revision
Guide
What purple prose means, and how to fix it without going flat
Purple prose isn't just 'too many adjectives.' Here's a precise definition, a real before-and-after rewrite, and how to fix it without stripping your voice bare.4 min read
Craft
The case for writing a bad first draft
Perfectionism doesn't fail novels for lack of talent. It fails them by revising sentence three before sentence four exists. The two jobs have to stay separate.4 min read
Craft
Your dialogue tags are hurting your prose
Most writers over-tag dialogue out of anxiety, not necessity. Here's how to cut the "he said, she asked" clutter and let voice and action carry the scene.4 min read
Guide
Show, don't tell: what it actually means
Show, don't tell gets repeated so often it stops meaning anything. Here is what the advice actually asks you to do, and where telling is the better choice.4 min read
Guide
How to write dialogue that sounds real
Real dialogue isn't transcribed speech, it's engineered speech. Here's what to cut, what to leave in, and why your characters keep sounding like the same person.5 min read