Category Archives: Newsletter

Craft of Writing: Vary Syntax to Give Writing Flavor, TextureWhen writing, you’ll want to vary the syntax, which is the pattern of the sentence’s words – that is, the order of the parts of speech within a sentence. READ MORE Writing Tips: How to Create Your Story’s CharactersSuccessful stories require characters who face some challenge orContinue reading “Vary Syntax to Give Writing Flavor, Texture – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for April 21, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Eschew Clichés Like a Toxic Waste DumpA quick way to strengthen your writing is to replace (or just avoid altogether) overused expressions and phrases. Such expressions and phrases are known as clichés. They include terms such as “avoid like the plague”, “beat around the bush” or “kiss of death.” READ MORE Writing Tips:Continue reading “Eschew Clichés Like a Toxic Waste Dump – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Apr 14, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Improve Writing’s Texture by Avoiding RepetitionOne of the quickest ways to ruin a story’s texture is to repeat the same word between sentences and paragraphs. READ MORE Make Sure the First Page of Your Story is the Best it can Be My writing guidebook Write Your Story’s First Page looks at the 11 must-have components ofContinue reading “Improve Writing’s Texture by Avoiding Repetition – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Apr 7, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Stop Weighing Down Passages with AdverbsAdverbs are words that typically describe a verb (Though they also can describe adjectives and other adverbs, which can be a real symptom of a bloated passage.). READ MORE How to Devise Your Story’s PlotWhen writers come up with a great story idea but don’t know how toContinue reading “Stop Weighing Down Passages with Adverbs – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for March 31, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Ditch the Begin FallacyOne way to tighten your writing is to eliminate the begin fallacy. This occurs when the writer introduces an action to the reader by saying “began to,” as in “My nerves began to calm.” READ MORE 200+ Writing Prompts That Lead To StoriesYou’re stuck on what to write soContinue reading “Ditch the Begin Fallacy – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for March 24, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Eliminate AmbiguitySometimes when writing, we unintentionally create ambiguity – that is, we write a sentence that can be interpreted in more than one way. You’ve probably ran into this when reading instructions for a do-it-yourself kit or when trying to resolve some technical issue with your computer. READ MORE Never Experience Self-Doubt aboutContinue reading “Eliminate Ambiguity – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for March 17, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Tell Readers What ‘It’ IsAvoid starting sentences – and especially paragraphs – with “it.” By starting a sentence with “it,” you can confuse the reader. After all, what exactly does “it” refer to? READ MORE How to Master the Craft of WritingYou’ve written a short story or a novel. You keep receiving rejection slips from editorsContinue reading “Tell Readers What ‘It’ Is – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for March 10, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Replace Fuzzy WordsHere’s some advice: “To really improve your writing, your words should be very specific and read maybe something like what you’d find in a story that’s not so loosely written.” Huh? The problem with the advice is it’s riddled with fuzzy words – or words that aren’t precise. READ MORE TheContinue reading “Replace Fuzzy Words – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for March 3, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Murder Your DarlingsTo engage your readers – whether writing fiction or nonfiction – you’ll need to be utterly ruthless with your own words. In short, you’ll need to “murder your darlings.” READ MORE “7 Minutes a Day…” Series Now on Audiobook!Need to fill up some driving time or need something to listen to whenContinue reading “Murder Your Darlings – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Feb. 24, 2026”

Craft of Writing: Erase Subjective TensionSometimes when selecting which word to use, our aim is off. Usually, this can be resolved simply by thinking a little bit more about exactly what is meant and then changing that word. When our aim is off on more than a word but a whole passages of text, writers commitContinue reading “Erase Subjective Tension – Inventing Reality’s Newsletter for Feb. 17, 2026”