Author Blog

The difference between its and it’s looks tiny—just an apostrophe—but that small mark can completely change the meaning of your sentence.

If there’s one trio that makes spellcheck shrug in defeat, it’s there, their, and they’re. Get them mixed up, and even the strongest prose starts to wobble.

Few grammar tangles trip up writers more than lie and lay. Even editors and bestselling authors stumble here, and readers notice.

You’re writing along, feeling brilliant, and then you hit that speed bump: affect or effect? Even seasoned writers pause at this one. The good news is that once you know the difference, it’s easier than you think to get it right every time.

Cutting out tautology will make your writing more concise and professional, so watch out for these common tautology phrases while self-editing your writing.

Self-editing in no way replaces a professional editor, but it will result in a cleaner, better novel. So here are eight self-editing steps to help you set your novel up for success.

Whether you’re an aspiring writer or a seasoned author, mastering these literary elements can help you level up your writing.

Authors often struggle with how to write using parallel structure. This structure is necessary to make sentences readable, and using it will make your writing better. Here is a quick rundown on parallel structure and how not to confuse your reader.

Here are some cool infographics that will help even experienced author with those tricky grammar questions.

Hyphens are used to create compound words, but when is it appropriate to use a hyphen? Here are some tips that will help you with how to use hyphens.

We’ve discovered a few sites and apps for writers that we think you’ll love too! These helpful tools for writers can make writing easier and can help organize your writing life.

When you’re editing your book, watch out for these common editing mistakes that authors make.

Do you get sick of writing “he said/she said” or are you unsure how to punctuate dialogue tags? Here are 8 tips that will help you write and punctuate dialogue tags.

Tenant/tenet, then/than, bad/badly—do you really know the difference? Here are some words that writers commonly confuse and examples of how to use them.

When recounting events, “then” is a weak transition. Try eliminating “then” with specific references to time or location, or by listing characteristics. The excessive use of “then” can quickly become repetitive and is a lazy way of showing sequences of events.

To use or not to use a semicolon? Become a semicolon master with these 5 quick tips.

Are there instances when using “me” instead of “I” is correct? Yes, there are. And the rules are actually very simple, yet too many people, even authors, are still making this mistake. Let’s take a look.

When should you use apostrophes with omitted letters and possessives? Which way should they face? A few simple rules will help you use apostrophes with confidence.

Have you ever been confused about how to use or conjugate lay and lie? Mix-ups between these verbs is common, but with a few simple tips, you can always feel confident in your word choice.