Cliche Finder
Have you been searching for just the right cliché to use? Are you searching for a cliché using the word "cat" or "day" but haven't been able to come up with one? Just enter any words in the form below, and this search engine will return any clichés which use that phrase... Over 3,300 clichés indexed! What exactly is a cliche?See my definition Do you know of any clichés not listed here?
How to Create an Instant Bestselling Novel
How to Create an Instant Bestselling Novel by Cliff Pickover Please consider the following helpful tips. These will make it easier to get your stories or novels published. These tips will help you write good fiction in general. First, buy a National Geographic magazine. Page through it and select a setting.
Passive and Active Voice - Writing Academy
Passive Voice is fairly simple, and yet it's quite possibly one of the most maligned (and misused) terms a writer is likely to come across. If you've landed on this page, it's possible you've seen the term thrown around like so much glitter in a paranormal teen romance novel. A lot of beginning writers—and even some established ones who ought to know better—use the word "passive" to describe parts of a piece of writing that they think need to be rewritten, or that they think breaks some other "rule" of writing. This use of "passive" is probably unstoppable at this point, and it's not very helpful, for two big reasons: It's a vague term, and people use it in different ways.
6 of the Best Pieces of Advice from Successful Writers
I’ve been reading some advice from successful writers lately and exploring what their routines are like to see what I can learn about Here are six of the most common pieces of advice I came across that have helped me a lot improving my writing here at Buffer. It also features actionable tips for you on how to implement them in your own writing.
Eight Secrets Which Writers Won’t Tell You
Image from Flickr by Lazurite This is not particularly relevant to the post, but I’m getting an awful lot of comments telling me, often a little snarkily, “it’s ‘THAT’ not ‘WHICH’”. The “don’t use which for restrictive clauses” rule comes (as far as I can tell) from Strunk and White. Plenty of authors, including Austen, have used “which” exactly as I use it in the title.
Is Your Writing Any Good?
Do you ever worry that your writing might not be much good? When I talk to writers, especially those who are just beginning to get their work out there in the world, one of the most common fears they have is “I’m not good enough.” All too often, I find myself surprised that they can’t see the strength of their own words. But then I have to remind myself that we all go through these doubts – and sometimes, we have to conquer them again and again on our writing journey. What about you – is your writing any good? I’m going to give you seven big clues that tell whether or not your writing is good … even if you can say “Yes” to just one of these, then you’re definitely in the running.
The Show Versus Tell Debate - Writing Academy
Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. — Anton Chekhov Show, Don't Tell is a writing maxim. Many believe it's shorthand for Anton Chekhov's tutorial comment about the moon and the glass. Like most maxims, Show, Don't Tell is a simplification, a pithy summary of a general rule, in this case condensed writing advice. Most writers interpret that Show, Don't Tell means one should write vividly with detailed images, sensory information, and/or dramatized action (show) rather than in abstract summaries or simple statements (tell). Before we explore this maxim, it's important to note that there's a reason it's called storytelling.
42 Fiction Writing Tips for Novelists
Writing tips for fiction writers. The more I explore fiction writing, the more complex and multi-layered it becomes. Through the processes of brainstorming, outlining, researching, writing, and revising, I have discovered countless details that authors have to consider as they set out to produce a viable work of fiction.
"How To Bullshit Your Way Through Any Essay" by K W Schroeder
If there is one thing college kids neglect the most, besides basic diet and hygiene, it’s the homework assignment essay. Hastily written and utterly unedited the night before it’s due, the modern essay has become something of a nightmare for lackadaisical college students. But writing an essay that seems like it was written by someone with more than a double-digit IQ is not nearly as difficult as it seems, I assure you. Even the laziest Guitar Hero II god can whiz through an essay that reads like it was written by F. Scott Motherfucking Fitzgerald. What seems difficult and scary is actually as simple and accessible as you can want.
Novel Writing: Choosing a Method that Works Best for You by Margo L. Dill
riting a novel is one of the biggest accomplishments of a writer’s life. Every novelist has her own way of writing a novel. From outlining to sticky notes to just writing the darn thing, novel writing is a process that can differ for each writer.
Cheat Sheet - Body Language
Translate emotions into written body language We are always told to use body language in our writing. Sometimes, it's easier said than written. I decided to create these cheat sheets to help you show a character's state of mind.
25 Insights on Becoming a Better Writer
When George Plimpton asked Ernest Hemingway what the best training for an aspiring writer would be in a 1954 interview, Hem replied, “Let’s say that he should go out and hang himself because he finds that writing well is impossibly difficult. Then he should be cut down without mercy and forced by his own self to write as well as he can for the rest of his life. At least he will have the story of the hanging to commence with.” Today, writing well is more important than ever.
The Age of the Essay
September 2004 Remember the essays you had to write in high school? Topic sentence, introductory paragraph, supporting paragraphs, conclusion.
