Friday Writing Question: Who?

Hey SE Readers. Joan with you today. It’s time for another writing question. All of us have people who have impacted our lives. Most of the time, we think of people who have had a positive influence. Yet other times, a person may have made negative remarks that we took to heart. Encouraging words can …

Avoiding The Use of Clichés

Hey, SE Readers. Joan here today. In a recent post, I wrote about overusing similes and metaphors. Today I’m going to talk about other overused phrases in writing—clichés. Unlike similes and metaphors, which can be skillfully used, we should avoid clichés like the plague. So, what is a cliché? They are trite, stereotyped expressions, sentences, …

Using Similes and Metaphors

Hi, SE Readers. Joan here today. We’ve all heard of similes and metaphors. Most of us have probably used them in our writing at some point. Using a simile or metaphor is an easy way to describe a character’s personality or what they are feeling. Both similes and metaphors are used to make comparisons, but …

Five For Friday: Summer Activities

Hi, SE Readers. Joan here with another Five for Friday post. For those of you living in the US, I hope you enjoyed the holiday yesterday. And for our Canada friends, a belated Happy Canada Day. It's summer in the northern hemisphere - a time of shorter nights and longer days. Having decided that I …

Using a Professional Editor

Hi, SE Readers. Joan here today to talk about the importance of using an editor. Self-editing, beta readers, and critique partners or groups are all an important aspect of the writing process. Each step has its benefits. Some writers may not use beta readers, and others don’t have a critique partner or group. I believe …