Rachelle M.N. Shaw's Blog: From Mind to Paper: On Writing and Editing, page 5

Book Progress, a Newsletter, and a YA Chat

As I'm sure you guys have noticed, I haven’t quite been up to par with the number of posts on my blog for this month. But that’s not to say nothing’s been happening. In fact, quite the opposite is true, which is the reason I’ve fallen a bit behind lately. Aside from a lot of editing projects on my plate, I’ve been busy starting new writing projects, working on old ones, and seeking out reviews for my latest ebook. I also have a lot of upcoming events and news to share with you guys!

First, I w...

10 Reasons Every Fiction Writer Should Learn Technical Writing

I know many of you who write fiction are probably cringing at the words technical writing, but hear me out. Though fiction and technical pieces are very different and require unique skills, they also have a remarkable amount of overlap. I’ve been writing fiction most of my life, but I’ve actually spent much of my career working as a technical writer. I’ve worked on brochures, manuals, newsletters, you name it. It sounds pretty drab, but there’s something beautiful to me about meticulously cra...

#PitMad

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this event, #PitMad has been filling the feeds of Twitter today! It’s an event where authors get the chance to pitch their book to agents and publishers and get instant feedback. Fellow Twitter users are able to retweet their favorite pitches that authors post, and publishers and agents will favorite any pitch they like, giving the author an instant “in” for submitting their manuscript! Pretty cool if you’re a new author who doesn’t have many connectio...

Top 10 FMTP Blog Posts

Today I'm going to share the top ten blog posts of mine based on your feedback. All these posts are articles that you guys have chosen as helpful resources for writing and editing advice. As always, thank you guys for the support, and I hope to see you at the chat about self-publishing this coming week!

10 TIPS FOR BECOMING A BETTER EDITOR
http://rachellemnshaw.com/blog/2015/03/10-tips-for-becoming-a-better-editor
http://fmtpextended.tumblr.com/post/114724958550/10-tips-for-becoming-a-better-ed...

The Eyes That Moved - Cover Reveal!

It's finally here! Today I get to share the cover of my short story with you guys. :)

My short story is available for pre-order on Amazon and has an official release date of May 16th. It will be available elsewhere (Smashwords and such) later in the fall, but I'm participating in KDP Select for the next few months, so it will be exclusive to Amazon during that time. However, it is available through Kindle Unlimited for free and can be shared with another person through Amazon's lending progr...

Q&A Reminder!

Just a quick reminder for my upcoming Q&A event on Saturday, May 9th. I'll be posting tips for writing and answering any questions thrown my way about the writing and editing process. So if you have any questions about grammar, punctuation, world building, character development, an idea you have for a book, or you just want to chat about writing, feel free to join in! The chat will be taking place from 9 PM to 10 PM EDT under the hashtag #RMNSchats. I hope to hear from you guys!

5 Reasons a Literary Magazine Will Reject You

Striving to get a piece accepted by a literary magazine is a great way to get to get your foot in the door as an author. It helps get you recognized and gives you credibility. During the time I worked with the online literary magazine The Corner Club Press, I got the chance to see what it was like on the other side. I saw just how overwhelming all the submissions could be, and I was able to experience firsthand what it takes to put an issue together. I was lucky enough to work with some amazi...

New Site, an eBook, and a Giveaway!

Promotion posts aren’t usually my style, but I’ve had a lot brewing behind the scenes lately, so I wanted to share the results with you guys. First, I've redesigned my site so that you can now find my main blog, information about my editing services, and snippets from all my current writing projects all in one place. I’ve incorporated an events calendar where I’ll be posting cover reveals, Q&A sessions about writing on Twitter, giveaways, and upcoming blog topics. More book reviews and author...

10 Tips for Becoming a Better Editor

1. Brush up on your grammar and punctuation. There is a sea of information about grammar and punctuation online. Research it, learn it, and practice it. Just make sure you’re getting your info from reputable sites that know what they’re talking about. I recommend Grammar Girl, Purdue’s OWL, and—for the most part—GrammarBook.com. You can also check out the latest blog series of mine, The Grammar Grind, for short but information-packed articles about grammar and punctuation as well as additiona...

The Grammar Grind: Apostrophes

Apostrophes are one of the trickiest types of punctuation to master, apart from commas. The rules are straight forward, but the exceptions are what make them tricky. Their primary function is to indicate ownership. However, they are also used to show omission of letters, and, in very rare cases, in forming plurals. The hardest thing to master is their use with irregular nouns and compound nouns, so pay particular attention to placement when dealing with those.

Possession The Basics

The most b...