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Month: January 2015
My Top 10 Digital Tools for the Business of Being an Author
by, Jill Swenson
January 27, 2015

Today I’m going to share my top 10 digital tools for the business of being an author. Most of these are free and all of them are easy to use. I recommend them to you because I use them and find them valuable and think you will too.   (1) WordPress for website and blogging – Hands down there is no better platform for authors… [Read More]

Filed Under: Bitly, Citation Machine, Google Alerts, Google Analytics, LastPass, LessAnnoyingCRM, MailChimp, Marketing Grader, Purdue Online Writing Lab, WordPress
3 Comments
Take the Passive Voice Test
by, Jill Swenson
January 20, 2015

Passive voice weakens your writing. It obscures responsibility for action. Those who learn English as a second language struggle to make sense of the many ways in which Americans use passive verb constructions in everyday speech. It often finds its way into our writing. Rarely is the writer conscious of this problem in their writing. Passive voice is used by victims. Instead of actors, they… [Read More]

Filed Under: Active Voice, actor, Passive voice, recipient of action, subject-verb-object, victim
8 Comments
7 Day Writing Challenge
by, Jill Swenson
January 13, 2015

  January is a time for new starts and creative bursts. Despite the bitter cold and desolate landscape, this is a wonderful time to generate fresh content. Take this One Week writing challenge. Spend 15-20 minutes every day for the next week.   Day 1 Pick a photograph that speaks to you. One with a story behind it that isn’t entirely contained in the visual… [Read More]

Filed Under: character sketch, paint a portrait in words, POV, writing challenge
16 Comments
Getting the editorial feedback you need
by, Jill Swenson
January 6, 2015

Will you read what I’ve written? As soon as I think I’ve finished writing a new piece, there’s that irresistible urge to get feedback from a reader. What do you think, eh? It’s more than yearning for instant ego gratification. That’s pretty nice, too. But it won’t help me take my writing to the next level. The sense of accomplishment from getting it down on… [Read More]

Filed Under: 5 things I wish every writer knew, Brooke Warner, constructive criticism, copyediting, Huffington Post, Readers
2 Comments
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