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Everybody Does It—Common Writing Mistakes

October 10, 2012 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Yes, all writers make mistakes. And some writing mistakes are made by many writers. A list of the most common writing mistakes I see in manuscripts and fixes for those mistakes.

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Bad Dialogue—Bad, Bad Dialogue

November 3, 2011 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

We’ve all seen bad, laugh-worthy dialogue. Examples of bad dialogue and ways to avoid writing it.

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Multi-Tasking Characters or Impossible Actions?

July 27, 2011 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Characters look phony and unreal, making fiction seem unreal, when writers give them concurrent actions that can’t possibly happen at the same time.

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Participial Phrases? C’mon, You Made that Up

February 6, 2011 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Participial phrases have something to do with writing? You probably think I’m pulling your leg when I say that they do. But I promise I’m not. And I promise you’ll recognize these oddly named phrases once you see them. Learn how to use these modifiers correctly to bring variety and clarity to your writing.

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Misused Words—Common Writing Mistakes

January 11, 2011 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

A list of commonly misused words is not a very exciting article. But all writers and editors should know how to use words correctly and how to identify misused words. Here are some confusing and commonly misused words.

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Comma Splice—A Common Writing Mistake

January 3, 2011 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Comma splices are common writing mistakes that are easily corrected. Learn how to identify comma splices and how to correct them.

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Maintain Point of View

October 11, 2010 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Maintaining a consistent point of view is critical for fiction, for keeping the story real. When a reader is pulled from one point of view and thrust into another, he can lose his connection to the story. He can lose his belief that the story is true.

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Like vs. As

July 26, 2010 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Like and as are often used interchangeably when they shouldn’t be, since each has its own uses. Simple rules for the correct use of like and as.

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Dangling Modifiers—A Common Writing Mistake

June 19, 2010 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Dangling modifiers are a common fiction writing mistake. The good news is, they’re easy to identify and quite easy to fix. Make sure that you’re not dangling your modifiers throughout your novel.

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Common Writing Mistakes

June 9, 2010 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill

Common writing mistakes can be made by any writer at any stage in his career. Write better fiction by being aware of these common writing mistakes.

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