 2022 -
Mastering Middle GradeWrite Like a Kid
When your critique partners tell you (more than once) your middle grade fiction sounds too adult, how do you…
August 16, 2020 -
Courting the MuseWhen Watching TV Doesn’t Mean Procrastinating on Your Manuscript
During my last semester of undergrad, I spent a lot of time watching 30 Rock. Like many graduating seniors,…
March 13, 2020 -
Magazine and FreelancePut Dialog on a diet
Like delicious desserts, dialog is often a reader’s favorite part of a story. We quote great dialog for generations.…
February 14, 2020 -
Guest PostsHe said, She said
Have you ever felt stuck using the same dialogue tags? It can creep in when we get comfortable with…
October 18, 2019 -
Writing for YAYA Slang in Writing
Every once in a while, on one of my writers’ lists or on facebook, someone will want to know…
June 27, 2019 -
The Picky PenPunctuation Series: How to Edit Punctuation Marks
Presentation is everything, especially when it comes to the publishing world. And your presentation of punctuation is crucial to…
April 22, 2019 -
The Picky Pen
Five Ways to Edit Dialogue
When thinking about the dialogue in our story, whether fiction or nonfiction, we must consider perspective. With each story,…
November 22, 2018 -
The Picky Pen
Editing Dialogue
Many writers are introverts and don’t prefer to talk a lot. Some writers are extroverts and love to talk.…
June 22, 2018 -
Dear Young ScribesBalancing the Elements of Fiction – Part 1
Have you ever noticed how some authors tend to focus too much on writing certain fiction elements, yet ignore…
October 9, 2017 -
History in the MakingDialogue Contractions in Historical Novels
by Sandra Merville Hart Historical novelists research ways of life, events, fashion, and a myriad of other topics.…
May 21, 2017 -
The Writer's PenCasePutting Fire in Your Fiction – Part I
Most fiction starts out hot, then bogs down. How can you keep the fire in your fiction so that…
January 16, 2016 -
Craft, The Writer's PenCasePutting Fire in Your Fiction—Part I
When drafting your novel, then self-editing, go back and determine whether or not any given scene moves the story…
October 15, 2015 -
UncategorizedBrother, Lend Me Your Ear
At a writer’s conference, a contest judge once shared with me that he could pick my voice out of…
September 13, 2015 -
The Writer's PenCaseStorytelling – What Makes a Story Great?
What is it about a story that makes it compelling? Is it the characters? Is it the plot? Is…
August 17, 2015 -
Developing Your Writer's VoiceOne Way to Discover Your Writer’s Voice
“Do you have a unique voice?” It’s one question agents and editors often ask writers during one-on-one interviews at…
July 28, 2015
