Traci M. Sanders's Blog, page 25

Tip #230: Elicit Vs. Illicit

Today’s post is about another set of homophones that have very different meanings–elicit and illicit. These are often confused because they sound alike, but they have little else in common. Here are the definitions: Elicit: to [...]

Tip #229: Questions in dialogue

Today’s post is about a pet peeve of mine that I find in writing quite often. This one goes all the way back to the primary rules about grammar. There are four basic types of [...]

Tip #228: Subplots – are yours subpar or sublime?

Today’s post is all about moving your story forward and keeping your readers invested in your writing. One way to do this is by offering subplots or small crises in each chapter. Notice I said small crises. [...]

Tip #227: Blonde Vs. Blond

Today’s post is short but important. When authors describe their characters, they use various color words to depict hair color, eye color, and body structure. One word that is frequently used, and misused, is blonde. [...]

Tip #226: Marketing books for young children and teens

Today’s post is about a topic I’m passionate about as a mom, and as an author. With so many movies, videos, and games at their fingertips it’s becoming increasingly difficult to encourage kids to read.  But [...]

Tip #225: Aisle Vs. Isle

Today’s post is about another set of homophones that are quite different in meaning, but many people get them confused because there is only one letter difference. I’m referring to the words aisle and isle. [...]

Tip #224: All sentences are not created equal (faulty parallelism)

Today’s post is about a topic that some of you might not be aware of in name, but chances are good that you’ve either made this mistake yourself or have experienced it in the writing [...]

Tip #223: Do you really need “it”?

Today’s post is about a tiny but powerful word that can water down writing. Just two little letters, or the lack thereof, can strengthen or weaken the connection your words have with your reader. Too [...]

Tip #222: Are you ready to write that?

Today’s post might be somewhat of a tough pill to swallow for some because the truth doesn’t always go down easily. However, that doesn’t make it any less necessary to hear.  As an author, you [...]

Tip #221:

This post is simply about misspelled words, and since words are the building blocks of all writing, I thought this was definitely a post that should be included in this segment.  Here is the most [...]