Friday March 29
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Edit While Formatting—One More Chance to Get It Right

January 8, 2016 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

If you plan to self-publish, you or someone you hire will be responsible for formatting for print. Allow yourself time to format correctly and to adjust the text to fit into your book’s design.

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Introduce Me with a Comma

August 27, 2015 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Many introductory sentence elements are followed by a comma. Yet not all are. A discussion of comma use with elements at the beginning of a sentence.

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Fiction Writers Can’t Be One-Trick Ponies

July 5, 2015 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

While a single skill might have prompted you to begin a novel, begin writing for fun or as a career, that single skill is insufficient for preparing you to write novels. Encouragement for writers to branch out and learn new skills.

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Reader Saturation—Dealing with Changing Reader Tastes

July 2, 2015 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Even your most avid fans may hunger for a different protagonist, a different story world, or even a different genre. Consider options for when readers become saturated by elements of your stories.

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Betrayal—the Ultimate Conflict

June 15, 2015 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Conflict moves a story forward, keeping both characters and readers involved. Consider the ultimate conflict—betrayal by a friend—as a way to amp up the conflict in your fiction.

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Use Beta Readers to Strengthen Your Stories

June 12, 2015 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Tips for using beta readers to help strengthen your manuscripts before publication or submission to agents and editors.

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Is Your Storytelling Unbalanced?

April 25, 2015 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

An examination of the storytelling modes to see how they effect story. Topics include narrative, dialogue, exposition, description, and narrative summary.

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Using Names in Fiction—4 Tips

March 7, 2015 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Suggestions for ways to use character names in fiction, especially at the beginning of stories when readers are just meeting the characters.

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Don’t Explain, Don’t Explain, Don’t Explain

March 3, 2015 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Excessive and unnecessary explanations can weaken the dramatic and emotional impact of sentences. Learn why explanations are often unnecessary and annoying.

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Lyrics and Poetry in Fiction—Copyright, Drawbacks, and Other Problems

February 21, 2015 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Information on copyright law, fair use doctrine, and creative ways to use song lyrics and poetry in your fiction.

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