The Motivational Editor

Helping Writers Go from Unpublished to Published

Writing Skills

Piracy of Your Ebooks

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Piracy not allowed signThis past Saturday I discovered a website offering my newest ebook, Carried by Grace, for free.

What a shock! Piracy of my ebooks is something I never expected.

It’s bad enough getting robbed at home (a 4-time occurrence for me, ugh), but now people are attempting to rob me online. Hackers and thieves—I dare not get started on that topic.

This particular site offered quite a number of other ebooks for free download. Though I can’t say for sure, I suspect I was not his/her only victim.

I immediately looked for [Read more…] about Piracy of Your Ebooks

7 Ways to Overcome Trouble with Grammar

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grammar errors in a manuscriptComma, semicolon or colon, which one should I use?

Have I mixed past and present tense verbs in my story?

Do my subjects and verbs agree?

Do I have misplaced modifiers?

Aaahhh. English grammar can be infuriating and confusing. But a manuscript riddled with incorrect grammar is a sure-fire trip to File 13. What do you do to fix it? [Read more…] about 7 Ways to Overcome Trouble with Grammar

The Myth of Synonyms

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Precise verbs are important to every great book, be it fiction or non-fiction. In fact, where preciseness is concerned I can say that about nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and . . . Okay, all parts of speech.

During the draft process, you are focused on getting the ideas out of your head and into the computer. Don’t stop to struggle over a word choice during your draft. Hone in on your word choices when you start the revision.

Today, let’s take a look at 3 myths about choosing synonyms. [Read more…] about The Myth of Synonyms

16+ Free Online Resources for Doing Research for your Novel

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doberman doing research on a laptopSo, your work in progress takes place in the 1800s … or maybe it’s a contemporary story, but one that is set in a region of the country you’re unfamiliar with. You know you’ve got a lot of research to do to make your story accurate and credible, but where do you begin? [Read more…] about 16+ Free Online Resources for Doing Research for your Novel

Is Your Dream Still Unrealized?

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laptop 2Another year is drawing closed. Seems like only yesterday that I realized my dream of becoming a writer, yet it’s been over 12 years since the dream became reality.

In 2002 Focus on the Family hired me as a junior copywriter. And even though I was now working as a writer, I struggled to think of myself as one. I didn’t have a degree in journalism or English. I didn’t have any articles published in magazines, nor did I have a published book.

But that didn’t mean I wasn’t a writer. Long before becoming a copywriter, I was writing novels in my spare time. After putting my son to bed I’d sit down at the computer with a cup of coffee (and no it wasn’t decaf) and write for hours. Often until one in the morning.

I wasn’t just writing for fun or relaxation—those were side benefits. I wrote with the intention of [Read more…] about Is Your Dream Still Unrealized?

How to Review Your Story Scenes for Conflict

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horses jumping hurdles
Are the hurdles in your story growing harder?

As discussed in “6 Steps to Story Development,” a story needs conflict. In fact, without it you have no story. So let’s take a closer look and see how you can make sure you’re developing the conflict in your story.

James Scott Bell, in his book Conflict & Suspense, defines conflict this way: “a clash between at least two incompatible sides. One of those sides must be personal, that is, having the ability to exercise conscious will.”

At the heart of conflict are your character’s passion and goals. In review, here are 3 questions I posited in “Story Development”: [Read more…] about How to Review Your Story Scenes for Conflict

6 Steps to Story Development

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spinning platesWhen you get right down to it the major goal of the fiction writer is to keep the reader reading.

And like the performer who spins plates at the top of a stick, writers must spin several plates too—characters and character arc, plot and plot development, conflict, dialog, show vs. tell, and pacing. If we focus on only one aspect of story development and neglect the others, the story falls flat.

But that’s a lot to deal with. I certainly can’t get my brain wrapped around all those things at the same time as I write.

So what’s the answer?

Focus on one at a time, using these 6 steps. [Read more…] about 6 Steps to Story Development

5 Steps to Capture and Keep the Editor’s Interest

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I’m blogging over at the Palmetto Christian Writers Network today. Come join me for 5 Steps to Capture and Keep the Editor’s Interest.