Redundancy Quiz #38 for Writers: Can You Score 100%?

Redundancy Quiz #38 for Writers

What Are Redundancies?

These nuisances are superfluous words or phrases also known as pleonasms. Rather than augment writing, they slow action scenes and increase word count — without adding constructive details.

About The Quiz

This quiz, the thirty-eighth in its series, offers ten sentences containing redundancies, and ten suggested solutions.

They are edited examples from books, news media, television shows, and overheard conversations.
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More Than 100 Ways to Say Gasp: A Word List for Writers

Ways to Say Gasp

Why Gasp?

“Laugh until you gasp for breath.” ~ George Carlin

“I will defend the importance of bedtime stories to my last gasp.” ~ J. K. Rowling

“Master, go on, and I will follow thee. To the last gasp with truth and loyalty.” ~ William Shakespeare

“Nothing of value is free. Even the breath of life is purchased at birth only through gasping effort and pain.” ~ Robert A. Heinlein

Sometimes a gasp is louder than a scream, but you might scream louder than any gasp if you find too many gasps in your writing.

Definition

gasp: to inhale suddenly with the mouth open, especially because of pain, surprise, or shock

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Again: Free Humorous Microfiction of Exactly 100 Words

Again: 100-Word Microfiction

According to Wikipedia, a drabble is

“a short work of fiction of precisely one hundred words in length. The purpose of the drabble is brevity, testing the author’s ability to express interesting and meaningful ideas in a confined space.”

Here’s a humorous example in second person imperative.

Does it tell a story?

You decide.
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How to Spot Fake Book Promoters, Publishers, and Agents

Genuine Agent? Promoter? Publisher

The Agony of Being a Wordsmith

Some days it might feel as though there are more scammers than writers on the planet. Try these tips to protect yourself and your writing.

Does This Sound Familiar?

You receive an e-mail from an “agent” who is searching for new clients. The e-mail compliments you and volunteers to represent you. Oh, by the way, there’s an upfront fee required.

Or you receive an e-mail from a “publisher” who raves about your book but doesn’t mention it by name. They promise to publish it for you, but first they’ll need _________ [fill in monetary amount].

Someone contacts you via direct messaging or a comment on social media with a message like:

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