by Gail Kerzner | Jun 14, 2023 | Author Advice, General Writing, Grammar, Language Trends, Tips and Tricks
As writers, we have all experienced the dreaded phenomenon: the block. Even some of the world’s most renown authors have been through it—and overcome. Here are eight ways they did it, and you can too. You know the drill: you find yourself staring at the blank screen...
by Gail Kerzner | Jun 10, 2023 | Author Advice, General Writing, Grammar, Tips and Tricks
As I have advised previously, when writing, the first step is pouring your ideas onto the page and getting them out of your head. You can do that with the confidence that you will edit . . . later. When “later” comes, it is a good idea to have some strong...
by Gail Kerzner | Nov 20, 2022 | Author Advice, General Writing, Grammar, Tips and Tricks
We love our English teachers (I’m one, too!), but let’s debunk these grammar myths penalty free! Times have changed, and we can relax a little—unless our academic and style guides dictate us otherwise. The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) is on our side! Top 10 Grammar...
by Gail Kerzner | Jul 9, 2021 | Author Advice, General Writing, Grammar, OOPSS, Tips and Tricks
We often write the way we speak. And sloppy talk usually gives way to sloppy writing. We often leave off the D at the end of “suppose” when we write because we typically omit it when we say it, right? I probably say, “I am suppose (I actually pronounce it suh-poz if...
by Gail Kerzner | Jun 28, 2021 | Author Advice, General Writing, Grammar, OOPSS, Tips and Tricks
Effective writing is clear and concise, right? In a previous blog and my eBook, 10 Tips to Self-Edit a Book, I offer Cut It Out! as a strategy to get rid of extraneous, meaningless words. These include very and really and fluff like due to the fact that instead of...
by Gail Kerzner | Jun 18, 2021 | Author Advice, General Writing, Grammar, Language Trends, Tips and Tricks
June 2021: It’s PRIDE Month, 30 days to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and the impact on local, national, and international news—especially the struggle against discrimination and ostracism. Specifically, PRIDE month commemorates the June 1969 Stonewall Uprising in...
