Have you ever been in the situation where you have a great idea for a story: Your characters feel just right, and you have the most awesome ending already written out, and then your fingers hover over the keys, paralysed by the pressure to write the perfect introduction to this incredible idea of yours? Here… Continue reading Introducing a Story

Semicolons can be daunting and intimidating, but we are here to clear up any anxiety you may have; that is just what we do. Using a semicolon is easier than you all may think, and it will give your writing a refreshing and interesting boost. Just remember these simple rules, and you will be using… Continue reading Semicolons

Descriptions are often a problem for new writers, but even practiced writers can feel insecure about their descriptions. There can be too little description so it becomes difficult to understand what actually happens, and there can be too much description making readers skip to more interesting parts of the story. Balance is key!  What exactly… Continue reading Compelling Description

There are three types of dashes used in writing. The hyphen (-): Hyphens are the shorter lines that are meant to be used to connect two or more words that function together or have a combined meaning. They are often mistakenly used as em-dashes. In most writing styles, this is actually incorrect. Examples: ‘long-term’, ‘custom-built’, ‘mother-in-law.‘… Continue reading En Dashes and Em Dashes

This round we are looking at the way that we punctuate and write both dialogue tags and action beats within our writing. Initially, we need to define each of them. A dialogue tag is the small phrase at the end of dialogue that indicates who and how something was said: ‘Harry shrieked’ or ‘Hermione sighed’.… Continue reading Dialogue Tags and Action Beats

Here is a quick overview of the many comma rules we have to deal with. Use a comma before any coordinating conjunction (and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet) that links two independent clauses. Example: “Harry went flying, and he saw a Dementor.” An independent clause includes both a subject and verb and can stand on… Continue reading Commas

WHAT IS A COMPLEX SENTENCE? A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. An independent clause (unlike a dependent clause) can stand along as a sentence. For this excercise, I would like you to take great consideration with your work to ensure that. When the cake is brown (this is… Continue reading Complex Sentences

The present perfect tense is a style of writing that refers to 'action' or 'state' that happened in an undefined time in the past; 'we have spoken before'. This 'action' or 'state' may also have begun in the past but has continued into the present; 'she has grown unsettled over the past week'. The Present… Continue reading The Present Perfect Tense