Taylor Houston

The Period Part 2 - Dot Dearth: Postponing The Period On Purpose

A continuation of last month's discussion of short sentence lengths. This month we'll explore the merits of the very long sentences.
Jon Gingerich

20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes

A list of some of the most common grammatical errors that routinely make it into print.
Taylor Houston

The Period Part 1—Lots o' dots: How frequent and deliberate use of the humble period can create maximum impact.

It may not seem like much, but that diminutive punctuation symbol at the end of your sentence has a lot of power. This article will focus on how to use the period to create different effects.
Rob Hart

Down With The Double Tap! (Why You Shouldn't Space Twice After Sentences)

Many of us were taught we should insert two spaces after a sentence, but it's the appendix of typography; it serves no purpose and we'd be better off without it. Here's how to break the habit.
Rob Hart

On Dialogue Tags: Why Anything Besides 'Said' And 'Asked' Is Lazy Writing

Expressive dialogue tags are the mark of lazy writing, because they break one of the cardinal rules--they tell instead of show. This is why 'said' and 'asked' are all you ever need.
Jon Gingerich

The Art Of The Rewrite

A true rewrite is not just editing, proofing or copy-editing, but a complete re-imagining of the work. Here’s a four-part process to fortify writers with a successful re-writing plan that works.
Craig Clevenger Photo

Night of the Living Syntax: Disembodied Action

In: Grammar
On giving your characters volition by making their actions deliberate, plus a handy postscript on the erroneous concept of the "passive verb." This essay originally appeared over at The Cult.
Stephen Graham Jones

This Is Not Oklahoma: OK vs. Okay

In: Craft, Grammar
This Is Not Oklahoma: OK vs. Okay. In the Age of the Laze Abbreviation, can we all just agree that it looks stupid?
Chuck Palahniuk

Names Versus Pronouns

How can you replace tired third-person pronouns with proper names without monotonous repetition? In this essay, Chuck challenges you to develop a whole range of names for each character and object in your fiction.