Your best writing engages readers in the drama of the story so much that they see the action without noticing your words. This is especially true in dialogue, yet many...

Because celebrity sells books, not content, we must build what’s called a “platform,” which is nothing more than a label for achieving some level of celebrity status that guarantees book...

Since a period ends a statement, we know to put the period at the end of a sentence. But we still have one point to clarify: in quotations and dialogue,...

A period marks the end of a statement. No other mark will do. Some writers want to pause between statements, using a comma. Don’t do that. Today’s readers want a...

You can be smarter than college graduates with this one. Even some bestselling authors and experienced editors mistakenly use “in” when they should use “into,” carelessly encouraging readers to form...

We want to be effective communicators or we wouldn’t open our mouths, pick up a pen, or compose an email. Yet the results aren’t always what we want, and the...

Much of today’s society won’t listen to your truth. Why? They have their own truth. To believe otherwise would require displacement of their truth with what they’ve always believed was...

Most people have heard this truth: God loved the world enough to send his only son so everyone who believes in him won’t die but will live forever (John 3:16)....

Literary agent Donald Maass says “setup” always drags and should be left out. “Generally speaking,” he says, “it is best to start with action, cut backstory, avoid aftermath, limit description,...

Jack was developing a new business system—originally estimated to take him 1,000 hours. Every weekday, he arrived at the office early and left late. He worked on most Saturdays. He...