No More Nodding in Books
carriejonesbooks One of the big things that Carrie sees in stories a lot is nodding. Here’s what it looks like: Shaun nodded. “I agree that’s a lot nodding.” Carrie nodded in…
writing podcast
Our New Names are Cocoa Puff and Snack Train, Plus Swearing Ducks and Raising Stakes
Everyone tells you to raise the stakes in your writing. And that’s a lovely, easy thing to say when you are the editor and not the writer. But what does…
Broken Brains and Where Shouldn’t You Start Your Story
A lot of writing coaches talk about story structure and plots and inciting incidents, which is all well and good but Carrie is burnt-out this week. Carrie: I have worked…
Dog Poop and Shame
When people look at our dog Gabby, they almost always say, “Oh, she’s so beautiful.” Gabby, however, isn’t beautiful by breed standards. She’s actually a mess. Her muzzle isn’t boxy…
Aw, Ah, Aah, Awe, or Ah is that Underwear?
None of us are perfect with the grammar, especially not us native-English speakers. We’ve got all these words that mean totally different things but sound EXACTLY THE SAME! And today,…