Passive voice is a tricky subject for a lot of writers. It’s often not explained very well, and so many writers don’t really understand what passive voice is. Because of that, there tend to be a lot of blanket statements out there that passive voice is always bad and should never be used. Read the rest of this entry »

Adverbs are a contentious issue among fiction writers. A lot of writers use them liberally, and a lot of other writers try not to use them at all. It’s often said that adverbs are a sign of weak writing, and should be replaced with stronger verbs. Read the rest of this entry »

This is probably one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to writing. So many new (and, honestly, long-time) writers have horrible grammar. And so many new and long-time writers are such sticklers for the rules that their writing comes across as bland, formal, or academic. Neither of these is a good thing.

Grammar is a tool. When used properly, it can add meaning and structure to your writing. When used improperly, it can make your prose confusing and unintelligible. Punctuation, sentence structure, word usage, and spelling are all vital to creating effective prose. Learning how to use these things effectively is important if you want to be a good writer. But it’s also important to know how to disregard these things when writing in-character to give us better insight into who that character is. Read the rest of this entry »