Stop! Back Away from the Exclamation Point! Yes, it’s a point of contention with me. I get aggravated over exclamation points. I never much liked this punctuation mark. I think it’s my least favorite unless you count an improper use of the semicolons. Now, properly...

You’ve done it! Finished that first draft. Now what? I recommend giving yourself some space before looking at it again, if time permits. A couple of weeks’ worth, at least. Clear your head. Read a novel. Write something else, or plan your next book. Then, when it’s...

Communication One goal—perhaps the central objective—of writing is communication. Whether we’re penning fiction or nonfiction, we’re trying to communicate ideas and story. Our words matter; our phrasing matters. One of an editor’s jobs is to interpret what the writer...