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Writing Coach
Word of the Month – Incongruous
by, Audrey Arnold
September 30, 2020

Incongruous – adjective Out of keeping or place; inappropriate; unbecoming (Dictionary.com) Not harmonious in character; inconsonant; lacking harmony of parts; inconsistent (Dictionary.com) Unusual or different from what is around or from what is generally happening (Cambridge) Appearing strange or wrong within a particular situation (Cambridge) Lacking congruity: such as not harmonious: incompatible not conforming: disagreeing inconsistent within itself lacking propriety: unsuitable (Merriam-Webster) “Incongruous is a… [Read More]

Filed Under: Incongruous, word of the month
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Word of the Month – Colloquial
by, Audrey Arnold
August 18, 2020

Colloquial – adjective Characteristic of or appropriate to ordinary or familiar conversation rather than formal speech or writing; informal (Dictionary.com) Using conversational style (Merriam-Webster) (Of words and expressions) Informal and more suitable for use in speech than in writing (Cambridge) “The noun colloquy was first used in English to refer to a conversation or dialogue, and when the adjective colloquial was formed from colloquy it… [Read More]

Filed Under: colloquial expressions, colloquialism, informal writing, word of the month, Writing tips
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Word of the Month – Denouement
by, Audrey Arnold
July 28, 2020

Denouement – noun The final outcome of the main dramatic complication in a literary work (Merriam-Webster) The outcome of a complex sequence of events (Merriam-Webster) The end of a story, in which everything is explained, or the end result of a situation (Cambridge) “The denouement is the final outcome of the story, generally occurring after the climax of the plot. Often it’s where all the… [Read More]

Filed Under: Endings, word of the month, Writing tips
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Copyrights, Permissions, and Liability Lightning Rods — by Ann Marie Ackermann
by, Audrey Arnold
March 26, 2019

Ann Marie Ackermann, author of Death of an Assassin: The True Story of the German Murderer Who Died Defending Robert E. Lee, will be at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, on April 9. She will give a book talk with the Tippecanoe Civil War Roundtable. This is her third trip from Germany to the U.S. to promote her book since it was released by… [Read More]

Filed Under: Ann Marie Ackermann, Copyright, copyright infringement, copyright permissions, Death of an Assassin, Fair Use, German Copyright Law, Germany, Kent State University Press, Purdue University, US Copyright Law
1 Comment
Who is Your Reader?
by, Jill Swenson
December 11, 2018

Every writer hopes to captivate an audience. But who are you writing to? When you write a letter, you address your reader directly. When you write a speech, you anticipate a particular group of listeners. If you write a news article, you have a strong sense of who the readers will be, and your writing reflects your grasp of how best to address their subscribers…. [Read More]

Filed Under: audience identification, bookstore, children's literature, fiction, GoodReads, library, Nonfiction, YA
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Advice for Authors
by, Jill Swenson
October 23, 2018

Whether you are an aspiring author or on your sixth or seventh book, professional development comes with the territory. The business of being an author can be overwhelming for many people who don’t have the background. How can you best prepare for today’s marketplace? I’ve worked with writers on their craft for decades and these are the secrets to the success of their writing and… [Read More]

Filed Under: Asian American Journalists Association, Authors Guild, AWP, BookCon!, Military Writers Society of America, National Association of Memoir Writers, National Association of Science Writers, PEN America, Poets & Writers, publisher''s weekly, Romance Writers of America, Shelf Awareness, Society for Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, Writer's Digest
1 Comment
August is for Reading
by, Jill Swenson
July 10, 2018

From now through August, Swenson Book Development LLC offers a special package for editorial feedback on the first ten pages of your manuscript. I want to read what you’ve been writing. One of the most frequent requests I get from writers is a simple answer to the general question: is this any good? In order to answer any questions about a manuscript, you need to… [Read More]

Filed Under: 10 pages, developmental edit, Good Prose, Summer Reading
1 Comment
The Perfect Pitch
by, Jill Swenson
June 5, 2018

When you write a book, it needs to be about something. When someone asks what your book is about, how do respond? Do you stumble over your words trying to describe your book? Time to pin down your premise. The perfect pitch means you need to hone your premise statement. Premise: The central idea, situation, or set-up which provides the foundation and pushes the narrative… [Read More]

Filed Under: Marketing, Pitch, premise
1 Comment
Mistakes Writers Can Avoid
by, Jill Swenson
March 6, 2018

Recently I finished teaching a six week workshop where one participant asked a tough question that has haunted me. “What shouldn’t I do as a writer? What mistakes can you help me avoid making?” I stumbled through an answer. I like to focus on the positive things writers can do to improve their writing and yet the question was a legitimate one. And in my… [Read More]

Filed Under: constructive criticism, genre, mistakes to avoid, query
2 Comments
How Studying Comp Titles Can Help You Develop a Marketing Plan
by, Jill Swenson
November 21, 2017

Where should your book be reviewed? What literary journals and magazines should you submit excerpts or adaptations to? Which bookstore events will be worth your while? Are there podcasts or radio interviews you should book to promote your new release? These and other questions you may have when you begin to put together a marketing strategy are not easy to answer. Studying your comp titles… [Read More]

Filed Under: author events, book marketing, comp titles, reviews
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