by Phoenix Desertsong, Writer of Words

Are you an aspiring author who's getting awfully tired of receiving rejection letter after rejection letter from publishing agents or agencies? Do you keep asking yourself, "What am I doing wrong?" Saturi Scriptor is here with the "Big Book of Rejections" to prove how most rejection letters are little more than form letters. Not only that, but most of them seem to suggest advice that's not only not real advice but can actually waste writers a lot of time.

This book features 101 actual rejection letters received by the author during the course of submitting three different novels for agent representation. Over the course of the book, Scriptor points out how cliched and alarmingly similar most form rejection letters are. In a humorous, but very sage way, Scriptor points authors in the right direction regarding pretty much ninety-nine percent of these letters: write them off and move on.

Scriptor points out two of the major issues with most rejection letters: they either make you think  they will somehow be available to read your work later or somehow make you feel your work is unworthy of publishing or not salable. Rest assured that most of these agents or agencies have more often than not read your query at all and telling you otherwise is a major disservice. Scriptor lets you know that these form letters are pretty much full of dookie.

Sure, once in awhile you will get a rejection letter that has actual, actionable advice. But the vast majority do not. After reading this book, you will know exactly what cliches and forms are used for the 99 percent of rejection letters that you'll receive. Scriptor offers lots of great advice for how to immediately dismiss rejection letters and how to narrow down the list of agents to consider.

After reading this book, I am certain that if you are an author on the verge of giving up on your manuscripts, you will reconsider. I hope that if you are a struggling author that this book can give you new hope. Also, if you are only now beginning the querying and agent search process or have not yet even begin, definitely read this book. Really, no matter where you are in the querying and agent search process, this is a great read.

Traditional publishing is a cutthroat industry and Scriptor deftly and humorously deals with the topic of query rejections. I am sure that this book may just save your author career. Remember that the traditional publishing world is great if you can break into it. But if you don't, never give up. There is always self-publishing, which is far less expensive than you think. Self-publication was the route that Scriptor took after all!

If you are tired of trying to figure out what a rejection letter might mean, definitely read this book! Whether you've suffered through no rejections, dozens, or even hundreds, this book is definitely for you!

You can purchase "Big Book of Rejections" on Amazon for just $0.99!

Disclosure:  ArticleWriterForHire.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for publishers to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer

Writing great dialogue takes a lot of practice. Many authors spend years perfecting their dialogue so it both sounds authentic and moves the story along. Here are 3 dialogue writing tips that will ensure you can write natural, dazzling dialogue.

1. It Must Move the Story Forward

Unlike normal speech, the dialogue in fiction must move the story forward. It must be part of the plot.
Here's an example of what good dialogue shouldn’t be:

“Hi, Bob.”

“Hi, Jill. How are you?”

“Oh, I’m okay. How are you?” Bob said.

“I’ve been better. My boss just laid me off,” Jill said.

In the above example, the two characters are chitchatting. While you will find this in normal conversation, it is not advisable to write it in fiction. You risk boring your reader with needless banter. Instead, get write to the point. Keep your reader gripped and entertained.

Here's an example of what good dialogue should be:

“Oh my god, Jill, I just heard the news. What are you going to do?” Bob asked as he ran up to Jill.

“Apply at the Moon. I hear they’re hiring,” Jill said as she turned to view Bob.

“Yeah, but the Moon? You know what kind of publication that is.”

“I know, but I need income,” Jill said.

“I don’t like it. Three of their last new hires have disappeared while on assignment,” Bob said.

2. Sentence Fragments Are Okay in Dialogue

Very rarely will you ever hear people speak entirely in complete sentences. It’s usually a combination of sentences and fragments. The best way to examine this is to go to a restaurant or café. Sit and listen to how people talk. Write down what they say. Look at the ebb and flow of the conversation.

Here's an example of a complete sentence conversation:

“Joe, what are you going to do today?” Jason asked.

“I’m going to go to the store. Then I think I’ll go to the gym. After that, I might just take a nap.”

“That sounds nice. I might take a nap too or head to the gym,” Jason said.

Here's an example of the same conversation in sentence fragments:

“Joe, what’s your plans for the day?” Jason asked.

“I think I’ll head to the gym, the store. Might take a nap.”

“Yeah. Sounds like a plan. Especially that nap. Just worked 12 hours.”

That second dialogue example sounds much more natural. If your characters are the type to speak in a more relaxed way, this is the perfect way to write their dialogue.

3. Dialogue Can Add Description

Do not be afraid to add description to your dialogue. It serves a two-fold purpose. It lets the reader know what your characters are doing while they're talking. Also, description provides dialogue beats (breaks and pauses in the dialogue without using “He said”, “She said.”

Here's an example of the above dialogue with description:

Jason opened the refrigerator and pulled the pack of baloney. He grabbed the bread off the counter before sitting out at the kitchen table. “Joe, what’s your plans for the day?”

“I think I’ll head to the gym, the store. Might take a nap,” Jason said as he made himself a sandwich.
“Yeah. Sounds like a plan." Jason grabbed the baloney and bread from his brother. "Especially that nap. Just worked 12 hours. Midnight shift is killing me.” He pulled out two slices each of bread and baloney.

Now when you sit down to write your next story, keep these 3 dialogue writing tips in mind. Your readers will be happy you did. Readers definitely appreciate the natural dialogue and they will want to read more of your stories.

Author Bio:

Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia.  She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Piper Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.

She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.

She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.

Other books by Stacey

• AVIA II
• AVIA Memories

by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer

Even though I’m a writer, I don’t have a constant and endless supply of ideas. Every once in awhile I’ll find myself idea-less and in need of writing something. Most writers will call it writer's block.

I don’t actually believe in writer's block. There’s always something to write about. There’s always an idea somewhere. It’s just a matter of finding it and pulling together enough thoughts to make it happen. Here are six idea tips and tricks for finding something to write.


Read the News for Writing Ideas

The first thing I do every morning and read the news. The news can be a plethora of potential ideas and plots. This morning there’s an article about the Yemeni president refusing to leave. Europe is on alert for an Icelandic volcano ash cloud. There’s something about Newt Gingrich’s Tiffany’s account. Lightening struck two Indianapolis homes. Purdue is thinking about raising fees for foreign students. There was a tornado in Missouri.

The trick is to think about all those headlines and to think about what you know. If you know something about Yemen and the president, that might make a plot for a short story or novel or political commentary if you’ve read enough previous articles. The same can be done for all the rest.


Think About Things That Make You React: Angry, Sad, or Happy

The second thing to do is to sit back and think about what makes you angry, sad, or happy. Just pick an extreme emotion and an event that would trigger that emotion. The only thing I caution on is writing about recent family strife or death. A good first draft can be gotten immediately, but a polished draft doesn’t happen until six months or a year later. Raw emotions take time to heal, and the mind needs time to objectively process the events.

Sit and Observe at a Favorite Spot

The third idea would be to go to once of your favorite places; coffee shop, bookstore, store, park, or parking lot and sit and write everything you see and hear. This is an indirect way to find an idea. Still, it's a very good way to set a future scene.


Write About Something That You Want to Know More About

The fourth idea is to think about something you would like to know more about and start researching it. I like history especially ancient history and the Roman Empire. I also like the Victorian era. I few years ago I started purchasing all the books on ancient civilians and Rome I could find. I’m currently in the process of writing a historical novel from the books I’ve read.


Purchase Writing Idea Books

The fifth idea involves purchasing writing idea books. I own several of these as well. My most recent purchase was “The Writer’s Idea Book” by Jack Heffron. I like it. I haven’t used it extensively but I like some of the ideas in it. Some of them I’ve heard before. The book goes through brainstorming, clustering, cutting pages into sections and literally tossing them on the floor and rearranging them. I’m not a fan of the latter because it makes a mess. But, I am a fan of brainstorming as a last resort.


Just Write Whatever Comes

The last idea involves just writing through it. If you have a topic, but nothing concrete sometimes the best solution is to just write it out. I have started off many a paper and a story with the words “I cannot think of anything to write,” then I go from there. A lot of times the topic forms within the page, and I can take out that initial line and edit the work into something concrete.

Author Bio:

Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia.  She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Pipe Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.

She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.

She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.

Other books by Stacey

• AVIA II
• AVIA Memories

by Phoenix Desertsong

Like any good copy writing, articles and blog posts should be written in a conversational style. As an article writer or blogger, you want to be personal and treat your reader as if they are a close friend. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should overlook grammar errors in your writing.

One of the worst mistakes that bloggers and article writers make is to allow for common grammar errors to damage their credibility. Some common grammar mistakes in web writing include:

• Ending sentences with prepositions
• Improper use of punctuation marks
• Inappropriate, missing, or excessive use of modifiers
• Misusing pronouns and contractions

If you are looking for more backlinks and subscribers to your blog or website, here are five common grammar errors to fix in your writing. Fixing these mistakes will improve your overall writing, as well as your credibility as a professional web writer.

‘Your’ and ‘You’re’

One of the most common grammar errors online is misusing ‘your’ and ‘you’re.’ ‘Your’ is always meant to be used as a possessive pronoun. ‘You’re’ is simply the contraction of ‘you are.’ Yet, you often see things written online like ‘Your a beautiful person,’ or ‘I want to see you’re house.’ Why is it that so many bloggers overlook this obvious grammar error?

Unfortunately, many free grammar check programs won’t catch this mistake. Because of this, many web writers leave this mistake in many of their articles and posts. To many readers, this will make a post look sloppy and hurt the writer’s credibility. Don’t lose respect over such a simple usage mistake, especially one that pops up so constantly.

‘It’s’ and ‘Its’

Another common grammar error is misusing the contraction ‘it’s’ and the possessive pronoun ‘its.’ This is perhaps more common than mixing up ‘your’ and ‘you’re.’ Sometimes, this mistake is not quite as noticeable. That doesn’t mean it should be overlooked, though.

‘It’s’ is a contraction used in place of ‘it is’ or ‘it has’ while ‘its’ is a third-person possessive pronoun. To avoid mixing up these things, read your copy aloud and be aware of how you use ‘its’ or ‘it’s.’ If you can replace an ‘its’ with ‘it is’ or ‘it has’ and it makes sense, you’ll need to fix that usage. Be sure that when you write ‘it’s’ that you are using it as a possessive pronoun. That is a common mistake, but don’t let it hurt your credibility as a writer by showing up too often in your articles.

‘There’ and ‘Their’

While ‘there’ and ‘their’ are both pronouns, their uses are quite different. ‘There’ is used to refer to a place or thing. ‘Their’ is a plural possessive pronoun. Yet, you will often read things that say ‘There business has been very successful…’ or ‘Their is a clear difference between…’ in articles, which simply reads wrong. This simple mistake is committed more frequently than you’d think, too. Don’t be one of the article writers or bloggers who overlooks this mistake.

‘Affect’ and ‘Effect’

These two words are often confused. While misusing these words aren’t as glaring an error as some of the above, it’s still something that should be checked for any time you write an article or blog post. ‘Affect’ is used as a verb, while ‘effect’ is used as a noun. They do mean about the same thing, so it’s easily to switch them up. But you don’t want to have a sentence that reads “Millions of people were effected by the power outage last week’ or ‘The bill could have a negative affect on the education budget.’ This error can lose you some respect with readers.

Misplaced and ‘Dangling’ Modifiers

The other major grammar problem that web writers make is misplaced and ‘dangling’ modifiers. Modifying phrases can change the entire meaning of sentences, and if they are put in the wrong place, they leave sentences to be easily misread.

Misplaced modifiers are phrases or clauses that are meant to modify one word or words, but are placed next to other words, which confuses the entire meaning of the sentence. Dangling modifiers are phrases or clauses not clearly or logically related to the words they are placed next to, or modifies. They are usually at the beginning of a sentence.

After writing your copy, be sure to read it through and make sure that each sentence flows properly, especially those with modifying phrases separated by commas. If it’s not clear what exactly the sentence is saying, then you should rewrite that sentence.

Each time you’re ready to hit submit on your latest article or publish on your latest blog post, be sure to read it aloud. You don’t want to commit any of these five common grammar mistakes, or accidentally leave something that reads unclear or flat out wrong. Your readers will never thank you for it out loud, but they will respect you more for correct grammar. If you have been making any of these errors on a regular basis, though, and you make an effort to fix them, people will definitely notice. Tighten up your copy and you’ll reap the rewards.

Need to make sure that your article or blog post is properly copy edited for grammar mistakes and free of typos? Check out the Editing services from Brand Shamans & Intent-sive Nature!