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a blog for writers & authors writing ◆ editing ◆ publishing |
If you're writing fiction, and you're not Cormac McCarthy, chances are you're using quotation marks. But are you using them correctly?
Let's go over the recommendations of the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, the accepted style guide for American fiction.
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I love National Novel Writing Month. I believe it teaches important lessons for beginning writers—and provides a reminder for more experienced writers. Putting pen to paper (literally or figuratively) is the most important things. Tough days come and go, but keeping up your writing momentum is crucial. "Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it."
—Madeleine L'Engle
He or she. He/she. S/he. There have been many attempts at gender-neutral pronouns, but as it so often does, language evolved naturally. And dictionaries and style guides have recently accepted that evolution. Most of us use singular "they" frequently in informal conversation to refer to an individual whose gender we don't know. But is it okay to use singular "they" in fiction? 
I love editing professionally because I get to help stories reach their full potential. But I also love it because I get to help writers learn and grow in their craft. Receiving a new manuscript from a previous client is an amazing feeling because that manuscript is nearly always stronger than the last.
But in-depth professional editing is not a financially viable option for everyone, and it doesn't always give me the opportunity to interact one-on-one as much as I'd like. So I'm introducing editing webinars. These live online sessions will provide a platform for me to teach and engage with writers, and I could not be more excited. The first scheduled webinar is a three-part course that will cover fundamental editing concepts. The second is a two-hour line editing workshop.
 Update: October 22, 2019 “Tribe” is a word I’ve used for a long time without a second thought. But one of our own pointed out that it can be offensive to and even appropriative of indigenous peoples. I didn’t know what I didn’t know. And after some research into the topic, I realized how problematic using this term can be. One of the main goals of this group is to create an inclusive, safe space. So, furthermore, we shall be known as the Writing Pack. (Rocket pitched the name, and you know I can’t say no to him.) It’s so important that we—as a writing community and as humans—keep sharing with each other and listening to each other. We may not be able to fully understand another’s experience, but we can try. - Victoria
If you've been hanging around here for a while, you may have heard of (or joined) The Community of Readers & Writers. I created the Community sort of on a whim, without any real plan of what I wanted it to be. I just knew that I wanted to create some sort of place for writers to connect. Well, I've been thinking a lot lately about what the Community really means to me, and I have some ideas. The first step is a new name. 
This is that post. The how I got my agent post. This is exciting to write, but also a little daunting—which I suppose is why I'm writing it about a year after I signed with my agent. During the years I spent querying, these types of posts were so helpful and encouraging. She got an agent! I will too. So here we go. I'm going to lay out the whole sordid tale, from start to finish. And it starts in a very scary place, my friends . . . high school. 
It's giveaway time! We've got all kinds of goodies up for grabs, including free editing services, craft books, and online editing courses. We'll be giving away all the cool stuff below, one winner per prize. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter. The Rafflecopter will be open to entries Monday September 2, and I'll announce the winners Monday September 9. The Giveaway is Open!
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Victoria GriffinAuthor. Editor. 
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