The Picky Pen
Correcting Run-on Sentences
I’ll bet you don’t even remember being taught about run-on sentences. Well, believe it or not, you probably learned…
August 25, 2026-
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Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)Putting the Pieces Together
I planned an early morning bike ride on July 4th but ended up leaving later than I wanted. I…
July 30, 2026 -
Book ProposalsGet Endorsements For Your Proposal
Pick up any bestselling book and frequently the first few pages will be glowing words which are called endorsements…
July 28, 2026 -
Writing for YAWhen You Want to Toss the Manuscript
After leaving my second young adult novel in the Wishes and Dreams series in my to-be-finished folder for years,…
July 27, 2026 -
The Picky Pen
Object Pronouns
Pronouns, which are words used instead of a noun or noun phrase, can be used as subjects or objects.…
July 23, 2026 -
Writing for YA
The Language of Writing a Novel: What New Writers Need to Know
Beat sheets, POV, three-act structure, theme, show don’t tell. I remember showing up to my first writing group at…
June 27, 2026 -
The Picky Pen
Using Conjunctions
In a previous article, we discussed varying sentence structure within an article in order to keep your reader’s attention.…
June 22, 2026 -
Writers ChatWriters Chat Recap for May
Writers Chat, hosted by Brandy Brow, Norma Poore, and Melissa Stroh. “The place where craft connects community.” Upcoming Conferences…
May 31, 2026 -
The Picky Pen
Capitalization of Titles and Headers
Most people are familiar with capitalizing proper nouns and words at the beginning of a sentence. This is what…
April 23, 2026 -
Book Proposals
How Many Pages in a Book Proposal?
On the surface, it seems like a simple question with a standard answer. How long is a book proposal?…
March 26, 2026 -
The Picky Pen
Latin Clarification Terms
There are several Latin abbreviations that are used regularly in writing. This is particularly common in certain types of…
March 23, 2026 -
Writers Chat
Writers Chat Recap for March Part 1
Writers Chat, hosted by Brandy Brow, Norma Poore, and Melissa Stroh. The place where craft connects community. Achievement Addiction…
March 22, 2026 -
Book Proposals
After Your Submission, Learn Patience
After you submit your proposal to an editor or a literary agent, many writers begin to fixate on their…
February 25, 2026 -
The Picky Pen
Engaging Readers Through Dialogue
There are many writing tools that an author uses to keep their readers engaged, but without dialogue, it would…
February 24, 2026 -
Book Proposals
Why Simultaneously Submit Your Proposal
Within the publishing world, in general, if you get a response from an editor or literary agent, it can…
January 26, 2026 -
The Picky Pen
How to Punctuate Dialogue
Whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, you will likely use dialogue in your work. Let’s have a little…
January 22, 2026 -
Writers Chat
Writers Chat Recap for November & December
Writers Chat, hosted by Johnnie Alexander, Brandy Brow, Melissa Stroh, and Norma Poore. The place where craft connects community!…
December 31, 2025 -
The Picky Pen
Misplaced Modifiers
As an author, you have to carefully craft sentences that grab the reader’s attention. Part of that, as I…
November 19, 2025 -
The Picky Pen
Common Apostrophe Mistakes
Apostrophes are small and barely noticeable punctuation marks, but without them the reader would have a difficult time deciphering…
September 22, 2025 -
Book Proposals
An Excellent Proposal Involves Hard Work
Many authors are looking for a magic bullet or system or action they can take to get published and…
August 26, 2025 -
The Picky Pen
Verb Verbiage
As a writer, it can sometimes be difficult to get your thoughts down on paper, much less stick to…
August 22, 2025 -
The Picky Pen
Figurative Language
Did you ever wonder how other authors make stories so interesting? Sure, they vary the structure of the sentences,…
July 23, 2025 -
Devotions for WritersHow to Clean Your Blinds
I sighed and closed the puzzle on my phone. Company was coming and I couldn’t put it off any…
July 3, 2025 -
A Lighter Look at the Writer's LifeLet’s Do It Again!
“That was good! Let’s do it again!” A few years ago, I was a cast member in a community…
May 13, 2025 -
The Picky Pen
Creating a Story Title
Do you have difficulty coming up with a title for your article or story? This is sure to be…
February 22, 2025
