It’s not enough to write a page-turning story with characters you can’t help but love. Editors, agents, and readers are eager for writing that does not read like this:
After reading all the words on my contract, I know what my rights are.
They want tight, powerful prose like this:
I read my contract. I know my rights.
And this is where Don McNair’s book, Editor-Proof Your Writing: 21 Steps To The Clear Prose Publishers And Agents Crave, comes in. He lays out the 21 steps that are guaranteed to tighten your prose. Each step explains the specific issue (e.g. double verbs) and provides lots of examples. You then apply your new knowledge to the exercises with each step and the accompanying excerpt from a book (I skipped the excerpts). The final assignment for each step is to apply it to your first chapter (and only your first chapter). Most of the steps are achieved using the FIND function, so they’re easy to do.
After you’ve studied the book, you can apply each step to your novel. Even if you know most of the information, you’ll be surprised how many “issues” you’ve missed in your manuscript. For example, you might have sentences like this:
I sat down and watched TV.
Unless there is something significant about the act of sitting down, you can simply write:
I watched TV.
It is assumed the character is sitting. This sounds pretty obvious, but you might be surprised how many times you make this mistake without realizing it.
Another example is:
Their squeals of laughter fill the air as they chase each other and play tag.
The last I heard, tag involves being chased. The better way to write it would be:
Their squeals of laughter fill the air as they play tag.
I highly recommend the book to everyone, especially if you tend to write like the before examples. It’s a quick and easy read that makes the editing process more efficient. Also, it includes several chapters on hooking the reader and keeping them hooked.
How do you edit your writing to ensure it isn’t flabby?
In an attempt to bring life to their writing, many new writers fall in love with adverbs and clichés. In truth, adverb and cliché abuse has the opposite effect to what they intended. It leads to flat writing.
Jessica Bell’s newest book, Adverbs & Clichés in a Nutshell, is what your prose really needs. She explains why you want to avoid them, and proves a multitude of examples to show how much better your writing will be when you use, instead, alternative methods to bring your writing to life.
For each example, she lists a bunch of adverbs and clichés. Next, she has two similar paragraphs demonstrating the use of these words. One is written with the adverbs from the list, the other with the clichés. And finally, she presents a paragraph rich with imagery that is far superior to the previous two. You learn by example.
I recommend Adverbs & Clichés in a Nutshell to everyone who struggles with them. And I especially recommend it to EVERYONE in broadcasting. Apparently someone told them that clichés are a good thing, and the more you abuse the better. They always look proud when they do it. Too bad they can’t hear me groan.
I would like to welcome David Farland to my blog today. He often teaches writing workshops, and has trained a number of people who went on to become international bestselling authors—people like Brandon Sanderson in fantasy, Brandon Mull in middle-grade fiction, and Stephenie Meyer in young adult fiction. In addition to being an author of adult fantasy, he has just released his YA fantasy novel, Nightingale (blurb at the end of post).
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Here’s an exercise that I use to help teach authors how to handle an opening scene.
1) Especially at the beginning of a tale, use “resonators” to better tie into your audience's subconscious. "Resonators" are often words that identify your piece as belonging to a particular genre, such as fantasy, romance, or horror. They are part of the secret language that is used within a particular genre to give the writing more power by referring to previous works written in that genre. 2) Avoid the use of “to be” verbs in the opening of your tale. In particular, if you describe an inanimate object, try to do it using only active verbs. It is all right to use metaphors and similes to create motion. For example, “hoary pines guarded the hillside, while an ancient rock brooded at its top.” 3) Appeal to all of the senses--sight (don’t just describe the colors of things or their shapes, but also their textures), sound, smell, taste, touch (hot/cold/wet/dry/ firmness/softness). A great rule of thumb is that if you want to bring a thing to life, really get the reader to focus on it, you need to describe it at least three times, preferably using different senses so that you don’t become repetitious. 4) Create a sense of physical motion in your description. There are several ways to do this. For example, you can have physical motion as mentioned in point two. But you can also have motion nearby. For example, if I were to continue describing the hill, I might place crows flying up from the pines, or a stiff wind that makes the boughs sway. 5) Add a sense of temporal motion in your description. For example, in describing a car you might describe how it has changed over time—from the moment that it was bought new in the showroom, to what it looks like now, to what it might look in another twenty years. 6) Add emotive motion to your description. Describe precisely what your protagonist feels about the place or thing that he is seeing, but pay particular attention to how that emotion changes. It is all right to use internal dialog. 7) Use precise language. That means that if you are describing a person, consider using his name. If you want your reader to envision a pine forest, let them know that it is a pine forest, not just a forest, lest they imagine oaks or palms.
Here is a sample of the opening description from my novel Nightingale (available as an enhanced novel on the iPad, complete with its own illustrations, soundtrack, animations, and author interviews). I didn’t try to use all of the tips listed above, just enough to bring the scene to life. Never make yourself a slave to all good advice:
Sommer Bastian had fled her safe house in North Carolina, and now nowhere was safe.
She raced through a thick forest, gasping in the humid air. Sweat drenched her, crawling down her forehead, stinging her eyes. Dogs barked a quarter mile behind, the deep-voices of mastiffs. Her vision reeled from fatigue, and she struggled to make out a path in the shadows.
Fireflies rose from the grass ahead, lugging their burden of light, lanterns in shades of emerald and citrine that pushed back against the gathering night. Eighty thousand stars wheeled through otherwise empty heavens. Without even a sliver of moon or the glow of a remote village, the stars did not shine so much as throb.
She could run no faster. With every stride, Sommer stretched her legs to the full. A mastiff keened, not far back now. It was almost upon her.
Her pursuers were faster than any human, and stronger than she. At nineteen, Sommer was in the prime of her life, but that made no difference. A desperate plan was taking form in her mind.
The dogs were trained to kill. But she knew that even a trained dog can’t attack someone who surrenders. Nature won’t allow it. And when a dog surrenders completely, it does so by offering its throat.
That would be her last resort—to lie on her back and give her throat to these killers, so that she could draw them in close.
She raced for her life. To her right, a buck snorted in the darkness and bounded away, invisible in the night. She hoped that its pounding would attract the dogs, and they did fall silent in confusion, but soon snarled and doubled their speed.
The brush grew thick ahead—blackberries and morning glory crisscrossing the deer trail. She heard dogs lunging behind her; one barked. They were nearly on her.
Sommer’s foot caught on something hard—a tough tree root—and she went sprawling. A dog growled and leapt. Sommer rolled to her back and arched her neck, offering her throat.
Three dogs quickly surrounded her, ominous black shadows that growled and barked, baring their fangs, sharp splinters of white. They were huge, these mastiffs, with spiked collars at their throats, and leather masks over their faces. Their hooded eyes seemed to be empty sockets in their skulls.
They bounded back and forth in their excitement, shadowy dancers, searching for an excuse to kill.
I can still get away, Sommer thought, raising a hand to the air, as if to block her throat. By instinct she extended her sizraels—oblong suction cups that now began to surface near the tip of each thumb and finger. Each finger held one, an oval callus that kept stretching, growing.
Though she wasn’t touching any of the dogs, at ten feet they were close enough for her to attack.
She reached out with her mind, tried to calm herself as she focused, and electricity crackled at the tips of her fingers. Tiny blue lights blossomed and floated in the air near her fingers like dandelion down. The lights were soft and pulsing, no brighter than the static raised when she stroked a silk sheet in the hours before a summer storm.
She entered the mastiffs’ minds and began to search. They were supposed to hold her until the hunters came, maul her if she tried to escape. Their masters had trained the dogs well.
But a dog’s memories were not like human memories, thick and substantial.
Sommer drew all of the memories to the surface—hundreds of hours of training, all bundled into a tangle—and snapped them, as if passing her hand through a spider’s web.
Immediately all three mastiffs began to look around nervously. One lay down at her feet and whimpered, as if afraid she might be angry.
“Good dogs,” Sommer whispered, tears of relief rising to her eyes. “Good!” She rolled to her knees, felt her stomach muscles bunch and quaver. She prepared to run.
“Where do you think you’re going?” a deep voice asked.
There are more dangerous things than mastiffs, Sommer knew. Of all the creatures in the world, the man who spoke now was at the top of the list.
Grand Prize Winner of the Hollywood Book Festival, placed first in all genres, all categories.
Winner of the 2012 International Book Award for Best Young Adult Novel of the Year!
Finalist in the Global Ebook Awards.
Some people sing at night to drive back the darkness. Others sing to summon it. . . .
Bron Jones was abandoned at birth. Thrown into foster care, he was rejected by one family after another, until he met Olivia, a gifted and devoted high-school teacher who recognized him for what he really was--what her people call a "nightingale."
But Bron isn't ready to learn the truth. There are secrets that have been hidden from mankind for hundreds of thousands of years, secrets that should remain hidden. Some things are too dangerous to know. Bron's secret may be the most dangerous of all.
In his remarkable young adult fantasy debut, David Farland shows why critics have called his work "compelling," "engrossing," "powerful," "profound," and "ultimately life-changing."
"Superb worldbuilding, strong characters, and Dave's characteristic excellent prose. --Brandon Sanderson, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Facebook Nightingale Website
To celebrate the release of her Novella Dies Irae, I asked author Christine Fonseca if she would talk about one of her strengths: using setting to set the mood. Not only does she do a great job with this in her story (which I'm currently reading), she wrote an AWESOME post on the topic.
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Thanks, Stina, for hosting a leg of the blog tour for DIES IRAE. I am excited to be here today talking about setting. As most of you may know, I love writing dark and creepy stories. Whether they are gothic, romance, or psychological, one thing unites my stories—they’re dark.
One of the ways I achieve the “dark” tone to my stories is through the use of setting.
I view setting as a “character” of sorts—something that can enhance and enrich the story; the vehicle by which character emotions and plot themes can be revealed or embellished.
Specifically speaking, setting is comprised of the following elements of a story:
* Location – WHEN is the story set? * Time – WHEN is the story set, both in terms of era and time of day * Climate – WHAT is the season and/or the weather like during your story
Correctly identifying these things, as well as describing them in ways that work towards the overall tone and mood of the book can help an author create a memorable experience for the reader.
So, how do I do that? How do I use setting in that way? For me, it is always about placing myself in the scene and looking around. Using my five senses, what do I see, hear, smell? And how do these details help to create or push the emotional content of the story? Then I filter that experience into words.
Now, this is not always an easy thing to do. Most of the time, I put too much or too little into the story. My early drafts are often filled with purple prose, some passive language, and too many sensory references that I then need to rework. But eventually, after I’ve reworked and rewritten a scene, after I’ve taken the time to judiciously put in setting references without dragging down the plot, I come up with a scene that is powerful and rich.
Take this tiny excerpt from DIES IRAE:
“The mouth of the cave is complete in its darkness. A cold wind wafts up from the earth’s depths, carrying the scent of death. “Yep, this has got to be it,” I whisper.
Mikayel draws his sword and walks in. The descent is steep and narrow, giving way to an even floor littered with rocks and bones. Too many bones.
Everything is quiet. Stalactites line the cave’s ceiling like teeth meant to consume us. Small crevices recede into the walls.
And still, everything is quiet.”
My goal in this tiny snippet was to establish the setting in such a way as to build the tension the character is feeling. You will have to be the judge as to whether or not that was accomplished, but I would like to think it was.
Setting is a powerful tool in a writer’s arsenal. Sadly, it is one that is not always utilized. Is it one you are comfortable using?
For me, becoming more adept at using setting to establish tone and mood, as well as mirror the emotions, has been one of the best, most useful skills I’ve learned—a skill I am constantly working to develop through writing exercises that include practicing writing different descriptions of places, all to evoke specific feelings or moods.
Try this:
Pick a familiar setting—a beach or mountain landscape for example. Write a detailed description of that place. Now, make it scary and write that description. Make it romantic. Make it foreboding. Keep rewriting the basic description within different emotional contexts. The more you practice this, the more natural incorporating setting will become.
I recently read Demons at Deadnight by Alyssa and Eileen Kirk. The best part about the book (which is great, btw) were the six hot teenage guys. But it wasn’t their hot bods that made me fall in love with them, it was their banter. They cracked me up every time. So, for part of the Demons at Deadnight blog tour, Alyssa and Eileen wrote a guest post (at my begging) on writing awesome banter. They’ve also included tips on writing dialogue based on gender differences.
Make sure you check out the end of the post for information about their giveaway. I have one of the secret words you’ll need for a chance to win a Kindle Fire. Plus, I’m giving away a copy (paperback or ebook) of their novel Demons at Deadnight. If you want to be entered for the book giveaway, let me know in the comments and include your email address. It’s open internationally. The giveaway will close Wednesday, February 15th at 11:59 pm EST.
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One thing we haven’t a shortage of in Demons at Deadnight is banter. We adore it. Dialog is a great way to show rather than tell who your character is. And with six hot male leads—that’s right, six—we use their dialog, word choice, sentence structure, and speech pattern to establish and distinguish character, as well as deliver necessary information.
Context plays a big part in how the dialog works but we’ve tried to provide examples that are still effective without a lot of knowledge of the rest of the story. Here, the Hex Boys are in the midst of discussing the organization they work for.
*** “Wait. Who’s she again?” Blake said.
Matthias sighed. “Don’t you ever pay attention? She heads up the Divinicus task force.” Blake looked blank.
“Sophina Cacciatori.” Matthias continued. “She taught some conferences in Europe?”
Logan spoke up. “You described her as the curvy, hot, Italian brunette with—”
“Great legs!” Blake finished with a broad grin.
*** Hopefully you learned:
- Sophina Cacciatori: A big deal in a worldwide organization and so important Blake should know her name instantly.
- Matthias: finds Blake’s cavalier attitude and lack of knowledge irritating. Is more serious and responsible. Has a hard time relating to Blake.
- Blake: Playful. Unconcerned with the administrative aspects of their job. Bit of a horn dog.
- Logan: Informed. Great listener. Knows Blake inside and out.
Characters with fundamental differences create conflict which is always fun. Use the moment to reveal information about your character and information relevant to the plot.
Here, Aurora is just coming out of unconsciousness and since it’s first person, what she’s thinking is actually part of the banter.
*** “How’s that my fault?” Matthias said.
“You’re the only one mean enough to make her think we’re kidnappers and killers.” I’d never heard Logan so passionate.
“We are killers,” Matthias said.
Bad news.
“Not girls. We don’t kill girls.”
Good news.
“She’s no girl.”
Insulting news?
“What? Of course she’s a girl.”
“Want me to check?”
“Shut up, Blake,” the rest of them chorused.
*** The short version? Matthias = jerk. Logan = protective, gentleman. And even though they work for the same organization, they see their roles very differently. Then Blake = girl crazy and the rest of the boys, all too familiar with his antics, shut him down.
Gender Differences in Dialogue
Here’s a great tip from the many conferences we’ve been to. In terms of gender, guys tend to speak concise. To the point. Concentrate on facts. Lack of extraneous verbiage. Shorter sentences.
Girls, on the other hand, like to use more words, and construct longer sentences which contain supplementary descriptive prose and express a vivid interpretation of their feelings and emotions, their experiences and the environment surrounding them.
See the difference? So after you’ve written a guy’s dialog, go back and cut. And cut again.
However, we have a Hex Boy who is extremely verbose. Why? Because his character is…not mainstream. He’s an oddball. Not your typical guy, so it works.
The same information will be delivered differently by each character, so when you have something you need to say to move the plot along, pick the character who’s going to express it in the most riveting manner. And if the character is conflicted about the information they have to verbalize, all the better. For example, the shy one has to talk about sexuality, or the cynical one has to talk about love. You get the idea.
Make every word count, have fun, and bottom line, know your character inside and out, then let them do the talking!
Stina, thanks so much for having us today. It’s always a pleasure to dialog with you!
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Kindle Fire Giveaway Info
To enter to win the Kindle Fire you need to know the secret phrase given out one word at a time by each blog tour host. Put the words together in sequential order and you'll eventually have the secret phrase! Right now you can Tweet and Follow on the AEKIRK Blog Tour Page to get points but starting March 9 (at the end of the tour) you can enter the complete phrase on the AEKIRK Blog Tour Page and earn BIG entry points! Your Kindle Fire will also include your choice of a DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT Skin. Either from the cover, or a Hex Boy group shot or individual "Team" skin of your favorite Hex Hunk!
The secret word from my blog is: ADDICTIVE (Yes, those Hex Boys are very addictive)
To view the entire list of blogs on this tour, click the banner at the top of the post!
On Monday, I talked about weaving symbolism into your story. No matter how small the detail, symbolism can enrich your writing.
In the post, I mentioned the book Symbols, Images, and Codes: The Secret Language of Meaning in Film, TV, Games, and Visual Media by Pamela Jaye Smith. I recently discovered this book and love it. If you’re looking for a deep book on the meaning of symbolism in our culture (or anything along this line), this book isn’t it. If you’re looking for a reference book to help you pull more symbolism into your story, this is what you’re looking for. Or at least it’s a good starting point.
Pamela divides the book into twenty-three categories. These include:
Astronomy and Astrology Composition (i.e. the concept photographers, cinematographers, artists consider, and you will too after reading this section) Numbers Codes Earth Air Fire Water Animals Color Anatomy Clothes Architecture
The book begins with a brief introduction on how symbols, images, and codes work. Each chapter (category) is then broken down according to:
What the symbol means. For example, air means freedom, spirit, superhuman power, and understanding.
How it’s been used in history, myth, and contemporary times.
Examples found in movies, along with explanations as to how it worked in the movie.
How to use it in your story. There are all kinds of cool ideas listed. Some are more appropriate for certain stories verses others.
Written descriptions. Words that are great for creating powerful prose and imagery.
Cinematic techniques. Not relevant to most of us, but this section is really cool too.
At the end of the book is a section that lists different emotions, situations, and concepts, and provides a list from the above categories that are applicable to each. You select the symbol that will have the most power at that point in your story. Remember, some will speak to your reader at a conscious level, and other will speak to them at the unconscious one.
No matter what genre you write, this book is a great resource.
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If you want to know more about writing symbolism in fiction, I have a very special guest post coming up in a few weeks. This author KNOWS about symbolism.
Book blurb: It’s hard not to notice Terra Cooper. She’s tall, blond, and has an enviable body. But with one turn of her cheek, all people notice is her unmistakably “flawed” face. Terra secretly plans to leave her small, stifling town in the Northwest and escape to an East Coast college, but gets pushed off-course by her controlling father. When an unexpected collision puts Terra directly in Jacob’s path, the handsome but quirky Goth boy immediately challenges her assumptions about herself and her life, and she is forced in yet another direction. With her carefully laid plans disrupted, will Terra be able to find he true path?
Writers, did you notice her great hook? So simple yet it grabs your attention. Okay, since this is a book review and not a post about query writing, time to move on.
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley is a powerful story about a teen’s search for the definition of beauty, something you’d have expected Terra to know about considering she’s an artist. But even that she questions. Her father is a map maker, which has influenced Terra’s art. Because of this, Justina infuses the prose with metaphors linked to maps and geocaching. I’m jealous at how effortless she makes it look. For those of us unfamiliar with the terms, they’re explained through the narration, but not once did they slow the pace. I highly recommend the book for anyone attempting to do the same with their novels. It inspired me to use imagery related to competitive swimming in my story, something I hadn’t even thought about doing before reading North of Beautiful.
While the story explores the definition of beauty, it also shows the destructive power of verbal abuse and how inner strength can come from the most unlikely places. For those of us who live for romance (yep, me), you won’t be disappointed. There’s a love triangle involving Jacob and Terra’s boyfriend, who has never seen her without her thick layers of makeup.
Overall, I enjoyed the story even though I’m not a huge fan of literary YA. But I do love Sarah Dessen and Kirkus wrote that Sarah might have met her match in Justina. Okay, I’ll admit, that’s why I bought the book, though I don’t think you can really compare the two authors.
Here’re some great books for fiction writers who want to improve their craft. Perfect if your family is looking for last minute gift suggestions for you.
Characterization
Writer’s Guide to Character Traits by Linda N. Edelstein. It includes profiles of human behaviours and personality types.
Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors by Brandilyn Collins. No more flat characters if you use the suggestions in this book.
Miscellaneous
Hooked by Les Edgerton. What to do and not to do at the beginning of your story.
The Power of Point of View: Make Your Story Come to Life by Alicia Rasley
Description by Monica Wood
Between the Lines by Jessica Morrell. This one's a huge favorite of mine.
Writing for the YA Market
Writing and Selling the YA Novel by K.L. Going
Editing Fiction
Manuscript Makeover: Revision Techniques No Fiction Writer Can Afford to Ignore by Elizabeth Lyon
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King
Style
Spunk & Bite: A writer’s guide to bold, contemporary Style by Arthur Plotnik
Sin and Syntax: How to craft wickedly effective prose by Constance Hale
The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier by Bonnie Trenga
A Dash of Style by Noah Lukeman
Getting the Words Right: 39 ways to improve your writing by Theodore A. Rees Cheney
Books Written Especially for Teens
Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly by Gail Carson Levine (the author of books such as Ella Enchanted)
Now I’m not talking about going skiing or running or anything other activity that gets you moving. I’m referring to giving your verbs a workout.
There are two types of verbs for the intent of this discussion: passive and active. Passive verbs include verbs such as to be. Bonnie Trenga also throws the following verbs into the pile: to do, to get, to go, to have, to make, and to use. Action verbs, on the other hand, are more action packed—hence their name. Passive verbs are boring. Action verbs aren’t.
Examples: I went over to the mall entrance. (passive) I zigzagged between harried shoppers on my way to the mall entrance. (active)
Notice which one paints a more vivid picture. Don’t get me wrong though, there are times when passive verbs are okay, but the idea is switch to an active verb when at all possible.
Next time you write a paper, take your highlighter and mark all those passive verbs, then see which ones you can make more exciting. Your teacher (and grade) will thank you.
Suggested Reading: Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose by Constance Hale The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier: How to Solve the Mysteries of Weak Writing by Bonnie Trenga
Janie runs quickly through the incredibly snowy yards from two streets away and slips very quietly through the bright purple front door of her two story house complete with cream-colored siding and a roof that needs to be repair.
And then.
Everything goes really black. Pitch black. As black as the night.
She holds her head tightly, cursing her mother under her minty breath as the whirling, twirling, swirling kaleidoscope of colors—red, orange, green, purple—builds quickly and throws her completely and utterly off balance. She bumps hard and painfully against the dirty white wall, the paint peeling in quite a few places and holds on really hard, and then very slowly lowers herself blindly to the worn carpeted floor as her fingers, with the beautifully painted long fingernails, go numb. The last thing she really needs is to crack her head wide open. Again.
Welcome to the not-so-wonderful world of overwriting. This is where the eager writer drowns his pose in adverbs and adjective, thinking it makes the writing more vivid. This is one of those times when the saying ‘less is more’ really does apply. As you can see from the above version of Lisa McMann’s novel, Fade (New York Times bestseller), all those adjectives and adverbs do nothing for the story. If anything, they bury Lisa’s compelling voice. Compare it to the actual version from the novel.
Janie sprints through the snowy yards from two streets away and slips quietly through the front door of her house.
And then.
Everything goes black.
She grips her head, cursing her mother under her breath as the whirling kaleidoscope of colors builds and throws her off balance. She bumps against the wall and holds on, and then slowly lowers herself blindly to the floor as her fingers go numb. The last thing she needs is to crack her head open. Again.
Do you see the difference?
In the first version, weak verbs are modified with adverbs. For example, ‘runs quickly, instead of ‘sprints’ and ‘holds her head tightly’ instead of ‘grips her head’. If you find you’re reaching for an adverb--especially one ending in –ly--to describe the verb, then grab your thesaurus and look up ‘run’. You’ll find an array of better words (bolt, sprint, dash, etc) that paint a concrete picture of what you’re character is doing.
For adjectives, don’t place a list of them in front of the noun. Try to keep it down to two. If you need to include more, than place some of them behind the noun. For example: Instead of “Tired, bruised, wearing a bloodied, torn dress, Alyssa stumbled along the road.” Write, “Tired and bruised, Alyssa, her dress bloodied and torn, stumbled along the road.” Also, delete any adjectives that are redundant. For example: a baby kitten is like saying a baby baby. All kittens are babies. Right?
Exercise: For your next writing project—fiction or non-fiction—highlight all the adjectives and adverbs, and see how many you can cut out and how many verb/adverb combinations you can replace with dynamic verbs. Your reader (and teacher) will thank you for it.
Recommended reading: Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose, Constance Hale
Thanks, But This Isn’t For Us: A (Sort of) Compassionate Guide to Why Your Writing Is Being Rejected, Jessica Morrell
Note: This super cool picture was generated using the Wordle program at http://www.wordle.net/.
