Tag: writing & editing
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What is a First Draft?
You probably already know this; a first draft is the first completed manuscript of a book, what’s done before the editing process begins. Simple, right? Well, I’m about to go further into detail. Firstly, the biggest mistake writers can make is trying to make their first draft perfect. Do not do this. It is impossible.…
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Punctuation: Parentheses
Definition: a punctuation mark; a pair of round brackets ( ) used to mark off a parenthetical word or phrase. Note: Do not rely on grammar or spelling checkers to identify missing or misused punctuation. Although a checker may flag possibly missing or incorrect marks, it cannot do much else. While I still recommend using…
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Punctuation: The Apostrophe
Definition: a punctuation mark (’) used to indicate either possession or the omission of letters or numbers. Note: Do not rely on grammar or spelling checkers to identify missing or misused punctuation. Although a checker may flag possibly missing or incorrect marks, it cannot do much else. While I still recommend using these AI checkers…
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Punctuation: The Exclamation Mark
Definition: a punctuation mark (!) indicating an exclamation. Note: Do not rely on grammar or spelling checkers to identify missing or misused punctuation. Although a checker may flag possibly missing or incorrect marks, it cannot do much else. While I still recommend using these AI checkers while you’re writing, I insist that you also trust…
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Punctuation: The Question Mark
Definition: a punctuation mark (?) indicating a question. Note: Do not rely on grammar or spelling checkers to identify missing or misused punctuation. Although a checker may flag possibly missing or incorrect marks, it cannot do much else. While I still recommend using these AI checkers while you’re writing, I insist that you also trust…
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Punctuation: The Semicolon
Definition: a punctuation mark (;) indicating a pause, typically between two main clauses, that is more pronounced than that indicated by a comma. Note: Do not rely on grammar or spelling checkers to identify missing or misused punctuation. Although a checker may flag possibly missing or incorrect marks, it cannot do much else. While I…
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Punctuation: The Colon
Definition: a punctuation mark (:) used to precede a list of items, a quotation, or an expansion or explanation. Note: Do not rely on grammar or spelling checkers to identify missing or misused punctuation. Although a checker may flag possibly missing or incorrect marks, it cannot do much else. While I still recommend using these…
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Punctuation: The Comma
Definition: a punctuation mark (,) indicating a pause between parts of a sentence. It is also used to separate items in a list and to mark the place of thousands in a large numeral. Note: Do not rely on grammar or spelling checkers to identify missing or misused punctuation. Although a checker may flag possibly…
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Punctuation: The Period
Definition: a punctuation mark (.) used at the end of a sentence or an abbreviation. Note: Do not rely on grammar or spelling checkers to identify missing or misused punctuation. Although a checker may flag possibly missing or incorrect marks, it cannot do much else. While I still recommend using these AI checkers while you’re…
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What is an Editorial Assessment?
So, you’ve written the first draft of your manuscript and you’re not quite sure where to go from here. Do you send it to beta readers first? An editor? Do you wait until you’ve gone through it a second time? The answer is fairly simple. If you’re on a budget, I’d advise you to start…