by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28 It matters the words we choose. Stir up or incite? Weaken or languish? Move or sway? When you consider which word to write next, do you also consider the power behind the word? How it sounds to the reader’s inner ear? What picture it portrays? You…

by Alycia W. Morales @AlyciaMorales Writing a manuscript is an exhilarating journey, but just because we've typed The End doesn't mean we're finished with our manuscript. Not. Even. Close. What comes next is rewriting. This is where we try to make our writing better. We fix our soggy middles. Deepen…

by Alycia W. Morales @AlyciaMorales Self-edits can be tricky. We get so close to our manuscripts that we begin to miss the flaws. Our eyes and our brains skim right over them. So how can we improve our writing before we submit it to a freelance editor for polishing or an…

By Cherrilynn Bisbano, @chingaling3   Who wants to join me and lose some weight? Most of us could lose a pound or two. I lost twenty pounds through diet and exercise. The process is grueling and takes time and commitment. I keep the weight off by walking, going to the…

By Deb Haggerty, @DebHaggerty   As an editor, I read—a lot! And I find I get impatient with certain contrivances authors tend to overdo. I realize part of what we do as writers is our voice, but I also realize part is trying to impress or to ensure our readers get…

By Deb Haggerty, @DebHaggerty     ed•it \’e-dət\ vt [back-formation fr. editor] (1791) 1 a : to prepare (as literary material) for publication or public presentation b : to assemble (as a moving picture or tape recording) by cutting and rearranging c : to alter, adapt, or refine esp. to…