Second Look
Choose Which Adjective Is Doing the Work
A row of adjectives can make an object feel less distinct because the reader has to assemble several competing impressions. A short subtraction exercise…
A place to follow a sentence
Notes for the writing life
Draft & Structure
Before Revising an Action Scene, Sketch Where Everyone Can Stand
An action scene can become difficult to follow even when each sentence sounds clear. A rough floor plan exposes movements that the prose may have…
Second Look
A Colon Can Make the Second Half of a Sentence Deliver on the First
A colon can create a small promise: the words before it prepare the reader for what follows. Testing that relationship is more useful than adding the mark…
Second Look
A Misplaced Description Can Attach Itself to the Wrong Person
A sentence can contain all the right details and still briefly attach one to the wrong person. Revision begins by checking which noun a descriptive phrase…
Second Look
Passive Voice Can Change What a Sentence Puts First
Compare active and passive versions of a sentence to choose its focus deliberately, while checking whether an unnamed actor matters to the reader.
Draft & Structure
A Scene Can End on a Decision Before Its Consequence Arrives
Experiment with ending a fictional scene at the moment of choice, then compare how much explanation the next scene really needs.
Draft & Structure
A Placeholder Can Keep a First Draft Moving if You Can Find It Again
Use a distinctive placeholder for missing facts or scenes during drafting, then search for every marker before treating the piece as finished.
Second Look
A Draft Can Have Too Many Sentences That Begin the Same Way
Mark repeated sentence openings in a draft and vary the structure where it obscures emphasis, while preserving repetition that serves a clear purpose.