Crystal Nevin Fantasy and Sci-Fi Editing

Using Commas, Part 2

Last month, I started covering rules on commas. I’m continuing covering more rules on commas here. (Yes, there are a lot of them!) As I mentioned last month, it’s important to remember that the overall goal of the comma is to increase readability. The comma rules I’m covering are based ...

Using Commas, Part 1

When to use commas (or not use them) is a common frustration among writers. It’s important to remember that the overall goal of the comma is to increase readability, or the ease of reading. They denote a slight pause in the reading. Therefore, regardless of the rules of commas, put ...

Using Track Changes as an Author

If you are an author who needs to use Word’s Track Changes feature to review suggestions from your editor or proofreader, then this blog is for you. If, instead, you’re an editor or proofreader who needs to use Track Changes to make suggestions to a client, read last month’s blog ...

Using Track Changes as an Editor

If you are an editor or proofreader who wants to use Word’s Track Changes feature to share your suggestions with your client, then this blog is for you. Next month’s blog will be from the other side: how to use Track Changes to review your editor’s or proofreader’s suggestions. For ...

Various Writing Advice

Over Labor Day weekend, I attended Dragon Con in Atlanta. Dragon Con is a big convention with approximately sixty thousand attendees and featuring a wide range of activities to choose from, including costuming, gaming, and celebrity panels. Another of its offerings is panels on writing, primarily for genre fiction, and ...

Advice on Pacing from Authors

Another topic that was heavily discussed among writers and editors at the most recent Dragon Con was pacing. Pacing is the flow of the story. It’s finding the right speed for the story as a whole, but also scene by scene. I’ve accumulated some of the tips that were mentioned. ...