Writers don’t have trouble finding their own voice, but what about when you need other voices, as in character dialogue?

A conversation between two or more characters is almost as much about what they don’t say as what they do.

A writer must paint the scene with words and then find the right words for the character dialogue.

This is when two incredible forms of writing collide into a “must-read” copy.

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All writers know the feeling.

You’re staring at a blank screen, and the words just won’t come.

Anxiety about the writing task that lies ahead puts a knot in the pit of your stomach.

Did you know that this anxiety can actually help you to become a better writer if you know how to challenge it positively?

What you need is affirmations for writers.

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Writers who make effective use of loaded language produce influential and memorable writings.

A word’s meaning changes depending on how you use it and the meaning of other words you include with it.

Loaded language exists in our everyday world.

We hear them in the news, from politicians, and sometimes even from our friends and family.

When someone wants to influence you, they load their words.

The art of persuasion thrives off loaded language.

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How long can a story be before it’s no longer a short story?

Or what’s the maximum short story length for flash fiction?

If you’re a fiction writer, you’re already familiar with the distinction between short stories, novellas, and novels.

But now that short stories themselves have sub-species of different lengths, how do you know which is which?

Do those stories you see in your Twitter feed from fellow writers qualify as short stories?

In other words, if there’s a maximum length for a short story, is there also a minimum one?

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Do you know the difference between a hyphen and a dash?

Or between an en dash and an em dash?

(Who even came up with the en dash as a separate thing?)

Even if you’re pretty sure of the difference between all three, sometimes it helps to read a clear overview of what sets these marks apart — and which one goes where.

By the time you read this post, you’ll be a hyphen vs. dash expert.

Prepare yourself.

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You’ve run across epigraphs that made you smile — and some that sent a chill up your spine.

You have some idea of what it is, but what purpose does an epigraph serve?

You’ve felt the words of a well-chosen epigraph draw you in immediately, setting a specific mood, foreshadowing elements of a story, or hinting at a theme.

How do you create the same magic for your book?

Read on to find out.

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You’ve got some great content you want to add to your book.

But you’re not sure if including it in the main body of your work is a good idea.

Though it’s helpful and interesting (at least to you), it would interrupt the flow of the chapter it supports.

Plus, it’s not essential for understanding your book.

But it does add something you think is pretty special.

So, you’re thinking, “Is this appendix material?”

Read on to find out.

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