A Good Read and a Writing Tip

Vendetta is an historical novel, a young man faces impossible odds, when pitted against a powerful manipulative foe.

Question from the e-mail: What are the most common mistakes you see in the manuscripts you receive? I don't expect you to answer all at once, but if you could put one up on your blog every few days, I will compile my own file of "What NOT to dos!" I'm getting it, Keep Sending Them!!

Answer:  A good many of these can be found in our Submission Guidelines, available on our web site.

NOT a grammar mistake, But... You are never supposed to let two characters talk in the same paragraph, even if they don’t change the subject.  Remember, in fiction dialogue, if the speaker changes, the paragraph changes. Readers expect that. Readers get lost and confused unless you follow that convention.

Ditto for paragraphing without changing the speaker. Yes in grammar the speech can continue for many paragraphs before someone finishes talking. BUT, that is for speeches at Graduation Exercises. If you write to entertain OR inform, don't do it! Again, it confuses the reader who, despite the missing close quote, will not necessarily  understand who is speaking.

I taught writing for 28 years. I know there are a lot of writing rules.

PUBLISHERS only have two:


1. Never Confuse the reader.

2. Never make unnecessary work for your editor, or do anything else that will increase costs in time or money....