To learn the ins and outs of writing and editing books, view Meg’s latest published content below, including iWriterly videos and feature articles.
Although all writers have their own speeds when it comes to their creative process, one desire is prevalent among them—wanting to write a book faster. The aspiration to write a book more quickly could be due to a variety of reasons or circumstances, such as needing to adhere to deadlines (self-imposed or from a publisher), … Continue reading Savvy Authors Blog: 14 Tricks to Write a Book Faster
All writers want their prose to read smoothly and have the reader fully engaged without being pulled from the story due to an overabundance of unnecessary words that make sentences read clunkier. These unnecessary words are often referred to as “filler words.” Filler words aren’t necessarily “bad” words, and they have their place in the … Continue reading Savvy Authors Blog: Filler Words to Remove From Your Novel
Making your dream of becoming a full-time author a reality. Most writers have a few things in common: A need to write A habitual overconsumption of caffeine A desire to make writing their career However, in order to be able to sustain yourself (and your family) on your writing, it's important to treat your passion … Continue reading Why You Should Treat Your Passion Like a Job
Do you have ideas for a book but don’t know where to start or how to write a novel? Or maybe you’ve written several manuscripts in the past and are looking to standardize your process. Learn how in these 11 easy steps. Every writer has their own unique brainstorming, planning, and writing process when it … Continue reading Savvy Authors Blog: How to Write a Book in 11 Steps
Voice is an element that can make or break a book. Even if a book’s premise isn’t fresh or if the story hits on a few overdone scenarios, clichés, and tropes, voice will have readers flipping through the pages, wondering what will become of their beloved characters. On the flipside, if a book has a … Continue reading Savvy Authors Blog: How to Give Your Character a Unique Voice
Heya, book nerds! On Friday, February 23, I participated in Revise and Resub's #10queries event on Twitter along with a fabulous team of freelance editors. Writers had the chance to submit their queries and first five pages into a drawing. Ten submissions were randomly selected for each editor, which were critiqued through the #10queries event … Continue reading Twitter Event Recap: #RevPit #10queries
Let's talk about critique partners and beta readers. I've been seeing a handful of Tweets and blogs from people the writing community, claiming critique partners and beta readers aren't necessary—or even that they negatively impact your manuscript. While it's possible to have a bad experience with critique partners (also called CPs) and beta readers, I'm … Continue reading Why Critique Partners & Beta Readers Are Essential to Your Writing
There are many things publishing professionals look for in your first pages and chapter: voice, storytelling personality, if the story starts in the right place, showing vs. telling, grammar, grasp of the English language, and more. As a freelance developmental editor and former literary agent, I usually knew after the first few pages or chapter … Continue reading Savvy Authors Blog: How an Editor Knows Your Book Isn’t Ready After the First Chapter
Writers are a strange group of people. We hole ourselves up in rooms or in the corner of a public area with the sole wish of being left to record our cluttered thoughts. Our minds are a dangerous breeding ground of stories—as though 54 tabs are open on a web browser and all vying for … Continue reading Savvy Authors Blog: Top 17 Writer Stereotypes
The phrase “showing vs. telling” has been uttered thousand of times by writers and industry professionals alike. But what does it actually mean? And why, oh why does it so often lead to automatic rejections from literary agents? Writing a book, like any other skill in life, is one that is honed and perfected through practice. … Continue reading Savvy Authors Blog: Mastering Showing vs. Telling
