Types of Nonfiction Writing (Made Easy)

Are you trying to wrap your head around the differences between the types of nonfiction writing? Let me make that headache go away. First, there are two broad categories of nonfiction: research nonfiction and creative nonfiction. Research nonfiction is straight factual writing. Essentially, it means journalism (the kind stuff you find in the newspapers). Creative nonfiction, by contrast, is any ... Read More

Rhythm and Sound: Two Secret Keys to Exceptional Prose Writing

As a book editor, I notice subtle distinctions between manuscripts written by aspiring writers versus seasoned authors. One of these distinctions is hardly ever talked about in writing classes, but in my experience, it makes all the difference between lumbering and polished prose. I’m talking about the rhythm and sound of a sentence. We all know rhythm and sound are ... Read More

Three Tips to Brighten Your Writing

As a professional editor and writing coach, I find different clients making many of the same writing errors. If I had to narrow it down, I’d say these three are the most common among aspiring authors:
sentences stuffed with “clutter words,” long prepositional-phrase trains, and grandiose verbiage. Here are some tips to help you identify and remove these from your writing …

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The Rule of Three in a Series

Bet you didn’t know this little rule of thumb, that will make your sentences trimmer and more professional whenever you have a series of something. And the rule is (drum roll): only list three in a series! Not four, not five, not as many items as you would like to list in the sentence, but three. Three period. If you have four, ... Read More

When to Capitalize Job Titles and Positions

One of the most common misuses of capital letters I come across as a professional editor is titles of jobs and positions. I think that’s because people remember sometimes seeing them capitalized, so they conclude that they always get capitalized. In fact, the opposite is usually the case. It’s okay to capitalize the name of a job or position only ... Read More