TakingDictation

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The SAC Format for Writing Powerful Concluding Paragraphs

Food photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com In my previous post, I covered how to nail introductory paragraphs, particularly for articles. Today, let’s cover how to wrap it all up with fantastic concluding paragraphs. The...
magazines

How to Write a Solid Article Introduction Using AMAP

Web and magazine articles are some of the most consumed content in the modern age. But what happens if your article introduction stinks? Because of the sheer quantity of pieces out there, if your article...
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Scripts in Writing Are Dangerous. Here’s Why

Lately, I’ve been listening to a ton of podcasts. Although they cover a host of different topics, they almost all start the same way if there’s a guest: “Thanks for being on the show.” “Thanks...

5 Ways to Quickly Improve Your Writing

If you want to improve your writing, then by far the best way to do it is to just write, and to do it a lot. There’s no magic quick fix for honing your own...

Short Writing Deadlines Can Boost Your Quality and Confidence. Here’s How

Image by Wanda Thibodeaux via Canva If you’ve read any of my previous blog posts, then you already know that I’m a huge advocate of not forcing writing if you’re just not feeling it. Forced...

Protagonist and Antagonist: Why Morally Gray Is Good

Image by Alexas_Fotos via Canva In traditional writing, there’s often a clear protagonist and antagonist. The protagonist is the character (or idea) that represents everything good and right. The antagonist is the character (or idea)...

Chapter Titles in Your Books: Genius or Disaster?

Every fiction book has a title. That’s a given. But chapter titles? That’s messier. The case against chapter titles… Most fiction books I’ve read don’t use chapter titles. They use numbers. More specifically, writers generally...
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Do Modern Writers Lean Too Much on Blunt Shock Value?

Catching your readers off guard for a little shock value once in a while isn’t a bad thing. It can make your story seem more novel (pun intended). That freshness can motivate people to go...
clocks

4 Tricks to Write Faster

I’m a firm believer that writing should take the time it takes and shouldn’t be forced. After all, sometimes life happens. We all have times when we feel like crap or are overwhelmed. In those...

12 Things Great Writers Never Do

Writers are similar to any other professional in that they want to do their absolute best in their craft and have best practices (e.g., ALWAYS back up files, get feedback on drafts). Most successful writers...